Kyle Larson's Epic Challenge: Is He Ready for the IndyCar-NASCAR Marathon?
For Rick Hendrick, owner of Hendrick Motorsports, the upcoming weekend signifies a major milestone as his team makes its debut at the hallowed Indianapolis 500. “I never thought I’d get to have an entry in the Indy 500 in my life,” Hendrick remarked. But soon enough, his car will roll out from the fifth position on the grid come Sunday.
This remarkable journey began when one of his NASCAR drivers, motorsports/nascars-kyle-larson-to-run-indy-500-and-coke-600-in-2024/">Kyle Larson, expressed a keen interest in racing IndyCars. Larson's diverse racing resume—spanning from IMSA prototypes to dirt late models—made his ambitions far from surprising. “Everybody knew that Kyle wanted to run the Indy 500,” Hendrick said. This led him to engage in dialogues with Zak Brown, CEO of McLaren Racing. The result was an unprecedented partnership to place Larson in one of Brown’s Arrow-McLaren IndyCars. “We put a deal together,” said Hendrick, “and so far, it couldn’t have gone any better.”
Brown echoed the sentiment: “Yeah, it’s been awesome from day one. Mr. H and his entire organization are absolutely legendary in motorsports.” Both he and Hendrick shared these thoughts publicly during a media call earlier this week.
Larson is no stranger to high-profile events, but his current mission, known as “the double,” is daring even by his standards. He'll race at Indianapolis during the day, followed by a rush to Concord, North Carolina, to compete in the NASCAR Coca-Cola 600 later that evening. Only a handful of drivers have attempted this feat, and among them, only Tony Stewart in 2001 completed all 1100 laps. Larson, now 31, will be the first to make the attempt since Kurt Busch in 2014.
As the weekend approaches, Larson has risen to the challenge, acclimating swiftly to Indianapolis Motor Speedway. He qualified his HendrickCars.com Dallara/Chevrolet in the fifth spot out of 34, averaging a four-lap speed of 232.846 mph. His performance left Hendrick on edge. “Nervous as I’ve ever been watching qualifying,” he admitted. “The pressure of running four laps is something I’m not used to. It’s just biting-your-fingernails anxiety. But Zak and his team have done an incredible job, and we’re fortunate to partner with them.” Additionally, Hendrick confessed, “I’m not used to watching a car go into the corner at 241 mph.”
Zak Brown shared his own expectations: “Prior to qualifying, I thought a spot in the front half of the field would be fantastic. I wouldn’t have bet on fifth place. That’s a testament to Kyle’s driving skills and the joint effort of both teams to provide a competitive race car.” Still, Larson faces his ultimate test during the actual race and the subsequent rush to Charlotte. With weather forecasts predicting severe thunderstorms in Indianapolis on Sunday, the possibility of delays looms large.
With Larson leading the NASCAR Cup series points, his timely arrival in Charlotte is non-negotiable. Driver introductions for the NASCAR Coca-Cola 600 are slated for 5:25 p.m. ET. Worrying about potential rain delays at the Indy 500, Hendrick pondered, “Would we pull Kyle out and send him to Charlotte? It’d be very hard and disappointing given the enormous effort everyone has invested.”
“It’s going to be a pressure-packed day,” Hendrick said. “How does the race go? Is it going to rain? What time do we need to leave for Charlotte? These questions will add to the day's pressure, but we chose this path knowingly.”
However, one thing neither Hendrick nor Brown is concerning themselves with is Larson’s focus. “He’s a die-hard racer,” Hendrick affirmed. “He approaches every race with the same intensity, be it a sprint car or a midget race. His extensive racing experience has bolstered his confidence, and he has immense trust in his team and vehicle. He’s ready and raring to go.”
***
Stay updated with more exciting stories on the Hagerty Media homepage. Don’t miss out, bookmark it now and get the best updates delivered right to your inbox by subscribing to our newsletters.