Be it the Wild West Shootout, the Chili Bowl, or the NASCAR Cup Series, Kyle Larson has carved a niche for himself in multiple divisions. The #5 HMS driver has been a hot subject, garnering praise from the NASCAR circuits and even beyond that. His venture into the open-wheel racing rookie test that served as a gateway for him to participate in the Indy500 also grabbed a lot of eyeballs and showcased plenty of his diverse talent. And even Larson’s Indy500 team member couldn’t stop himself from fanboying over the driver. 

The Arrow McLaren team principal appreciated Larson’s prowess and even compared him with the likes of Formula 1 prodigies, Max Verstappen and Lando Norris. 

Arrow McLaren team principal spills the beans on Kyle Larson’s Indy 500 quest 

The Rookie Orientation Programme is a pre-requisite for anyone willing to participate in the IndyCar race. Prevalent since 1936, the test consists of three stages that must be passed to qualify for the Indy500.

The first stage comprises of 10 laps, which are to be driven between the speeds of 205-210 mph. After these 10 laps are complete, the next 15 laps require a speed between 210-215 mph, and the concluding 15 laps have the biggest ask of a minimum speed of 215 mph. Sounds tough, right? Not for Larson though.

The Hendrick Motorsports star eased through the selection process, clocking 217.89 mph as the top speed on the very first attempt. His insane prowess at open-wheel racing did not go unnoticed by team principal, Gavin Ward. Now that Larson’s Indy 500 stint in May 2024 is confirmed, Ward has dropped a massive verdict on the HMS star’s quest for the world of open-wheel racing.

He told Speedsport and said, “If you look at the best racers in the world right now, I would put Kyle in that group and I would put Max Verstappen and Lando Norris in that group…they are among this new wave of drivers.”

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Being considered among the world’s greatest is certainly a big deal. However, Gavin Ward didn’t stop there as he further revealed what makes Larson an ace driver.

Gavin Ward’s report card on Larson’s Rookie test

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When Ward was working with Red Bull in F1, he was the key factor behind the team’s 50 wins, four driver’s championships, and four constructors championships. Not only that, his venturing into IndyCar with Team Penske helped secure continuous Indianapolis 500 wins with Will Power and Simon Pagenaud behind the wheel.

So, a race report coming from such an experienced team principal depicts a million things, and Larson aced the report with flying colors, something not witnessed by the Arrow McLaren team principal in quite some time.

Speaking of Larson’s rare and impeccable race sense, Ward said, “One thing I noticed right away was that Kyle wasn’t fazed by the speed. I also like that he picked up right away the importance of pit lane procedures. If you look at a typical Indy 500 somewhere between a quarter and a third of people ruin their month of May in pit lane. So, he has a race sense that is really pragmatic.”

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Kyle Larson’s proficiency has surpassed the boundaries of NASCAR and has managed to astonish the people from the world of open-wheel racing. What do you think about Larson’s upcoming debut race at the Indianapolis Motor Speedway on May 26?