{"id":46182,"date":"2024-05-25T17:03:03","date_gmt":"2024-05-25T22:03:03","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/racedaysa.com\/?p=46182"},"modified":"2024-05-25T17:03:03","modified_gmt":"2024-05-25T22:03:03","slug":"despite-busy-schedule-larson-is-taking-time-to-enjoy-indianapolis-500-experience","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/racedaysa.com\/index.php\/2024\/05\/25\/despite-busy-schedule-larson-is-taking-time-to-enjoy-indianapolis-500-experience\/","title":{"rendered":"Despite busy schedule, Larson is taking time to enjoy Indianapolis 500 experience"},"content":{"rendered":"
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By Holly Cain<\/em><\/p>\n

NASCAR Wire Service<\/em><\/p>\n

SPEEDWAY, Ind. \u2013 The decibel level unmistakably rose as Kyle Larson\u2019s name was announced and the popular driver descended the main-straight grandstands at the famed Indianapolis Motor Speedway Saturday morning. Thousands of fans at this Indianapolis 500 public drivers meeting stood on their feet and loudly cheered for NASCAR\u2019s championship leader and coming Sunday. \u2026 an Indianapolis 500 rookie.<\/p>\n

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Kyle and Katelyn Larson – 2024 Indianapolis 500 Rookie Luncheon – Photo by Titus Slaughter<\/p><\/div>\n

It was obvious that Larson was equally as enamored with the scene and notably appreciative of those special moments. The 2021 NASCAR Cup Series champion took the time to really admire the ring presented to all 33 of the 2024 Indy 500 drivers \u2013 that driver meeting following an hour-long autograph signing session for fans at the base of the Indianapolis Motor Speedway\u2019s famous Pagoda Tower.<\/p>\n

The line to get to Larson and his fellow second row starting drivers Alexander Rossi and Santino Ferrucci actually had to be cut-off hours earlier because it filled so quickly.<\/p>\n

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Kyle Larson – 2024 Indianapolis 500 Rookie Luncheon – Photo by Titus Slaughter<\/p><\/div>\n

The people who waited for Larson\u2019s autograph or a quick photo were decidedly blue and orange. Blue as in the color of his NASCAR Cup Series car and orange for the Arrow McLaren Racing team he will compete for at Indianapolis \u2013 the fans so enthusiastic and supportive of Larson\u2019s bid to do the \u201cThe Double\u201d \u2013 race Indy\u2019s famed 500-miler Sunday afternoon followed by the Coca-Cola 600 at Charlotte Motor Speedway Sunday night.<\/p>\n

\u201cI\u2019m a huge fan, huge,” said Brandon Hinton, 46, of Speedway, Ind. who had been standing in line with his family for hours with a Larson shirt and a collectable diecast NASCAR Cup Series car for Larson to sign.<\/p>\n

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Kyle Larson – Legends Day – By: Chris Owens<\/p><\/div>\n

\u201cWhen we found out he was going to do the [Indy] 500, I was stoked, so happy. The car\u2019s been good. Can he win? Yeah. Definitely a top-five or top-10, but I think he can win it. We\u2019ve been in the garage area all month and he signed thousands of autographs. He\u2019s great.\u201d<\/p>\n

Because of his tight dual schedule this weekend \u2013 which included a practice and qualifying session Saturday afternoon in his No. 5 Hendrick Motorsports Chevrolet at Charlotte Motor Speedway \u2013 Larson and his family were the first of the drivers to appear in the traditional 500 Festival Parade before rushing to the airport for the hour-and-a-half flight to Charlotte.<\/p>\n

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Kyle Larson – Indianapolis 500 Practice – (Photo by James Black | IMS Photo)<\/p><\/div>\n

The parade through downtown Indianapolis was a mutually beneficial experience \u2013 for the race and for Larson, who received a passionately welcome reception.<\/p>\n

It\u2019s exactly the kind of positive response the 31-year old Larson has received all month \u2013 from fans, from competitors, from his NASCAR team, which attended Friday\u2019s traditional final practice. And he has received so much support from many Indianapolis racing legends who all want to see the likeable, super-talent succeed in this weekend\u2019s double quest.<\/p>\n

