Kevin Harvick disagrees with NASCAR playoff waiver rule change

One of the biggest rule changes in NASCAR this season is the clarification of the waivers available to drivers when it comes to the playoff standings. The rule change has already been dubbed the ‘Kyle Larson Rule.’

In effect, the rule will strip all of a driver’s playoff points for the regular season if they miss a race for non-medical or family reasons.

In other words, Kyle Larson missing the Coca-Cola 600 for the Indianapolis 500 would now no longer be tolerated. Last year, Larson had to seek a waiver for the right to compete in the playoffs as a result of missing that race.

“Yeah so they left the part in there that the waiver was meant for and they basically said, ‘Hey, Kyle Larson, don’t miss my race anymore,'” Kevin Harvick said on the Kevin Harvick’s Happy Hour podcast. “‘If you miss my race now you’re going to be punished because now I have a rule in the rulebook that will deter you from staying in Indy.'”

Harvick opened up on the new rule change from NASCAR.

“It is a big change. And I think, look, I’m of the (opinion the) win is the waiver,” Harvick said, meaning a win should necessarily get you into the playoffs. “I’m still in that category. I just don’t like rules just to have rules. I think that NASCAR has to protect its turf. They did last year with Larson.”

The new set of rules, in some ways, closes a loophole that created some serious drama last fall. Thousands of viewers tuned in to see if Larson could really pull off the double and race in both the Indy 500 and the Coca-Cola 600.

It was a genuinely fun experience, even though Larson’s second half of the double was delayed by poor weather conditions and he ultimately didn’t make it back in the car for the NASCAR race.

“I hate that it worked out the way that it did,” Harvick said. “We got a ton of exposure for the racing world, the NASCAR world. Everything that went into that they’re going to do it again.”

In any case, Harvick doesn’t seem to be a huge fan of the new NASCAR waiver ruling. Especially because the lack of a clear ruling last year had serious implications for Larson.

“Look, I just, what difference does it make if you run 35 races or 36?” Harvick said. “I know that from a racetrack standpoint or promoting standpoint they want you at the racetrack, they want to guarantee you at the racetrack.

“I mean the guy still went on, it was detrimental to him all the way to the end. It penalized him himself. He didn’t win the regular season championship. It kept him out of the end of the year and it penalized Larson all the way through without having a rule. Sometimes maybe we need those committees to go in here and start wiping stuff out.”