Kyle Larson‘s failure to participate in the Coca-Cola 600 can have far-reaching implications for himself and the sport. There has not been any official decision from NASCAR yet and no one is sure what is happening behind the scenes. However, as per NASCAR veteran Kenny Wallace, the sanctioning body is using this opportunity to make the rules of the waiver situation.
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Drivers are not eligible to participate in the playoffs if they miss a championship race unless NASCAR gives them a waiver. Of late, they have been providing waivers to a lot of people. Larson may eventually get the waiver, but there will probably be stringent rules following the matter this time.
“NASCAR is going to come out eventually and they’re going to go, “Kyle Larson’s going to get a waiver and we have been guilty of being very vague at the waiver so now we’re going to take this opportunity to give you the hard rules,” Wallace said in a recent episode of The Kenny Wallace Show.
On the other hand, that might not be the case. According to journalist Jeff Gluck, NASCAR delaying judgment could be a tactic to put pressure on Hendrick Motorsports.
Is NASCAR giving a lesson to HMS over Kyle Larson’s Indy attempt?
It’s not a secret that HMS is the biggest team in the competition right now and their venturing into another competition (like IndyCar) might not have been taken well by NASCAR executives. Not having Larson for the Coke 600 was a big miss considering that it was one of their biggest races of the season and this just could be a way of them getting back at HMS to dissuade them from attempting in the future.
Larson has said that he would love to go back and attempt the double again. The 2021 Cup Series champion did seem awkward though when asked about the waiver situation. “I don’t know. It’s not up to me,” he said in a media interaction when asked about the matter. It will be interesting to see what NASCAR decides but must not be a good experience for the #5 driver at the moment.
