Racing in the NTT INDYCAR SERIES’ Indianapolis 500 and NASCAR’s Coca-Cola 600 on the same day is quite the trial. One race begins at noon and the other at 6PM, with logistics in between that would baffle the mind. This is why so few drivers have attempted to compete in both races over the years. The pounding – and the excruciating differences between the cars involved – wears on both the body and mind.
The first to make this attempt was the late John Andretti in 2004; the most recent was Kurt Busch in 2014. Both Robby Gordon and Tony Stewart have tried to win both races; Gordon has attempted the feat five times and Stewart twice. Since 2014, no racer has made the attempt at both. Busch earned Rookie of the Year honors in his 2014 attempt to win both races; he finished sixth in Indianapolis but engine failure at Charlotte ended his attempt to take Top-10 honors in both contests.
Now, one of the most versatile racers on the North American continent and the 2021 NASCAR Cup Series champion, Kyle Larson has been chosen by Arrow McLaren Racing to complete its star-studded lineup for the 108th running of the Indianapolis 500, taking place in 2024. His Chevrolet for “The Greatest Spectacle in Racing” will be co-owned by his NASCAR Cup Series team owner Rick Hendrick and will, as his Cup Series Chevy does, carry the sponsorship of HendrickCars.com. Mr. Hendrick is a member of NASCAR’s Hall of Fame and a 14-time NASCAR Cup Series championship team owner.
“I’m super excited,” Larson exclaimed. “Competing at the Indianapolis 500 is a dream of mine and something I’ve wanted to do for a very long time – since I was a child before I even began competing in sprint cars. To do it with Arrow McLaren and Mr. Hendrick especially is a dream come true. I’m grateful for the opportunity and am really looking forward to it, even though it’s still about a year-and-a-half away. I’m really looking forward to competing in both the Indianapolis 500 and the Coca-Cola 600 – and maybe even get a win or two that day,” he said.
Larson, 30, who joined Hendrick Motorsports in 2021 after driving for Chip Ganassi Racing in that series, has won 19 points-paying races, both the 2019 and 2021 NASCAR All-Star Race, and earned the 2014 Sunoco Rookie of the Year award. During his 2021 championship season, the Elk Grove, Calif. native took 10 points-paying race wins and led more laps in a single season – 2,581 – than any driver since the 1995 campaign. That record is held by Hendrick Motorsports’ vice chairman Jeff Gordon, who led 2,610 laps in 1995.
It’s unknown at this time whether any other NASCAR driver will attempt “The Double”, although Kurt Busch’s brother Kyle Busch has long expressed an interest in making that bid.
Throughout his 11-year NASCAR Cup Series career, Kyle Larson has often expressed interest in competing in both Memorial Day weekend contests. As he enters his 12th season and third with Hendrick Motorsports, driving a Chevrolet Camaro ZL1 with Hendrick Motorsports, Larson is recognized as a world-class talent. He has more than 400 career wins in a variety of diverse racing activities – both on pavement and dirt. His versatility and his experience complements the strategy and competition of McLaren Racing, a team that also competes in a variety of different racing series.
Kyle Larson joins a stellar group of competitors, including those racing for Arrow McLaren in this year’s 107th Indy 500: two-time winner Juan Pablo Montoya, two-time Formula One titleholder Fernando Alonso and 2013 race winner and 2004 series champion Tony Kanaan. This trio join full-season racers Patricio O’Ward, Felix Rosenqvist and newcomer (to this team) Alexander Rossi, the latter winner of the 2016, 100th anniversary Indianapolis 500.
“Adding Kyle Larson with a HendrickCars.com partnership to the Indy 500 lineup in 2024 is exciting for our Arrow McLaren team as well as for race fans,” said Zak Brown, CEO of McLaren Racing. “He’s a complete driver, known for racing anything on wheels, so I’m looking forward to seeing what Kyle can do in an NTT INDYCAR SERIES car. It’s been great working with Rick Hendrick and (Hendrick Motorsports vice chairman) Jeff Gordon to pull this together, so a big thank you to them for what’s to come in May of 2024.”
Hendrick understands the competitive nature of this driver, whom he allows to race outside the NASCAR perimeters throughout each season. “Having the opportunity to support Kyle, partner with an elite team like Arrow McLaren and promote HendrickCars.com in one of the world’s great auto racing events is truly unique,” he said. “Putting Kyle in top-level equipment and allowing ample time for him to prepare for such a difficult challenge was important. It’s going to be very, very special to field a Chevrolet in the Indy 500 as a car owner. We’re 100% committed to doing it right and look forward to working with Zak and his organization.”
But first, Kyle Larson has other things on his mind, including winning this weekend’s Chili Bowl and earning a second NASCAR Cup Series title for himself and Hendrick Motorsports.
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