Bubba Wallace’s Insider Advocates a Major Revamp After Kyle Larson Opens a Can of Worms for NASCAR

Kyle Larson is having a rough time. Blame the weather and delays during his Indy-Coke run, where the HMS star was aiming for double duty and trying to break records set by legends like Tony Stewart and Kurt Busch. This left the No. 5 Chevy crew in the Cup Series bummed out and in hopes of a waiver. Now, while Kevin Harvick had already asserted his dislike for the waiver system, Joey Logano had predicted that Kyle Larson’s waiver grant would open a can of worms. And it has come true!

While most NASCAR insiders and fans are happy about the #5 getting a waiver, several discussions have erupted concerning the parameters on which waivers are granted to the drivers. The last time NASCAR gave a waiver was to Chase Elliott for the 2023 Cup Series season. Since the waiver has gone to Rick Hendrick and Co., once again, is that why the industry experts are calling NASCAR out? A Bubba Wallace insider revealed some aspects of the argument.

Why should not everyone qualify for a waiver after Kyle Larson got one?

The decision to grant Kyle Larson a waiver, enabling his eligibility for this year’s playoffs, came after some controversy. Under NASCAR’s guidelines, drivers must start every race in the season to compete for the championship, though there have been exceptions, primarily for injuries. Notably, Kyle Busch received a waiver in 2015 after missing several races, yet he still clinched the championship.

However, according to Bubba Wallace‘s spotter, waivers should be reserved for those leading the season, arguing they’ve proven their mettle on the track. Meanwhile, those lower in the standings shouldn’t necessarily receive the same leniency. Recently on X, Freddie Kraft stirred up a discussion about NASCAR possibly adjusting its playoff eligibility rules. He mentioned that by eliminating the rule that denies waivers to drivers ranked below 30th, NASCAR might open the door for part-time drivers to sneak into the playoffs.

A motorsport writer from Road and Track jumped into the conversation, replying to Freddie Kraft and Mamba Smith, suggesting that even raising the bar to the top 20 wouldn’t make much difference. Responding to the same, Kraft further argued, “I think for the “Cinderella” story win you would have to push back to at least Top 25, and even 30 is prob a fair number. It seems low, but if someone like Lajoie, Burton, or Z Smith won right now, they’d be out. You’d still have to run just about full time to stay Top 30.”

While Freddie Kraft seems open to waivers for top performers, Elton Sawyer, who is the senior vice president of competition, according to a NASCAR report, “This was without a doubt uncharted waters for us.”

Sawyer further emphasized the circumstances, and NASCAR’s ultimate decision to exempt Larson from the above rule, which says: Unless otherwise authorized by NASCAR, driver(s) and Team Owner(s) must start all Championship Events of the current season to be eligible for The Playoffs. If a starting position was not earned, then the driver(s) and Team Owner(s) must have attempted to Qualify, at the discretion of the Series Managing Director, for the Race. to compete in this year’s postseason hunt. Sawyer credited leadership from John Probst, NASCAR’s chief racing development officer, according to Section 12.3.2.1.A of the NASCAR Rule book.

“We stayed the course,” Sawyer said of the decision-making process. “We had our internal meetings. We had more internal meetings. We continued to have dialogue around it. And then the other part of it is in front of us was a race at World Wide Technology raceway that (we were) all getting prepared for. So again, the number one thing was to get to the right decision, take the time. We felt like the time that it took was the right amount of time to get to the right decision.”

However, despite a fair decision and insiders backing the NASCAR waiver rule, Kevin Harvick remains steadfast that currently waivers are being granted for anything and everything.

Kevin Harvick and Joey Logano questioned the waiver system!

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The former SHR driver, while supportive of the waiver granted to Kyle Larson, has been vocal about his concerns over the fairness and consistency of NASCAR’s decision-making process. Harvick acknowledged that injuries and other unexpected events can prevent a driver from racing, but he challenged the fairness of the current waiver system, especially in terms of consistent participation.

Kevin Harvick expressed, “You’re if you’re sick or injured or and you can’t get in a car to start the race it’s terrible luck it’s terrible timing it’s a terrible situation. But is it still fair to the guy that’s put in the whole body of work that’s made it to every race and been there every week with his team to be able to succeed uh by be by being there every week?”

While it makes sense that the organization prefers not to speculate on hypotheticals, Harvick argued that in exceptional cases like the Indianapolis 500, rules should be clarified in advance. That would eliminate confusion and anxiety for teams, drivers, and fans alike, knowing the outcomes in advance.

Similarly, Joey Logano had doubts about the waiver system. He argued that it was quite vague. He understood that it would be applicable if a driver got injured in a racecar, but what if the driver was just driving down the road? Or would Chase Elliott’s 2023 snowboarding injury be considered here as well? He had a lot of questions. In the end, he felt that Larson chose IndyCar racing over NASCAR that day.

Looking ahead, NASCAR might probably do better to scrap the waiver system entirely. Instead, they could implement a rule where a driver loses a modest number of playoff points—say, five to ten—if they miss any regular-season race, and stipulate that they must compete in every playoff race.