Ryan Newman has never been the kind of guy you push around on a racetrack. The 2008 Daytona 500 winner, currently competing part-time in the NASCAR Whelen Modified Tour, came into Richmond with a real chance to snap a nearly 14-year winless streak in the Whelen series. And for a few laps, it did look like the drought was finally about to end… Until a cruel stroke of luck left Ryan Newman reeling with disappointment, and perhaps some mean words as revealed by his opponent…

On Thursday, during the Virginia is for Racing Lovers 150 NASCAR Whelen Modified Tour race at Richmond Raceway, Newman was on the outside of the front row, leading the pack, when a contact from Corey LaJoie sent Newman to the outside wall, and severely damaging his car. In a flash of fender contact and tire smoke, Newman’s shot at victory evaporated, as he finished prematurely at P16. And while Newman didn’t hold back on his frustrations, LaJoie has now broken his silence, admitting just how “mean” Newman can be, even when he’s trying to play nice. That fiery exchange set the stage for one of Modified racing’s spiciest storylines this season.

“Newman’s mean whenever he’s trying to be nice to you, let alone when you just wreck him,” he admitted on the Stacking Pennies podcast, before saying, “He actually didn’t say anything now. I guess he said some mean things about me on MRN, which, whatever,” he further recalled.

LaJoie then explained the incident further, saying Newman admitted to spinning his tires and expecting a break in the corner. But when the bumpers misaligned and LaJoie stayed in the throttle, the collision was unavoidable. Still, LaJoie acknowledged the growing weight of these moments. “I’m starting to even be more and more aware on this,” he reflected, recognizing the fine line between racing hard and wrecking a veteran chasing redemption. Notably, this comes after the driver had appeared apologetic during a post-race interview.

“I would have loved to cut him (Newman) a break, but it just happened so quickly. I feel terrible about it. I even told myself to give a gap because I got wrecked at (North) Wilkesboro leading the same way…He spun ’em. I hit him and tried to get off him, but I think I hit him in the left rear bumper square enough to where it bit and hooked it right. I feel terrible. He had a good day going and I hate to wreck that. I hate to wreck him, I hate to wreck anybody,” LaJoie had said.

Newman, on the other hand, stated, “I spun my tires a little bit but it’s Modified racing and you kind of have to expect some of that. Corey didn’t expect me to spin it, I guess, because he drove right through me,” before adding, “It’s unfortunate. We took a car that qualified eighth and was leading the race with 50 (laps) to go. I had a good strategy and, like I said, I spun the tires, but I wasn’t the only guy who spun my tires on the restart. So, I got drove through, got up into the fence, knocked the radiator out of it and we’re done. We were leading, we had a car capable. We were one of the five cars on the lead lap at the time. So yeah, we were capable of winning. That’s why it really, really sucks.”

Why LaJoie doesn’t mind Reddick or Bowman missing playoffs

NASCAR veteran Corey LaJoie isn’t shedding any tears for Tyler Reddick or Alex Bowman’s playoff peril as they and other drivers look to clinch the final playoff spot at Daytona. Even though both drivers have delivered solid seasons. After Richmond, where Austin Dillon clinched his spot by leading 107 laps, LaJoie laid it all out.

Success in the playoffs ultimately comes down to wins, not consistency. “It’s not like Austin Dillon has tried less hard for the last 23 races … and it’s just freaking hard to win a Cup race,” he told Inside the Race with Steve Letarte and Todd Gordon. “Tyler Reddick has had the same opportunity … Alex Bowman has the same opportunity to do what Austin Dillon did, what SVG did.”

LaJoie’s point hits home. Dillon, standing outside the top 10 in points, secured his playoff berth not through consistency or speed. But by winning when it mattered the most. Meanwhile, Reddick and Bowman, despite racks of top-10 finishes (five for Reddick, six for Bowman), find themselves on the bubble with only wins likely to save them.

With Reddick finishing 34th at Richmond (after a crash) and Bowman as runner-up, their playoff spots now hinge on Daytona. If a new winner emerges there, only one can advance. LaJoie laid it bare: “Because they didn’t execute for the first 23 races, now they have to wear the stress this week and go attack Daytona with the potential of missing the playoffs, even being top-10 in points.”

In LaJoie’s eyes, there’s no injustice here. It’s just the harsh reality of NASCAR’s win-or-die structure. At Daytona, survival itself is a challenge, and in a sport where one breakout victory can change everything, consistency alone rarely saves a season. His message is clear. In NASCAR, winning is the only guarantee.