Kyle Larson knows the rumors and speculation about who will replace Dale Earnhardt Jr. at Hendrick Motorsports next season is just getting started.
“I’ve been reading that a lot,” Larson said Friday at Richmond International Raceway. “It’s funny to look at that. Fans think they know everybody’s contract situation, so I think it’s pretty funny.”
With his hot start to the season, which includes a victory and sitting atop the Monster Energy NASCAR Cup Series points, Larson has been the subject of quite a few headlines. He also drives for one of the most recognizable owners in all of motorsports, Chip Ganassi.
Often thought of as the future of the sport, Larson knows his name is going to keep coming up. That’s fine with him. But if you’re looking for him to put any of the speculation to bed, he can’t help you. Plus, Ganassi has always played it close to the vest when it comes to the contracts of his drivers and hates having those details out in public.
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“I won’t talk about anything like that (contract-wise) because I don’t even know if I’m allowed to or not,” Larson said.
Larson did emphasize his loyalty to Ganassi, however.
“I’m very loyal to Chip – I love racing for him,” Larson said. “It’s been especially fun this year because we do have fast racecars. Yeah, I would love to be with Chip the rest of my career. Just got to continue working hard and keep building fast racecars.”
At 24 years old, there is still plenty of racing left to go for Larson. This only further spurs talk about what he should do with his career.
“As far as turning into a powerhouse team (at Ganassi), it depends a lot on hard work and all that,” Larson said. “So, that’s all wishful thinking that hopefully, it will turn into kind of what Jeff Gordon and Hendrick Motorsports was when he first started.
“I’m very thankful Chip signed me a few years ago without funding – because I had no funding, and moved me up the ladder quick. It all kind of worked out perfect with me and my situation.”
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