Kyle Larson loses key crew members for 2 races
CONCORD, N.C. — Kyle Larson will lose two key crew members for the next two NASCAR Cup Series races due to a detached wheel at Circuit of the Americas.
Larson served a two-lap penalty after a right-front wheel came loose near the end of stage two in Sunday’s EchoPark Automotive Grand Prix.
NASCAR suspended jackman Brandon Johnson and front tire changer Blaine Anderson. On the No. 5 team’s roster for this weekend at Phoenix Raceway, Hendrick Motorsports lists the following team members:
- Eric Ludwig, jackman
- Replacing Johnson at Phoenix and likely Las Vegas
- Jafar Hall, front tire changer
- Replacing Anderson at Phoenix and likely Las Vegas
Ludwig and Hall are regular team members of Justin Haley’s No. 7 Spire Motorsports team. However, Ludwig has filled in for Johnson before.
Last year, NASCAR suspended Johnson and the rear tire changer after Kyle Larson had a right-rear tire come detached at Texas Motor Speedway last year.
It’s unknown who will fill in for Ludwig and Haley at Phoenix and Las Vegas Motor Speedway.
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Jonathan Fjeld View All
Jonathan Fjeld is the co-owner of the The Racing Experts, LLC. He has been with TRE since 2010.
A Twin Valley, MN, native, Fjeld became a motorsports fan at just three years old (first race was the 2002 Pennsylvania 500). He worked as a contributor and writer for TRE from 2010-18. Since then, he has stepped up and covered 24 NASCAR race weekends and taken on a larger role with TRE. He became the co-owner and managing editor in 2023 and has guided the site to massive growth in that time.
Fjeld has covered a wide array of stories and moments over the years, including Kevin Harvick's final Cup Series season, the first NASCAR national series disqualification in over 50 years, Shane van Gisbergen's stunning win in Chicago and the first Cup Series race at Road America in 66 years – as well as up-and-coming drivers' stories and stories from inside the sport, like the tech it takes for Hendrick Motorsports to remain a top-tier team.
Currently, he resides in Albuquerque, N.M., where he works for KOB 4, an NBC station. He works as a digital producer and does on-air reports. He loves spending time with friends and family, playing and listening to music, exploring new places, being outdoors, reading books and writing among other activities. You can email him at fjeldjonathan@gmail.com