According to NASCAR senior official Elton Sawyer, NASCAR is entering “uncharted territory” with its decision to grant Kyle Larson an exemption. Hendrick Motorsports is currently waiting for formal approval of its permit application from licensing authorities, and the drama surrounding Yon Money’s weather-hit double duty is in full swing again.
This Sunday, Larson will compete in the Enjoy Illinois 300 Cup Series race at WWT Raceway for the third consecutive year, which will be part of the season calendar. But with the uncertainty created by NASCAR’s radio silence on Kyle Larson’s exemption, even a win at Madison may not pay off in the bigger playoff picture.
But the No. 5 driver is determined to perform at his best, regardless of the possibility of a second championship title.
Kyle Larson is focused on racing despite NASCAR’s waiver silence
The debate is in full swing after rain ruined Kyle Larson’s return to Charlotte just 151 laps from the finish of the Coca-Cola 600. There are also allegations that the man apparently “chose IndyCar over NASCAR” despite knowing in advance that a rainstorm was coming in Indiana.
And it’s clear to many that this week was anything but stressful for the 2021 Cup Series champion. Larson was suspended by NASCAR last year for using a racial slur during a broadcast of an iRacing event, which led to him missing the playoffs during the 2020 season. Interestingly, Matt Kenseth, who has been out of the Cup Series for more than a year, was removed from the playoffs after four races and placed as the exclusive backup driver for the No. 42 seat for Chip Ganassi Racing.
But aside from criticism of Hendrick Motorsports’ collective decision to hold the 2024 double-duty contenders race at the Brickyard instead of Charlotte, questions about Larson’s playoff prospects remained unanswered.
Questions like: Will NASCAR grant the all-important exemption for anything other than injury? And even if they don’t, will Larson still be the force of nature he was in the final 14 races of the regular season? When a media member asked Larson if “NASCAR’s decision, or lack of decision” would affect his performance “over the summer,” he strongly disagreed.
And when discussing his own feelings about seemingly being unable to “make anybody happy,” Larson explained to Sporty, “I can’t imagine the weather getting any worse or interfering with our plans.” No, I think it would go a lot smoother if I did it again.”
To ease concerns about his future performance, Kyle Larson said in just six words that he “won’t do anything differently” and that he plans to run as he always has to “win a championship.”
Emphasizing the bigger picture, Larson ended his Q&A by stating: “So, I know it didn’t work out. The weather didn’t cooperate. But there’s nothing I can do about that anymore…” Contrary to belief, there is still work to be done to improve Kyle Larson’s current situation.
Certainly, many legends and drivers have voiced their support for Kyle Larson, who may deserve an exemption. However, many have also spoken out against his alleged “selfishness” in staying at Indy despite weather warnings last week, suggesting that Kyle Larson’s doubleheader is in a tough spot.
Either way, this exemption is all that matters now for Hendrick Motorsports and its star driver, and it should have been granted long ago, strangely justifying NASCAR’s silence. In these uncertain times, those affected need the best support system possible. And Rick Hendrick and team seem to have put together the perfect team to support their No. 5 driver in a difficult situation.
An unwarranted emotional rollercoaster
Opinions like SiriusXM NASCAR Radio’s Joey Logano’s subsequent comments reflecting on the Kyle Larson situation, saying “the IndyCar race was more important than the NASCAR race that day,” have found great support.
A significant percentage of fans and stakeholders are still unsure about the complicated scenario of the No. 5 Camaro ZL1’s playoff contention. Some agree that Larson actually chose “the biggest spectacle in racing” last Sunday.
Others say he brought even more attention to both sports with his almost inhuman attempt to complete 1,100 miles of grueling true American racing action. But this negativity doesn’t seem to penetrate the walls of Hendrick Motorsports. As Larson explained in between calls, “Cliff (Daniels, crew chief) called me kindly and stuff.
I wasn’t all that sad about the way the IndyCar race ended. I was just sad I had the opportunity to get in the car and drive off. And I felt like I was letting them down because I didn’t get to talk to them before the race.”
With the support of Cliff Daniels’ well-oiled machine, Larson released a heartwarming, yet disturbing, statement: “If I were in their shoes… I didn’t want them to think I would have chosen something different. But you know, after I spoke with Cliff, everyone was in high spirits and proud that I was at Indy representing the team. All of that just made me feel better. I really didn’t know. So I was just depressed for one night.”
Even though it was “just one night,” the constant attention surrounding the “natural disaster” may have caught up with the usually calm and insightful Kyle Larson.
Such is the patience of the NASCAR community. But while awaiting a decision from the higher-ups of the sanctioning body, it appears another day has been wasted with no final approval to satisfy the collective curiosity of the masses waiting for an exemption for their favorite No. 5 rider.
