What was supposed to be the biggest spectacle of 2024 has turned into a problematic event for one driver. Kyle Larson was well on his way to script history, becoming the fifth NASCAR driver to attempt the Double. Spanning a daunting 1100 miles of racing, the event seemed exhaustive. But instead of fatigue, inclement weather threw a wrench in Larson’s plans.

He opted to run a four-hour late Indy 500 and hence missed his Coca-Cola 600 start. Since NASCAR requires drivers to run all 26 races on the regular schedule, Kyle Larson is in a dilemma. His peers are mired in a lengthy debate about his worthiness for a waiver. Bubba Wallace is among them, leaning toward the negative.

Kyle Larson’s inclination toward Indy seems to irk Bubba Wallace

16 months of tireless preparation went into Kyle Larson’s maiden Indy 500 efforts. The Hendrick Motorsports No. 5 team put their heads together with Arrow McLaren, Tony Kanaan, Tony Stewart, and other Indy 500 entities and stalwarts. All of them collectively helped Larson inch toward his Indy dreams. Hence throwing away that precious time due to the nagging weather seemed an expensive option.

The Illinois race drew to a close and we are yet to hear NASCAR’s answer to Larson’s waiver request. Arguably the best driver in the sport right now is slowly watching his playoff berth slip through his fingers. Yet the fact does remain that Kyle Larson chose Indy over NASCAR. Even though weather thwarted the latter half, Kyle Larson could have run the Coca-Cola 600 if he bailed from Indy. 

That is what Bubba Wallace pointed out recently, siding with NASCAR. Responding to Kenny Wallace at a fan gathering, he observed Kyle Larson’s shortcoming. “We gave the waivers out for everything, right? But the thing that I see…look, I don’t know the thought process of who’s making the decision. But he made a choice. He made a choice to run the Indy 500. He knew the weather was bad, knew all the stuff…made a great attempt to get there, but he made a choice. That’s all I’m gonna say.”

Wallace’s viewpoint resonates with Joey Logano’s comments. A few days back, Logano said, “He put IndyCar ahead of NASCAR, that’s the facts, right or wrong.” But later the Team Penske driver clarified his view that he wants a waiver for Kyle Larson. This was in response to the audience’s reaction: fans ardently want a waiver for their favorite Hendrick driver.

Maybe that is why Erik Jones also chose to adopt a neutral approach, laying out a fan-friendly approach to the situation.

Larson has a vast swathe of supporters

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Besides the occasional doubts of drivers like Wallace and Logano, the NASCAR community, in general, supports Kyle Larson. Wallace’s employer, Denny Hamlin, also spoke in favor of Larson. The reason is simple. The weather is really not under human control, and ditching the Indy 500 was an expensive option. But more importantly, the popularity metrics Larson brought on that day should be the deciding factor.

Erik Jones took a two-sided approach while talking to Kenny Wallace. He produced good logic for the negative but finished with a proclamation of support for Kyle Larson. “At the end of the day maybe, the answer is probably yes. There could be an argument made for no, I would be lying if I didn’t say that. He did attempt to race in the 600, right, I know he was wanting to. But at the end of the day you’re gonna send a message going forward that, guys are gonna get away even if they never made it. But I think he deserves one, what he did for motorsports and bringing tension to both of us was pretty good.”

While Bubba Wallace and Erik Jones doled out their opinions, the crowd could be heard chanting a singular opinion. They want Kyle Larson to get a waiver. Hence NASCAR may end up handing it to him after all since its core audience wants it.