Latest News on NASCAR: Katelyn Sweet Wife of Kyla Larson Sends A Shocking Message to Kyla Larson As Larson Worst Nightmare Continue

Kyle Larson discovered how difficult the Indianapolis 500 and Coca-Cola 600 double can be on Sunday, thanks to variables beyond his control.

Larson did not have an opportunity to get into his Cup Series car Sunday night after returning from the rain-delayed Indianapolis 500. Larson arrived at Charlotte Motor Speedway just as the 600 was halted due to an impending weather. After two hours of drying the course after the rain stopped, NASCAR gave up and halted the race after 249 laps.

Larson, as one could expect, was fairly down.

The rain that fell in Charlotte came from the same system that caused the Indianapolis 500 to be delayed. The 500 was initially scheduled to begin at 12:45 p.m. ET, but it was pushed back four hours due to a series of storms that blew across the Indianapolis area around the original start time.

Larson revealed on Monday in a social media post that Sunday was one of the most disappointing days of his life.

As Sunday arrived, the risk of rain interfering with Larson’s double effort became increasingly likely. And it provided a conundrum for Hendrick Motorsports due to the rules of both IndyCar and NASCAR.

If Larson were to withdraw from the Indy 500 for whatever reason, IndyCar rules allowed him to be replaced by Nolan Siegel, a driver who did not qualify for the race. Larson’s McLaren crew considered putting former Indy 500 winner Tony Kanaan in Larson’s vehicle, but Kanaan did not complete a pre-race refresher course on track.

Without a viable Indy 500 replacement scenario and a desire to run in the 500, NASCAR is set to make the rather unusual choice to grant Larson a playoff waiver and enable him to miss the start of the 600 with no postseason consequences. While no official waiver notification has been made, it appears unlikely that Larson will skip the 600 and lose his playoff eligibility.

To qualify for the playoffs, a driver must compete in all 36 points events, according to NASCAR rules. However, the sanctioning body makes numerous exceptions to the regulation. NASCAR suspended Kurt Busch in 2015 after an ex-girlfriend accused him of domestic abuse. After the allegations were dropped, Busch was granted a playoff waiver upon his reinstatement. That same season, his brother Kyle won the Cup Series title despite missing the first ten races of the year due to injuries sustained in an Xfinity Series incident at Daytona.

Over the previous decade, other drivers have earned waivers for injuries and mitigating circumstances, but Larson would be the first to receive a waiver for choosing to miss a race.
Even if you disagree with Larson’s waiver, it’s understandable why NASCAR would grant it. Larson was hoping to become only the fifth driver to compete in both races on the same day. Tony Stewart completed the double in 1999 and 2001, becoming the only driver to finish in the top ten in both races on the same day.

Larson’s potential feat was the largest mainstream racing headline in May, particularly after qualifying sixth at Indianapolis. His performance in practice and qualifying demonstrated why he is the most flexible racer in the United States, and it suggested he could be a contender for the win.

Larson quickly learned about IndyCar restarts once the race started on Sunday. He was caught napping on an early restart and dropped out of the top ten, being devoured by IndyCar regulars who were far more experienced with restart protocols.
He battled his way back into the top ten, and he appeared to be on track for a strong run, until a pit road speeding penalty ended his day. Larson locked up his front tires when slowing to pit road speed, but because he didn’t slow down enough, he was forced to perform a drive-through on pit road under green. He finished 18th.

When Larson exited his car in Indianapolis, the 600 was already started, with substitute driver Justin Allgaier taking Larson’s position. Allgaier was 13th when the red flag flew at Charlotte, but Larson would have likely restarted 35th on the back end of the lead lap if the race had continued.

Larson received 0 points for the NASCAR event because he did not start the race at Charlotte. But it doesn’t really matter. Despite missing the start, he remains the regular-season points leader and is guaranteed a playoff spot thanks to his early-season win in Las Vegas.

That win enabled Larson and Hendrick Motorsports to make the choice to focus on the 500. And the experience Larson and Hendrick gained on Sunday will benefit them in 2025. Larson’s pact with McLaren to run the Indy 500 is for two years. He plans to repeat the feat in 2025, assuming nothing changes. He’ll spend the next year hoping that thunderstorms don’t get in the way again.