NASCAR: 3 possible landing spots for Kyle Larson in 2021
By Asher Fair
Ex-Chip Ganassi Racing driver Kyle Larson is eyeing a comeback to the NASCAR Cup Series in 2021 after his firing. Where might he end up?
Entering the 2020 NASCAR Cup Series season, we all knew that Kyle Larson was the top pending free agent on the market.
But none of us saw his “free agency” taking the turn it took back in April to get to where it is now in early October.
The six-time race winner was fired by Chip Ganassi Racing after Chevrolet and several sponsors, including McDonald’s and Credit One Bank, cut ties with him over his use of a racial slur during a virtual NASCAR race on iRacing, which was being live streamed on multiple Twitch channels on Easter Sunday.
He was initially only suspended indefinitely by NASCAR and Chip Ganassi Racing, but keeping Larson on the team having multiple sponsorship losses was not a financial situation which Chip Ganassi could afford.
Just four races had been contested in the 2020 season when Larson was fired. He sat in a seventh place tie in the championship standings through four races with three top 10 finishes, including a top finish of fourth in what ended up being his final start of the year at Phoenix Raceway.
Larson, who wants to be back in NASCAR as soon as possible, won’t be back with Chip Ganassi Racing next year. He was replaced by 2003 champion Matt Kenseth for the rest of 2020, and Ross Chastain has been confirmed as the full-time driver of the #42 Chevrolet for next year. But that doesn’t mean he won’t be back in NASCAR.
Where might he end up in 2021?