NASCAR: Kyle Larson’s most likely 2021 landing spot

Should Kyle Larson return to the NASCAR Cup Series next year after missing the final 32 races of the 2020 season, what is his most likely destination?

With every passing day, it seems as though we get close to the announcement that Kyle Larson, who has not competed in a NASCAR Cup Series race since early March, will be returning to the sport’s highest level of competition next year.

The 28-year-old Elk Grove, California native reportedly wants to be back in the Cup Series as soon as possible, and he is actively working on making that a reality.

Larson, who entered the 2020 season without a deal to compete in 2021 to begin with, lost his ride behind the wheel of the #42 Chevrolet for Chip Ganassi Racing back in April after his use of a racial slur during a virtual NASCAR race on iRacing led to multiple sponsors cutting ties with him.

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Because of the fact that the season was at a standstill at the time due to the coronavirus pandemic, Larson had only competed in four races this year when he was fired. He remains indefinitely suspended by NASCAR, but only because he has not yet applied for reinstatement, as he has satisfied the necessary requirements to be reinstated.

As for why he hasn’t applied for reinstatement, there is no need to do so at this point since he hasn’t had a deal confirmed with any team for next year and there is no chance he returns in 2020 anyway.

But let’s assume that he does end up back in the sport next year. Where will he end up?

It won’t be Chip Ganassi Racing, as Ross Chastain has been confirmed as the driver of the #42 Chevrolet next year after 2003 champion Matt Kenseth filled in for Larson after his firing this year.

The two options that have been discussed most frequently are Stewart-Haas Racing and Hendrick Motorsports.

Both four-car organizations have one remaining open seat for next year, with Clint Bowyer in a contract year behind the wheel of the #14 Ford at the former and seven-time champion Jimmie Johnson set to retire and leave the #48 Chevrolet at the latter.

Alex Bowman, who currently drives the #88 Chevrolet for Hendrick Motorsports, is set to move to the #48 Chevrolet as Johnson’s successor, but the team will still have a seat open for his official “replacement”.

Tony Stewart has always thought highly of Larson, even trying to sign him as his own replacement following his 2016 retirement, and both drivers share illustrious dirt track racing backgrounds. He even urged NASCAR to “get off their ass” in terms of getting Larson back into the sport.

But he did not indicate that the team particularly need to bring him on board for next year. He seemed confident that Stewart-Haas Racing Xfinity Series driver Chase Briscoe has positioned himself for a Cup seat, and now with Clint Bowyer officially out, Briscoe is poised to take over behind the wheel of the #14 Ford.

That’s why Hendrick Motorsports appear to have emerged as Larson’s most likely option, should he be back in the sport in 2021, and industry executives have reportedly backed this claim recently more than ever.

While many will point to the fact that Chevrolet cut ties with Larson back in April when he was being dealt blow after blow, it is important to reiterate the fact that they did so as an “indefinite suspension”.

They did not permanently ban him, so him returning to the manufacturer is not out of the question, especially since Rick Hendrick has run NASCAR’s premier Chevrolet team for several years and certainly has the influence to make the company reconsider whether the signing would be worth the initial PR hit.

If it were out of the question, Larson returning to NASCAR would also be out of the question, considering the fact that they also issued him an “indefinite suspension”.

Yet here we are in early October talking about a return that has been speculated for the last several months and seems increasingly likely as the days go by.

Hendrick has already confirmed that he has a driver picked out to replace Johnson, but an announcement of that nature at this point in the year, with two of his drivers still competing for the championship, would be a distraction.

What driver would cause a bigger distraction in an announcement of this capacity — replacing a seven-time champion — than a driver who hasn’t competed since he was fired for using a racial slur, especially when that driver happens to be the driver who entered 2020 as the hottest pending free agent on the market and the “it” driver of Silly Season?

Larson’s passion for dirt racing and Hendrick’s past reluctance to allow his drivers to run in non-NASCAR races could be a concern for Larson. But he has been doing everything he possibly can to return to NASCAR, and it is highly unlikely that he would turn down this opportunity for that reason, despite the fact that he has never been shy about where his loyalties lie.

It also may not be out of the question for Hendrick to let Larson compete on dirt.

Of course, there are other options for Hendrick Motorsports here — quite a few, actually — and there is no guarantee that Larson will be back in NASCAR next year as it is. But talent-wise, there is no question that Larson is the best guy out there without a ride for next year, and a deal with Hendrick Motorsports makes the most sense for all sides.