Kyle Busch and Denny Hamlin Stand by NASCAR’s Biggest Star Despite the Uncertainty of His Future

Jun 2, 2024 | 12:32 PM EDT

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Not all dreams come true. Sometimes, it’s just not meant to be. And not all records are meant to be broken – or, in Kyle Larson’s case, they’re not meant to be set. Gunning to become the fifth driver in history to complete The Double, Larson’s pursuit to enter the record books hit a hiatus for at least another year. In a rather anticlimactic end to such a touted plan – following Larson’s P18 finish in the Indy 500 – the Coco-Cola 600 was called off mid-way, and Christopher Bell emerged as the winner. However, what took center stage were the questions about Larson’s eligibility for the playoffs.

Per the NASCAR Rule Book, drivers must start all points-paying races to be eligible for the playoffs. Seeing as the #5 driver and Hendrick Motorsports made the conscious decision to prioritize the Indy 500, as a result of which Larson missed the Coca-Cola 600, his eligibility was always going to come into question. Now, the questions revolve around him receiving a waiver from NASCAR.

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A waiver is imminent for Kyle Larson, according to veterans

Despite no clarity on the decision about his waiver, veterans of the sport have come out in support of the 31-year-old. This past weekend, FrontStretch asked drivers, “Do you have an opinion on whether or not Larson should get a waiver?” In the video posted on FrontStretch’s YouTube channel, Kyle Busch was the first to comment. The 2015 and 2019 NASCAR Cup Series champion was very clear in his support for Larson, saying, “It’s Kyle Larson. This guy’s doing more for motorsports than anybody else.”

Whether it’s Larson’s High Limit Racing venture and the extent to which he ensures his involvement in the series, his racing versatility, or even his marketing skills – courtesy of him hauling his merchandise trailer from place to place – there’s no denying that his attempt at The Double only added to his visibility in the motorsport industry. In an interview with NBC, Mike Campbell said, “We have IndyCar fans now checking out and becoming fans of what’s happening in NASCAR because of Kyle. Then I think there are some NASCAR fans checking out what’s going on with IndyCar. So I think it’s a win all the way around.”

Denny Hamlin, yet another top dog, expressed his support, though diplomatically. Despite Larson being a competitor and Hamlin owing his #1 position to the HMS driver’s absence in the 600, he remarked, “I certainly think [Larson and HMS] made their best efforts to get [to the 600]. And I understand NASCAR’s part of wanting to protect themselves from this happening in the future, but I think they made good faith efforts to race.” He stressed that there should be a trade-off between regulatory enforcement and exceptional circumstances being recognized.

Besides Hamlin and Busch, another driver who was very vocal about this matter was Brad Keselowski. The 2012 Cup champion said, “I’m not surprised that they haven’t got it yet, but I do think they’ll get it, and they should get it. Those are rather unique circumstances, and I like the idea of drivers running The Double. I think that’s good for our sport and our industry. And everybody sees the value in that.” It’s like what Mike Campbell said. And although Keselowski believes Larson will get the waiver, he thinks the #5 driver will have to “sweat it out for a while,” given NASCAR’s silence on the matter right now.

Coming into the weekend of The Double, Kyle Larson was a prime candidate for the playoffs. Besides being in the points lead, his two wins in Las Vegas and Kansas would’ve been enough to guarantee a spot in the postseason. However, having missed one of NASCAR’s crown jewels, HMS asked the governing body for a waiver. While Larson had every intention of participating in both races, the weather conditions weren’t on his side. And although he prioritized his Indy 500 debut, there’s a high chance that NASCAR would consider the conditions as “extenuating circumstances,” enough to grant the #5 driver a waiver.

Moreover, we also can’t deny he’s one of the most popular drivers on the grid right now. In fact, Kevin Harvick seems to think he will give Chase Elliott a run for his money in the quest for the Most Popular Driver award. “I honestly think that we have a battle on our hands for the most popular driver. It’s coming! It may not be 100% this year, but people are slowly realizing [what Kyle Larson is like],” Harvick opined on his podcast. Considering all this, it’s apparent that NASCAR will grant the waiver. But the story is still far from over, considering its complexity and the unprecedented nature of this event.

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Speculating the waiver’s outcome

Historically, NASCAR has depicted itself as being flexible as far as extraordinary conditions are considered. The first such waiver was granted on a medical basis to Kyle Busch in 2015 when Rowdy crashed into the wall in the Daytona 500. This allowed Busch to win that year’s 2015 Sprint Series Championship.

Another such incident was in the year 2023, involving Chase Elliott. The #9 Chevy driver sustained a grave injury during his vacation while snowboarding. NASCAR granted him a medical waiver, and he missed 6 races in the 2023 Cup Series. Six is a huge number. We are discussing one here, as far as Kyle Larson is concerned!

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The main issue is that all the above incidents qualify under medical precedents. That’s not the case for Kyle Larson. Larson missed the 600 due to participation in the Indy 500, a competitive event. Let’s assume NASCAR chooses to take a tough stand. It may reduce NASCAR’s appeal across series like IndyCar.

Moreover, there could be a loss in viewership owing to widespread disappointment among fans. It could dissuade drivers from attempting The Double in years to come because of its negative impact on their NASCAR standings. Thus, the decision could be a double-edged sword impacting both NASCAR and, undoubtedly, Larson.