Kyle Larson is getting a chance that some NASCAR drivers, and racers worldwide, only fantasize about — a chance to run the Indianapolis 500, one of the biggest and most prestigious races in the world.
The 2021 NASCAR Cup Series champ, one of the most versatile racers in the U.S., will attempt to qualify for the 2024 Indy 500, thanks to a two-year partnership between Hendrick Motorsports, his current NASCAR team, and Arrow McLaren in the IndyCar Series.
“It’s been something that I’ve wanted to do for a very long time,” Larson said Thursday at a press conference at Indianapolis Motor Speedway, which is preparing for the 107th running of “The Greatest Spectacle in Racing” on May 28.
“I wanted to be patient and kind of wait for the timing to feel right. It feels right. Having Hendrick Motorsports be extremely supportive of it, supporting the efforts with Arrow McLaren, it’s something that I’m extremely excited about.”
‘@KyleLarsonRacin, 2021 @NASCAR champion, will attempt to run in the 2024 #Indy500 with @ArrowMcLaren. pic.twitter.com/7OCRlR7ojc
— INDYCAR on NBC (@IndyCaronNBC) May 18, 2023
Not only is Hendrick Motorsports on board with Larson’s Indy 500 plans — which were announced in January — but some in the organization also may be a little envious. Particularly four-time NASCAR champ Jeff Gordon, who, in 2022, became the organization’s vice chairman and the team’s No. 2 behind Rick Hendrick.
Larson — who has two wins in the No. 5 Chevrolet through the first half of the 2023 NASCAR regular season — continued at his press conference:
“Jeff kind of told me that I get to live out a dream of his. That’s really special also to me.
“I’ve obviously come here a lot in a stock car. I lived in the area for a couple years. So this place for a long time felt like home or a second home to me.
“In my opinion, this is the biggest race in the world, so you want to be a part of the big ones. Hopefully someday be a winner of a big event. Look forward to it. Happy to be here today. Look forward to kind of taking in as much knowledge as I possibly can in a single day, just trying to better prepare myself for whenever I get behind the wheel.”
Gordon described racing at Indianapolis Motor Speedway as “every race car driver’s dream,” and he’s lived that dream as NASCAR’s winningest driver at the iconic 2.5-mile track with five checkered flags. But as his NASCAR career took off, the Indy 500 never became a reality.
The NASCAR Hall of Famer added:
“Like Kyle said, it’s true, I did say to him he’s going to be able to live out a dream of mine. I go back to the mid to late ’80s when I was living here in Indiana, raced all around here. …
“I don’t know if really the right opportunity or it ever became serious enough after that to become a reality. So to me, this is equally as exciting because, one, I sure as heck right now don’t want to drive into Turn 1 at 238 miles [an hour] — whatever they’re running — but Kyle does. Kyle is capable of it.”
For the 2023 Indy 500, McLaren is fielding four cars with the team’s regular drivers Alexander Rossi, Pato O’Ward and Felix Rosenqvist, along with Tony Kanaan. Next year, thanks to the partnership orchestrated by Gordon, Larson would be the team’s fourth or possibly fifth car, as the Associated Press noted.
The Indy 500 is a grueling physical challenge in itself. But with Larson still running full-time in NASCAR, his 2024 Memorial Day Weekend will be doubly difficult.
He’ll attempt the “Memorial Day Double” by racing in the Indy 500 early in the afternoon before heading down to Charlotte Motor Speedway for NASCAR’s Coca-Cola 600, held annually on the same day. Should Larson complete both events, he’ll end up racing for 1,100 miles.
Only four drivers have ever competed in the “Memorial Day Double,” and Tony Stewart in 2001 is the lone one to finish both events. Kurt Busch is the most recent NASCAR driver to attempt it in 2014, finishing sixth in the Indy 500 before engine problems kept him from finishing the Coke 600.
Larson said it’s humbling for him to be one of the few to attempt “The Double,” but, of course, he’s looking forward to the daunting task.
“It will be crazy,” he said.
“There’s going to be a lot to soak in over the next year, and I look forward to the challenge. I love racing new vehicles to challenge myself and learn something new. I feel like ultimately it makes me a better race car driver.”
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