Weather could put an end to Larsons chance to do the double

Everything. It's Hendrick's call and he said he's staying with the 500. It's right there in plain english man. I don't like it either but it is what it is. :idunno:

Actually, no it's Larson's call not Hendricks. He should do the right thing and honor his first commitment.
 
The only way Larson does not start the 600 is if there's some kind of mechanical failure with the helicopter/charter. They will pull him from the 500 car to get to the 600 no matter what and with enough time. Injuries are one thing but "hey I'm late and didn't start the race... can I have a waiver?" would not sit well. Also the 600 awards the most points for the year and Larson is one of the field favorites for the playoffs... he will be there to collect points.

A Monday 500 seems almost certain at this point anyway. I'm sure Larson would run Monday but no announcement yet is a bit weird.
 
The only way Larson does not start the 600 is if there's some kind of mechanical failure with the helicopter/charter. They will pull him from the 500 car to get to the 600 no matter what and with enough time. Injuries are one thing but "hey I'm late and didn't start the race... can I have a waiver?" would not sit well. Also the 600 awards the most points for the year and Larson is one of the field favorites for the playoffs... he will be there to collect points.

A Monday 500 seems almost certain at this point anyway. I'm sure Larson would run Monday but no announcement yet is a bit weird.
See post #29
 
The best you can hope for is a complete blowout storm of the 500 with no chance of letting up long in advance of the 500 race. If there is clearing spots and there looks like there might be a window for the 500 the Hendrick group and Larson are staying at Indy. The man has spoken about it in post #29. Don't shoot the messenger, it is what it is.
 
See post #29

What about it? He says "We know he needs to be in Charlotte for the points" and then talking about all the partners and fans in Indy and how sad everyone would be. Kyle is running the NASCAR race in Charlotte, and that takes precedent over Indycar. That has been the plan all along. Tony Kanaan is the standby driver for the 500.
 
The best you can hope for is a complete blowout storm of the 500 with no chance of letting up long in advance of the 500 race. If there is clearing spots and there looks like there might be a window for the 500 the Hendrick group and Larson are staying at Indy. The man has spoken about it in post #29. Don't shoot the messenger, it is what it is.

So I just watched the video and I feel like he is saying he would be very disappointed and it would be a very tough decision but we need the points at Charlotte. I take from that video that Rick is saying that while it would suck to skip Indy, the 600 is the priority.
 
I hope you are right and they do run Larson in the 600. They don't need the points though, they would need a waiver. Larson is pretty much already in the playoffs and is leading in the points as it stands. A lot of fans would go nuts if he isn't in the race, I sure would.
 
This is from the Official Indycar site. 3rd bullet down. :idunno:

View attachment 78473
This is the rule as stated in the rule book that the series is currently citing as to why a relief driver can’t be used. No one really appears to know when it was implemented, other than it was sometime in the last ten years. Robby Gordon actually needed Jacques Lazier to fill in when he left the rain-filled 2004 500 for Charlotte.

IMG_2058.jpeg
 
Nascar moved the time so that it is possible to run both races if everything falls into place.
The answer to every NASCAR start time question is 'TV'.
He still needs to earn playoff points and There's a lot of Larson fans that paid to see him race in Charlotte on Sunday, thats his main focus as it should be.
Larson fans have known he was trying the double since before tickets for either race went on sale. He isn't the first to try it so the potential conflicts are well known.
Another what if:

If Larson were to win the 500 (very unlikely, I realize), would it be possible to do all of the post-race winner stuff and still make it for the green flag at Charlotte?
I'm sure the team has already discussed this. Stop at the bricks on the first cool-down lap, kiss 'em, drive directly to victory lane, ride the elevator, put on the flowers, drink the milk, give NBC a minute, run to the golf cart. IMS will have already cleared the path to the helipad.

If I can figure this out, the people directly involved have already done a better job.
give NBC a minute, run to the golf cart.
No, give NBC a minute IN the golf cart. Heck, give 'em a ride in the chopper.

If I can think of refinements in ten minutes, people who have been working on this for months have it down. It's not like Kyle is the first driver to face this problem.
Actually, no it's Larson's call not Hendricks. He should do the right thing and honor his first commitment.
It's Hendrick's commitment. Teams enter cars and select the drivers. Drivers don't enter races and then go looking for a car. If Rick was concerned about potential loss of championship eligibility, he wouldn't be paying for the Indy car. If NASCAR will give a waiver to a suspended Xfinity driver, Larson is a shoo-in (if necessary).

Why do people think these questions weren't discussed and resolved months ago? Teams don't wait until race week to plan in depth for something going wrong.
 
I should have been more specific. Follow Hendrick’s money … and McLaren’s.

Most of it already spent to get to this point.
Yeah I wonder if Hendrick who is in his later years wants to run Indycar and he has to make a choice between the two, which one will he choose weighing all of his options. It reminds me of LeMans in a way.
 
