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DAYTONA BEACH, FLORIDA – FEBRUARY 16: Kyle Larson, driver of the #5 HendrickCars.com Chevrolet, stands on the grid during qualifying for the NASCAR Cup Series 64th Annual Daytona 500 at Daytona International Speedway on February 16, 2022 in Daytona Beach, Florida. (Photo by Sean Gardner/Getty Images)
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DAYTONA BEACH, FLORIDA – FEBRUARY 16: Kyle Larson, driver of the #5 HendrickCars.com Chevrolet, stands on the grid during qualifying for the NASCAR Cup Series 64th Annual Daytona 500 at Daytona International Speedway on February 16, 2022 in Daytona Beach, Florida. (Photo by Sean Gardner/Getty Images)
Kyle Larson has frequently taken part in the Chilli Bowl Midget Nationals series. It’s always an event of great success. However, we might not see Larson and Chase Elliott in this year’s series as they might have gotten on the wrong side of the Promoter and Co-Founder of the series, Emmett Hahn.
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But, why is the Hendrick Motorsports duo not participating?
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In an interview, the 2021 Cup Series Champion revealed two big reasons for not taking part.
The first one being he just doesn’t see it as a big event, “I just don’t see the race as one of the biggest ones like I used to because it hasn’t grown like other big races have.”
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AVONDALE, AZ – NOVEMBER 07: #5: Kyle Larson, Hendrick Motorsports, Chevrolet Camaro HendrickCars.com walks in front of #9: Chase Elliott, Hendrick Motorsports, Chevrolet Camaro NAPA Auto Parts before the NASCAR Cup Series championship race on November 7, 2021 at Phoenix Raceway in Avondale, Arizona. (Photo by Kevin Abele/Icon Sportswire via Getty Images)
And the other reason is the money, “I’m just at the point where I want to see the purse grow a lot. So, for the time being, and unless that happens, I won’t be running it this year and I know there are a lot of racers that feel the same way.”
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Moreover, it looks like Emmett Hahn didn’t take it well. He replied, “I hate to hear they feel that way, but I’m not just going to give them $50,000 like they want because we don’t have it.”
What disappointed Hahn so much about Chase Elliott and Kyle Larson?
The possibility of the two not racing certainly made the co-founder feel bad. However, there is one thing that Hahn is just not happy about.
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LOS ANGELES, CA – FEBRUARY 05: Kyle Larson (#5 Hendrick Motorsports HendrickCars.com Chevrolet) looks at Chase Elliott (#9 Hendrick Motorsports NAPA Auto Parts Chevrolet) as he answers a question for a media press conference during the Busch Light Clash at The Coliseum NASCAR Cup Series race on February 05, 2022, at the Los Angeles Memorial Coliseum in Los Angeles, CA. (Photo by Chris Williams/Icon Sportswire via Getty Images)
Emmett Hahn revealed that he’s saddened because the duo went straight to the media without talking to him. In fact, Hahn said that Elliott even has his number. He said, “They have my number. Chase Elliott has my number. I’m really easy to get a hold of, and I would have this conversation with them too but they’ve all gone straight to the media”
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So, what do you think? Should the 2021 Cup Series Champion race anyway?
Written by
Edited by
Pritam Priyedarshi