Coke 600 shenanigans

   

Christopher Bell celebrates as he wins the rain shortened 
Coke 600 on May 26, 2024
(AP Photo/Matt Kelley) ASSOCIATED PRESS

   
    What was supposed to be the perfect way to end off a weekend of amazing Motorsport spectacles, ended with enraged or confused NASCAR fans wanting straightforward answers. What was supposed to have been the longest race of the NASCAR season turned into a rain shortened event, and the biggest story of the weekend and the month of May all together with Kyle Larson running the double really ended up with Kyle Larson running only a single race and it wasn’t the NASCAR race, and that also has led to controversy in the industry. Let’s jump into it.

     For starters this car once again showed that it excels on the 1.5 mile tracks and that is something that probably won’t change for some time. The racetrack itself is also starting to age and add character with its hot and slick surface that kept drivers on edge all weekend. It also was another race of Hendrick or Joe Gibbs domination as William Byron won stage 1 and then Christopher Bell dominated stages 2 and 3 and had the car to beat in my opinion, and then the rain came midway through stage 3 and the rain was belting down. It looked like that would be the end of the night and a early call would’ve normally happened but with the very next day being a holiday, NASCAR waited for the rain to stop to start track drying. This is where things got crazy.

     At the same time that the rain started the normal driver of the Hendrick 5 car, Kyle Larson who was on his way back from the rain delayed Indy 500 was able to arrive safely at the track. The relief driver who started the race was Justin Allgaier and he was able to wheel the car to 13th place at the time of red. Kyle picked a convenient time to arrive with it being a red flag for rain and he wouldn’t have to lose laps making the driver change but there was one problem. 

       A few hours passed and what looked more and more likely that the race would be restarted, the call was made that the race was over due to humidity hampering track drying. Christopher Bell would win the race with Brad K in 2nd, William Byron in 3rd, Tyler Reddick in 4th, and Denny Hamlin to round out the top 5. This was a shock to some fans as the next day would be a holiday and the race was close to a lot of teams shops, but in the same breath fans were vocal about not calling the race sooner than they did as it was getting late into the night, and folks wondered why take so long if you aren’t going to call the race. NASCAR would go onto say that at the rate that the track was drying, the race wouldn’t restart until at least 1 a.m. est. Not the best way to end a day of racing.

     That brings us to another issue that has been debated. Kyle Larsons goal was to run in both the Indy 500 and the Coke 600 but the Indy 500 was delayed for rain which forced Kyle to make a choice. Either run the 500 and miss the start of the 600 and apply for a waiver, or leave the 500 and go run the 600 to stay championship eligible.  He would choose to run the 500 and have Allgiar fill in to start the 600. Larson would finish 18th after a late speeding penalty in the 500 and would then make a mad dash to Charlotte to try and finish what is left to run in the 600, but ironically the same storm that delayed the 500 ultimately ended the 600. The question now is should Larson get a waiver even though he chose to run another event over cup. The rule is you can’t miss any races. As of early Tuesday afternoon there has also not been any waiver request.

       I think Larson should get a waiver as waivers have been handed out like hotcakes in the last few years. Josh Williams parked a car on the front straight and got a waiver. Chase Elliot and Alex Bowman got waivers for getting injured in outside NASCAR activity. Chase also received an additional waiver his suspension for his role in the crash with Denny Hamlin last year, so why shouldn’t Larson get one. Larson also has two wins this year and was the point leader coming into Coke 600 weekend that likely influenced his decision to stay in Indy and miss the race start. 

     Ultimately the rain is what got us into a few of these debates that are going on today but the big losers here are the fans as they not only were unable to see Kyle Larson run the double, but also I think the race could’ve restarted or a decision should’ve been made sooner. 

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