Actually, no it's Larson's call not Hendricks. He should do the right thing and honor his first commitment.
looks like it be might all 3's call..... if they didnt already have a contingency plan already which frankly, I'd be shocked that they didn't going into when even the deal was signed to do this last year.
"We’ve talked about it many times, and we know we need to be at Charlotte for the points,” Hendrick said. “We’re just going to let it play out, and then Kyle and myself and Jeff Gordon, we’ll make that decision Sunday."
 
Maybe not, but they shouldn't be surprised. If my fav missed the C600 because he won the I500, I'd be on line trying to buy the t-shirt.
Its a personal thing, if i was a Larson fan and he won Indy but was a no show at a race where I spent a grand on tickets and travel I wouldnt be happy
 
looks like it be might all 3's call..... if they didnt already have a contingency plan already which frankly, I'd be shocked that they didn't going into when even the deal was signed to do this last year.
"We’ve talked about it many times, and we know we need to be at Charlotte for the points,” Hendrick said. “We’re just going to let it play out, and then Kyle and myself and Jeff Gordon, we’ll make that decision Sunday."
Thats a no
 
I am going with a unique approach: Larson and company will carefully consider all the best available options based on the weather and make the best call.

I will enjoy the show whatever will be, will be

"Qué será, será
Whatever will be, will be
The future's not ours to see
Qué será, será
What will be, will be"

- Doris Days (legs)
 
Its a personal thing, if i was a Larson fan and he won Indy but was a no show at a race where I spent a grand on tickets and travel I wouldnt be happy
I’m a Larson fan that was supposed to be going to my first 500 but ended up having to sell the tickets so I’m bummed either way
 
First, the waiver is stupid. A guy chooses to skip a race, and hell, that's okay. BS. Second, they had better not delay the ****** 600 to get Larson there. That would be even bigger BS. France Sr. always said that the sport was bigger than one driver.
 
Its a personal thing, if i was a Larson fan and he won Indy but was a no show at a race where I spent a grand on tickets and travel I wouldnt be happy
If I was a fan who'd be upset if my driver didn't show, and knowing in advance there was a good chance he wouldn't be there, I wouldn't have bought a ticket to Charlotte in the first place. I'd have gone somewhere else with less opportunity for conflict.
 
If I was a fan who'd be upset if my driver didn't show, and knowing in advance there was a good chance he wouldn't be there, I wouldn't have bought a ticket to Charlotte in the first place. I'd have gone somewhere else with less opportunity for conflict.
NASCAR is his JOB, why would I think there's a good chance he wouldn't be there? If anything I expect him to be there.
 
First, the waiver is stupid. A guy chooses to skip a race, and hell, that's okay. BS. Second, they had better not delay the ****** 600 to get Larson there. That would be even bigger BS. France Sr. always said that the sport was bigger than one driver.
I don't like the waivers either, but NASCAR has already made them an acceptable and almost standard expectation in many cases. I just don't see how NASCAR could say no to a Larson waiver request after granting one to drivers who have been suspended in the past (it is a very polluted topic in my opinion)

I also have to admit that I am not a purist and may be considered inconsistent on this topic. I like a waiver if a driver misses a race due to childbirth, but I don't like it in all other cases, especially when a driver has been suspended. I just think that the competition in the big leagues should be demanding and unforgiving enough to punish errors and even unfortunate events. Mistakes and even missed opportunities should be costly to a championship contender; there should be no mercy, but that standard has not been applied in recent years.

I will try not to rant about the Chase playoff system, but if the points were cumulative for the entire season, none of this would matter. Missing a race would already be penalized by simply receiving zero points for a non-start.

But the current system minimizes a naturally built-in penalty for a driver performing at Larson’s current level.
In that case, Larson would still make the playoffs and only suffer the loss of the bonus points that carry over into the final 10-race playoffs, eliminations, etc. The lost bonus points, including the 600s additional stage, would sting, but still they only represent a little more than 1/26th of the available opportunities.

I personally think the rewards for starting and completing the 500, in the event of a weather issue, outweigh the cost of missing the 600 based on the current waiver assumptions. The assumptions would be that he would receive the waiver and his sponsors would support the decision.

I also think there is a lot to be gained for NASCAR by having Larson compete in the 500. It is almost a no-lose situation: if he has a bad race, it would be just a one-off that could be respectfully understood, and if he competes for the win, it would make an incredible statement about the talent in NASCAR.

Missing the 600 would frustrate fans wanting to see him compete, and maybe Fox Sports, but I still see some benefits for those two groups as well.
In addition to this, I think Larson could still arrive late and finish the 600 in a relief driver role regardless of the Indianapolis weather. He obviously shouldn't get any race points in that type of situation; but his fans would still be able to see him racing in Charlotte, and that type of scenario would have tons of great storylines or built-in positives.
 

