"Skiing is a choice too" - Kenny Wallace takes a veiled dig at Chase Elliott amid Kyle Larson's waiver scare

As Kyle Larson's waiver fell in jeopardy, retired NASCAR driver Kenny Wallace took an indirect jibe at Chase Elliott. The Cup Series' #5 Chevrolet driver's odds of making it to the playoffs are quite slim, due to his absence from the Coca-Cola 600.

Larson debuted at the Indianapolis 500 on Sunday, 26 May, becoming the fifth driver to attempt the Indy-Charlotte Double. However, inclement weather conditions acted against the Arrow McLaren IndyCar driver. The Indy 500 commenced after a 4-hour delay and Larson's race finished 20 minutes after the Cup Series' Coca-Cola 600 had kicked off in Charlotte, North Carolina.

Though Kyle Larson flew back to Charlotte and geared up for the remaining 151 laps, severe weather conditions there too, coupled with the track drying slowly owing to heavy atmospheric moisture, prompted the officials to cancel the race.

This meant that the HMS driver couldn't participate in the regular season race, and his playoff odds are thus at risk. According to NASCAR's rule, a driver has to at least compete in all 26 regular season races to be eligible for playoffs. However, under some exceptions, a provision of waiver has been made to prevent drivers from being robbed of a potential championship without them being at fault.

Some NASCAR insiders among several people in the community opined that Kyle Larson shouldn't get a waiver as it was his choice to prioritize the Indy 500 over the Coca-Cola 600. Witnessing the recent turmoil surrounding the 31-year-old, Kenny Wallace took a veiled dig at Chase Elliott's 2023 snowboarding incident, while calling out NASCAR's "vague" waiver rules:

"Maybe a press conference by @NASCAR (detailing) the NEW waiver rules? BECAUSE THEY ARE VAGUE. However you give @KyleLarsonRacin the waiver. And after this, you have to have a physical injury to get a waiver. “Skiing is a choice too” 😆 We can go on and on," Wallace wrote on X.

Chase Elliott broke his left tibia after a horrific snowboarding accident during his vacation amid last year's season but NASCAR granted him a medical waiver making him eligible for the playoffs. Due to the incident, the #9 Chevy driver had missed six Cup Series races.

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"It just kills me" - Kyle Larson underlines his disappointment after year-long preparation gone in vain

Kyle Larson looked to join Tony Stewart, the only driver to complete the 1100-mile Indy-Charlotte Double involving two races on the same day. Larson along with Arrow McLaren in collaboration with Hendrick Motorsports churned a joint effort to put the #17 car on the track with the 2021 Cup Series champion behind the wheel.

Though Larson's Indy dream came to fruition, he suffered multiple setbacks during the 200-lap dash. Despite starting from fifth place, a pit-lane speeding penalty, spinning out on an early race restart, and a late pitstop all contributed to his dismal P18 finish. Moreover, Larson's Coca-Cola 600 run paid the price for his 'Greatest Spectacle in Racing' stint.

The HMS driver couldn't even participate in the Charlotte race, let alone finish the remaining 151 laps, putting his playoff chances at risk. After suffering a double whammy of setbacks in a 24-hour timeframe, the Californian penned down a long note, expressing his displeasure. An excerpt from his message reads:

"What I thought could be one of the best days of my life quickly turned into one of the most disappointing ones I’ve ever experienced. So much time, money, and effort went into this experience and it just kills me to have it all end the way it did. I feel like I let so many people down."

Kyle Larson has slipped to third place in the Cup Series rankings while Denny Hamlin has taken charge and enjoys a 6-point buffer over the former.