In a society as divided as the United States, finding two people to agree on anything is difficult. Because of NASCAR’s incompetence and confusing message, fans, drivers, and owners all believe Kyle Larson should be granted a waiver for skipping the Coke 600 in order to compete in the Indianapolis 500. It is crazy for NASCAR to even consider refusing the waiver. History tells us that NASCAR should accept the waiver and move on, but NASCAR creates both a non-story and a massive story that portrays them in a negative manner.
Kyle Larson’s Double Duty Bid was washed away
Kyle Larson attempted to perform double duty last weekend, running both the Indy 500 and the Coke 600 on the same day. Mother Nature ruined his aspirations when rain in Speedway, Indiana delayed the start of the Indy 500 by a few hours, allowing Larson to only run the Indy 500. Rain shortened the Coke 600 and prevented Larson from running a lap in Charlotte.
When NASCAR switched to a charter system in 2016, 36 cars were guaranteed a start in all races. According to the charter criteria and championship rules, the driver must start every race or be ineligible. Drivers have previously been granted a waiver for missing races due to injury, a last-minute medical emergency, or even a punishment.
NASCAR has been very relaxed on the starting every race rule; we’ve seen drivers like Bubba Wallace and Chase Elliott suspended and granted a waiver, drivers like Alex Bowman miss multiple races due to injury, and drivers like Denny Hamlin pulled at the last second for medical reasons, all of whom were granted a waiver. Now, NASCAR is hesitant to announce a waiver for Larson.
NASCAR Nation Backs Larson.
The pole sitter for the race at Gateway this weekend, experienced driver Michael McDowell, informed the press:
I don’t see the other side of this point at all. If it were me and I did it, I believe it would be a different circumstance, and I hate to say it, but Kyle Larson will win five, six, or seven races this season. “To say that he’s not going to get a waiver because he tried to do the double and brought a tremendous amount of attention to our sport and IndyCar, and just helped motorsports all together is crazy.”
I understand there are arguments against it, but come on, we’re talking about the finest driver to ever sit in a stock car, and we’re not going to give him a pass? That is ridiculous.
Roger Penske, team owner and IndyCar Series owner, told NBC Sports ahead of the Detroit Grand Prix:
That is up to NASCAR; I surely hope he doesn’t lose anything by attending the Indy 500. But Larson came here with Hendrick Motorsports to race; they did an excellent job, and I believe it is good for the sport. It’s great for NASCAR. I am confident they will handle it properly.
All of this unnecessary controversy originated from NASCAR’s Senior Vice President Elton Sawyer on the Nascar Sirius XM radio station.
To my knowledge, I have yet to see a request come through; however, I am confident that they will do so at some point. This is a choice that will be made by a group, not just one person, after careful consideration, discussion, and action. He’s missed a race. It’s somewhat unknown territory for us because waivers have traditionally been granted for medical reasons. So this one is a little different.
Sawyer’s statement is highly exaggerated, given that drivers have missed races for a variety of reasons. Alex Bowman missed several races after being hurt in a dirt racing collision that fractured a spine after his sprint car flipped, missing three races last year. Bowman was awarded a waiver with no questions asked.
Is another disastrous precedent about to be set?
NASCAR has a history of penalising drivers for expressing emotion after the race by getting into a fight with another driver they felt wronged by, while not punishing the driver who used his car as a weapon and initially wrecked another driver, or fining drivers for speaking negatively about NASCAR on TV or podcasts.
If NASCAR denies Larson’s waiver, we will never see another NASCAR driver attempt double duty, and NASCAR fans will once again riot. For years, fans have lost interest in the sport due to its gimmickry. The urge for motorsports is present. Formula One is growing popularity, small dirt tracks are gaining prominence, and six million people watched the Indy 500.
The thirst is there, and NASCAR keeps getting in their own way with remedial issues like these. If NASCAR does not allow Kyle Larson a waiver, NASCAR’s leadership has to be overhauled. Running diverse racing disciplines should be encouraged because it benefits all motorsports, such as Larson in IndyCar or Daniel Ricciardo in NASCAR for a one-off. Punishing a driver harshly for actions beyond his control is more than simply a bridge too far; it is a bridge, forest, and city too far.