Looks like they wont have to make a decision

Sun 26 | Day​

75°


90%
SSE14 mph
Thunderstorms. Potential for severe thunderstorms. High around 75F. Winds SSE at 10 to 20 mph. Chance of rain 90%.


Sun 26 | Night​

63°


90%
SW12 mph
Thunderstorms likely in the evening. Then a chance of scattered thunderstorms later on. Potential for severe thunderstorms. Low 63F. Winds SW at 10 to 15 mph. Chance of rain 90%.
 
The current forecast for Monday doesn't look promising either. Hopefully it starts to look better as we get into the weekend

Only one model is really showing poor weather Monday. I think it'll clear out around noon and be a good day for the race.

My group already bailed on Sunday. We traded out our Airbnb within walking distance to the track for a much nicer, larger, cheaper place outside of town. We have a hotel Monday night 45 minute walk away from our seats. At first I was disappointed about a Monday 500 but I get to spend more time with my friends, save $$$, and get more than 4 hours of sleep Saturday night (we are going to the Little 500 which starts at 8pm).
 
Out of 19 days at the track on this road trip, one event was cancelled, the Kansas Cup race started late, the 500 will be ran Monday, and 1.5 practice days for the 500 were rained out. Outside of that... not a drop of rain or a single day over 90 degrees. We're ending with 4 beautiful nights of racing in Indiana with highs in the low 80s the whole weekend (save Sunday). I will take all of that.
 
I don't like the waivers either, but NASCAR has already made them an acceptable and almost standard expectation in many cases. I just don't see how NASCAR could say no to a Larson waiver request after granting one to drivers who have been suspended in the past (it is a very polluted topic in my opinion)

I also have to admit that I am not a purist and may be considered inconsistent on this topic. I like a waiver if a driver misses a race due to childbirth, but I don't like it in all other cases, especially when a driver has been suspended. I just think that the competition in the big leagues should be demanding and unforgiving enough to punish errors and even unfortunate events. Mistakes and even missed opportunities should be costly to a championship contender; there should be no mercy, but that standard has not been applied in recent years.

I will try not to rant about the Chase playoff system, but if the points were cumulative for the entire season, none of this would matter. Missing a race would already be penalized by simply receiving zero points for a non-start.

But the current system minimizes a naturally built-in penalty for a driver performing at Larson’s current level.
In that case, Larson would still make the playoffs and only suffer the loss of the bonus points that carry over into the final 10-race playoffs, eliminations, etc. The lost bonus points, including the 600s additional stage, would sting, but still they only represent a little more than 1/26th of the available opportunities.

I personally think the rewards for starting and completing the 500, in the event of a weather issue, outweigh the cost of missing the 600 based on the current waiver assumptions. The assumptions would be that he would receive the waiver and his sponsors would support the decision.

I also think there is a lot to be gained for NASCAR by having Larson compete in the 500. It is almost a no-lose situation: if he has a bad race, it would be just a one-off that could be respectfully understood, and if he competes for the win, it would make an incredible statement about the talent in NASCAR.

Missing the 600 would frustrate fans wanting to see him compete, and maybe Fox Sports, but I still see some benefits for those two groups as well.
In addition to this, I think Larson could still arrive late and finish the 600 in a relief driver role regardless of the Indianapolis weather. He obviously shouldn't get any race points in that type of situation; but his fans would still be able to see him racing in Charlotte, and that type of scenario would have tons of great storylines or built-in positives.
Great post. I have no problem with a waiver for an injury in a Cup event. Yeah, I get that KB won OUR first one with a waiver from an Xfinity event....but I think excusing extra-curricular stuff has gotten out of hand. A driver making a conscious decision to run in another series while skipping a Cup even is inexcusable IMO. Pick a lane. I don't think that NASCAR has anything to prove vs. Indy Car in terms of talent, honestly.....and I don't see the 500 as bigger than the 600.....but I am sure that the accountants do.

I like the points system, and how a championship is won. Is it fair? Maybe not....but it is exciting.....and having been to two championships, I love the way it puts four teams in a position where their absolute best is essential, and there is no room for error.
 
Its a personal thing, if i was a Larson fan and he won Indy but was a no show at a race where I spent a grand on tickets and travel I wouldnt be happy
100%. Being at a race is so cool. I always feel like the race I am at is the most important race of the year....and winning the damn thing is the greatest feeling. To not have your guy there would be tough with all of this considered. I don't have that vibe as I am an OEM based guy, but I can only imagine.
 
You guys realize the Indy 500 is a drafting based race right? That means Larson is cursed already.
 
I think we will be okay. Morning rain comes down, and the atmosphere will be capped during the early afternoon. Tornado outbreak seems likely during evening
 
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