When Denny Hamlin pushed him into the wall at New Hampshire Motor Speedway, Kyle Larson was furious and told him to “shut up” when his spotter criticized his defense. Tyler Monn, a spotter for HMS Crew No. 5, expressed frustration with Larson’s decision not to retaliate. What caused the tension between Larson and his spotter, who is considered one of Rick Hendricks’ favorites?
According to Dale Earnhardt Jr., the incident at NHMS in USA Today 301 gave fans insight into the conflict between star drivers and crew members. And what could Kyle Larson have done differently to avoid such tension?
Hendrick Motorsports wants Kyle Larson to update his payback policy, per Dale Earnhardt Jr
Kyle Larson is not only one of the most talented drivers in NASCAR, he is also known as one of the most fair and steadfast drivers. Run into him and ruin your chances of winning? Larson probably isn’t going to get revenge anytime soon. This was also the case when Denny Hamlin pushed his #5 HMS Camaro ZL1 to the sideline to chase Tyler Reddick’s #45 Camry XSE. The #5 spotter was clearly frustrated after Denny Hamlin swerved past Larson. Tyler Monn shared a few heated words with his driver; “He runs you like that every time, you know why because you let it happen.” But Larson was having none of it, as he immediately retorted; “Shut the f*** up.” It appeared that finally, Larson had enough of the growing animosity between him and his spotter over his on-track aggression.
Further analyzing what went down, Dale Earnhardt Jr looked into the relationships at HMS and how Larson may have reached a boiling point. The NASCAR veteran shared on the Dale Jr Download; “I think Kyle Larson is getting a bit tired of the prodding from those individuals he relies on to support him, right? We’ve seen and heard this a little bit before where his crew chief can be quite blunt and straight up with him about what’s going on or what he needs to do.”
According to Junior, Kyle Larson is not a guy who won’t use his bumper, but at the same time, the #5 driver is cautious with every move. In the case of Denny Hamlin, Junior felt that Larson couldn’t have done much to stop a charging Denny Hamlin from maneuvering past him eventually.
Larson was essentially on two fewer tires and would have done the same to Hamlin in the reverse situation. Thus, Earnhardt Jr. felt the No. 5 spotter’s comments upset Larson. Jr. added: “Next time, if he gets close to him, can he push him around on the track? Yes. And I think that’s what they want him to do.” For example, on the track, let Denny know you’re fed up by saying something like: “Next time you’re in this situation, don’t take the corner, give me the right of way and let me drive fair.”
If Hendrick Motorsports expects Kyle Larson to be more aggressive on the track, was it the right decision for the spotter to criticize in such a heated moment? No matter which way the pendulum swings, one thing is certain: Kyle Larson will defend himself.
Despite great pressure from HMS, Larson isn’t one to buckle
In the Cup Series, Kyle Larson may be one of the most “peace-loving” drivers. Unlike Kyle Busch and Ricky Stenhouse Jr., the No. 5 HMS driver prefers to do the talking on the track. Nevertheless, he is not the type of person to show great aggression or “road aggression.” Instead, the No. 5 driver has always turned his conflicts into consistency.
However, Dale Earnhardt Jr. believes that if HMS expects Larson to improve on its zero tolerance policy, it is not a good idea to micromanage retaliation on the line. “I think it’s deep in his toolbox,” said the JR Motorsports veteran. “He’s not a very aggressive guy, even if he pushes it a little bit, he doesn’t go too crazy, he just races.”
According to Junior, the extra pressure from the spotter and crew chief certainly isn’t helping the fifth star keep his cool. If anything, it could cause more animosity between the trio.
Junior summed up Larson’s rant with this: “I’m not going to let you down. So he finally shot back in surprise, making it clear that he doesn’t want to hear that kind of information from his spotter anymore.”
After reading Dale Earnhardt Jr.’s analysis of Kyle Larson’s growing frustration with the scouts, do you think the HMS 5 crew could face personnel changes?
