Will Kyle Larson be brave enough to try to complete the historic double next year? That was the first thought that crossed the minds of the NASCAR community and motorsport fans.
Larson competed in his debut at the Indianapolis 500, but failed at the Coca-Cola 600 in Charlotte.
Not only was Larson disappointed that his attempt at the double failed, but so was the entire Hendrick Motorsports team.
However, the team’s decision to choose the Indy 500 instead of the points race at Charlotte was not appreciated by NASCAR. And after a week of deliberation and strife over his playoff eligibility, his waiver request was finally approved.
Not only points and glory, but Rick Hendrick also took a critical hit of $3 million
According to a report from Sports Business Journal, Hendrick Motorsports spent more than $3 million to register for the Indy 500 race.
The team partnered with McLaren Racing IndyCar team to submit the entry, and Hendrick Automotive Services served as the team’s primary sponsor. The $3 million included sponsorship, multiple test sessions, and expenses for about 80 team members, including guests and employees.
There were also several commercial flights between Indianapolis and Charlotte. By comparison, a typical Indy 500 entry costs a team between $1 million and $1.5 million, so HSM spent nearly double that amount to run Larson.
There were reports that a documentary film crew had filmed the entire preparation for the mega event, but unfortunately, it didn’t have a fairytale ending. It’s amazing how much time, energy and resources went into this endeavor, and to make matters worse, NASCAR decided to postpone the decision to grant Larson an exemption.
So, if Rick Hendrick’s driver wants to compete in the Indy 500 again next year, is it worth the effort? Given the unfortunate turn of events, further spurred by NASCAR’s decision, Mr. H might think twice about trying the Indy 500 again.
While the financial losses have hit the organization hard, the possibility of its star driver missing out on a championship run due to suspension is a dangerous proposition. This is something HMS wants to avoid as they consider the idea of competing outside of NASCAR.
Kyle Larson and his No. 5 team finally earned an exemption to qualify for the playoffs. But they’ve already borne the brunt of that ambitious run, with things not going as planned and them trailing in points.
Larson has lost his commanding lead and crucial playoff points
If a driver misses the start of a NASCAR points race, he or she does not receive any points, even if they are replaced by a reserve driver mid-race.
Additionally, the Coca-Cola 600, as the longest race, consists of four stages instead of the usual three. Thus, even more points were lost here. Needless to say, drivers were unsure about their decision to opt out before this weekend’s Gateway race.
And to some extent, his frustration was visible on the track, as his aggressive racing style ended Kyle Busch’s run with a DNF finish. However, after the accident, he could only achieve 10th place. His direct rival, Denny Hamlin, took advantage of the opportunity and continued to finish well, knocking him out of the lead in the overall standings.
A regular season title is very important for drivers competing for the championship, as the winner is awarded an additional 15 playoff bonus points.
These points are useful in the knockout phase, acting as a buffer or fail-safe.
It’ll be tough for Larson to bounce back in the next two races — or get back to winning ways — as NASCAR heads to Sonoma this weekend for a road race, and then next week all the drivers enter new territory at Iowa Speedway, the first Cup Series race on an intermediate circuit on a newly paved track.
