The Sunday forecast for the Indianapolis 500 is enough to potentially give Kyle Larson fits.
Right now, rain is scheduled to arrive right around 1 p.m. when The Greatest Spectacle in Racing is scheduled to take the green flag. However, there is a growing window to start and complete the race later in the afternoon.
There are a lot of scenarios for Larson on Sunday but that would be a worst-case scenario. The race ended at 4:15 last year and Larson believes he needs to exit the Indianapolis area by 4:15 to make it to the Charlotte area in time to start the Coca-Cola 600.
Any delayed start to the Indianapolis 500 would pose a serious risk for his ability to complete the Memorial Day Sunday Double — all 1100 miles of both races.
One one hand, NASCAR team owner Rick Hendrick has expressed a willingness to keep Larson in Indianapolis no matter what because his organization is fielding the 500 entry hand-in-hand with Arrow McLaren Racing.
“We’re just gonna let it play out. It would be very hard; it would be very tough,” Hendrick told FOX Sports earlier in the week. “It would be very disappointing because of all the effort that everyone has put in. … We’ve got a tremendous amount of folks there at Indy, and he’s in such a good position, it would be extremely hard.”
On the other hand, that scenario would force NASCAR into a potentially precedence setting decision.
According to Rule 12.3.2.1.A of the NASCAR rule book: “Unless otherwise authorized by NASCAR, driver(s) and Team Owner(s) must start all Championship Events of the current season to be eligible for The Playoffs.”
NASCAR has only ever issued waivers for drivers who missed races due to injury and a driver choosing to run a race in a different scenario instead would establish a new precedence.
At the same time, NASCAR only stands to benefit from Larson excelling and potentially winning what is wildly considered the most prestigious event in motorsports.
NASCAR has not signaled whether it would grant the waiver if such a request was made. Xfinity Series contender Justin Allgaier is on standby for Larson should he not make it in time.
Larson is also the championship leader and missing a race would cost him thar spot, which is important because the regular season champion earns 15 bonus points to be applied to each round of the playoffs.
In other words, Larson choosing to miss the Coca Cola 600 could minimize his playoff chances even if NASCAR grants him an eligibility waiver.
“If it is going to rain, I hope it rains all day,” Larson said. “That way it can just get pushed to Monday. We can get (the 600) in on Sunday night and then come here (to Indianapolis) Monday.”
Larson is set to start fifth in the Indianapolis 500 and 10th in the Coca-Cola 600. John Andretti was the first to attempt the double in 1994 and it has since been done by Robby Gordon five times, twice by Tony Stewart, whom scored top-10s in both races in 2001 and Kurt Busch in 2014.
Matt Weaver is a Motorsports Insider for Sportsnaut. Follow him on Twitter.