Words of encouragement have come from past winners such as the legendary Parnelli Jones, Johnny Rutherford, Scott Dixon and Tony Kanaan.<\/p>\n

The great Mario Andretti, who won the 1969 Indianapolis 500 and is synonymous with the race, sent a video message to Larson via NASCAR on FOX.<\/p>\n

\u201cBack in the day, I drove just about everything motorsports had to offer,” said Andretti, who also won the 1967 Daytona 500 and claimed the 1978 Formula One championship.<\/p>\n

\u201cBut driving an IndyCar in Indianapolis, that was something special \u2013 the sights, the sounds, the pure history, the pure speed. It is truly a spectacle. And if you win, it will change your life forever.”<\/p>\n

Added Andretti, \u201cIt\u2019s a lot of driving for one day, but I\u2019ve seen what you can do and I know you will be just fine. Kyle, I wish you the best of luck in your quest for 1,100 miles.”<\/p>\n

Judging by the adoration of racing greats, the support from the fans and the overall respect shown to the 2021 NASCAR Cup Series champion, Larson\u2019s life is already forever changed. He has impressed \u2013 turning in fast laps all month in preparation for the Indy 500 and even qualifying fifth on the 33-car grid with a four-lap average of 232.846 mph in the No. 17 Chevrolet Dallara, fielded by Arrow McLaren and Hendrick Motorsports.<\/p>\n

Larson\u2019s NASCAR spotter Brent Wentz will be spotting for him at both races. And his No. 5 Hendrick Motorsports crew even attended Friday\u2019s final practice, \u201cCarburetion Day,\u201d his Cup crew chief Cliff Daniels saying of the experience, \u201cIt\u2019s really special.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cJust to see Kyle be so natural in this environment, it\u2019s been a lot of fun to be a part of the team is communicating great,” he added. \u201cThey\u2019re executing a really good day today too, to get them ready for Sunday so it\u2019s been a lot of fun to be a part of. We all knew his natural talent and ability is, of course, there.”<\/p>\n

Hendrick Motorsports executive Jeff Gordon \u2013 who in 1994 became the first winner of NASCAR\u2019s Indianapolis race, The Brickyard 400, has been a steady presence at The Speedway this month. His enthusiasm for Larson\u2019s quest has been unmistakable and the pride equally as so.<\/p>\n

\u201cYou know people used to ask me all the time, \u2018can you even believe Kyle Larson?\u2019 and I used to think the same way, but I don\u2019t anymore,” Gordon said. \u201cHe just always steps up. It\u2019s fun to watch and be a part of this whole experience, the crowd getting into it, this team and how they stepped up.\u201d<\/p>\n

Larson is now the fifth driver to attempt The Double joining the late John Andretti, NASCAR Hall of Famer Tony Stewart, Robby Gordon and former NASCAR champion Kurt Busch. Of those, only Stewart completed every lap of both races \u2013 doing so in 1999 and 2001 and earning the best single-day, double-effort of sixth place at Indianapolis and third at Charlotte in 2001.<\/p>\n

Larson seems to have taken all the attention, all the extra work, all the travel in stride. Of course, he is one of the busiest racers even without the Indianapolis entry \u2013 competing on short tracks around the world in addition to his NASCAR duties, where he already has wins at Las Vegas and Kansas this season and leads the NASCAR Cup Series championship standings by 30 points over Joe Gibbs Racing driver Martin Truex Jr.<\/p>\n

\u201cI\u2019ve been pretty relaxed from my side,” Larson acknowledged with a smile Thursday. \u201cI\u2019ve done a ton of interviews and all that and signed bunches of autographs and everything, but nothing has been like \u2018surprising\u2019 or I\u2019ve not felt like overwhelmed really at any point.<\/p>\n

\u201cIt\u2019s all been smooth and I think there\u2019s just been a lot of planning going on behind the scenes between Arrow McLaren and Hendrick Motorsports for months. That\u2019s helped it be really smooth.\u201d<\/p>\n

