NASCAR-Nation was sent into a frenzy on Tuesday evening as NASCAR announced that Chase Elliott was suspended for this weekend’s race at Gateway. Not only that, but Corey LaJoie was the surprise substitute announced for Elliott. As for LaJoie’s typical Spire Motorsports 7 car, Carson Hocevar will drive that car this weekend.
Fans on social media had a lot of news to react to, and different storylines and conversations developed. Here are what different fans added to these conversations.
Tom Stolze has a way to get Chase Elliott into the race at Gateway.
David Lerner is excited to see what NASCAR did.
RealDerek was happy to see NASCAR continuing it’s precedent from last year.
Tommy Mattix needed to do a double-take
Josh Neal believes that NASCAR did the right thing.
This is likely to be an objective reality.
Denny Hamlin’s live reaction.
How did Corey LaJoie find out about his incredible opportunity?
Racing Fan is excited to see LaJoie getting an opportunity.
GotThatVOLInHim said that he is excited for Corey LaJoie.
Sara is also excited is excited for this opportunity.
The Gaming Life was pleasantly surprised.
Autumn is excited to see what happened.
Quicker than expected indeed.
SRT0616 was excited to see LaJoie fill in for Chase Elliott.
Darian was excited to see Carson Hocevar joining Spire for this weekend.
Carson Hocevar could not be happier.
Frenando Paiva talked about how he loved the choice of LaJoie.
9_Point is afraid Hocevar could crash this weekend.
Jake Finch is excited to see Hocevar driving this weekend.
Dawson Haywood thinks this is going to be a fun time.
No more win and you’re in, says Dakota Camper
Brian Murray says that suspension waivers are not the same as injury waivers.
Wrong Paul Douglas is probably not.
When asked if NASCAR should get rid of waivers, Jake Burroughs says that they should.
@dirttrackdawg11 says that the playoffs should be gotten rid of altogether.
JE24 said that even if NASCAR should not grant a waiver, they will grant a waiver to keep Elliott relevant.
Johnny Sauter was the last driver to receive a playoff waiver after a suspension.
Dustin Parks believes that NASCAR should rescind Elliott’s waiver.
Olivia Hamman said that Elliott should not be granted a waiver.
This will be an interesting and unique weekend in St Louis with these new faces in new places. How will LaJoie and Hocevar do in their new rides this weekend?
The NASCAR Truck Series takes the week off this week while the O’Reilly Auto Parts and Cup Series continue their Westward march to Phoenix Raceway. So, whether you are going to be at the track or home, what does the forecast look like for the race weekend in Avondale, Arizona?
Before the OAP Series Race (2:00 AM – 5:00 PM)
During the OAP Series Race (5:00 PM – 8:00 PM)
After the OAP Series Race (8:00 PM – 11:00 PM)
Before the Cup Series Race (10:00 AM – 1:00 PM)
During the Cup Series Race (1:00 PM – 4:00 PM)
After the Cup Series Race (4:00 PM – 8:00 PM)
Note: This article will be updated with a more accurate and detailed forecast as the race weekend nears.
With COTA in the rearview mirror, the NASCAR Cup and O’Reilly Auto Parts Series head to Phoenix Raceway for the first short track race of the 2026 season. This hub gives you everything you need to know before, during, and after this weekend’s races.
| Race Winner | TBD |
| Pole Sitter | TBD |
| Prerace | Entry List | Qualifying Order | Practice Results | Qualifying Results |
| Race Results | Race Results | Cumulative Report | Infraction Sheet | Groovy Gauge |
| Updated Standing | Driver’s Points | Owner’s Points |
| New and Notes | Weather Report | Race Storylines | TV Ratings |
| Race Winner | TBD |
| Pole Sitter | TBD |
| Prerace | Entry List | Qualifying Order | Practice Results | Qualifying Results |
| Race Results | Race Results | Cumulative Report | Infraction Sheet | Groovy Gauge |
| Updated Standing | Driver’s Points | Owner’s Points |
| New and Notes | Weather Report | Race Storylines | TV Ratings |
This article will be updated throughout the race weekend.
Three races, three wins, and three straight celebrations with Michael Jordan. History was made at Circuit of the Americas as Tyler Reddick opened the season with an unprecedented three straight victories, holding off Shane van Gisbergen in the Texas heat while chaos and strategy shuffled the field behind them. Here’s how it scored on the Groovy Gauge, powered by Lectric eBikes.
