NASCAR Legend Trashes Joey Logano’s Controversial Take on Kyle Larson’s Playoff Dilemma to Expose Unfair Decisions

Kyle Larson’s decision to opt for the Indy 500 over the Coca-Cola 600 has sparked a new debate. Why so? Because now he will need a waiver from NASCAR to be eligible to compete in playoffs, according to the rule book. While the community and experts were sharing their take on the topic, Larson’s rival, Joey Logano, chimed in with his controversial take. He questioned the HMS star’s intention of intentionally missing out on the Cup race at Charlotte Motor Speedway.

During an interview, Logano stated, “He put Indy Car ahead of NASCAR, that’s the facts, right or wrong, I don’t know. But the facts are, he thought IndyCar racing was a bigger race than NASCAR racing that day.” He clarified his intentions later, however, suggesting that he wasn’t trying to pick sides with his comments.

However, in response to this controversial take, Larry McReynolds has come out in support of Larson and questioned Logano’s vague comparison.

Larry Mac didn’t agree with Logano’s comparison of the Indy 500 to Late Model races

This is not the first instance where NASCAR has granted a waiver to the drivers to compete in playoffs. Kyle Busch received one back in 2015 after he missed 11 races due to an injury caused on the race track. Many drivers received the exemption during the COVID-19 pandemic. The most recent example is Chase Elliott being granted a waiver after being suspended for wrecking Denny Hamlin during the Coca-Cola 600 race.

However, what seemed to have irked McReynolds was Logano’s comparison of the IndyCar to Late Model racing. “Let’s continue with the Joey Logano interview. He said, what if I decide to take a week off and go to the Bahamas? Come on, Joey, really? Seriously, are we really apples and apples here? …And I heard him say, What If I decide to go run a big dirt late model race, really are we comparing apples to apples?” Larry Mac said this via the SiriusXM radio show.

What’s interesting is the fact that the governing council granted an exemption for Elliott’s reckless behavior. But, when it comes to acknowledging an attempt by Kyle Larson to achieve a big milestone, they have yet to come to a consensus on granting him a waiver. “You wrecked Denny Hamlin at Charlotte Motor Speedway one year ago; you’re suspended for a week but you get the playoff waiver. To me, that’s where we really open the gate pretty darn wide,” McReynolds went on to add.

As far as NASCAR’s stance on this matter is concerned, they are yet to start the process of handing Larson the waiver. Moreover, NASCAR hasn’t had to deal with such a dilemma in handing out a waiver, thus making this a tricky call on their part.

Does Kyle Larson deserve a waiver?

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Even Hendrick Motorsports and its owner, Rick Hendrick, weren’t prepared for such an unfortunate weekend. The original plan was to complete the Indy 500, return to Charlotte in time, and achieve the historic feat of running 1100 miles and Double Duty. But the weather had different plans for Larson and his team, as they were forced to opt for the Indy 500 event, given all the planning and preparation that went into the project.

This is why Rick Hendrick hadn’t even started the process of requesting the waiver until midweek, after the abrupt end of the Coca-Cola 600 race. But as far as NASCAR is concerned, they will treat this waiver case differently than others. “It’s a little bit unchartered waters to us because in the past, the waivers have mostly been given for a medical reason. This one is a little bit different from that aspect.” Elton Sawyer, NASCAR SVP of the competition, said.

Talk about making an exceptional ruling, the governing body has made such calls in the past. Remember when Kyle Larson was suspended from Chip Ganassi Racing for his use of racial slurs during an online e-sports event? That was in 2020, and the team onboarded Matt Kenseth to run for the remainder of the season. And was provided with a playoff waiver by NASCAR. Moreover, Larson did not deliberately snub the NASCAR points race but rather was forced to make the call.

He even lost 30 points and dropped down to third place in the standings. This might cause him to lose out on the title of regular season champion and an additional 15 bonus playoff points. So, considering all the circumstances and arguments, Larson should receive a waiver. But, again, the decision rests in the hands of NASCAR, who will have a final say in this saga.