Kyle Larson Chooses Indy 500 Over Coca-Cola 600

Chad Smith Photos

For months Hendrick Motorsports and Kyle Larson preached that NASCAR was the priority in his “Double” attempt. That was true, until it wasn’t.

There are hundreds of obstacles when it comes to a driver trying to do the Indianapolis 500 and the Coca-Cola 600, especially on the same day. From a logistical standpoint, that became quite clear on Sunday when rain delayed the start of the Indy 500 by four hours.

It was decision time for Hendrick and Larson. The choice was made to stay in Indianapolis.

#Indy500 … IMS President Doug Boles says he has been told that Kyle Larson will be staying to run at Indy.

While not everyone agrees it was the right decision, it was Kyle’s to make. He is the one who ultimately wanted to try this rare feat. He’s the one who put in the seat time, the one who studied, practiced, and sought out guidance. If any one person had a say in the choice, it was Larson.

The reality is that this was an exceptionally rare opportunity for Larson. Not only to race in the Indy 500, but to contend with one of the top teams. All of the work and preparation led him to that point on Sunday morning. No one would have blamed him for leaving, and when his path to bail was there, he opted to stay.

Larson headed to Charlotte immediately after the Indy 500 ended, hoping to get into his No. 5 Cup car in the second half of the race. Unfortunately, Mother Nature followed him.

Just as Larson had made it to his pit stand to strap on his helmet, rain began falling on Charlotte Motor Speedway. Had the race resumed, Kyle would have been able to take over the reins from Justin Allgaier. Officials would eventually end the race, which was more than halfway complete.

What was supposed to be a dream Sunday for Larson was instead a nightmare.

What I thought could be one of the best days of my life quickly turned into one of the most disappointing ones I’ve ever experienced. I hate it for Rick Hendrick, Jeff Gordon, HAG, Hendrick Motorsports, everyone a part of the 5 team, everyone on the 17 indycar for speeding, my…

The day ended with a gut punch, but it could leave him with a feeling of unfinished business. When Rick Hendrick and Arrow McLaren announced this deal, it was reportedly for two years. Larson said before the race that he wasn’t sure if he would be back next year.

Hopefully, he will – and Mother Nature won’t.

Kyle Larson’s Indy 500 Debut

After qualifying 5th and logging plenty of practice laps over the following week, Larson was really comfortable in the car. He was able to run in traffic, perfect his timing, and execute pit stops. Getting onto pit lane is tricky, as he unfortunately learned in the race.

On Lap 120, Larson was issued a speeding penalty on pit road that took him out of the top five. That took him out of contention, although he did lead four laps late in the race. He ultimately finished 18th but it was not indicative of his performance on Sunday.

Kyle Larson CAUGHT SPEEDING entering pit road.

A costly mistake for the #Indy500 rookie.

📺 : NBC and Peacock

“I would definitely love to be back next year,” Larson told NBC after the race. “I feel like I learned a lot throughout the race. Made a couple of mistakes early there with the restart. Not sure what I did wrong there. I somehow got myself into third gear and then felt like I did a really good job on the restarts and was able to learn a lot.”

“Definitely feel good about knowing what I would need different for the balance to help runs and stuff. Obviously, I smoked the left front on the green-flag stop and killed our opportunity. Proud to finish, but pretty upset with myself. Just could have executed a better race. You don’t know what could have happened.”

Kyle Larson Needs NASCAR Playoff Waiver

Going into the Coca-Cola 600, Larson was the Cup series points leader. NASCAR rules require a driver to “start” every race of the regular season to be eligible for the playoffs. Larson will need to be granted a waiver by the series to qualify for the Playoffs.

Hendrick was not able to formally request a waiver until Larson missed the race. It may take some time (Memorial Day holiday) for NASCAR to make a decision, but they have been lenient in the past. Kyle Busch (2015) and Chase Elliott (2023) were both granted waivers but missed races due to injuries.

This situation is different, but considering the buzz and attention that Larson’s attempt has garnered, it would be surprising to see NASCAR deny the team’s request.

Rick Hendrick is the most successful and longest-tenured owner in NASCAR. They have been working on this idea for nearly two years. If this were a late plan put together for Justin Haley and Rick Ware Racing, the result might be different. Hendrick and Larson have done enough for NASCAR to do the right thing.