Kyle Larson’s HMS mechanics expecting suspensions according to Bob Pockrass ahead of Phoenix showdown 

Kyle Larson will reportedly borrow two of Justin Haley's pit crew members while his jackman and front tire changer are suspended. The substitution will take place in the upcoming race weekend at Phoenix Raceway.

Larson, driver of the No. 5 Chevrolet Camaro for Hendrick Motorsports, lost his car's right front wheel on lap 44 off turn 6a at Circuit of the Americas. The incident expects suspensions of two of the No. 5 pit crew members, though HMS has a back-up plan.

According to veteran NASCAR reporter Bob Pockrass, Kyle Larson will run with No. 7 Spire Motorsports jackman Eric Ludwig and tire changer Jafar Hall.

"According to the rosters, Kyle Larson's team, expecting suspensions to its jackman and front tire changer, will get jackman Eric Ludwig and tire changer Jafar Hall from the Justin Haley car (they are Hendrick crew members typically assigned to Spire cars)," Pockrass wrote on X (formerly Twitter).

During the EchoPark Automotive Grand Prix at COTA, Larson received a two-lap penalty due to the safety violation of losing a tire in a race. He also faced a stop-and-go penalty for exceeding the track limits on turn three on lap 33.

The misfortunes didn't stop there as the Californian spun off turn 20 on lap 85.

Larson eventually finished 32nd, dropping 10 positions in the standings to 16th. It was his worst race result so far, following a strong outing at Atlanta Motor Speedway where he bagged a third-place finish.

Kyle Larson drives the No. 5 Chevrolet Camaro for Hendrick Motorsports - Source: Imagn

The next race at Phoenix Raceway is slated for March 9 at 3:30 p.m. ET. The No. 5 Hendrick Motorsports driver only won around the one-mile track once in 2021 when he secured his first NASCAR Cup Series championship.

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Kyle Larson advises Carson Hocevar to avoid upsetting NASCAR veterans

Kyle Larson lost the lead to Christopher Bell on the final lap at Atlanta Motor Speedway after Carson Hocevar shoved the No. 20 Toyota to the front. While Larson had no issues with Hocevar, he advised the 22-year-old to avoid upsetting veteran drivers.

One of the drivers Carson Hocevar pissed off at Atlanta was Kyle Busch. The veteran driver blasted the youngster on the radio after he was cut at the end of stage one.

In a post by Kyle Dalton on X, Larson said (via SiriusXM NASCAR Radio):

"For me, in particular, in my race, I had no issue. Obviously, I could see the moves he was making and whatnot throughout the whole race. But I don't know, like it's hard for me to sit here and judge because I'm an aggressive driver."

"But in the beginning, I also didn't want to ruffle any feathers, especially the veterans of the series," he added. [0:39 onwards] "They [NASCAR veterans] can make life tough on you. So, I think you just want as little enemies as you can get coming in."

The Ambetter Health 400 at AMS witnessed Christopher Bell securing his first victory of the season. Bell was trailed by Carson Hocevar and Kyle Larson, respectively.