NASCAR always finds a way. That is true at least for its star-studded racers. Recently, the sport’s executives have been under fire for handing out privilege cards. For example, last year’s Chicago Street Race witnessed Bubba Wallace incurring a hefty penalty for wrecking Alex Bowman. But Chase Elliott got away scot-free despite trying to do the same to Daniel Suarez. The same could be said about Kyle Larson.

The Hendrick Motorsports star attempted the ‘Double’ last year. However, inclement weather hampered Larson’s Indy 500 run and compelled him to miss the Coca-Cola 600. Despite that, NASCAR granted him a waiver. Ahead of the 2025 season, though, the rule became more rigid – and Dale Earnhardt Jr. ridicules it.

Dale Earnhardt Jr. believes the idea is absurd

The fans had divided responses towards Kyle Larson’s waiver last year. Diehard Hendrick fans patted NASCAR on the back as Larson had no control over the weather. Others emphasized sticking true to the rules, eventually leaving him out. This controversy prompted the sport’s officials to shake things up this year. According to the updated rule book, NASCAR will cut playoff points if a driver skips a race. However, exceptions prevail: “Playoff points would not be forfeited in the event of a medical absence, missing a race for the birth of a child or a family emergency, or if age restrictions prevent a driver from racing a full season.” 

Jeff Gordon dubbed this as the ‘Kyle Larson’ rule and deemed it unnecessary. Dale Earnhardt Jr. is in the same boat; in fact, he believes that any form of waiver is unnecessary. Let alone Kyle Larson’s case, he even discourages leniency due to health issues. Dale Jr. said in a recent ‘Dale Jr. Download’ episode: “I don’t like this waiver stuff…I’m trying not to take any examples, but if you’re injured and you’re out, you’re injured and you’re out. I don’t think there should be a medical waiver or any waiver whatsoever…If you don’t show up and you don’t race, you don’t get the points.” A primary example is Kyle Busch’s 2015 season when he missed 11 races. Credit’s due to a broken leg and foot. However, Busch came back to launch a glorious streak to ultimately win the Cup Series title that year.

Dale Earnhardt Jr. believes allowing for even the slightest discrepancy steals the sport’s charm. He alluded to the prestige associated with driving in the Clash race, a 55-year-old tradition. NASCAR almost diluted that prestige just to accommodate sponsors. “There were partners, brands, and sponsors going, ‘Why isn’t my car in this race?’…The rules of eligibility were continuously massaged and twisted to basically include anything. We used to make the joke, ‘Hey man, you’ve got your driver’s license, you’re eligible.’ So it became a joke and it took a lot of the legitimacy or the uniqueness out of the Clash.” 

Clearly, NASCAR’s leniency is not popular even with its biggest star. Considering the massive controversy it spurred in May 2023, Dale Jr. is all the more not okay with it.

Top Comment by Alton

I already don’t watch NASCAR with the points rule. It’s only NASCAR continuously making it worse

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Kyle Larson is not the only subject of favoritism in NASCAR. His teammate, Chase Elliott, has raised eyebrows quite a few times.  In 2024, fans saw the Chicago Street Race discrepancy and the Talladega ‘Big One’. It was when the officials green-flagged Elliott’s car for repairs. Yet the biggest controversy probably happened in 2023. During the Coca-Cola 600 race, the No. 9 Chevy “right-rear hooked” Denny Hamlin’s No. 11 Chevy into the frontstretch wall. The retaliatory action was scary to watch with Hamlin left visibly shaken. NASCAR parked Elliott’s car for the following race at Gateway, which added to his missed 6 races due to a broken tibia. But what startled people was that NASCAR granted Elliott a waiver for missing the Gateway race.

This incident clearly showed that NASCAR would go to any extent to retain its star drivers. Chase Elliott was the Most Popular Driver and helped pull in loads of sponsors. Dale Earnhardt Jr. confessed recently that he felt uncomfortable with NASCAR’s decision in 2023. “Well I do think that…it did feel incorrect. Didn’t the driver right-hook somebody, get suspended, and then turn around and get a waiver? …That to me, regardless of whether it is Chase or anybody, makes no sense! …I don’t like NASCAR being the one pulling the puppet strings there on all of that. It’s manipulation in a way.”

Evidently, NASCAR is getting off to a bad start with Dale Jr. in 2025. The new rule changes do not attract the best hopes – but let us see how it all pans out after the season starts.