Amid recent announcements surrounding Kyle Larson’s 2025 Indy 500 appearance with the Arrow McLaren Sp IndyCar team, McLaren Racing CEO Zak Brown also touched on how the world of NASCAR has caught his eye over the likes of open-wheeled racing.
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Brown, who himself turned his professional racing career around into one that revolved around managing one of the world’s most iconic names in motorsports, understands what it takes for an outfit like McLaren to make its debut in stock car racing. The Papaya-themed organization has its core roots firmly placed in Formula One and IndyCar, racing open-wheeled machines all over the globe.
However, one of the biggest racing spectacles on the planet, the Daytona 500 has certainly caught Brown’s attention. The famed 500-mile-long race has been regarded as one of stock car racing’s crown jewels as it inaugurates a new season of stock car racing every year in February.
Touted as an event on par with IndyCar’s Indy 500 or F1’s Monaco Grand Prix, Zak Brown and McLaren might be seen making an appearance during one of the 500’s future runnings. The 52-year-old recently elaborated on his thought process speaking to prominent NASCAR personality Dale Earnhardt Jr.
“Would we maybe one day put out a car at Daytona with Rick Hendrick? Maybe, I could see something like that. But I think a full-time effort is such a commitment and it is hard,” said Brown on Junior’s podcast.
Any interest for McLaren in NASCAR? 🏁
"Being in the Daytona 500 would be pretty cool." pic.twitter.com/qwqS3w8vFu
— Dirty Mo Media (@DirtyMoMedia) September 11, 2024
Despite the feel-good factor of having a global racing icon such as McLaren running on the banked oval at Daytona Beach, Brown looked back to how his last F1-IndyCar crossover almost shut the doors for any future crossovers between American and European racing cultures.
“I got a rude awakening in 2019 when we didn’t qualify with Fernando at Indy. It was the worst because horrifically embarrassing. But I learned a lot of stuff. Don’t underestimate how difficult all these racing series are. It would probably take too big of a commitment relative to being based in England. But being in the Daytona 500 would be pretty cool,” elaborated the McLaren F1 team boss.
“Daniel Ricciardo in the Daytona 500 would be wild”
Fans were quick to latch on to Brown’s words as several motorsport enthusiasts who dabbled into both the world of F1 as well as NASCAR reacted to what was one of the first public admissions of McLaren’s possible future interest in stock car racing.
Coupled with Brown’s relations with Rick Hendrick, owner of one of the biggest stock car racing teams in current times, fans might witness a motorsport crossover that will be remembered for ages to come.
“Daniel Ricciardo driving for McLaren in the Daytona 500 would be wild,” exclaimed one fan, building on F1 driver Ricciardo’s long-time affection towards NASCAR. “Y’all don’t understand how BAD I want to see McLaren in NASCAR,” touted another, seemingly excited for the crossover.
Look at @danielricciardo’s face when he learned from @McLarenF1’s @ZBrownCEO if he got a podium this year, he’d get to drive Dale Earnhardt’s car.
Now, he’s done it with a win in the @F1 #ItalianGP. (Via McLarenF1) https://t.co/nnIqZ4Z2hJ
— NASCAR on NBC (@NASCARonNBC) September 12, 2021
Some were skeptical of the partnership going forward and said, “Didn’t ask about Larson in an F1 car,” whereas others questioned the technicalities of how McLaren would enter stock car racing. “Would they run as a manufacturer or just a sponsored/brand name team though?”
All in all, if this crossover between NASCAR, F1, and IndyCar were to happen someday, the undoubted winners in this complete ordeal would certainly be the global motorsports scene, as well as fans of all three racing series.
