Kyle Larson lost a tire during this past Sunday’s EchoPark Automotive Grand Prix at COTA, and now his No. 5 team is having to deal with the fallout.
According to FOX’s Bob Pockrass, Hendrick Motorsports is shaking things up amid expected suspensions for Larson’s jackman and front tire changer. The No. 5 team will welcome jackman Eric Ludwig and tire changer Jafar Hall from Justin Haley’s car, due to Hendrick supplying the pit crew members for Spire Motorsports.
“According to the rosters, Kyle Larson’s team, expecting suspensions to its jackman and front tire changer, will get jackman Eric Ludwig and tire changer Jafar Hall from the Justin Haley car (they are Hendrick crew members typically assigned to Spire cars),” Pockrass posted on X.
Of course, Hendrick has to keep their team as the top priority, so it’s Haley’s No. 7 team that’ll deal with some change this weekend, as well as Larson’s crew. It’s certainly a fascinating ripple-effect, after the mishap in Austin from the No. 5 squad.
All told, it’s been a less than stellar start to 2025 for Larson, but he’s going to be elated to head to some more traditional Cup Series tracks, where he thrives. NASCAR insider Jordan Bianchi took some time to evaluate where the Hendrick Motorsports star stands at the moment, and he’s not worried about the former champion.
“I’m not somebody who’s going to sound the alarm on some of the guys who are buried in points,” Bianchi said, regarding drivers like Larson. “I think it’s too early, and we’ve had two superspeedways. … If you can go to Vegas or Phoenix or Homestead and kind of run off a series of top tens, for any of these guys, you’re going to be like, ‘Okay, they’re going to be okay.’ You’re going to see their standings jump. That’s the thing I’m looking at these next few weeks.
“… I truly believe these next three, four, five weeks, because I’m throwing Martinsville and Darlington in there, are really going to be super telling, and very insightful.”
All told, the next month and change in the Cup Series could see the worries surrounding Larson dissipate completely. He’s going to have to overcome some change on his pit crew, but he’s dealt with adversity before and has come out on the other side of it. There’s no reason to think he can’t get the job done once again.
Regardless, this weekend’s trip to Phoenix Raceway will certainly be telling. A ton of eyes will be on Kyle Larson, as he hopes to reclaim his spot as one of the top drivers in all of the sport.