Very few drivers get a shot at what Hendrick Motorsports sensation Kyle Larson is about to achieve this year; the double duty: a place to race in the Indy 500 and the Coca-Cola 600 on the same day. But such a daunting task, especially the prospect of running in the Indy 500, might just turn out spectacularly well for Larson. That’s what the 2016 Indianapolis 500 winner Alexander Rossi believes.
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However, it is not like Rossi has been watching his soon-to-be Arrow Maclaren IndyCar teammate race for a long time. The duo met briefly at Charlotte Motor Speedway a few months back, where Rossi was going through a testing round with his McLaren V6 beast and the #5 Cup driver was undertaking his IndyCar Rookie Orientation Program.
But that brief encounter was enough for Rossi to get a glimpse at Larson’s skills. He said, “I don’t need to watch him (Larson) race to know that. Oh, he’s phenomenal. I’ve said for a long time he’s one of the best in the world. That doesn’t come easily in what he’s accomplished in his career.”
“It’s pretty much second to none.”
Kyle Larson set to rewrite history with Tony Kanaan by his side
Only a handful of drivers participated in the Indy 500 and then flew to Charlotte Motor Speedway the same day to drive in the Coca-Cola 600. The first person to ever try it was John Andretti back in 1994. Ronny Gordon and Kurt Busch were the two others who had taken a shot at it, but none of them were able to carry it out.
It was only Tony Stewart who was able to finish all 1,100 miles of the two races combined in 2001. And now, Larson is all set to replicate the feat. Thankfully, he has Arrow Maclaren advisor Tony Kanaan as his driver coach. Kanaan and Larson have had experience working together at the Rolex 24 Hour with Chip Ganassi Racing in the past. Hence, Larson is optimistic about the 2013 Indy 500 winner’s mentorship.
So it’s worth watching how the double duty pans out for Larson. If he succeeds, it will perhaps pave the way for several other drivers like reigning Cup champ Ryan Blaney and two-time NTT INDYCAR SERIES champion, Josef Newgarden, to try their luck at the Memorial Day couplet. Who knows?
