ASSOCIATED PRESS
CHARLOTTE, N.C. (AP) — Make no mistake: Kyle Larson wants to run the Indianapolis 500 again next year.
The deal he and Hendrick Motorsports signed with Arrow McLaren Racing was always a two-year deal, but 2025 was an option year that Larson said Wednesday is still being ironed out.
If he had his way, a decision would be made sooner rather than later.
“I would love to. We’re still working on it,” Larson said. “It’s progressing. So I like that, but obviously things can always change.”
Larson was a star at Indianapolis Motor Speedway in May, where he qualified fifth but a late-race speeding penalty took him out of contention and he finished 18th. Plus, there was an hours-long rain delay in Indianapolis and the Hendrick camp, after pouring millions of dollars into the effort, decided to leave him at the 500 and deal with the Coca-Cola 600 in Concord, North Carolina, later.
As soon as the Indy 500 ended, Larson jetted off to North Carolina — where he was met by more rain. He ran to his car just as the race was paused for weather, and because it never resumed, he never got the chance to run the 600.
That created a commotion in NASCAR, with many members of senior leadership taking the position that Larson and Hendrick had prioritized the Indianapolis 500 over the 600 and therefore wasn’t owed an automatic waiver to participate in the playoffs.
The situation dragged on for well over a week as the frustrated Hendrick camp was incensed the situation was being hyper-scrutinized when other drivers have received waivers for non-racing incidents. For example, Matt Kenseth missed half the 2018 season, all of the 2019 season and the first four races of 2020, but was granted a playoff waiver when he was hired as a replacement driver for the suspended Larson.
Kurt Busch received a waiver when he was suspended while under investigation for a domestic assault allegation, and Tony Stewart received a waiver after taking a mental health break.
NASCAR eventually gave Larson the waiver — and he opens the playoffs Sunday at Atlanta Motor Speedway as the points leader — but it is unlikely Rick Hendrick will sign off on another Indy 500 run without a guarantee from NASCAR.
Either way, it’s the chance to complete the 1,100-miles of racing in one day that most interests Larson. John Andretti, Stewart, Busch and Robby Gordon are the drivers to attempt “The Double” prior to Larson, but Stewart is the only one to complete both races in the same day.
In the case of this year, the Indy 500 did go the distance but the Coca-Cola 600 completed only 249 of 400 laps and was essentially over because of rain by the time Larson arrived in North Carolina.
“I would love to because I didn’t get to do ‘The Double’ this year. So that’s really why I wanted to do it,” Larson said. “I obviously wanted to compete in the Indianapolis 500, but more than anything, I wanted to do ‘The Double’ and have a chance at winning one of the two, or both, and I felt like I just didn’t get that opportunity.”
A decision on Indy could come as early as next week.
(Photo Courtesy NASCAR)
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