Kyle Larson, in the lead-up to his “Double” attempt, has already pushed the envelope by crashing twice — once in April and again last Tuesday. He’ll roll off from 19th for the Indy 500, and while fans want him to go all-out, they’re hoping he keeps it out of the wall when it counts.
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Speaking live from Indianapolis on First Things First, Larson broke down his mindset and strategy ahead of Sunday’s challenge. Asked how he balances confidence with limited IndyCar experience and his crashes, Larson made it clear he’s not one to tiptoe around the edge. “I think I’m a little bit odd, too,” he said.
“Like, I didn’t mind crashing because it does help you find the limit. And for me, you are being particularly comfortable, I guess, experiencing in the Indy car, you got to kind of find that edge and learn. What did I feel? What can I do better next time from it?
“So, yeah, we’re just fine. That was in practice before qualifying. We’re able to get qualified into the race… So just got to, again, execute all the details and trust my team that we can do a good job,” Larson added.
Despite being peppered with questions about fatigue, weather concerns, and how IndyCars differ from stock cars, Larson has kept his cool. But with this likely being his last attempt at the double for the foreseeable future, owing to the fact that it takes a monumental logistical effort, and his only IndyCar start came in the 500 last year, anticipation is high from both fans and the paddock.
The 2021 NASCAR Cup champion and current points leader nearly pulled it off last year. He had a top-10 run going at Indy until a pit-road speeding penalty knocked him back to 18th. The weather then flipped the script at Charlotte.
By the time he reached the track following the rain-delayed Indy 500, the Coke 600 had already begun. More rain followed, and the race was called before Larson could take the wheel, leaving Justin Allgaier to fill in.
Now, Larson heads into Sunday with unfinished business, unshaken confidence, and both a stock car and an open-wheel rocket at his disposal.
