Medical waivers can be Chase for the Sprint Cup game-changers
DAYTONA BEACH, Fla. — NASCAR’s decision to include the possibility of a medical waiver in its determination of eligibility for the Sprint Cup championship has become much more than just another line in the rule book.
It can be career-changing.
Kyle Busch made the ultimate use of the waiver last year, winning the Sprint Cup title despite missing the season’s first 11 races after suffering a broken leg and foot in the Xfinity Series opener here in February.
Busch returned in May, and, after NASCAR said he would be eligible for the Chase if he won a race and reached the top 30 in driver points, sailed through the playoffs to win his first Cup championship despite missing 42% of the regular season.
Although NASCAR officials say each case will be judged individually, the idea that the medical waiver exists has cleared the way for drivers and teams to be open to the idea of lead drivers missing races and still having a shot at the championship.
Kurt Busch, Kyle’s older brother, missed three races to start last season, when he was suspended for his possible involvement in an alleged domestic violence incident. He was not charged, returned and remained eligible for the title when he qualified for the Chase with a win at Richmond International Raceway.
Tony Stewart missed three races in 2014 after being involved in a sprint-car accident that killed a driver. NASCAR approved a waiver for Stewart, but he failed to qualify for that year’s Chase.
Stewart will need a waiver again this year if he hopes to pursue a championship in what he says will be his final Sprint Cup season. Recovering from a broken back suffered in an all-terrain vehicle accident Jan. 31, Stewart is expected to miss several races in the first months of the season.
Stewart’s team has not requested a waiver.
When Kyle Busch was injured last year, Toyota officials lobbied for NASCAR to waive the requirement that a driver finish in the top 30 in points in addition to waiving the requirement to attempt to qualify for all 26 regular-season races.
NASCAR did not approve the top-30 request, but it became a non-issue when Busch won four regular-season races and finished 25th in regular-season points. NASCAR has not said that the top-30 requirement will be an absolute in every case.
"We were lobbying for them to waive the top-30 rule after they let him back into consideration," Toyota Racing Development President David Wilson told Paste BN Sports. "We wanted them to go further, and they said, 'No, he still has to earn his way.' The fact he did it is a testament to his own determination."
Busch said there shouldn’t be a maximum number of races a driver could miss and still qualify for the Chase.
"I think the top 30 (requirement) is going to take care of that," he said. "If I had had to sit out three more weeks, it would have been tougher for me to make the top 30. I don’t think there needs to be a number on it.
"You hate to see a guy go through what I did, say miss 15 races instead of 11, and miss the top 30 by two points. That’s a bummer deal. You hate it for the guy. Fortunately, I didn’t have to go through that."
Should there be a maximum number of races a driver can miss and still be given a waiver into playoff eligibility?
"Yes, but I don’t know what it is," veteran driver Greg Biffle said. "I think you have to be top 30 in points. Basically, last year Kyle Busch missed the maximum amount of races you could miss (and still earn points for the top 30). He just barely made it. I think it kind of polices itself.
"I think every circumstance is different. Were you injured in a race or outside the sport? I think there are a lot of moving parts to that."
Last year, Busch climbed through the standings rapidly despite starting 11 races behind most of his competitors.
"On paper, you’d say if the same thing happened all over again, 90 out of 100 times you’re not going to be able to do that," Wilson said.
Kasey Kahne said the possibility of receiving a waiver is a significant plus.
"But you still have to be fast," he said. "You still have to be competitive to do it. He (Busch) had to perform when he got the opportunity."
Ryan Newman said it’s unlikely drivers would use injury as an excuse to miss races.
"I think the situation today is more a matter of if they’ll let you drive instead of whether you want to," he said. "If I was physically able, whether I had a cast or a splint on my tongue, I’d still want to be in the race car."
Follow Mike Hembree on Twitter @mikehembree.
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