Tony Stewart may have lit the spark for many drivers to chase a career in NASCAR, and Kyle Larson appears determined to walk in his footsteps, and perhaps go one better.
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From sprint cars and stock cars to the Indy 500 and the grueling double duty, Larson has thrown his hat in every ring Stewart once dominated. With his second attempt to run both the Indianapolis 500 and the Coca-Cola 600 on the same day just around the corner, Larson openly acknowledged Stewart as the driver who paved the way.
So far, only five drivers — Stewart, John Andretti, Robby Gordon, Kurt Busch, and now Larson — have attempted the double. But only Stewart has gone the distance, completing all 1,100 miles in a single day. In 2001, he finished P6 at Indy and P3 at Charlotte, setting a high standard for all who followed. That’s the benchmark Larson now has in his sights.
Last year, the weather threw a wrench in Larson’s plans. After finishing 18th in a rain-hampered Indy 500, he made it to Charlotte only for the Coca-Cola 600 to be cut short, robbing him of the chance to compete. Now, with the window open again, he’s pulling out all the stops to make it count.
Speaking with Shannon Spake on NASCAR Race Hub, Larson talked about his zeal to drive everything on four wheels. He said, “I think the drive for me to want to do that was, I really looked up to Tony Stewart and he was doing all of that and at a high level… Having him as kind of a guy I looked up to, and even Jeff Gordon, when he was coming up through the ranks, he was really versatile as well.”
“So yeah, I wanted to be in that category of guy with Tony and Mario, AJ, Parnelli, guys like that. So yeah, that was always a goal of mine, and it’s just been really cool for me to be able to get those opportunities along the way to run lots of different types of cars and then be able to adapt well and excel at it,” he continued.
However, it wasn’t the first time Larson credited Stewart as the driver who inspired him to race anything with four wheels. And the admiration runs both ways. In 2021, Stewart told Autoweek that he believed Larson was ahead of where he himself was at the same age. Stewart even tried to bring Larson into his own NASCAR Cup team at one point, but the deal never came to fruition — something he later called his biggest professional regret.
Unlike most veterans who watch their records with one eye open, Stewart has openly welcomed the possibility of Larson surpassing his legacy. On a recent episode of the Rubbin’ is Racing podcast, Stewart made it clear that he is “Not at all” concerned. Instead, he threw his full support behind Larson, calling him the one driver who could realistically break that barrier.
At present, Larson is in the middle of preparation for the 2025 Indianapolis 500. On Tuesday, following a delay caused by light rain, all 34 entries for the May 25 race hit the 2.5-mile oval to dial in their setups for practice ahead of qualifying weekend. Behind the wheel of the #17 Arrow McLaren Chevy, Larson turned 45 laps, clocking a best speed of 221.207 mph — 24th overall on the charts.
He used the session to get reacquainted with the car and spent the final runs in traffic. Last year, on his IndyCar debut, Larson had qualified fifth in the HendrickCars.com Chevrolet.
