Getty Daniel Suarez qualifies at Nashville Superspeedway.
Two Cup Series drivers will have a major hurdle to overcome after qualifying. Corey LaJoie and Daniel Suarez both crashed during their laps at Nashville Superspeedway, which dropped them to the rear of the field for the Ally 400.
LaJoie was the first of the two drivers to spin. He lost control during the opening round of qualifying, and he backed the No. 7 Chevrolet Camaro into the wall. He then slid through the infield grass before taking his car back to the garage.
Suarez was the second. He posted the fastest overall lap during the opening round of qualifying and then he went out with the goal of winning the pole. However, he lost control exiting Turn 4 and hit the wall before taking the green flag.
Both LaJoie and Suarez will have to start from the rear of the field after their respective incidents in qualifying. LaJoie’s No. 7 Chevrolet sustained less damage, but he did not complete a qualifying lap. His team will still have to make repairs before the Ally 400 at Nashville Superspeedway.
When Suarez met with media members, he didn’t know if he would have to go to a backup car or if the team could make repairs. He expressed hope that it was the latter because he had confidence in his ability to drive through the field with a strong car.
Suarez Provided 1 Explanation for the Spins
GettyDaniel Suarez practices at Nashville Superspeedway.
Suarez took part in a media bullpen after hitting the wall, which meant that he faced several questions about the spin. He used the opportunity to provide an explanation for why certain drivers lost control.
As Suarez said, there is a bump exiting Turn 4. Hitting it isn’t necessarily an issue during an average lap. However, he was free before he hit the bump, which caused the No. 99 Chevrolet Camaro to suddenly spin.
The bump was not the cause of Suarez’s spin. It was simply one of the factors that played a role in him hitting the wall and failing to take the green flag on his qualifying lap. Though it meant that he watched his teammate, Ross Chastain, win the first-ever pole in Trackhouse Racing history.
2 Other Drivers Had Their Own Issues Exiting Turn 4
GettyBubba Wallace qualifies at Nashville Superspeedway.
Suarez and LaJoie were not the only drivers that had issues exiting Turn 4 at Nashville Superspeedway. Kyle Busch and Bubba Wallace also did so. Though they avoided damage.
Busch’s spin took place during the 50-minute practice session at the 1.33-mile track on Friday, June 23. He lost control of the No. 8 Chevrolet and spun, but he kept the car out of the outside wall. Busch was able to take part in qualifying the following morning while posting the sixth-fastest time.
Wallace, for comparison, had the fastest lap during Group B qualifying. He secured his spot in the final round at Nashville Superspeedway and then he headed out last with the goal of winning the pole for the second time in his career.
Wallace appeared to be in a position to beat Chastain’s time and lead the field to green, but he also lost control exiting Turn 4. He spun harmlessly onto the apron and the infield grass before coming to a stop just before the start-finish line.
Like Busch, Wallace avoided damage after losing control. This means that he should still be able to keep his starting spot inside of the top 10 as he tries to deliver a strong performance at the Tennessee track.
