Kyle Larson Will Attempt Indy 500 Double Duty Again in 2025

Larson Will Attempt Indianapolis 500 Double AgainJames Black

NASCAR star and 2024 Indianapolis 500 Rookie of the Year Kyle Larson isn't done with the Speedway just yet. Hendrick Motorsports and Arrow McLaren have once again announced a joint effort to run Larson in both the Indy 500 and the Coca-Cola 600 next Memorial Day weekend, giving the 2021 NASCAR champion a chance to finish the double he planned this year.

If Larson is able to run both races, he will be the first driver to start both the Indianapolis 500 and the Coca-Cola 600 in the same day since Kurt Busch did it in 2014. Larson finished 18th in this year's 500, but a rain delayed start left him late to the NASCAR race in Charlotte and rain started to fall just as he landed at the track. That led the race to be canceled, keeping Larson out of the 600 and leading him to say that he "didn't really enjoy" the experience.

Larson will now try again, this time bringing with him two weeks' worth of time on-track at Indianapolis. He will run a fourth car for McLaren, the team that finished second in this year's race after driver Pato O'Ward was beaten on the second of two last-lap passes. Larson qualified fifth and had strong pace in his first race in an IndyCar, but a late speeding penalty derailed his run in the top 10 and erased his narrow chance of winning as a rookie.

In addition to his part-time career as an IndyCar driver, Larson remains a title contender in the NASCAR Cup Series. He sits 10th in the series championship after the playoff-opening round Atlanta, and his massive haul of playoff points from the regular season should keep him in a strong position to advance in each of the next two rounds if he survives the first cut. For good measure, he also won the biggest prize in sprint car racing again earlier this summer.

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