NASCAR Update: Kyle Larson’s Talladega Penalty Worsened by Car Chief’s Ejection

Kyle Larson’s attempt at Talladega Superspeedway looks bleak this year. He had a squeaky-clean streak of pole wins at Richmond, Martinsville, and Texas. But recently his team was caught for illegal tactics.

A day ago he faced NASCAR’s fury as Larson was barred from the qualifying. Apparently, the Hendrick Motorsports No. 5 team made unapproved roof rail adjustments, echoing SHR driver Noah Gragson’s penalty in Atlanta. Now another concerning update has surfaced regarding Larson’s penalty.

Kyle Larson’s Talladega attempt seems cloudier

NASCAR officials do not tolerate anybody tweaking their cars post-inspection. Hence, when the No. 5 team was caught red-handed working the roof, the car was sent straight to the garage. Larson was awarded a last spot in the GEICO 500 race and told to await harsher punishments. And it came, as his car chief, Jesse Saunders, was released.

NBC Sports writer John Newby tweeted on X: “An update to the Kyle Larson penalty from qualifying. The car chief has been ejected. Larson will also serve a pass-through penalty at the start of the race. There will not be any further penalties. The No. 5 went through inspection and passed, so it’s ready for the race.”

Firing his engine 38th, Kyle Larson will face his first backbencher start since the 2018 Daytona 500 race. The Las Vegas winner also lacks a superb record at Talladega. Finishing as high as fourth, Larson has never won in 18 previous starts at the 2.66-mile Talladega Superspeedway.

Kyle Larson’s penalty resembles Stewart-Haas Racing’s fortunes earlier this year at Atlanta, another superspeedway. NASCAR discovered altered roof rail deflectors on both the cars of Ryan Preece and Noah Gragson during an inspection. They were both docked 35 points for this rule violation. However, Joey Logano’s maneuvered gloves infraction achieved a higher level in terms of violation.

Larson’s situation also rings a bell for his own team. Last year, Hendrick Motorsports faced their biggest-ever penalty.

Hendrick drivers’ purses became lighter

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In March 2023, the current winningest Cup team received their costliest punishment. They were found to have modified their hood louvers, a single-source part. The crew chiefs of the respective drivers were fined $100,000 and suspended for four races over the incident. Subsequently, two crew chief substitutes were also handed $75,000 fines due to adjustments to the greenhouse of cars.

NASCAR senior vice president of competition Elton Sawyer had justified the penalty, saying, “We felt like to keep the garage on a level playing field, the competition level where it needs to be, all the dialogue that went around this car last year working with the owners on what the deterrent model should be, we were put in a position that we felt there was no other way but to write a penalty.”

Now as a Hendrick team drew NASCAR’s ire again, let us see how well Kyle Larson reins in the situation at Talladega Superspeedway.