Kevin Harvick Raises Issues With the Legitimacy of Kyle Larson’s Waiver, Reminiscing Kyle Busch’s Gut-Wrenching Win

While everyone was torn between the idea of Kyle Larson being granted a waiver, most drivers were vouching for the #5 to get the same. On one side were the drivers like Joey Logano, who was neutral with his approach to Larson getting a waiver, saying, “It opens a can of worms. There’s just no black-and-white answer to this one.”

There were also drivers like Denny Hamlin and Kevin Harvick who were pretty straightforward with their opinions. But while Harvick had been in favor of #5 getting the leeway, he seems to be puzzled with the overall waiver system, as he does not like it.

Kevin Harvick is on waiver for “anything or everything“

Earlier, on his podcast, Kevin Harvick’s Happy Hour, Harvick expressed his support for Kyle Larson’s decision to run the Indy 500, saying, “I love all of our competitors to death, I love the fact that Kyle Larson went and ran the Indy 500. I think he should get a waiver.” Yet, he didn’t mince words about his disdain for how NASCAR handles waivers, admitting, “I do not like the waiver system. […] I absolutely despise the waiver system. […] The waiver thing is just way outta whack in my opinion.”

However, Harvick continued to challenge the system, questioning the fairness and consistency of NASCAR’s decision-making. “It’s time to talk about whether the waiver is right, right? I think when you look at the points that Kyle Larson has he missed a race he’s still second in the points he’s still in the championship hunt.”

While the former SHR driver recognizes that injuries and other unforeseen issues can prevent a driver from racing, he questions the fairness of the waiver system, emphasizing consistency in participation. He said, “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?”

He also reflected on a previous situation from 2015, raising concerns about the waiver granted to Kyle Busch, during which Harvick finished second in the Cup Series championship standings. The former SHR driver shared his thoughts, suggesting a deeper look into the implications and fairness of such decisions.

“Kyle Busch won the championship we finished second we had the dominant year and got beat by a guy who missed eight races seven races whatever that was. I don’t know that’s fair. I don’t know if it seemed okay as we started the process but as it’s evolved it seems like you can get a waiver for pretty much anything and you know. I think if you’ve got enough points then you should be able to race for the championship as Kyle [Larson] will do by missing a race because he’s had a great season.”

While Kevin Harvick backs Kyle Larson’s waiver for the spotlight it’s brought to motorsport and NASCAR, he still believes there needs to be a clear, transparent system with solid guidelines and strong leadership.

Kevin Harvick is calling for stronger leadership in NASCAR

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The FOX analyst has been vocal about his dissatisfaction with the current waiver system, suggesting that it needs clearer rules. “There got to be some guidelines. There can’t be um you know just at the decision of couple people a couple of people, right? I guess it can be everything else is but yeah but you know I think it’s in you know I like strong leadership like I like the days when NASCAR ruled with an iron fist,“ Harvick stated.

Moreover, Harvick isn’t a fan of granting waivers for any reason—be it injuries, childbirth, or anything else. He believes that if any drivers are permitted to miss races for these reasons, then all drivers should have the opportunity to drop their worst race from the record. Harvick yearns for the old-school toughness in NASCAR, reminiscent of legends like Richard Petty, who raced right after undergoing surgery with a broken neck, and Dale Earnhardt Sr, who won a pole position at Watkins Glen in 1996 despite racing with a broken collarbone.

Do you also think it’s unfair for some drivers to get waivers while others must adhere strictly to the race schedule?