Hendrick Motorsports had a great outing last week in Las Vegas, with William Byron, Kyle Larson, and Alex Bowman finishing in the top three following Chase Elliott‘s injury. However, the team faced yet another blow on Friday at the Phoenix Raceway. During the initial inspection, the league officials found a potential problem with all four team cars. Following the discovery, the NASCAR officials decided to confiscate the hood louvers from their Next Gen cars, which would be further tested at the NASCAR R&D Center in Concord, North Carolina, next week. Despite concerns about potential penalties, Kyle Larson recently laughed off the recent controversy.

While the officials let Hendrick Motorsports‘ teams practice with the louvers in question on Friday, the parts were taken away by them after the opening practice session. Right before the qualifying on Saturday where Kyle Larson won the pole, he took a sarcastic approach while talking to the media about the louvers’ controversy.

Kyle Larson unfazed by louver controversy

As reported by FOX Sports’ NASCAR reporter Bob Pockrass, Kyle Larson was asked if the removal of the hood louvers would affect the pace that he had shown on Friday. In response, the 2021 Cup Series champion joked, “No, I mean, I don’t know anything about a race car anyway. So I had to ask what a louver was. But, joking a little bit there.”

Further, Larson pointed out that there were definitely some concerns about potential penalties at the Hendrick garage. At the same time, he claimed to have no idea what was the fault in the louvers.

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However, the 30-year-old reckoned that it wasn’t part of his job to worry about such situations. Moreover, Larson also gave in insight into how his team is handling the situation after the setback.

Hendrick Motorsports could face penalties if found guilty

The main purpose of the hood louvers in the Next Gen cars is to serve as a duct outlet for the transfer of air out of the radiator. However, teams are not allowed to modify them without the explicit permission of NASCAR. Thus, while Hendrick Motorsports face no action this week, they are likely to receive a big penalty next week if the NASCAR officials manage to find any fault in their louvers. 

Speaking about the team’s mindset on the matter, Kyle Larson said, “No, I mean, I’m just basing off of like, what my crew chief kinda talked about. And no, we’re not concerned at all.”

However, Hendrick Motorsports could face some serious penalties similar to the actions NASCAR has taken in the past. The list of penalties handed in the past includes a deduction of 100 points, 10 playoff points, or a four-race suspension for the crew chief.

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