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Nearly 15 months ago, Kyle Larson announced his plans to run in this year’s Indianapolis 500. Some people wondered why the NASCAR star decided to do it. Others just wondered why it took so long.
Larson has been labeled as one of the best driving talents in all of motorsports, and for good reason. The 2021 Cup champion has also been viewed as the most dominant driver on dirt. With all of his accolades and achievements, there is one item on Kyle’s bucket list that still needs to be checked.
Doing the “Double” (Indy 500 and Coke 600 on the same day) is nothing new. The list of drivers to do it though, is extremely short. Next month, Larson will try to become only the third driver to complete both races on the same day. Tony Stewart did it twice (1999 and 2001) and Robby Gordon (2002) is the most recent.
After completing his Rookie Orientation Program last October, Larson also got some testing in at Phoenix. Now he will get a real taste of what is to come, with a full two-day testing session on the IMS oval. Larson will be in good hands, with Pato O’Ward and Indy 500 winners Tony Kanaan and Alexander Rossi helping him. He will also have Tyler Monn, his spotter for the last four Cup seasons.
Many NASCAR drivers have shown up and performed well at Indy over the years. Donnie Allison was named Indy 500 Rookie of The Year in 1970 after finishing 4th, and was 6th the following year. Stewart, Gordon, and John Andretti finished inside the top-ten, but all had an open-wheel background. Kurt Busch also won ROY after finishing 6th in 2014.
This is different, though. This feels bigger. This is Yung Money Kyle Larson.
Much like Stewart, Larson has the talent and the team to actually win both of these races. It is a tall task, but Rossi certainly believes it is feasible. The Triple Crown is often discussed as the most difficult achievement in motorsports, but would Larson winning these two races on the same day change that?
Rick Hendrick Enters Indianapolis 500
Perhaps the biggest nugget in Larson’s announcement last year was that Rick Hendrick would be a co-entrant in the race. The partnership with Arrow McLaren will be the first foray into open-wheel for Hendrick.
The legendary team owner has more than 300 wins in the Cup series, along with 14 championships. The organization is red-hot right now, having won four of the eight Cup races this season. Hendrick also has ten Brickyard 400 victories at IMS, more than any other team owner.
Chip Ganassi is the only team owner to win the Daytona 500, Indy 500, and Brickyard 400 all in the same year. That feat, accomplished in 2010, could soon be matched by Hendrick. William Byron won at Daytona, and the Brickyard is returning to NASCAR this season after a three-year hiatus.
Arrow McLaren Primed for Indy 500 Win
McLaren won the Indy 500 for the first time 50 years ago with Johnny Rutherford. They won it once more, two years later with the same driver. The team has been chomping at the bit to get back to victory lane since returning to Indianapolis in 2020.
McLaren has come close on several occasions, with O’Ward finishing 6th, 4th, and 2nd in his first three races. Last year he was battling for the lead when he crashed with eight laps remaining. They have the speed and the personnel (Rossi, Kanaan) that know how to win this race.
There have been some legendary drivers in the Arrow McLaren stable. Formula One World Champions Fernando Alonso and Juan Montoya, and 500 winners Kanaan and Rossi. As good as all of them have been, Larson just might be the one to get them their next glass of milk.
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