Kyle Larson and Hendrick Motorsports have been hit with significant penalties ahead of the NASCAR Cup Series race weekend at EchoPark Speedway in Atlanta due to issues during the pre-qualifying inspection. Larson’s No. 5 Chevrolet failed the inspection twice before passing on the third attempt. Although the team narrowly avoided a more severe pass-through penalty during the race, the consecutive inspection failures led to immediate sanctions from NASCAR.

As a result, Jesse Saunders, Larson’s car chief, was ejected from the Atlanta event and will not be allowed to participate for the remainder of the weekend. Additionally, the team lost its pit stall selection, meaning they will have to choose from whatever pit stalls remain after all other teams have made their selections. This penalty is particularly detrimental at Atlanta, where pit stalls are smaller and pit road is tight, affecting Larson’s strategy and chances for the race.

This penalty comes at a challenging time for Hendrick Motorsports, which is already under scrutiny following a separate penalty after the NASCAR Xfinity Series race at Pocono. The No. 17 Hendrick Motorsports Chevrolet, driven by Chase Elliott, was found to have violated NASCAR regulations, resulting in a $40,000 fine, a crew chief suspension for three races, and loss of points.

The weather also disrupted qualifying at Atlanta, shortening the session to one round due to rain and lightning delays. Larson will be the 36th car to take the track for qualifying, which is far from ideal. Earlier in the season, he qualified 17th at Atlanta, and since the track’s reconfiguration, his best starting position there has been third.

The article also recalls a serious crash Larson was involved in last year at Talladega Superspeedway during the GEICO 500. The violent wreck raised safety concerns across NASCAR, with Larson becoming a vocal advocate for safety improvements. Despite that frightening incident, Larson has returned to form and remains one of NASCAR’s most consistent and skilled drivers, though the memory of the crash lingers, especially during pressure situations like this weekend’s penalties.

In summary, Kyle Larson’s No. 5 team faces a two-part penalty at Atlanta: the ejection of car chief Jesse Saunders for the weekend and the loss of pit stall selection due to failing pre-qualifying inspection twice. These penalties, combined with weather disruptions and recent team scrutiny, pose significant challenges for Larson and Hendrick Motorsports at EchoPark Speedway.