Fans of Hendrick Motorsports have been counting down the days since the double showdown on May 26th.Because Kyle Larson valued the Indianapolis 500 more than the Coca-Cola 600, he was at the mercy of NASCAR’s playoff regulations. But now that NASCAR has catered to public desire, Larson and his fans can finally unwind.
Kyle Larson broke a playoff rule, but he had good reasons for doing so. The most notable ones are the extreme weather patterns and the high audience. So, according to a senior executive, they hardly had room to correct Larson.
In NASCAR circles, the much anticipated news broke a few hours ago. The sanctioning board has chosen to overlook Kyle Larson’s absence from the Coca-Cola 600. Hendrick Motorsports felt a sense of relief and social media was filled with applause. Even yet, it was still a difficult choice.
Even though Larson was aware that the Indianapolis 500 started just ninety minutes before the Coca-Cola 600, he still chose to run the race. The NASCAR Rulebook stipulates that a driver must compete in every race in order to qualify for the playoffs, so the danger was magnified. The sentence continues, “The driver(s) and Team Owner(s) must have attempted to qualify for the race, at the discretion of the Series Managing Director, if a starting position was not earned.”
However, Senior VP of Competition Elton Sawyer made clear how NASCAR felt about the circumstances. In the end, Kyle Larson’s widespread appeal persuaded the higher authorities.”In the end, I didn’t think it was the appropriate choice for us to make to not have Kyle Larson in our postseason and offer our fans the chance to watch him race for a title. We didn’t.
Elton Sawyer: “In the end, we didn’t feel that was the right decision for us to make to not have Kyle Larson in our playoff and give our fans the chance to see him race for a championship.” No, we didn’t.
Both the NASCAR and IndyCar fan bases, who were hoping for Kyle Larson’s release, will be relieved by this. Larson now gets his 17 playoff points back. He can prepare for a thrilling run in the playoffs, which get underway at Atlanta Motor Speedway on September 8.
Denny Hamlin had early suspicions, even though NASCAR officially acknowledges popularity as a motivating factor.
Denny Hamlin has often shared concepts that NASCAR has taken up and made its own. His in-season tournament, for example, is still a work in progress. Given that Hamlin is a leading authority on motorsports, his discussion of Kyle Larson was valuable. Less than a day before NASCAR renounced its waiver ruling, Hamlin painted a terrifying picture for the sanctioning organization.
Following the race in Illinois, the establishment hinted that Kyle Larson will face consequences. Denny Hamlin cautioned them about the ramifications this strategy would have for viewing.We only need to exercise caution when assuming that we are the show and don’t need you. Since these teams and these drivers are the main attraction, it is really risky for our sport to think that way. You’re not advancing anyone’s cause if you start playing around with things like waivers and other random stuff. And most definitely not your own.
Denny Hamlin was therefore validated once more as NASCAR capitulated and preserved the day for their television ratings. Now, Kyle Larson is ready to tear up the rubber once more with unwavering enthusiasm.