Larson\u2019s Sunday travel schedule includes a 4:15 p.m. ET tight deadline for him to leave the Indianapolis track. He will take a helicopter from the speedway to the airport for the flight to Charlotte with a nurse on-board to administer IV fluids as needed. Once in North Carolina, Larson will take a helicopter from the airport to the Charlotte Motor Speedway infield where his car and team will be waiting for the next green flag.<\/p>\n

Unfortunately, the biggest potential snag in all this careful timing is the weather. Forecasts vary somewhat for the Indianapolis outlook, but there is a good chance of rain on Sunday. Should the Indy 500 be postponed to Monday, Larson would fly back to race. His Arrow McLaren team had not announced \u201cback-up plans\u201d as of Saturday morning should Larson have to leave for Charlotte Sunday before any delayed-start Indy 500 concludes.<\/p>\n

Controlling what he can control, Larson has been notably calm and composed all month. He was the only driver during the Drivers Meeting Saturday to really study the Indianapolis 500 ring he received, taking it out of the box and examining it carefully. He was smiling throughout, taking the time to take it all in.<\/p>\n

\u201cI\u2019ve had so much advice throughout the last year, I feel like,” Larson said. \u201cI\u2019ve had lots of people just telling me to enjoy the experience, enjoy the event and I\u2019ve really tried. I feel like I\u2019ve done a good job of that. I\u2019ve tried to take as much time as I can for the fans and media and all that.<\/p>\n

\u201cI don\u2019t know how often I\u2019m going to run this race,” he added. \u201cI don\u2019t know if this is the only year I\u2019m running it. I\u2019m just trying to enjoy it and I have. It\u2019s been one of the coolest experiences for sure, to this point, and we haven\u2019t even run the race yet.”<\/p>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

By Holly Cain NASCAR Wire Service SPEEDWAY, Ind. \u2013 The decibel level unmistakably rose as Kyle Larson\u2019s name was announced and the popular driver descended the main-straight grandstands at the famed Indianapolis Motor Speedway Saturday morning. Thousands of fans at this Indianapolis 500 public drivers meeting stood on their feet and loudly cheered for NASCAR\u2019s […]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":676,"featured_media":46185,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"ngg_post_thumbnail":0,"jetpack_post_was_ever_published":false,"_jetpack_newsletter_access":"","_jetpack_dont_email_post_to_subs":false,"_jetpack_newsletter_tier_id":0,"_jetpack_memberships_contains_paywalled_content":false,"_jetpack_memberships_contains_paid_content":false,"footnotes":"","jetpack_publicize_message":"","jetpack_publicize_feature_enabled":true,"jetpack_social_post_already_shared":true,"jetpack_social_options":{"image_generator_settings":{"template":"highway","default_image_id":0,"font":"","enabled":false},"version":2}},"categories":[12,11],"tags":[230,421,125,22,225,16],"class_list":["post-46182","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-indycar","category-nascar","tag-indianapolis-500","tag-indianapolis-motor-speedway","tag-indy-500","tag-indycar","tag-kyle-larson","tag-nascar"],"jetpack_publicize_connections":[],"jetpack_featured_media_url":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/racedaysa.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/05\/Kyle-and-Katelyn-Larson-2024-Indianapolis-500-Rookie-Luncheon-By_-Titus-Slaughter_Large-Image-Without-Watermark_m105972-scaled.jpg?fit=2560%2C1707&ssl=1","jetpack_sharing_enabled":true,"jetpack_shortlink":"https:\/\/wp.me\/p7hzTZ-c0S","jetpack-related-posts":[],"jetpack_likes_enabled":true,"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/racedaysa.com\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/46182","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/racedaysa.com\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/racedaysa.com\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/racedaysa.com\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/676"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/racedaysa.com\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=46182"}],"version-history":[{"count":3,"href":"https:\/\/racedaysa.com\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/46182\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":46189,"href":"https:\/\/racedaysa.com\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/46182\/revisions\/46189"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/racedaysa.com\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/46185"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/racedaysa.com\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=46182"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/racedaysa.com\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=46182"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/racedaysa.com\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=46182"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}