“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 over NASCAR’s decision to offer Hendrick Motorsports a waiver for Kyle Larson’s absence from the Charlotte Motor Speedway event. Larson elected to compete in the Indianapolis 500 on the same day as the Coca-Cola 600, missing the latter and losing his playoff spot as a result. Kyle Larson had planned to try the double, but the Indy 500 race was delayed by four hours owing to severe rain. As a result, he was unable to return to the Charlotte Motor Speedway on time.

NASCAR rules state that drivers who want to compete in the playoffs must start all 26 regular-season races. After Larson missed the Coca-Cola 600 start, Hendrick Motorsports discovered 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 qualified. 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.