NASCAR hits Kyle Larson, Hendrick Motorsports with major penalties at Atlanta

Kyle Larson and Hendrick Motorsports have been hit with penalties ahead of the NASCAR Cup Series race weekend at EchoPark Speedway in Atlanta. The issues came up during the pre-qualifying inspection.

Kyle Larson’s No. 5 Chevrolet failed pre-qualifying inspection twice before finally passing on the third try. While the team avoided a more serious pass-through penalty during the race, the back-to-back inspection failures triggered immediate sanctions from NASCAR.

Jesse Saunders, Larson’s car chief, has been ejected from the Atlanta event and won’t be allowed to participate for the remainder of the weekend. In addition, the team has lost its pit stall selection.

Larson’s penalty comes at a bad time for Hendrick Motorsports. The team is already under scrutiny following a separate penalty issued after last weekend’s NASCAR Xfinity Series race at Pocono. There, the No. 17 Hendrick Motorsports Chevrolet — driven by Chase Elliott — was found to have violated NASCAR’s regulations. The result was a $40,000 fine, a crew chief suspension for three races, and the loss of points.

The Atlanta penalties specifically affect Kyle Larson’s chances this weekend. Losing pit stall selection means the No. 5 crew will be stuck with whatever option remains after all other teams have chosen theirs.

The weather has also disrupted qualifying. Due to rain and lightning delays, NASCAR shortened the session to one round. Larson will be the 36th car to take the track for qualifying, which is far from ideal. Earlier this season, he qualified 17th at Atlanta. Since the track’s reconfiguration, his best starting position there is third.

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What happened to Kyle Larson at Talladega still looms large- the scariest crash in NASCAR

Last year, Kyle Larson was involved in one of the most frightening crashes in recent NASCAR memory. The wreck took place during lap 48 of the GEICO 500 at Talladega Superspeedway and involved five cars.

Ross Chastain moved into the middle lane and collided with Noah Gragson, who then hit the wall. That triggered a crash as Larson’s car spun into the grass, reentered the traffic lane, and was T-boned on the right side by Ryan Preece.

The crash was violent. According to AP, the hit was so hard that Preece’s helmet visor flipped open. It raised serious safety concerns across the garage. Kyle Larson, already a top-tier driver with a 2021 Cup title, became one of the loudest voices on the issue.

“You see things that could have easily gotten me in the car, whether it be the bars that had completely broken off and could have shanked me. Or what if I had a second impact?” Larson told AP. “There’s no other form of racing, in my opinion, that takes safety more seriously than them, but that doesn’t mean the sport is safe.”

Despite that terrifying crash, Kyle Larson returned to form and continues to be one of NASCAR’s most consistent and skilled drivers. But the memory of the Talladega incident lingers, especially when his team faces pressure situations like this weekend’s penalties.

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Edited by Pratham K Sharma