Kyle Larson attempted the historic Indy 500 and Coca-Cola 600 double and got about halfway there. However, since he technically missed the Coca-Cola 600, he was classified as a non-starter. All this was despite him just turning up to the track, before the race got called off due to rain.

Since Larson missed the race, his championship challenge is in jeopardy. As it happens, the rules declare that a driver has to compete in all races in order to be eligible for championship contention. However, in the event of a driver missing a race due to injury or a suspension, NASCAR can use its discretion to grant a waiver. That is exactly what happened to Larson and HMS, but NASCAR made them sweat a little before granting one.

Hendrick Motorsports doesn’t hold NASCAR’s hesitance

Under normal circumstances, no one would blame Kyle Larson or Hendrick Motorsports for being impatient. After all, this is their chance to fight for a second Cup Series title. However, crew chief Cliff Daniels admitted that he was glad that NASCAR did not rush things. Daniels told the Harvick Happy Pod, “Given that we have a waiver now. Provided that we have won, I was glad that NASCAR took the time to think through it and understand it. There was kind of this overall perception from folks because it was taking a while. That it was more emotional-based. I don’t know that to be true.”

“In my mind, giving NASCAR the benefit of the doubt. Their current series points leader missed. the start of one of their crown jewel events. We would all agree that Indy is probably the biggest race in the world. Understandable from all sides for them to be thoughtful and evaluating the yes or no piece, of granting it to Kyle.”

According to Cliff Daniels, this situation now sets a precedent for when a similar situation arises, and he believes that NASCAR will most likely try to put some more thought into any decision-making. Now that Kyle Larson proved that the double was possible, who’s stopping other NASCAR drivers from attempting the same?

The crew chief even named a few drivers who could try and squeeze in some extracurriculars, like Tyler Reddick and Christopher Bell. So if more than one driver wants to do the double, what will NASCAR’s response be?

What would justify a waiver to compete in the Cup championship battle?

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Now that this situation has taken place, NASCAR will have to work hard to analyze what scenario deserves a waiver. Cliff Daniels confessed that he was unsure if Hendrick Motorsports and Kyle Larson needed a waiver and also observed that in a situation where a driver needs to win to enter the playoffs, then the waiver is unnecessary.

The last time someone got a waiver was for medical reasons. It was Chase Elliott, Alex Bowman, and Erik Jones. But then again, Larson was the third HMS driver to get it.

Remember last year when Alex Bowman had that nasty crash during a sprint car race at 34 Raceway in West Burlington, Iowa? He ended up with a fractured vertebra. Jeff Andrews, the big boss at Hendrick Motorsports, said Bowman, our number 48 driver, would probably be sidelined for three to four weeks. They even had to give him a waiver to keep his playoff hopes alive.

Then, there was Bowman’s teammate, Chase Elliott, who also had to get a waiver. He missed six races after breaking his tibia in a snowboarding accident out in Colorado. Talk about bad luck! Bowman and Elliott’s were pretty unique cases. Kyle Larson’s waiver stands out, and honestly, we might not see something like that for a long time. Not many drivers attempt the double, and history shows it’s a rare feat.

However, in the future, NASCAR’s job will be to analyze different cases closely. When Hendrick Motorsports applied for the waiver for Larson, there was plenty of back-and-forth communication. Maybe due to all the consecutive waivers! This occurred in the buildup to the double and even after it, so ideally, there was nothing wrong with officials taking time to reach a decision.