![Kyle Larson NASCAR]()
NASCAR champion driver Kyle Larson thought he'd mess around and try to qualify for the Indianapolis 500 this year, and it turns out, his chops in stock cars most definitely translate to open-wheel racing.
Larson qualified in fifth place for The Greatest Spectacle in Racing. Just so happens that he's also slated to begin the Coca-Cola 600 in 10th place this evening as well, becoming just the fifth driver ever to try for the Indy 500/Coca-Cola 600 Double Duty.
Unfortunately, Mother Nature is not cooperating. The first leg of Larson's day is already delayed on account of lightning in Indy.
https://twitter.com/IndyCaronNBC/status/1794779494953431404
The veteran driver spoke about his intentions to wait out the inclement weather and run at Indianapolis Motor Speedway no matter how long the wait is.
https://twitter.com/IndyCar/status/1794759347517407401
It's a rather lengthy interview with Larson, but the key takeaway is the tightly planned itinerary of his. Had the green flag been waived as scheduled at 12:45 p.m. ET, Larson was going to hop in a helicopter to the Indianapolis International Airport, take a 55-minute flight to Concord, North Carolina, board another chopper to Charlotte Motor Speedway, and arrive there at 5:33 p.m. The Coca-Cola 600 is slated to begin at 6:22 p.m. ET.
Larson was already going to be cutting it close on a whirlwind travel day. Plus, what if he actually won the Indy 500 and had to chug the milk in Victory Lane? I have a hard time believing he'd still rush off to Charlotte, but hey, why not? Couldn't be more impressed with Larson's ambitions to make history.
Per the
latest odds on DraftKings, only three drivers have a better shot to win the Indy 500 than Larson (+750), who's garnering the most action from bettors, according to NBC Sports. Goes to show the widespread respect for Larson's skills behind the wheel, despite how green he is at this specific type of racing.
https://twitter.com/NBCSportsBet/status/1794786533087855082
Given that Larson already won the Coca-Cola 600 in 2021 and clearly has an eye for the Indy 500 track based on his exceptional qualifying run, I wouldn't rule anything out. Couldn't NASCAR, like, throw him a bone and push their race just a little bit later if it means Larson can make it? Probably wishful thinking. In any event, if he can't get the Double Duty done this time around, someday Larson is going to pull it off. Hopefully in 2025 if not today. I mean come on, the merch is already out there!
https://twitter.com/KyleLarsonRacin/status/1794779214467535224
https://twitter.com/IndyCaronNBC/status/1794502455247732870
