Larson scheduled for second shot at “The Double” in May
By John Sturbin, Raceday San Antonio
Midwest weather permitting, NASCAR superstar Kyle Larson will get a second chance to contest and complete “The Double” on Sunday, May 25th, 2025.
Kyle Larson – (Photo by James Black | IMS Photo)
Larson’s bid for a pair of marquee Memorial Day Weekend victories again will involve a collaboration between Arrow McLaren IndyCar Team and Hendrick Motorsports.
In what has been dubbed the #Hendrick1100, Larson will attempt to complete 1,100 miles of INDYCAR and NASCAR racing beginning with the 109th Indianapolis 500 presented by Gainbridge at Indianapolis Motor Speedway _ crown jewel of the NTT IndyCar Series season. Larson will then be flown to Charlotte Motor Speedway in Concord, N.C., for the Coca-Cola 600 _ longest race on the NASCAR Cup Series schedule.
Larson’s No. 17 HendrickCars.com Arrow McLaren Chevrolet will be fielded by NASCAR Hall of Famer Rick Hendrick at “The Greatest Spectacle in Racing.” Larson will wheel the No. 5 HendrickCars.com Chevrolet at CMS for “Mr. H,” chairman/CEO of Hendrick Automotive Group.
The 2021 NASCAR Cup Series champion, Larson earned Indianapolis 500 Rookie of the Year honors on May 26th by finishing a lead-lap 18th after 200 circuits around the 2.5-mile IMS oval. Larson, who qualified fifth in the traditional 33-car field, capped his performance by leading Laps 180 to 183. Larson earned a $50,000 bonus for ROY honors, adding to a total take-home prize of $178,000.
However, Larson’s detailed plans to continue his race day at CMS were altered by a midday rainstorm that delayed the start of the Indy 500 by four hours, prompting the decision to remain at Indianapolis.
“I really enjoyed the ‘Month of May’ in Indy and racing with Arrow McLaren, but I was really disappointed with missing the Coca-Cola 600 with the No. 5 HendrickCars.com team,” Larson said during a press conference at CMS. “I appreciate the second opportunity because we have unfinished business. I really want to complete all 1,100 miles, and I think we have the opportunity to battle for the win in both events.”
Larson, a 32-year-old native of Elk Grove, Calif., underscored his versatility by methodically adapting to INDYCAR’s Dallara/Chevy open-wheel chassis/engine combination. Larson set an Indy 500 single-lap rookie qualifying record at 233.543 mph on Lap 1 during top-12 qualifying, en route to advancing to the Firestone Fast Six.
Eighteen drivers led at least one lap of the 2024 Indy 500, an event-record. The previous record was 15 drivers in 2017 and 2018. Larson was among seven drivers to lead the Indy 500 for the first time, a list that included Scott McLaughlin of New Zealand, Sting Ray Robb, Christian Lundgaard of Denmark, Kyle Kirkwood and fellow-rookies Kyffin Simpson of the Cayman Islands and Christian Rasmussen of Denmark.
“Kyle had a great ‘Month of May’ and showed what a gifted race car driver he is,” said Hendrick, who added Larson to his Cup lineup in 2021. “From a sponsorship perspective, we saw an incredible lift for HendrickCars.com and measured a three-to-one return on our investment. It was a monumental effort by all involved, but we didn’t have the opportunity to see it through (because of inclement weather).”
Larson is one of five drivers to attempt “The Double” and will become the third to attempt it multiple times, joining three-time Cup champion Tony Stewart and former INDYCAR and NASCAR regular Robby Gordon. None has earned a win in either race, and only one has completed all the laps/miles _ Stewart in 2001.
“Everyone learned a great deal that we’ll take into next year,” Hendrick said. “Now that we’ve experienced it once, we know what to expect, which can only make us better and more prepared. Zak Brown (CEO, McLaren Racing) and the team at Arrow McLaren are tremendous partners, and we’re looking forward to finishing the job together in 2025.”
Larson will join Arrow McLaren’s full-time NTT IndyCar Series lineup at IMS led by Pato O’Ward, a native of Mexico with family ties to San Antonio; Nolan Siegel and Lundgaard for the historic 500-miler.
“Kyle showed us all what he was capable of this past May,” said Brown, a native of California who oversees McLaren’s INDYCAR and Formula One programs. “Given a second chance with better weather conditions, I think we’ll all be excited to see him fight for a win at the Indy 500 and then another one in Charlotte. He’s one of the most talented racing drivers out there, and it’s a privilege to do this again with Mr. Hendrick and Jeff Gordon, who are both world-class. We can’t wait for May.”
Gordon, a four-time Cup champion with Hendrick Motorsports, is the organization’s Vice Chairman.
McLaren Racing was founded by racing driver/engineer Bruce McLaren of New Zealand in 1963. The team entered its first Formula One race in 1966. McLaren has since won 20 F1 world championships, 186 F1 grand prixs, the Indianapolis 500 three times and the 24 Hours of Le Mans in its first attempt.
Penske Perfection was on full display during the 108th running of the Indy 500, as Josef Newgarden celebrated the team’s record-extending 20th victory at “The Brickyard.” Newgarden’s last-lap pass around Arrow McLaren’s O’Ward through Turn 3 of the famed oval allowed him to become the first repeat Indy 500 champion since Team Penske’s Helio Castroneves in 2001-2002.
Newgarden’s dramatic winning moment was completed in twilight conditions after a midday rainstorm delayed the scheduled start by four hours.
