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

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!

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.