Kyle Larson’s first bid to complete the gruelling 1100-mile marathon spanning the Indy 500 and Coca-Cola 600 in May this year ended up short. Larson had finished P18 at Indy. However, the weather-delayed proceedings at the fabled race meant he did not make it to the start of the second half of the double-duty at the Charlotte Motor Speedway.
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Despite this setback, Larson hasn’t thrown in the towel on his dual-race ambitions. In September 2024, Hendrick Motorsports and Arrow McLaren doubled down on their commitment, announcing a collaborative plan to field Larson in both the Indy 500 and Coca-Cola 600 during next year’s Memorial Day weekend.
Larson recently shared his insights about the demanding experience of shuttling back and forth on such a hectic day.
“As far as the logistics of it, it wasn’t really any different than what I’m used to. I’m flying around all the time getting to the racetracks last minute. So yeah none of that was surprising to me or any different,” the 2021 NASCAR champion told the RACER.
“I felt like the craziness that I’ve kept my schedule probably since I’ve gotten into a cup and gotten to race Sprint cars still it’s kind of helped prepare me for the hectic back and forth to go race and jumping in different cars on the same day and stuff like that,” he added.
So, yeah that was fun to do that but it wasn’t any different. I think a lot of fans were surprised by that.”
Larson, a regular on the dirt tracks of his High Limit Racing Series, was well-prepared for the hectic schedule of his double-duty attempt. However, the turbulent weather threw a wrench into what could have been a historic day for him, potentially etching his name in the elite list of the sport. So far, only Tony Stewart has completed all 1,100 miles of both races in one day, in 2001.
Larson’s next attempt at double-duty racing will come with stipulations from NASCAR
In May next year, when Larson embarks on his second bid to conquer both the Indy 500 and the Coca-Cola 600 in one day, he will need to prioritize the NASCAR event over the IndyCar race.
This decision came after his last attempt saw a storm delay both events, prompting Larson and his team to opt for the Indy 500 over the Coca-Cola 600 — a choice that sparked a debate among NASCAR fans.
Discussions flared about whether he should receive a waiver. And although NASCAR eventually granted this, allowing him to stay championship-eligible, the decision was not disclosed for over a week.
When announcing their plans to tackle both races again in 2025, Rick Hendrick clarified: “We’re going to run the 600. We will be here for the 600. If that means having to cut the race short in Indy, we will, because my commitment to NASCAR is that we’re in NASCAR, and that’s where we run for the championship. So if weather catches us, Tony [Kanaan] will get in the car.”
Hendrick was asked about the possibility of pulling Larson out from the Indianapolis 500 if he is running late in the race to ensure he makes it to Charlotte on time. There was no hesitation on his part while answering, “Yes”.
