After Sonoma, Kyle Larson and the #5 team were hit with a massive blow as NASCAR handed his pit crew and his crew chief a four-race suspension. Fortunately, though, Hendrick Motorsports called a former crew chief into action for the time being. Kevin Meendering was announced as the interim crew chief for Larson.
Kevin Meendering to sub as No. 5 crew chief for next four races. https://t.co/5BYgarRW7X
— Hendrick Motorsports (@TeamHendrick) June 20, 2022
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How long will Kevin Meendering head the team?
The new crew chief will head the crew of the #5 team for the Cup races at Nashville Superspeedway, Road America, Atlanta Motor Speedway, and New Hampshire Motor Speedway.
In addition to these, Meendering and Larson will also team up for the Xfinity Series race at Road America on July 2.
Has Kevin Meendering been a crew chief before?
While the new NASCAR fans may not have heard of Meendering before, he has been associated with Hendrick Motorsports for quite some time. In fact, this isn’t the first time he’ll be working as a crew chief for a superstar driver.
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This is because Meendering has worked as crew chief of Jimmie Johnson, the seven-time Cup Series champion before. Johnson and Meendering teamed up for 21 races.
Moreover, the crew chief’s overall record with HMS includes three wins, 39 top fives, and 77 top tens in 98 Xfinity Series starts.
What does Meendering do additionally?
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Before he was called up for duty to be the crew chief of the defending Cup Series champion, Meendering was heading Hendrick’s stint in the Xfinity Series this season.
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The crew chief was responsible for the three races in which Rick Hendrick’s team was participating in the second tier of NASCAR.
It’s also worth noting that Kevin Meendering led Elliott Sadler to the Xfinity Series championship in 2017.
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So it can be said that the #5 team need not worry because Kyle Larson is in good hands in the absence of Cliff Daniels, with Kevin Meendering leading his team as the crew chief.