Kyle Larson will attempt the Indy 500 and Coke 600 on the same day this Sunday.
The decision came after nearly nine days of internal NASCAR debate over whether Larson should be punished for choosing to stay and race in the Indianapolis 500.CHARLOTTE, N.C. — NASCAR on Tuesday granted Kyle Larson the waiver he needs to remain eligible to compete in this year's playoffs despite missing thefor choosing to stay in Indianapolis, where rain delayed the May 26 race by four hours.
Larson, who has two wins this season that make him automatically eligible for the playoffs, had his Cup Series standings altered after Sunday's race outside St. Louis. Although he was listed as second in the overall standings, all his playoff points had been wiped away.“To not have Kyle Larson in our playoff and give our fans the opportunity, the chance to him race for a championship, at the end of the day, that didn't feel that was the right decision for us to make,” Sawyer said.
Sawyer said no one from Hendrick was ever guaranteed a waiver if Larson did not make the NASCAR race. Larson was the fifth driver in history to attempt to run the Indianapolis 500 and Coca-Cola 600 in the same day. Only Tony Stewart in 2001 completed all 1,100 miles. Since then, the issue has become murky at best. NASCAR has granted waivers for physical injuries and illness but also for mental health and a suspension for accusations of domestic violence. Matt Kenseth, who had not driven in the Cup Series since 2018 when Chip Ganassi hired him during Larson’s suspension in 2020 for using a racial slur, even got a waiver.
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