"They believe they're the show in the US" - Denny Hamlin on NASCAR's handling of Kyle Larson's waiver request

Denny Hamlin has spoken out on NASCAR's decision to grant Hendrick Motorsports a waiver for Kyle Larson missing the race at Charlotte Motor Speedway. Larson chose to compete in the Indianapolis 500 on the same day as the Coca-Cola 600, because of which he missed the latter, and that proved to be detrimental as far as his playoff spot was concerned.

Kyle Larson had decided to attempt the double, but unfortunately for him, the Indy 500 race got delayed by four hours due to heavy rain. As such, he could not return to Charlotte Motor Speedway in time. NASCAR guidelines dictate that drivers wishing to compete in the playoffs must start all 26 regular-season races. After Larson missed the Coca-Cola 600 start, Hendricks Motorsports found itself in a difficult situation. They requested a waiver from NASCAR to allow him to compete, outlining the circumstances.

Danny Hamlin has offered his two cents on the issue:

"I feel as though they get offended very easily, they're very sensitive people and they believe that they are the show in the US, and if you participate in NASCAR, you shouldn't participate in anything else," Hamlin said [58:56]

Hamlin also talked about how NASCAR does not like to play second fiddle to anybody else and the fact that Larson's decision to compete in the Indy 500 might have offended someone at the body's headquarters.

"You just never know how they decide what they're going to do, what choices they're going to make," Hamlin said [59:59]

Having said that, Denny Hamlin also shed light on how NASCAR had granted a playoff pass to Jeff Gordon in the past, even though he had failed to qualify. He also spoke about the impact Kyle Larson has on the ratings and viewership of the races he competes in.

Hamlin also talked about how waivers have previously been granted to NASCAR drivers for missing races, either due to injuries that make them physically unable to participate or due to suspension from a race handed out by NASCAR themselves. The inability to race is the key here, as Kyle Larson did not fall under the inability bracket. His was more of a choice.

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NASCAR's decision on Kyle Larson's waiver

After nine days of internal discussion and debate over whether or not Larson should be penalized for missing the start of the Coca-Cola 600, Hendrick Motorsports has been granted the waiver.

Rick Hendrick, owner of Hendrick Motorsport made a statement after hearing NASCAR's decision.

"Under normal circumstances, completing the double is one of the toughest tests in sports... We appreciate NASCAR communicating with us throughout the effort and granting our request for a playoff waiver," said Rick Hendrick.

Kyle Larson currently sits in second place in the overall Cup Series standings, 21 points behind Denny Hamlin.