Hendrick Motorsports will be without two key pit crew members for the next two races following a penalty issued after a lost wheel incident at Circuit of The Americas.
Late in Stage 2, Kyle Larson’s No. 5 Chevrolet lost a right-front wheel on-track shortly after a pit stop. The infraction resulted in an immediate two-lap penalty, dropping Larson to a 32nd-place finish.
Per Sections 8.8.10.4.A&C: Tires and Wheels of the NASCAR Rule Book, NASCAR issued two-race suspensions to jackman Brandon Johnson and front tire changer Blaine Anderson.
To fill the gaps, Hendrick Motorsports has called up jackman Eric Ludwig and front tire changer Jafar Hall. Both were previously assigned to Spire Motorsports cars and will join the No. 5 team for Sunday’s race at Phoenix Raceway (3:30 p.m. ET, FS1, MRN Radio, SiriusXM NASCAR Radio).