Former NASCAR Cup Series driver Jeff Gordon does not seem to agree with NASCAR’s recent rule changes, especially the ones seemingly surrounding Kyle Larson. The four-time champion of the sport and current vice chairman at Hendrick Motorsports spoke about the recent changes to the waiver policy and how they affect Larson going forward.
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“I personally don’t think they needed to take any further steps,” said Gordon referencing the governance’s previous rules around waivers as the #5 HMS driver attempted his Indy 500-Coca-Cola 600 double last year. After failing to start the 600-mile NASCAR race on Memorial Day, there was a lot of contention surrounding Larson and whether he should be eligible for the postseason.
While Larson was ultimately granted the waiver, changes ahead of the 2025 season clearly state no exemption for drivers apart from medical reasons. “I saw the hurt on Kyle Larson’s face and I could feel him letting his team down. If you’ve never owned a team or driven a racecar, then I understand why you thought you need to take extra action,” added Gordon on the current state of things.
😞 "There's nothing harder than to make that decision and deal with the consequences of not being in that car."@JeffGordonWeb of @TeamHendrick reacts to #NASCAR's playoff waiver changes ahead of the 2025 season.
MORE ➡️ https://t.co/MKhd9eLpQA pic.twitter.com/fENdCDdi1x
— SiriusXM NASCAR Radio (Ch. 90) (@SiriusXMNASCAR) January 23, 2025
The 53-year-old veteran of the sport further touched on how difficult it is from the driver and team’s point of view to deal with the consequences of missing a race. These consequences were further enhanced for Larson given his situation, with Rick Hendrick allowing and lining up an Indy 500 opportunity for the California native.
“I understand NASCAR’s decision and we’ll go by that,” Gordon ultimately rounded off as he and the team agreed to abide by the new waiver rules. These changes do not leave any room for error if Larson is to attempt a second Memorial Day Double this season, with no scope for any delays whatsoever, weather-related or otherwise.
Some of the biggest names from the fraternity, such as Brad Keselowski and Kyle Busch, also supported the #5 Chevrolet Camaro driver receiving a waiver last year. Various reasons, such as his contribution to NASCAR with his double attempt and the attention it brought to the sport, were the primary ones mentioned.
It now remains to be seen how the waiver policy will work going forward. One of the biggest reasons behind NASCAR’s making the change was to judicially grant them going forward while trying to maintain the sanctity of the sport. Fans will find out whether or not that is the case this May.
