With speculations surrounding Kyle Larson’s future with double duty, several NASCAR insiders weighed in on whether the Hendrick Motorsports driver should take another swing at running both the Indianapolis 500 and the Coca-Cola 600 on the same day. While figures like Jimmie Johnson and Kyle Petty backed the attempt, others, including Dale Earnhardt Jr., questioned its merit. Larson’s own recent remarks on the matter, however, sparked mixed reactions among fans.
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A month after crashing out of both marquee races during his second double-duty campaign, Larson addressed the topic ahead of the season’s 18th points-paying race at Atlanta.
Seeking to draw a line under the speculation, he remarked, “I feel like I’ve made it known that I wouldn’t do the double again. I get asked about it all the time. So no, it’s just logistically too tough.”
Although Larson admitted that he still carries hopes of competing at Indianapolis again, he drew a firm boundary around any future attempts to juggle both events.
Larson said, “Kind of have FOMO from running the Indy 500, but hopefully, someday I can run that again. But I don’t have any desire to do the double again. It didn’t go well the last two years, and crashing aside this year. We weren’t going to be able to get it both in. So, it’s just too tight.”
His candid admission, however, left fans divided. One observed, “His vibe (and performance) since Indy this year has been weird. Something is off, like he’s not having any fun or something idk.”
Another commented, “Chase Elliott’s personality is really starting to rub off on Larson. Where’d the passion go?” A third chimed in bluntly, “Why, he was extremely grumpy this interview.”
“I dont have any desire to do the double again”- @KyleLarsonRacin shuts down rumors about doing the double in 2026.
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— Frontstretch Open Wheel (@FSOpenWheel) June 27, 2025
This year’s Indianapolis 500, initially scheduled to begin at 12:45 p.m. ET, was delayed by nearly an hour due to rain. Larson crashed during the race and, even if he had finished, would likely have missed the green flag at Charlotte Motor Speedway, where the Coca-Cola 600 started at 6:30 p.m. ET. But due to his crash in the Indy 500 race, he managed to reach Charlotte in time. He managed to lead 34 laps in the Coke 600 before crashing out.
Following his release from the infield care center, Larson acknowledged the time crunch between the events, stating that the window of time between both races is too tight, and he doesn’t believe it’s worth it. The 2025 run marked the end of a two-year partnership between Hendrick Motorsports and Arrow McLaren.
In 2024, Larson remained in Indianapolis to complete the 500 despite a four-hour rain delay, even as HMS officials maintained that the Coca-Cola 600 took precedence. Although he arrived in Charlotte well after the race had begun, he was in the pit box, ready to take over his car, when rain ultimately cut the event short.
Ahead of the current season, NASCAR revised its playoff eligibility policy. Under the new rules, if a driver misses a race for reasons unrelated to injury or age restriction, the only path to a waiver requires forfeiting all accrued playoff points to date, as well as any earned prior to the end of the regular season.
