NASCAR: New landing spot emerging for Kyle Larson?

Stewart-Haas Racing had been seen as the primary landing spot for Kyle Larson should he return to the NASCAR Cup Series next year, but now another option is slowly but surely emerging.

Kyle Larson competed in just four races of the 2020 NASCAR Cup Series season before he was fired by Chip Ganassi Racing in April during what ended up being a 10-week hiatus caused by the coronavirus pandemic.

During a virtual NASCAR race at Autodromo Nazionale Monza on iRacing, Larson uttered a racial slur, leading to indefinite suspensions from both NASCAR and Chip Ganassi Racing. This led to Larson losing multiple sponsors, which ultimately forced Chip Ganassi to cut ties with the six-time race-winning driver of the #42 Chevrolet.

But the door is not closed on the 28-year-old Elk Grove, California native returning to the Cup Series. While he hasn’t yet been reinstated by NASCAR, he has completed the sensitivity training needed for reinstatement.

More from NASCAR Cup Series

• NASCAR Cup Series: New team set to compete in 2024
• NASCAR: Surprising name continuously linked to new seat
• NASCAR driver at risk of missing the Daytona 500?
• NASCAR set for rare appearance last seen 13 years ago
• NASCAR team adds third car, names driver for 2024 Daytona 500

It was recently confirmed that he hasn’t been reinstated simply because he hasn’t asked to be reinstated.

While Larson is having all kinds of success running dirt track races, having racked up dozens upon dozens of wins since he was fired, he has maintained that he does want to return to NASCAR.

It had been believed that Stewart-Haas Racing was his most likely landing spot for a return should he do so next year. Team co-owner Tony Stewart has been fond of his abilities for many years, and both drivers share illustrious dirt track racing backgrounds.

Stewart even tried to sign him back in late 2015 for the 2017 season, as he had announced that he was going to retire after the 2016 season. But due to Larson’s contract with Chip Ganassi Racing at the time, that wasn’t possible, and Stewart ended up signing Clint Bowyer to drive the #14 Chevrolet-turned-Ford beginning that year.

Even entering the 2020 season, when Larson was already a pending free agent for next year, he was seen as a go-to guy for Stewart-Haas Racing.

Recently, Stewart has been very vocal about getting Larson back into the sport, even telling NASCAR to “get off their ass” and make it happen. He did not rule out signing him when asked about the matter specifically.

Check out 10 of our favorite items for NASCAR fans. 

But there is reportedly a new frontrunner to sign Larson should he return to the Cup Series next year. According to Fox Sports’ Bob Pockrass, industry executives indicate that Hendrick Motorsports is the most likely landing spot for Larson.

This is more of an old possibility reemerging after falling off the map for a few months than it is a “new” possibility, as when seven-time champion Jimmie Johnson announced his impending retirement last November, social media practically put Larson behind the wheel of the #48 Chevrolet as his replacement.

But over time, those talks slowly fell away, and they especially appeared to be left for dead when Chevrolet cut ties with Larson following his April incident.

However, Stewart-Haas Racing appear set for one of two scenarios next year. The first one is retaining all four of their current drivers, something they haven’t done since between the 2015 and 2016 seasons.

They recently signed Aric Almirola to a contract extension to retain him alongside Kevin Harvick and Cole Custer, and competition director Greg Zipadelli indicated that they would like to move into 2021 with the same quartet. At this point, this would only involve extending Bowyer’s contract.

Even if they don’t do that, they have Xfinity Series driver Chase Briscoe, who has won a series-high six races so far this season, well-positioned for a promotion.

Meanwhile, Rick Hendrick has already confirmed that he has a driver picked out to replace Johnson next year. He simply doesn’t feel like now is the time to announce it, as Johnson’s three teammates, Chase Elliott, William Byron and Alex Bowman, are all still in the playoffs competing for a championship, and an announcement may cause a distraction for the team.

While any announcement of that nature — confirming the replacement of a seven-time champion — would be huge, what driver would cause more of a distraction than Larson, given why he is currently unemployed?

It all checks out.

Of course, this would require a rekindled relationship with Chevrolet for Larson. But that isn’t too far-fetched in this scenario.

First of all, we’re talking about Hendrick, who has run NASCAR’s premier Chevrolet team for many, many years, and secondly, when Chevrolet cut ties with Larson, they did so as an “indefinite suspension”, not as a permanent ban.

NASCAR 3 Pack Face Cover

Buy Now!

Buy Now!

This whole scenario is based on nothing more than an indefinite suspension from NASCAR ending for Larson. What is to stop Chevrolet from doing the same to bring back the hottest free agent (talent-wise) on the market?

While nothing is set in stone, don’t be surprised if Hendrick Motorsports move into 2021 with a formidable young core of Elliott, Bowman, Byron and Larson.