With Kyle Larson officially missing the start of the Coca-Cola 600, his playoff berth is in jeopardy. Despite being the Cup Series leader before his two attempts, the No. 5 Hendrick Motorsports driver may not be eligible for the championship this season.
According to NASCAR rules, a driver must compete in all 26 races of the regular season to be eligible for the playoffs. This has led some critics to question Larson’s eligibility for an exemption since he prioritized the Indy 500.
Still, nearly all stakeholders in the community are hopeful that NASCAR will grant Larson an exemption since his two attempts, although unsuccessful, benefited the sport’s viewership. Unfortunately, recent revelations regarding the status of the No. 5 exemption application have caused concern among most Hendrick Motorsports fans.
NASCAR adds further uncertainty to Kyle Larson’s 2024 championship hopes
Jenna Fryer of AP News confirmed what all NASCAR fans have been hoping for the past few days. A source told X: “Hendrick Motorsports has confirmed that they have applied for a waiver from #NASCAR for Kyle Larson.” When Kyle Larson and HMS announced their intention to remain in the postponed Indy 500 instead of the Coca-Cola 600, speculation arose that a waiver was already in place for such a case.
But another revelation from an inside perspective turned things completely upside down. Fryer tweeted: “UPDATE: #NASCAR confirms they received a waiver request for Larson from Hendrick Motorsports and says they have no timeline for when a decision will be made, but NASCAR has finally reached out to comment on Kyle Larson’s waiver, just this statement.” Complicating matters.
If Hendrick Motorsports and NASCAR have a mutual understanding of the replacement plan, why didn’t the schedule align? After all, would Rick Hendrick have jeopardized his chances to win the Cup Series championship without a guarantee from NASCAR? With Kyle Larson being one of the main contenders for the championship, NASCAR’s uncertainty about the schedule could be a way for them to lead by example.
Recently, Joey Logano highlighted the impact of such a gray area. If a driver can get an exemption for missing a Cup Series race, let alone the crown jewel event, why shouldn’t other drivers follow his example? Perhaps with that in mind, NASCAR wants its drivers and teams to understand the gravity of the situation, but if there’s anyone who feels they know the situation better than NASCAR itself, it’s Hendrick Motorsports fans.
HMS fans highlight the hypocrisy in NASCAR’s contemplation
As NASCAR gave the cold shoulder to those hoping for an update on Kyle Larson’s playoff eligibility, fans felt the need to point out past inconsistent decisions.
In the 2020 season, Chase Elliott was suspended from a race when he intentionally took Denny Hamlin out of the Coca-Cola 600. Due to this suspension, Elliott would not have been eligible to compete in the playoffs without a NASCAR waiver. Given the lenient attitude of the officials, fans could not understand why Kyle Larson’s attempt at a huge double did not deserve a no-questions-asked waiver. One fan shared, “Blue Chase Elliott literally got a waiver after wrecking Hamlin last year and then got suspended for one race,” while another said, “That’s crazy.” I understand @NASCAR doesn’t want to get caught up in any issues going forward, but it was about Indy and the double. It’s not like he skipped Charlotte for the High Limit Series race. He went to Iowa on Monday for tire testing and missed the High Limit race.”
But that wasn’t all. Fans also highlighted how unfair this was to Kyle Larson. After the viewership boost from the All-Star Race and Indy, it was clear that Larson’s double attempt would have benefited NASCAR greatly, even if there hadn’t been a Coca-Cola 600. In the wake of this, one fan said, “Nobody likes self-destruction more than the powers that be in NASCAR.”
Eventually, the conversation turned to the possibility of losing the previous championship leader. Would NASCAR really let the driver who came closest to winning the championship sit out this season? That would not only be a disaster for viewership, but for the competition as well. With that in mind, one HMS fan stressed, “This is definitely the easiest decision they’ve ever had to make. He gets an exemption, but there’s no rational argument against it.”
After all, despite Kyle Larson’s interests in the High Limit Series and other motorsports, the No. 5 HMS driver has always put NASCAR first. So was one incident enough to have such serious consequences? Finally, one fan offered an important warning to NASCAR: “Kyle can race in any motorsports series he wants. If they want to lose one of their best drivers, they’ll be sorry.”
