Everyone had lofty expectations for Kyle Larson in his second attempt at the grueling “double,” but things unraveled swiftly. After weather woes dashed his hopes last year, disaster struck in both events this season, and fans haven’t held back their frustration. Dale Earnhardt Jr., however, has stepped in to defend him.
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Fans were quick to pile on, mocking Larson’s double-duty collapse and dredging up his past comments about being the best driver in the world and rivaling even F1 star Max Verstappen. But Dale Earnhardt Jr. thinks the criticism has gone too far.
On his latest Dale Jr. Download podcast episode, Junior voiced his support for Larson, saying, “I will say this: I admire Larson’s ability. I admire Larson and anyone who’s willing to be humbled. And it takes more balls to be humbled than it does to get in something comfortable and fast.”
Junior added that he’s less impressed by drivers who dominate in familiar surroundings than by those who step into the unknown, even if it leads to failure. He commended Larson’s willingness to take that risk, noting that given his stature in NASCAR, he didn’t need to attempt something so audacious. But the fact that he did embrace the challenge, earned Junior’s respect.
In his attempt to conquer 1,100 miles, Larson completed just 336 laps or 56 percent of the combined distance. His #17 Arrow McLaren Chevrolet snapped loose on a restart at Indianapolis, slammed into the Turn 2 wall, and collected Kyffin Simpson and Sting Ray Robb, leaving him with a 27th-place finish after only 92 of 200 laps.
After the Indy heartbreak, Larson set his sights on the Coca-Cola 600 at Charlotte, hoping for redemption. But fate had other plans. Just past the halfway mark, his race ended abruptly.
Starting from P2, he got caught in a chain reaction on Lap 246 when Chase Briscoe’s #19 Toyota clipped Ryan Blaney exiting Turn 4, sending Blaney into the wall and Daniel Suárez spinning across the frontstretch — right into Larson, who had just clawed his way back onto the lead lap after an earlier scrape. Suarez, Larson, and Blaney were scored 36th, 37th, and 38th, respectively.
That said, Junior isn’t keen on seeing the No. 5 HMS driver make another double-duty attempt, at least for now. While the 1,100-mile feat is technically achievable, there are way too many logistical hurdles.
NASCAR’s rule pushing Larson to prioritize the Coca-Cola 600 over the Indy 500, along with his struggles this year, foreshadowed by his difficult practice at Indianapolis, all suggest it wasn’t his season to chase history.
