
via Getty
DAYTONA BEACH, FLORIDA – FEBRUARY 16: Kyle Larson, driver of the #5 HendrickCars.com Chevrolet, stands on the grid during qualifying for the NASCAR Cup Series 64th Annual Daytona 500 at Daytona International Speedway on February 16, 2022 in Daytona Beach, Florida. (Photo by Sean Gardner/Getty Images)

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DAYTONA BEACH, FLORIDA – FEBRUARY 16: Kyle Larson, driver of the #5 HendrickCars.com Chevrolet, stands on the grid during qualifying for the NASCAR Cup Series 64th Annual Daytona 500 at Daytona International Speedway on February 16, 2022 in Daytona Beach, Florida. (Photo by Sean Gardner/Getty Images)
Ever since the 2022 NASCAR season began, the marshalls have been very strict about enforcing the rules. Especially with promoting the new single-lug wheels being installed properly. Unfortunately, Hendrick Motorsports driver, Kyle Larson, fell victim to this.
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As we all know, NASCAR has been handing suspensions like hot cakes when they find a wheel comes loose. Unfortunately, the crew chief takes the brunt of it, getting booted for multiple weekends. And, Larson had a wheel come off in Sonoma which saw Cliff Daniels, crew chief to the #5 Hendrick Motorsports car being suspended for four race weekends.
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However, Bubba Wallace‘s spotter, Freddie Kraft, had some things to say on the matter.
Freddie Craft Shares His Take On Kyle Larson Losing His Crew Chief
As we discussed, Kyle Larson lost a wheel in Sonoma. Subsequently, losing his crew chief, Cliff Daniels, for four races.

USA Today via Reuters
Mar 27, 2022; Austin, Texas, USA; NASCAR Cup Series driver Kyle Larson (5) before the start of the EchoPark Automotive Texas Grand Prix at Circuit of the Americas. Mandatory Credit: Mike Dinovo-USA TODAY Sports
In a recent episode of Dale Earnhardt Jr.’s podcast, Door Bumped Clear, Bubba Wallace’s spotter, Freddie Craft said that Larson’s suspension was the “stupidest suspension in the history of NASCAR”.
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He drew a comparison to Chase Elliott‘s crew chief, Alan Gustafson, as he said, “They keep out Alan for a month versus Cliff, now who’s got the stupidest suspension in the history of NASCAR, being crew chief suspended for four weeks,”
He then added by suggesting a change to the rule, “I still go back to a points penalty… You get a ten-point penalty the first time it happens, and then it’s a 25-point penalty. If it happens again, then maybe fifty.”
Moreover, he feels that taking the crew chief away is pointless as he said, “He’s [the crew chief] not really going anywhere, he’s just not in the pit-box, you know he’s still involved with calling the race from his bus or whether it’s from a control center at your shop.”
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In the end, Freddie Kraft might actually be right about this. To be fair, the crew chief can still be available to the team at all times. However, is the point deduction the best way to deal with it? Or, there’s a better solution? Let us know in the comments.
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