Hendrick Motorsport News

[Jorge De Guzman]

Please stop it with the being logical or reasonable approach.

I don't buy into the 'upset fan' theory. Larson planned to run the Charlotte race, not intentionally skip it or sit it out. Larson's fans knew over a year in advance he had a potential conflict, well before tickets went on sale. Missing the C600 due to trying the double has happened once in ... eight? attempts.

Also, I'd prefer this rule have more consequences for suspensions, preferably making the driver ineligible for the playoffs. Those have happened a lot more often in the last few years than attempts at the double, much less unsuccessful attempts.

It really seemed to me the folks most upset about Larson missing the Coca Cola 600 last year werent fans of Larson. Most Larson fans I had seen on socials and talked to in my personal life thought him running the 500 was bad ass. Even got some non IndyCar fans to tune into that race. When the system is "Win and You're In" this is all a big to do about nothing and frankly a waste. He was already in the playoffs at that point. and won more races after Charlotte to further cement his standing as a playoff driver. We really are rehashing this all over again here.

 

[Tim_Richmond_Fan]

Yeah - That's where I have been coming from in that while I understand people don't agree with it I think there has been a ton of overreaction for something that likely will not happen again and if it does at least Kyle will know the ramifications of his decision. I think people forget that last season NASCAR could have denied his waiver although that did not seem likely so he did stay in Indy knowing that technically he might no longer be able to win a championship. That's why I find the idea that NASCAR has an issue with Larson doing this to be a joke. If they wanted to be more harsh about it they could I am sure.

You keep saying it was Kyle's decision to stay in Indy, it wasn't. It was his car owners decision. Kyle is an employee, full stop. The same way Joe Gibbs can tell his drivers they can't race on dirt, Rick Hendrick told Kyle to wait out the rain in Indy. Kyle can have his preferences on how things play out, but at the end of the day Mr. Hendrick will make the final decision.

 

[hmmm298]

I think NASCAR is over-reacting to a situation that's happened once. In 14 attempts, including 10 in the 'modern era', this is the first time a driver has missed the 600.

I also think many people are over-reacting to a penalty with minimal potential to be applied. Again, this is the first time a driver doing the double has missed the 600. This isn't likely to happen any other weekend.

I think NASCAR is not reacting firmly enough to suspensions. If a driver misses a race due to a suspension, he should lose playoff eligibility. Missing a race because you broke the rules and were explicitly barred from running should carry a heavier penalty than missing one you planned to run.

He did still make it to his car, on the track, during the event. Also his "journey" back to Charlotte etc before and during the show was still featured enough on tv.

 

[Charlie Spencer]

He did still make it to his car, on the track, during the event. Also his "journey" back to Charlotte etc before and during the show was still featured enough on tv.

Ya know, that's a great point. Yes, he was there but because he didn't start the car, he didn't get any points.

We can assume a driver of Larson's abilities missed out at least 30 points by not starting. Isn't that built-in penalty enough? Oh, wait, those are only 'real' points, not the 'all-important' playoff points.

 

[Chase Fan 79]

You keep saying it was Kyle's decision to stay in Indy, it wasn't. It was his car owners decision. Kyle is an employee, full stop. The same way Joe Gibbs can tell his drivers they can't race on dirt, Rick Hendrick told Kyle to wait out the rain in Indy. Kyle can have his preferences on how things play out, but at the end of the day Mr. Hendrick will make the final decision.

I understand final decision goes with Rick but from everything I have seen/heard it was also what Kyle wanted to do. I have a hard time believing Kyle wanted to leave and Rick made him stay but you are free to your opinion on it as well. I continue to see that this is all much ado about nothing as the issue is not likely to come up again and if it does folks are informed now. Those who have issue with it including Kyle and fans need to just accept it move on.

 

[Chase Fan 79]

It really seemed to me the folks most upset about Larson missing the Coca Cola 600 last year werent fans of Larson. Most Larson fans I had seen on socials and talked to in my personal life thought him running the 500 was bad ass. Even got some non IndyCar fans to tune into that race. When the system is "Win and You're In" this is all a big to do about nothing and frankly a waste. He was already in the playoffs at that point. and won more races after Charlotte to further cement his standing as a playoff driver. We really are rehashing this all over again here.

These are fair points but really I think it's easy when you are a fan of a driver to be OK with stuff like this and at least be less likely to look at it from other perspectives. Regardless of what people think my feelings on Larson are - I have a ton of respect for Larson the driver and think he should be able to run whatever he wants drawing a line at jeopardizing his ability to show up for his day job. I just think he needs to commit to running full-time and for a title or not and that's just my feeling because I don't like the door that opens if guys are voluntarily skipping races. I try really hard and question myself as to if I am thinking in a bias way or not before making my points. Like with Chase - I agreed 100% which him getting sat for a race in 2023 but I have disagreed with some other penalties he has received like the out of bounds at COTA - He clearly got loose and had to correct and did not intend to go there and gained no competitive advantage but the penalty came. To me it was almost as bad as the time Kasey Kahne got busted for speeding on pit road to avoid a wreck at the 500. Sometimes NASCAR just can't get out of their own way. I just don't think this is one of those times.

 

[hmmm298]

These are fair points but really I think it's easy when you are a fan of a driver to be OK with stuff like this and at least be less likely to look at it from other perspectives. Regardless of what people think my feelings on Larson are - I have a ton of respect for Larson the driver and think he should be able to run whatever he wants drawing a line at jeopardizing his ability to show up for his day job. I just think he needs to commit to running full-time and for a title or not and that's just my feeling because I don't like the door that opens if guys are voluntarily skipping races. I try really hard and question myself as to if I am thinking in a bias way or not before making my points. Like with Chase - I agreed 100% which him getting sat for a race in 2023 but I have disagreed with some other penalties he has received like the out of bounds at COTA - He clearly got loose and had to correct and did not intend to go there and gained no competitive advantage but the penalty came. To me it was almost as bad as the time Kasey Kahne got busted for speeding on pit road to avoid a wreck at the 500. Sometimes NASCAR just can't get out of their own way. I just don't think this is one of those times.

