Friday, June 10 2022

Rick Hendrick rarely joins the team debriefings at the start of the week.

Owner of one of the dominant organizations in the NASCAR Cup Series, Hendrick employs the circuit’s last two champions, Kyle Larson and Chase Elliott.

Days after one top asset, Larson, knocked out the other, prompting an outburst of profanity over team radio.
Hendrick, who has a young stable of drivers and envisions a dynasty for the next generation, has created time to address any driver dissension.

Walled off by his Hendrick Motorsports teammate Kyle Larson, Chase Elliott started to let off steam

The tension within the team remained when Hendrick Motorsports’ weekly competition meeting began virtually because of the West Coast swing.

En route to claim the Wise Power 400 at Auto Club Speedway on Feb. 27, Larson appeared to aggressively hold Elliott back from a high run, sending the teammate into the wall and knocked out.

Larson began romping on team radio, courtesy of NASCAR Race Hub’s Radioactive.

A series of expletives from Elliott filled the radio stream:

“Dumb, ****** ******”

“He’s an idiot.”

Larson attempted to explain what happened in real time:

“Damn, I’m sorry. I didn’t… I didn’t know he was there.

From watching an opening to take the lead to getting overtaken, Elliott continued his rant:

“It’s ******* broken again. Piece of ****. ****** ******.”

“It’s getting worse and worse here. Much worse here in the last half (round).

As Larson began to distance himself from the favorites, Elliott appeared to execute an unopposed revenge rotation, bringing out the cautious 12th period and closing the field.

Owner Rick Hendrick practically appears on call to keep his driving stable calm

Hendrick Motorsports teammates Chase Elliott (9) and Kyle Larson race during the NASCAR Cup Series Championship Race 4 at Phoenix Raceway on November 7, 2021 | Chris Graythen/Getty Images

Hendrick needed to make his voice heard.

It doesn’t happen often.

“As far as I can remember, this is the only meeting since I’ve been there that Rick has attended along those lines,” Larson said, reported by nascar.com.

Defending series champion Larson joined Hendrick Motorsports before the start of 2021.

“He’s been to competition meetings and stuff like that,” Larson said. “And we had several meetings on different things. But as far as racing and all that, this is the first one I remember he got involved in.

Hendrick’s urgency was as evident as the tension within the team. Elliott recently signed a five-year contract extension and has spoken of making the team his “family”.

Larson won 11 points races in his first 39 appearances in a Hendrick Motorsports machine.

Larson: ‘It was good for him to get involved again and tell us what the expectations are’

Hendrick joined the reunion to ensure his best assets would remain professional.

Hendrick sent the message.

Larson said he was delivered.

“I think we all know his expectations, and after the incident last week, it was good for him to get involved again and tell us what the expectations are,” Larson said. “…So it’s good to get those reminders from time to time and to keep racing well in the future with each other.” I’ll catch up with Chase here in a bit, and I’ll be fine.

During Stage 1 of the Pennzoil 400 at Las Vegas Motor Speedway on March 6, teammates raced a safe distance apart. Larson, after starting P2, fell back into his mid-20s before making a late charge.

Elliott raced in the top 10 cars for much of the first stage.

Driver Joey Logano predicted that sagas similar to Larson-Elliott’s would become an industry trend.

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