Kyle Larson’s waiver issue was a long drawn-out affair, but ultimately the verdict allowed him to participate in the postseason. Despite the delay in the decision, there’s a positive side to it considering future NASCAR drivers who wish to compete in the Indy 500. In a recent interview with Bob Pockrass, NASCAR’s Senior Vice President of Competition, Elton Sawyer explained the thought behind granting a waiver in this situation.
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He hints towards the unforeseen circumstances, if a driver misses the NASCAR race on the same weekend, getting a waiver might not be all that difficult. It brings forth clarity around the waiver rules that a lot of people have been asking for.
“Indy is a big race. Obviously, the Coke 600 is a big race for us as well but if you look at motorsports in general, the Indy 500 is a big event. We embrace the double, we think it’s great, we want to see other drivers have that opportunity,” he said.
Elton Sawyer on why NASCAR wouldn't make a decision on a waiver before the 600 and whether he felt NASCAR is setting a precedence for a driver to attend any other race on the same day and get a waiver if they try to get back for the Cup event. pic.twitter.com/CrBKhKVwer
— Bob Pockrass (@bobpockrass) June 4, 2024
Elton Sawyer hails Kyle Larson’s effort to run both races despite adversities
Had the weather not played spoilsport, Larson would have been able to compete in both races with ease. Meanwhile, Sawyer said that he and the rest of the NASCAR team appreciated the effort put forward by Larson. That was one of the reasons why the 2021 Cup Series champion got the waiver.
“Felt like Kyle and the team gave every effort to be here to be able to get here. He was ready to go, had his helmet on, unfortunately we were not able to get going, get him back in the car. Again, I know it’s a little bit of a cliche but every situation is different and I feel like we had the parameters in the rule book, and the team here at the R&D Center ultimately made the best decision,” he added.
It will be interesting to see if this decision inspires other drivers to attempt the Indy 500 and the Coca-Cola 600, aka the Double in the future with a reduced fear of getting thrown out of the Cup Series championship picture.
