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NASCAR: Can Kyle Larson Succeed in ’16 With Johnston?

By Joseph Shelton

Feb 19, 2015; Daytona Beach, FL, USA; NASCAR Sprint Cup Series driver Kyle Larson (42) gets into his car during practice for the Daytona 500 at Daytona International Speedway. Mandatory Credit: Andrew Weber-USA TODAY Sports
Feb 19, 2015; Daytona Beach, FL, USA; NASCAR Sprint Cup Series driver Kyle Larson (42) gets into his car during practice for the Daytona 500 at Daytona International Speedway. Mandatory Credit: Andrew Weber-USA TODAY Sports /
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Considering that Kyle Larson is heading into his third full-time Sprint Cup season as winless as he was at the beginning of his rookie season, will teaming with Chad Johnston fix his problems?

Kyle Larson shouldn’t be winless at this point in his career. Granted, he’s only in his third full Sprint Cup season, but considering he’s the 2014 Sprint Cup Rookie of the Year and holds a total of 10 top-fives and 27 top-10s in 75 starts, surely one of those would have been a win at this point. But instead, a trio of runner-up finishes during his rookie year are all he can really boast about. It’s unsettling, especially when the career of Kasey Kahne (who’s path to NASCAR stardom was virtually parallel to Larson’s) is taken into consideration. By this point, Kahne already had a win.

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Larson is an excellent driver, as evidenced by his track record (three Xfinity wins, one Camping World Truck Series win, three K&N Pro Series wins, an ARCA win, an IMSA win in the 2015 Rolex 24 at Daytona, and countless Sprint Car/Midget wins). So his winless streak isn’t due to lack of effort. However, with the addition of Chad Johnston as his Crew Chief for 2016, a man who could be considered tainted in the NASCAR garage, can Larson’s luck turn around in 2016?

Take a look at Johnston. With one Sprint Cup win with Martin Truex Jr. back in 2013, Johnston has more widely been known as Tony Stewart’s Crew Chief for the past two seasons. Through 2014 and 2015, Johnston led the No. 14 Stewart-Haas Chevy of Stewart’s to three top-fives and 10 top-10s. This is the same Stewart who is a three-time Sprint Cup champion as well as the 1997 IndyCar champion. This is the Stewart with 48 Sprint Cup points wins and the reputation of being the biggest badass in the Motorsports world.

Johnston proved himself incompetent several times during his stint with SHR, most notably at Indy in 2015. With Stewart on the verge of resurrecting his downed career with a strong showing, Johnston disrupted and jumbled call after call by bringing Stewart to the pits during each caution, even when he didn’t need to. When a team’s primary concern was success, Johnston seemed to be more comfortable taking his team back a notch or several.

Then take into consideration Larson. He’s capable of winning a Sprint Cup race any time he’s behind the wheel. He regularly runs well and has a strong car thanks to Chip Ganassi Racing. He’s consistent in the manner of Mark Martin in that he makes enough noise to be noticed, but doesn’t go hog wild and tear the car up. It doesn’t hurt that he’s also one of NASCAR’s biggest stars. That alone brings confidence and expectations.

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His 2015 season can be summed up in two words: Sophomore slump. It happens to the best of rookies out there, like Kahne, Denny Hamlin, and Kevin Harvick, and Larson was no exception. He could very well have turned his 2016 season around and won a race or two and even made the Chase. But with the inclusion of Johnston to the No. 42 team, is that going to even be a likelihood?

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