Hendrick Motorsports formally submitted Kyle Larson’s playoff waiver request to NASCAR earlier this week. The VP of Competition, Elton Sawyer, acknowledged it and underlined that he couldn’t confirm when a decision can be expected as of yet. With strong opinions about what the right thing to do is coming in from virtually every direction, Brad Keselowski and Kyle Busch have given their takes.
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RFK Racing co-owner and driver Keselowski strongly believes that Larson will get the waiver. He said to reporters in Illinois, “I’m not surprised that he hasn’t got it yet but I do think he’ll get it and that he should get it. I like the idea of drivers running the double. I think that’s good for our sport. It’s good for our industry as a whole and I think everybody sees the value in that.”
Keselowski continued admitting that there is some angst in the industry about Larson picking the Indy 500 over the Coca-Cola 600. However, he reiterated that the Hendrick star will let off ultimately and that he will just have to sweat it out until he is. 2X Cup Series champion Kyle Busch had a similar take when he was asked if Larson ought to get the waiver.
For him, Larson’s never-ending efforts to race in every machine with four wheels was all the reason required. “It’s Kyle Larson. [The] guy is doing more for motorsports than anybody else,” he said shortly to affirm his stand. While a major part of the field wants the sanctioning body to grant him the waiver, Larson won’t be deterred if it isn’t.
It’s business as usual in the #5 Hendrick Motorsports camp
Larson is currently in Illinois along with the rest of the field for the next Cup Series race. When asked about whether he deserves a waiver, he said, “It’s not up to me.” He continued to express that his team was clear about everything despite heading into the unknown. Even if they don’t get to race for a driver’s championship, the owner’s championship is still on the line.
Waiver or no waiver, Larson will race in every race till the end of the season to try and win at least one championship for Rick Hendrick. “I would not do anything different. I would try to win a championship,” he states with strong intent. His immediate focus is on winning the upcoming race and bouncing back to the top of the points table.
