Hendrick Motorsports star Kyle Larson is one of the busiest drivers on the planet. Apart from his duties in the Cup Series, he constantly takes on races in other racing disciplines. His most recent venture outside his comfort zone was to the 2024 Indianapolis 500. While all these side jobs can tend to tire a driver out, Larson is rather enjoying it greatly.
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In a recent interview with The Athletic’s Jeff Gluck, he broke the misconception that his job and calendar were extremely demanding. Asked what it was that the fans don’t understand about his job, Larson said that they think that the “grind” is harder than it actually is. “I love it,” he laughed. “It doesn’t end up really being a grind to me. Maybe there’s points of the year where it can get that way. Or if you’re not running good. But for me, I love the grind.”
Larson’s schedule in May had nine races on it. He traveled across the country to race in the High Limit Racing Series, the Cup Series, and the Indy 500. Despite the intensity that such close-knit races bring, he doesn’t think he ought to be saluted for it. He continued, “When my friends want to give me my space or whatnot, I’m like, “This is just a normal day. It’s not a big deal.”
NASCAR finally grants Larson a playoff waiver for missing the Coca-Cola 600
One of the biggest storylines last month was the failure of Larson’s Double attempt. He couldn’t complete the Indy 500 in the scheduled time and get to the Coca-Cola 600 in Charlotte. As a result of missing a Cup Series race, he was on the verge of not gaining eligibility for the 2024 Cup Series playoffs. The rules mandate that a driver must compete in all 26 races of the regular season to be eligible.
It was in such a corner that Hendrick Motorsports formally submitted its playoff waiver request to NASCAR. After days of contemplation, the sanctioning body has finally decided to let Larson off the hook and grant him a pass. Elton Sawyer, the VP of Competition, announced the decision on Tuesday, “To not have Kyle Larson in our playoff and give our fans the opportunity to see him race for a championship.”
NEWS: @KyleLarsonRacin has been granted a waiver and maintains his eligibility for the #NASCARPlayoffs. pic.twitter.com/bUOPgxCzez
— NASCAR (@NASCAR) June 4, 2024
“At the end of the day, it didn’t feel like that’s the right decision for us to make. And we didn’t. We felt like we got to the right spot.” All the chaos surrounding Larson over the past couple of weeks proved why not many drivers choose to have a schedule as packed as his. But there’s little to no doubt that it will prevent the Hendrick star from continuing further down the path.
