Last year, when the Indy 500 was delayed due to rain, Kyle Larson, who was attempting to run both races of the famed Memorial Day Double, opted to remain at Indianapolis Motor Speedway, rather than fly to Charlotte Motor Speedway for the start of the Coca-Cola 600.
The decision came as a surprise to some, given the fact that Larson is, in fact, a full-time NASCAR Cup Series driver. He did make it to Charlotte eventually, and with what would have ordinarily been plenty of time to spare. However, the Coca-Cola 600 had been halted due to rain, and it was unable to be restarted.
So Larson did not get to compete at all.
As a result, there was a debate over whether or not Larson should be able to receive a playoff waiver from NASCAR.
Given the fact that Larson had already won two Cup races, and the fact that he never set out to intentionally miss the Coca-Cola 600, the obvious answer was that he should.
It took more than a week for NASCAR to make the call, but Larson's playoff waiver was approved. However, it led to an offseason rules change.
Moving forward, any driver who applies for a playoff waiver following a non-medical-related absence must forfeit all playoff points. This includes playoff points that they earn even after the absence.
Larson leads all drivers with 23 playoff points this season, 15 from his three wins and eight from his eight stage wins.
He basically has no choice this time around, even if the Indy 500 is delayed by only a couple of minutes. He would be forced to leave for Charlotte, thus foregoing the opportunity to complete the Memorial Day Double.
Tony Kanaan has been confirmed as Larson's backup driver for the Indy 500, if need be.
Larson's decision, which has effectively been made for him, could be the difference between entering the Cup Series playoffs leading the standings or sitting in 16th (last), regardless of how many races he wins or points he scores during the second half of the regular season.
And it is NASCAR's decision which could ultimately be the difference between him competing or not competing in the Indy 500. Is this really the right move?
The reason for the change was obvious, but the fairness of it is still questioned. We hear all the time about how the sport has become too playoff-centric, in that the regular season has become meaningless. There is no better example of that than the fact that last year's title was won by the driver who finished 15th in the regular season standings.
Was a rule that only further diminishes regular season success really the answer here, especially since the scenario that prompted it was by no means an intentional absence?
Regardless, the weather forecast for Speedway, Indiana is currently fairly positive, so hopefully Larson can run the Indy 500 and fly to Charlotte in time for the Coca-Cola 600. Perhaps he can become just the second driver to run all 1,100 miles in a single day.
No driver has run both races in the same day since Kurt Busch in 2014, and Tony Stewart is the only driver to complete all 1,100 miles, doing so in 2001. John Andretti and Robby Gordon are the only other two drivers to attempt the historic feat.
Fox is set to provide live coverage of the 109th running of the Indy 500 from Indianapolis Motor Speedway beginning at 10:00 a.m. ET this Sunday, May 25 (begin a free trial of FuboTV today!). Amazon Prime Video is set to provide live coverage of the Coca-Cola 600 from Charlotte Motor Speedway beginning a 6:00 p.m. ET.