Will NASCAR Ban Kyle Larson if He Misses Coca-Cola 600 for Indy 500? What Is the “Kyle Larson Rule”?

In 2024, Kyle Larson attempted a rare and ambitious feat, racing the Indianapolis 500 and the Coca-Cola 600 on the same day. It was a bold shot at motorsport immortality, dubbed “The Double.” He trained, prepared, and trusted a finely tuned team. But fate had other plans. Storms hit both Indianapolis and Charlotte, throwing his tight schedule into chaos. While Larson finished 18th in Indy, the rain hit Charlotte so hard that by the time he arrived, the Coca-Cola 600 had already been called off. He didn’t run a single lap.

Justin Allgaier, acting as Larson’s substitute, had started the Coca-Cola 600 in the No. 5 Hendrick Motorsports Chevrolet. The team did everything they could, but Larson failed to make it in time. “I’m very, very thankful for the experience, obviously everything about the two weeks [at Indy] and all that was great until today. It’s just sad. Everything that could have gone wrong today went wrong,” Larson said in disappointment. But the biggest threat was his securing a playoff waiver from NASCAR as he missed a race without any prior information.

Despite having two wins and a shot in the playoffs, missing a race could have proved costly to him. Hendrick Motorsports scrambled to keep his championship hopes alive. After a week full of back-and-forth, NASCAR eventually granted him a waiver. However, the situation raised serious questions and sparked heated debates. Could it happen again? Now, in 2025, Larson is once more chasing the “Double.” But this time, there’s a new wrinkle, a fresh rule that could cost him more than a race. It could cost him his entire playoff momentum. The question now buzzing in garages and across social media: Will NASCAR ban Kyle Larson if he misses the Coca-Cola 600 again?

What is NASCAR’s Kyle Larson Rule?

In response to last year’s drama, NASCAR made big changes to its playoff waiver rules. They used to grant waivers to drivers for almost any reason, even suspensions. But not anymore. The new policy punishes drivers who willingly miss a race for non-medical reasons. That includes skipping a Cup event to run the Indy 500. The change hit Larson directly. If Larson misses the Coca-Cola 600 again in 2025, NASCAR may still grant him a waiver, but it comes at a heavy cost. He will lose all 23 playoff points he’s earned so far, the most of any driver.

Yesterday, I posted several drivers' opinions today on the new waiver rule, where unless it is for a health reason, a driver who gets a waiver loses all regular-season playoff points. Some view it as a Kyle Larson rule on the double. Larson's thoughts: @NASCARONFOX pic.twitter.com/p935MVuvgs

— Bob Pockrass (@bobpockrass) February 12, 2025

Additionally, the No.5 Hendrick Motorsports team would also be blocked from earning any additional playoff points for the rest of the regular season. That means he’d start the playoffs at 2,000, thus putting him at a major disadvantage despite his three wins and strong performances. This isn’t just a technical penalty. It’s a strategic blow. Playoff points are the cushion drivers rely on during each elimination round. Without them, one bad race could end a championship run. NASCAR has essentially drawn a hard line: choose the Cup Series or face the consequences.

This is a developing story.

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