NASCAR Keeps Drivers Doing The Double Alive With Kyle Larson Waiver Decision

NASCAR has decided to grant Hendrick Motorsports driver Kyle Larson a playoff waiver after rain at both the Indianapolis 500 and the Coca-Cola 600 prevented him from participating in the latter, something that under normal circumstances rules him out of the playoffs.

Fortunately for those of us who enjoy watching drivers attempt the double (all of your hands should be up; mine is) this is great news.

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Larson had already made the NASCAR Cup Series playoffs thanks to the pair of wins he has this season. However, the rules require drivers to appear in every race to be eligible for the postseason. Unfortunately for him, the rain delay at Indy caused him to miss the start of the Coca-Cola 600, and by the time he got to Charlotte and was ready to hop in the car, rain brought that race to a halt too, and it was eventually called before he could get behind the wheel.

So, Larson needed a waiver to compete in the playoffs. 

No problemo, right? Chase Elliott got two of them waived just last season after missing a handful of races with a broken leg and another race while serving as suspension.

While NASCAR really dragged its feet, it did it, and it's good that it did otherwise it would be making a monumental mistake.

Granting Kyle Larson a playoff waiver prevents a chilling effect on drivers attempting the Indianapolis 500/Coca-Cola 600 double. (Photo by Logan Riely/Getty Images)

NASCAR Was Smart Not To Kill Off The Double

It's great that NASCAR came to its senses, because if it decided "No waiver for you," Kyle Larson, that would spell the end of NASCAR drivers attempting the Indy/Coke 600 double.

What owner would be okay with a driver ruling themself out of the Cup Series Playoffs for a one-off appearance at Indy? None.

That would've been a huge mistake. The two weeks that Larson spent at Indy during practice, qualifying, and the race while balancing Cup Series obligations got NASCAR a ton of publicity and was one of the Indianapolis 500's biggest storylines too.

Throwing that away after others like Ryan Blaney have publicly expressed interest in giving The Double a shot would be completely nuts.

NASCAR came to the correct — and frankly only decision — but it makes you wonder why it took a week to get there.