Kyle Larson could yet create history come Memorial Day Weekend this year. He is once again aiming to do the Memorial Day Double. Arguably the most gruelling challenge in all of motorsport, Double Duty involves completing the Indianapolis 500, the most prestigious events in the IndyCar calendar, as well as the Coca-Cola 600, the longest race in the NASCAR Cup Series, on the same day.
Advertisement
Just consider the challenge. Doing the double means a driver has to race for 1,100 miles on the same day in two different cities, using two different types of cars, in two very different types of races. In the entire history of motorsport, only four racers have ever attempted the Indy-Charlotte double. And only one — Tony Stewart — has managed to successfully complete one.
Last year, Kyle Larson’s bid to become the fifth racer to do Double Duty was thwarted by bad weather and rain delays. Considering that his NASCAR debut happened way back in 2013, and given the Hendrick Motorsports driver’s interest in the famed feat, it is intriguing that he waited so long to make the attempt.
In a recent episode of Dale Jr. Download, Larson explained why he wasn’t able to try the double back when he was with Chip Ganassi Racing. Larson began his full-time Cup Series career in 2014 with Chip Ganassi Racing. He stayed with the team until the end of 2020.
These years definitely helped in his evolution, acting as building blocks that slowly but surely raised him into the elite tier of drivers. However, Larson didn’t have the best equipment or car during this period. The persistent issues in the team did not allow him to focus on other pursuits like the Double.
“I probably could have maybe run with Chip back when I was running, but I just didn’t feel like our Cup program was where it needed to be to take the focus off of that to go to Indy for, you know, a few weeks,” Larson told Dale Jr.
Then came the controversy that saw him get suspended. “So, 2020 happened, and I was like, ‘All right, you know, that’s kind of it’,” said Larson.
In 2020, Larson was suspended from NASCAR for uttering a racial slur during a virtual race. It was a big blow to his career and his image in the sport. Fortunately, he had the willpower, ability and the mental strength to make a comeback.
How Larson earned the right to attempt the Double
Walking into the office of the team owner and asking him for permission to race the Indianapolis 500 and the Coca-Cola 600 is a challenge in itself. The driver has to be sure of their caliber. Moreover, they need to be willing to accept an outright refusal.
Larson had both boxes ticked when he approached Rick Hendrick to talk about his Double Duty attempt at the end of 2021.
Considering that he had just won the Cup Series championship, Hendrick did not refuse his proposal and began working with Jeff Gordon to see if there was a chance to get it done.
McLaren Racing was brought into the fold, and the announcement that Larson would attempt the Double in 2024 was made at the beginning of 2023.
Following last year’s disappointment, the biggest question for fans was whether he would attempt it again in 2025. That question has been positively answered. Both Larson and fans are now looking forward to Memorial Day.
