Imagine racing 500 miles in IndyCar, only to say that’s not enough, and take on another 600 miles in a stock racing car. This is a feat that only 5 drivers have attempted over the years, and it is known as the ‘Double.’ For this, drivers take on both the Indianapolis 500 and the Coca-Cola 600 on the same day. Kyle Larson recently tried his hand at the same, but it didn’t end as ideally as he might have wished.
Kyle Larson always had his eyes on the double. In fact, he was going to pull it off this season. However, the rains came down to soil his plans, which led to Larson being unable to start at the Coca-Cola 600. But Larson is not one to give up and he will be trying again in 2025, despite NASCAR not liking the idea.
Kyle Larson and Rick Hendrick to hold a press conference regarding the Double
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Let’s be honest, the first attempt at the double was far from satisfying for Kyle Larson. This year, when he got into the IndyCar, he came 18th in the Indianapolis 500. After which he traveled on to Charlotte by taking two helicopters and an hour-long flight. It turned out to be too late, as Justin Allgaier was given his car to take on the race.
He did get into the No. 5 with 151 laps left, but ultimately the race was suspended after the rain continued for the next 2 hours. Just like this, Larson’s chance at completing the double, and now he wants to try it again.
There has been the obvious pushback from NASCAR about not having one of their star drivers in the race, but to tackle that, Kyle Larson and his team boss, Rick Hendrick, are putting together a press conference to help make the driver’s dream a reality in 2025.
According to Jordan Bianchi, Hendrick Motorsports and McLaren have called a press conference on Tuesday in Charlotte. Kyle Larson, Rick Hendrick, Jeff Gordon, and Zak Brown will all be there to talk about the No. 5 HMS driver taking on the challenge again.
Hendrick Motorsports and McLaren have called a press conf. for Tuesday at Charlotte. Among those slated to attend are Kyle Larson, Rick Hendrick, Jeff Gordon and Zak Brown.
The expectation is HMS and McLaren will officially announce that Larson will attempt the Double in 2025.
— Jordan Bianchi (@Jordan_Bianchi) September 9, 2024
What’s your perspective on:
Can Kyle Larson make history with Rick Hendrick's support, or is NASCAR holding him back?
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For the Indianapolis 500, Kyle Larson teamed up with Pato O’Ward, who had an impressive P2 finish driving for McLaren. Back in May, before Larson attempted the double, the Hendrick Motorsports driver explained the significance of the double in his life.
What Kyle Larson and Zak Brown had to say about the driver attempting the Double
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Before his first attempt, Kyle Larson spoke to the media and revealed, “It’s important to me because it’s a cool challenge that only four other drivers, until this point—I’ll be the fifth—have been able to do it.” He continued to explain, “Doing something that not many people have done is pretty neat, but then also racing two different types of cars on the same day is really cool.”
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We know Kyle Larson has been up for the challenge since he first mentioned his dream of wanting to win a race during the Double, if not win both. McLaren boss Zak Brown had more than a few kind words to say about having Larson drive for him in IndyCar.
Zak Brown has complete confidence in Larson, as he expressed during the driver’s first attempt, “Kyle Larson is one of those rare drivers and champions that can race anything, so we’re super excited to have him in our race car.”
Drawing a parallel to racing legends, Brown added, “He [Larson] reminds me of drivers like Dan Gurney and Mario Andretti, who could drive anything on wheels as fast as anyone. To have him join us for the Indy 500 is extremely exciting.”
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Do you think that the second shot at the Double will be Kyle Larson’s redemption? Let us know if you think he will be able to pull it off in 2025.
Debate
Can Kyle Larson make history with Rick Hendrick's support, or is NASCAR holding him back?