Why Hendrick Motorsports Snubbed NASCAR Fan-Favorite to Potentially Replace Kyle Larson for the 2024 All-Star Race

Shane van Gisbergen could have been a good alternative to replace Kyle Larson for the All-Star race at North Wilkesboro Speedway. This is what a fan was trying to suggest on social media after the news of Kevin Harvick driving the No. 5 HMS car surfaced. SVG’s parent organization, Trackhouse Racing, already fields Daniel Suarez and Ross Chastain. Meanwhile, Kaulig will look to bring back A.J. Allmendinger for the All-Star weekend.

This provided HMS with the option to go with the Kiwi Speedster to replace Larson at North Wilkesboro. But, instead, they decided to bring the more experienced hands of Harvick back into the mix, and the reason behind this pick was justified by Bob Pockrass on X.

Here’s why Kevin Harvick is a better choice to replace Larson

Harvick hung up his helmet after competing in the NASCAR Cup Series last season. However, it looks like he just might have to come out of retirement following a request by Rick Hendrick. In response to this decision, some fans online were trying to find the reasoning behind why Shane van Gisbergen wasn’t considered for the switch.

In response, Pockrass opined, “Because he doesn’t have the experience Harvick has in the Next Gen to give feedback they want.” Well, indeed, one can hardly make a case for van Gisbergen against the 2014 Cup champion. The .625-mile short track oval demands experience and skills from a driver and in that regard, Harvick certainly is a better pick over SVG.

Harvick, a two-time All-Star race winner (2007, 2018), shared how he was approached by the team owner, Mr. H. “When Rick called a couple of days ago, he said, ‘Hey I need a favor,’ and I know that when the conversation starts like that, that you usually have to say yes. So I appreciate you guys calling. It’s going to be fun.”

The million-dollar prize pool is often one of the most exciting features of the All-Star race. But this time around, the focus will also be on the new set of tires delivered by Goodyear. They could prove to be a game changer in improving the short-track package.

Can Goodyear’s tire test at North Wilkesboro solve the short-track racing package?

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NASCAR teams and drivers have been demanding changes in the racing package for the short-track races. The night race at Bristol was indeed a huge surprise, which raised the hopes for racing to be better in the future. But that joy was short-lived, as racing was back to its stale and boring feature that has been despised by fans and drivers alike.

Given that the governing body isn’t budging on handing more power to the race car, the only possible way to improve the package is with a change in tire compound. This is exactly what will be on display during the All-Star race at North Wilkesboro. There are two tires that the teams can choose to run with throughout the weekend. A prime tire which is the baseline tire that Goodyear tested at the newly paved racing surface last month. Moreover, there is the additional option of slick tires, which are softer and, in theory, will provide a better grip for race cars.

Elton Swayer, VP of Competition for NASCAR, explained via SiriusXM radio explained the functionality of the new tire compound. “So the drivers will have to manage that tire. The tire’s not gonna go for a long period of time. So the question that you asked about starting the All-Star Race, we wanna make sure that we could, that the teams and drivers are in that position… When they start the race, they gotta manage that tire. And from that point on, they’ll have two sets of options and two sets of the prime tire to be able to get through that event.”

It will be interesting to see how different the new tire package will be in North Wilkesboro. And hopefully, it will deliver on its promise of improving short-track races.