“I Did Not Get That Memo”- HMS President Publicly Dismisses Wild Social Media Theories Surrounding Kyle Larson

Kyle Larson’s dominant Chase run is currently clouded by his controversial Talladega win backed by the Chevy camp. But the backlash and criticism have not stopped the Hendrick Motorsports crew from thanking and celebrating their union with Chevrolet. HMS President Jeff Andrews has reflected on the significant win secured at the YellaWood 500 and how Chevrolet has been an important part of the story even beyond the Talladega weekend.

Andrews laughed off the question about social media theories surrounding Kyle Larson’s weekend. In conversation with SiriusXM NASCAR Radio Interviews‘ host, Hendrick Motorsports President Jeff Andrews humored listeners with how he has come across some amazing stuff on social media and how he did not get the memo about the No. 5 driver being handed the win by the Chevrolet drivers.

“Haha, I did not. I did not get that memo. There’s been some incredible stuff on social media this week, and we just try to ignore all that stuff and go about doing our business,” clarified Andrews, “But you know, kudos to all, you know, everyone at the Chevrolet camp.”

“I mean, obviously not the best start to the season for the Chevrolet, and the way all the teams have worked together, and the heat partner teams have worked together to get the OEM and GM and Chevrolet back in Victory Lane and in contention for the championship, where they deserve to be, so hats off to Eric Warren and Tony Lunders and everybody at the GM Tech Center there.”

“And the way they’ve gathered around us. We’re proud to be obviously partners of Chevrolet ever since, we’ve been racing, right, for 42 years now. And so looking forward to doing our best to bring them another championship at the end of 2026,” clapped back Andrews.

The Hendrick Motorsports President’s statement came days after Larson bagged his first Talladega win with an unprecedented top-six finish for Chevrolet. The No. 5 driver executed a sensational last-lap charge from 11th to 1st, beating his teammate, William Byron, by just 0.041 seconds.

However, fans and critics argued that the Hendrick Motorsports driver had moved below the yellow line in the closing laps, and that the Chevrolet drivers bailed out on the throttle and slammed on the brakes on the final lap to let the five win.

Although NASCAR ruled out foul play, race manipulation, and yellow-line violation for Larson, letting him hold onto his championship lead and extend his win, fans were quick to point out how he could have missed out on his win had it not been for teammates like William Byron and other fellow Chevrolet drivers, Ross Chastain, and more, helping him seal his win.

And wasting no time to thank the manufacturer and its eight-team fleet in the NASCAR Cup Series, Kyle Larson summed up his emotions by saying, “Really gotta thank all my Chevy GM partners for working with me all day,” Larson continued. “I really felt it and definitely the best speedway race I’ve ever had because of it, so thanks to all of them.”

While the host of SiriusXM NASCAR Radio Interviews was full of praise for William Byron as the ultimate wingman a driver could ask for, Hendrick Motorsports president Jeff Andrews also expressed his appreciation for the No. 24 driver’s efforts to support his HMS teammate. Andrews clarified that Byron would have been free to race Kyle Larson for the win had the opportunity arisen, with no team orders holding him back. This made it clear that Larson secured the victory through his own pace and performance, rather than any team-imposed advantage, particularly when it mattered most at the finish line.

Andrews said, “From a team standpoint, those are the kind of guys that you want as teammates, and the kind of guys you want pushing you up through the field, and staying with you. But when it comes down to the win, and we don’t have team orders here at Hendrick Motorsports, you know. And good for that team, and William, and Rudy have gotten themselves in the position to be you know potential candidates to win that race.”

“And the way it unfolded there, when Kyle got by him right at the end, and certainly a second-place finish on that day, they were proud to do their part to help the five however they could, but if it had come down to the two of them, I can promise you they were both going to be racing for a win there at the start-finish line.”

The ultimate wingman, William Byron, said, “I felt like the energy got broken up off 2, and I was like, ‘man, I’ve got a shot here.’ He added, “Once I got clear going into 3, it was a good job keeping the momentum going.” … Man, second sucks, but it’s good that Kyle won. We worked really well together all day, and if I couldn’t win, I wanted him to win.”

“Just proud of the fight.”

While Talladega concluded just as the team and crew imagined, despite the controversy, it will come down to how Hendrick Motorsports and the No. 5 crew approach the Martinsville weekend, with the team being the most successful at the short track in NASCAR history with 32 wins.

The post “I Did Not Get That Memo”- HMS President Publicly Dismisses Wild Social Media Theories Surrounding Kyle Larson appeared first on EssentiallySports.