Jeff Gordon Pulls the Plug on Kyle Larson’s Indy Dreams as He ‘Rejects’ Another Double Gamble

In 2016, a young Kyle Larson stood under the bright Indianapolis sun and shared a dream that wasn’t just his own. It belonged to his father first. Larson had grown up watching the Indy 500 with his dad, mesmerized by the speed and tradition. “I would love to. I was always a big Indianapolis fan, mainly because my dad is a huge Indianapolis 500 and IndyCar fan. To me, this is the biggest race in the world,” he said. That statement wasn’t just a throwaway line. It reflected his deep admiration for the Indy 500, a race that meant more than trophies.

It symbolized legacy. For Larson, running the Indy 500 wasn’t about switching series; it was about fulfilling a family dream. Driving for Chip Ganassi, who had multiple race programs, Larson saw potential opportunities, including sports car races like the Rolex 24, which he won in 2015. Still, the 500 stood out. “Maybe after I win a Cup race, or two or three… or maybe a championship… I can run the Indy 500,” he said.

That moment would come. After winning the 2021 NASCAR Cup Series title, the stage was finally set. But dreams don’t always go the way we hope. After his title win, Larson took two shots at the Indy 500, once in 2024 and again in 2025. Both attempts ended in disappointment. Now, after two failed “Double” runs, one of Larson’s biggest supporters, Jeff Gordon, might have put a halt to his Indy dream for the time being, or until he is a Hendrick Motorsports driver.

Kyle Larson might need to quit NASCAR to fulfill his Indy 500 dreams

After weather delays destroyed his plan to complete the double in 2024, Kyle Larson prepared hard for the 2025 attempt. But destiny had some other plans. Larson’s 2025 Double attempt ended just like the previous one, with frustration. This time, he made it to both races on time. But disaster followed him on both tracks. He wrecked at Indy and couldn’t finish at Charlotte. The Memorial Day weekend ended in heartbreak again. No checkered flags. No history made. Just disappointment and exhaustion.

Now, weeks after that attempt, Jeff Gordon, vice president of Hendrick Motorsports and one of Larson’s biggest supporters, finally spoke out. On the Rubbin is Racing podcast, he defended Larson’s mindset of driving in different racing series, “You have to put yourself in Kyle’s shoes. Kyle loves winning sprint car races and Cup Series races. When you compare yourself to Mario Andretti, AJ Foyt, or Michael Schumacher, you feel like you have to compete and win in a lot of different series. If you’re in that mindset, why not try to win the Indy 500?”

But then came the brutal honesty. Despite defending Kyle Larson‘s mindset and aim, Gordon shut the door for the double. “I don’t know if it can be done by trying it this way. The double is difficult. But I could see him doing it someday down the road, if he feels he’s still in his prime, but not doing it as the double,” he added. Gordon’s words weren’t just emotion; they were rooted in hard facts. Only one driver, Tony Stewart, has ever completed both races fully on the same day. In 2001, he did so after a failed 1999 attempt.

HMS has been very supportive of Larson in his quest to race outside of NASCAR. Be it spring car racing or attempting the double, but at the end of the day, he is a full-time competitor in the Cup Series. It has to be noted, things are tricky for drivers to take on this double-duty challenge. NASCAR isn’t going to tolerate its drivers missing points races and has set out a new waiver policy rule, which is now famously known as the “Kyle Larson Rule.” So, as long as he is competing in full-time capacity, driving the #5 Chevy, the Indy 500 is always going to be risky business, and HMS doesn’t want to be a part of it.

Notably, Larson himself admitted it just didn’t work. Fater this year’s heartbreak, he said, “The Double is just a tough undertaking. I think the window of time is too tight. Even if I didn’t wreck [in the Indy 500], I don’t think I would have made it here in time and probably would have had to end that race short anyway. I just don’t really think it’s worth it, but I would love to run the Indy 500 again.” With these comments, one thing is clear that Larson wouldn’t be attempting the Double anymore, though he would try to run the Indy 500 once he steps away from the Cup Series.

What makes this decision harder to swallow is how much Gordon believed in Larson’s potential. Earlier this year, he said, “When he came to Hendrick Motorsports, one of the first things he said to me was, ‘I would love to do Indy one day.’” Gordon admired his hunger. “I admire the heck out of Kyle for what he’s capable of doing,” he said. But Gordon never tried it himself for a reason. “There aren’t many Kyle Larsons. I was very laser-focused on one team, one car, one kind of goal,” he said.

The Hall of Famer added that he never felt comfortable jumping between cars. “I didn’t think I was as good at jumping in and out of cars,” he admitted. And while he respects Larson’s ambition, he sees the reality now more than ever. The dream isn’t dead, but it’s been rerouted. Larson might still chase Indy, just not with 1,100 miles in a single day. As Gordon shifts focus back to Cup racing, he’s also weighing in on another issue that has become a huge talking point in the garage, the horsepower debate.

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Gordon Sounds Off on NASCAR’s Horsepower Direction

While Kyle Larson’s double dream faded, Jeff Gordon turned his focus to another debate shaping the NASCAR garage: horsepower. On a recent podcast, Gordon addressed rumors about increasing engine power and using softer tires. “If we thought as a team adding horsepower, adding softer tires, was going to be the fix-all … it’s not. Adding horsepower I think, at certain tracks like the mile tracks and half-mile tracks, I like, I think we’re too glued to the race track right now,” he said.

Gordon, now deeply involved in team operations, approached the subject from both performance and cost angles. He likes the idea of higher power at specific tracks, but warned it might not deliver better racing. Instead, it could create more wear on components and push costs up across the board. “Cost,” he continued, “I hate bringing up cost, but we’re talking about components that won’t last. Not just in the engine.”

Gordon further highlighted that even if the fans enjoy more aggressive driving, the sport has to balance that with financial sustainability. It’s not just about making the cars harder to drive; teams must also be able to support the changes without breaking budgets. For Gordon, improving the racing product isn’t about throwing more speed at it. It’s about smarter changes that reward driver skill and team strategy, not just brute force.