NASCAR: Kyle Larson #48 Hendrick diecast leaked?
By Asher Fair
Lionel Racing denounced a doctored image of a #48 Chevrolet associated with Kyle Larson, who has been rumored to join Hendrick Motorsports for the 2021 NASCAR Cup Series season.
After all these years, the “Inspect Element” function still somehow has the power to fool the internet, and many individuals within the NASCAR community have again fallen victim to the prank.
That’s how Lionel Racing supposedly (but not actually) “leaked” a “confirmation” that Kyle Larson is set to join Hendrick Motorsports and drive the #48 Chevrolet in the 2021 Cup Series season as the replacement for seven-time champion Jimmie Johnson, who is set to retire after the 2020 season.
Larson has recently been linked to the team amid speculation that a return to the Cup Series is on the horizon after he was fired by Chip Ganassi Racing back in April due to the sponsorship losses that resulted from his use of a racial slur. He had been linked to Stewart-Haas Racing as well, but those talks seem to have faded.
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A doctored image shows four Larson #48 Chevrolet diecasts available from Lionel Racing.
They include a 2021 ALLY FINANCIAL 1:24 ELITE DIECAST for $87.99, a 2021 ALLY FINANCIAL 1:24 ARC COLOR CHROME DIECAST for $72.99, a 2021 ALLY FINANCIAL ARC DIECAST for $57.99, and a 2021 ALLY FINANCIAL 1:64 ARC DIECAST.
No pictures are included for any of these diecasts in this doctored image (even though it really wouldn’t be that hard to take images from Johnson’s page).
A simple look at the Kyle Larson driver page on the website shows that this was never true and that this image was completely fake. In fact, the four cars on this top line in the image are all the same models for the same prices that are actually on the website, but the ones on the website are of his 2020 CREDIT ONE #42 Chevrolet.
Most notably, both the doctored picture and the actual website show 33 available products, indicating that none were added. (Again, “Inspect Element” from 33 to 37 would have at least made it somewhat believable).
Here’s the fake #InspectElement image that is circulating. If you go to this page, there are actually 33 products available and none of them are any of these. https://t.co/fxeug5rBvC pic.twitter.com/8wmdMmZxO9
— Beyond the Flag (@Beyond_The_Flag) September 22, 2020
Lionel Racing took to Twitter to confirm that this image was fake and that they hadn’t been given any inside information as to who will be behind the wheel of the #48 Chevrolet next year.
There is an image circulating tonight of a manipulated version of our website indicating we know the driver of the 48 car in 2021. We assure you it’s a fake image. There’s ways to tell, trust us.
— Lionel Racing (@Lionel_Racing) September 22, 2020
Sorry, we didn’t “leak” anything. We’ll learn the new driver the same time you do!
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With that said, don’t be surprised to see Kyle Larson end up at Hendrick Motorsports next season to form a formidable young quartet with Chase Elliott, Alex Bowman and William Byron. But know that nothing is set in stone at this time.