I think dirt is his day job tbh.

 

[Jorge De Guzman]

These are fair points but really I think it's easy when you are a fan of a driver to be OK with stuff like this and at least be less likely to look at it from other perspectives. Regardless of what people think my feelings on Larson are - I have a ton of respect for Larson the driver and think he should be able to run whatever he wants drawing a line at jeopardizing his ability to show up for his day job. I just think he needs to commit to running full-time and for a title or not and that's just my feeling because I don't like the door that opens if guys are voluntarily skipping races. I try really hard and question myself as to if I am thinking in a bias way or not before making my points. Like with Chase - I agreed 100% which him getting sat for a race in 2023 but I have disagreed with some other penalties he has received like the out of bounds at COTA - He clearly got loose and had to correct and did not intend to go there and gained no competitive advantage but the penalty came. To me it was almost as bad as the time Kasey Kahne got busted for speeding on pit road to avoid a wreck at the 500. Sometimes NASCAR just can't get out of their own way. I just don't think this is one of those times.

I’d be okay if anyone else on the grid in cup was trying to run the Indy 500 and couldn’t make Charlotte. Truly. I think it lifts up motorsports as a whole in this country when there’s cross pollination of drivers to series. IMO that’s the bigger picture, growing motorsports and reaching new fans or fans of other series than a made for tv gimmick championship where a driver that’s run in 15th all year gets hot and beats drivers who had a better body of work all year. As a KL fan, I would have thought winning the Indy 500 is 100 times cooler than winning the Cup because he already had done that and how insane would it have been had he indeed won the 500?

As for your “fear” of driver skipping races to run something else due to being locked into the playoffs, to me that’s just irrational and I think you’re an intelligent enough poster to not really buy it either, I just cant figure out what your angle is though even though it’s been 9 months plus of you posting this. Drivers purposely skipping races won’t ever happen due to sponsor contracts, manufacturers contracts and driver/team contracts. This isn’t the PGA Tour where golfers don’t have to golf every week to make their post season Fed Ex Cup. The Hendrick/Indy deal was signed off on by everyone involved, this has been beaten to death already. It was just freak luck that went south due to him missing Charlotte. He had every intention of making that race it wasn’t “oh I’m choosing Indy and not going to race Charlotte tonight”, it was “we are finishing Indy, then going to Charlotte….late…but we’re going”. I’m confident in saying the driver that purposely skips a race knowingly putting another series race instead of their Cup job will be dealt with swiftly and made an example of through the series and their contract commitments. KL had team/ sponsor/manufacture/nascar sign off on the Double, it was known by everyone “hey this plan might have some hiccups.” This really is much ado about nothing imo and has been for the last however many months.

 

[Chase Fan 79]

I think dirt is his day job tbh.

Maybe but to me your day job is the one that pays the bills. I think if he could pays the bills the way he wants with dirt only that's where he'd be all the time. NASCAR has almost become a necessary evil for these guys. I think there's a reason drivers are retiring early though.

 

[Chase Fan 79]

I’d be okay if anyone else on the grid in cup was trying to run the Indy 500 and couldn’t make Charlotte. Truly. I think it lifts up motorsports as a whole in this country when there’s cross pollination of drivers to series. IMO that’s the bigger picture, growing motorsports and reaching new fans or fans of other series than a made for tv gimmick championship where a driver that’s run in 15th all year gets hot and beats drivers who had a better body of work all year. As a KL fan, I would have thought winning the Indy 500 is 100 times cooler than winning the Cup because he already had done that and how insane would it have been had he indeed won the 500?

As for your “fear” of driver skipping races to run something else due to being locked into the playoffs, to me that’s just irrational and I think you’re an intelligent enough poster to not really buy it either, I just cant figure out what your angle is though even though it’s been 9 months plus of you posting this. Drivers purposely skipping races won’t ever happen due to sponsor contracts, manufacturers contracts and driver/team contracts. This isn’t the PGA Tour where golfers don’t have to golf every week to make their post season Fed Ex Cup. The Hendrick/Indy deal was signed off on by everyone involved, this has been beaten to death already. It was just freak luck that went south due to him missing Charlotte. He had every intention of making that race it wasn’t “oh I’m choosing Indy and not going to race Charlotte tonight”, it was “we are finishing Indy, then going to Charlotte….late…but we’re going”. I’m confident in saying the driver that purposely skips a race knowingly putting another series race instead of their Cup job will be dealt with swiftly and made an example of through the series and their contract commitments. KL had team/ sponsor/manufacture/nascar sign off on the Double, it was known by everyone “hey this plan might have some hiccups.” This really is much ado about nothing imo and has been for the last however many months.

What I have been saying is Indy should not have been the priority and by choosing to go to Charlotte late they made Indy the priority. My fear (although that is a strong word...more line "concern") is that if drivers are not in some way obligated to show up it opens a door that waters down the sport and makes it even more like WWE in "who is on the main card" kind of deal which to me may work for WWE but not NASCAR. They need the stars there. That's my angle or opinion. I am a catastrophizer by nature though so I tend to go right to what I think could be come the worse case-scenario.

 

[Charlie Spencer]

if drivers are not in some way obligated to show up

Like @Jorge De Guzman said, sponsor and owner contracts obligate drivers to show up.

14 attempts. One guy misses one race he planned to run because of a weather delay, not by design or intention. Just doesn't seem worth a rule to me.