“Last Time”: Kevin Harvick Shoots Down Kyle Larson’s Indy 500 Dream, Told to Drop Off ‘Worthless’ Glory

The Memorial Day Double, that grueling 1,100-mile quest to conquer both the Indy 500 and the Coca-Cola 600 in a single day, is a motorsport marathon that has tested even the most talented drivers. For Kyle Larson, his second attempt at this iconic feat in 2025 was a race-against-time adventure that sadly ended in a cloud of smoke.

Fans held their breath as Larson, piloting the No. 17 Arrow McLaren Chevrolet, spun and crashed on Lap 92 at Indianapolis Motor Speedway, ending his Indy 500 hopes in a cloud of smoke. By 3:08 p.m. ET, Larson was cleared from the infield care center, his voice heavy with frustration as he vowed to rush to Charlotte for the Coca-Cola 600.

But the racing gods weren’t done with him yet. Arriving at Charlotte Motor Speedway just in time, Larson led the first lap, only to be caught in a multicar wreck at Lap 245, damaging his No. 5 Hendrick Motorsports Chevrolet and relegating him to a 37th-place finish. The Double, a dream that promised glory, left Larson with nothing but a bruised ego and a long day of what-ifs.

As the dust settled, NASCAR fans turned to social media, buzzing with opinions on Larson’s ill-fated attempt. Some praised his ambition, while others wondered if the Double was worth the toll. Amid this chatter, one voice cut through the noise: Kevin Harvick, the retired NASCAR champion turned FOX Sports analyst, who didn’t hold back on his Happy Hour podcast.

Should Kyle Larson focus on NASCAR after back-to-back heartbreaks at the Indy 500?

“I think that last year, the cars were a lot easier to drive. He wrecked three times this year in the Indy car.” Harvick’s opening jab cuts deep, pointing to Larson’s shaky Indy 500 prep in 2025 compared to his smoother 2024 debut. Last year, Larson dazzled at Indianapolis, qualifying fifth and earning Rookie of the Year honors despite a pit-road speeding penalty that dropped him to 18th. But 2025 was a different story. Larson spun out on Lap 92, crashing into the wall after a downshift went wrong, ending his race early in 24th place after post-race inspections.

His month of May was a mess—two practice crashes in April and May, plus a lackluster 21st-place qualifying run, only bumped to 19th when Team Penske’s Josef Newgarden and Will Power got slapped with penalties for tech violations. Harvick’s point? The Indy cars were tougher to handle this year, with cool temperatures and chaotic restarts throwing even a talent like Larson off his game.

“I think he came back to the 600, wanting to just absolutely smash it. I think he got stepped over the limit a couple of times and got himself in trouble. Even the best, when their confidence gets knocked down, you wanna do great things, you can mentally talk yourself into doing things, you should step over that line.” Harvick said, pointing the zeroes in on Larson’s mindset after his Indy crash. Hopping on a helicopter to Charlotte Motor Speedway, Larson arrived fired up, leading the first lap of the Coca-Cola 600 like a man on a mission. But that fire burned too hot. A spin on Lap 43 put him in a hole, and though he clawed back to the lead lap by Lap 200, a multi-car wreck at Lap 245 trashed his No. 5 Hendrick Motorsports Chevrolet, leaving him 37th.

The mental toll of crashing out at Indy, where he was never higher than 23rd after stalling on a Lap 25 pit stop, carried over. Larson himself admitted, “I’m just bummed out,” calling it a bummer of a day all around. Harvick’s take resonates with fans who saw Larson’s optimism as a double-edged sword, proof of his grit but also his vulnerability. And his advice to Larson after back-to-back heartbreaks is to give up the Indy dream.

“I think at this point he just needs to focus on the NASCAR side of it. It’s great that he can do it, but I think it took away from the NASCAR side of it this week with the circumstances. I’m happy that he did it. I think it was great for racing. I hope it’s the last time.” Here’s where Harvick dropped the hammer, urging Larson to ditch the Double for good. He argues the logistical nightmare, racing 500 miles at Indy, jetting to Charlotte for 600 more, isn’t worth the cost to Larson’s NASCAR season. In 2024, rain delays forced Larson to skip the Coca-Cola 600 start, costing him playoff points and sparking a waiver controversy that dragged on for nine days.

This year, even with NASCAR as the priority, Larson’s crashes in both races proved Harvick’s point: the Double’s demands are brutal. Larson’s team owner, Rick Hendrick, even vowed to cut Indy short if needed to ensure Larson started the 600, a shift from last year’s Indy-first call. Harvick’s words aren’t just a critique—they’re a wake-up call. Larson’s 2025 Double attempt thrilled fans but ended in wrecks and regrets. Will he listen to Harvick and focus on stock cars, or chase the Indy dream again? The NASCAR world’s buzzing, and Larson’s next move will keep us all guessing.

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Larson’s Double drama finds an echo in Robby Gordon

Flash back to the late ‘90s and early 2000s, and you’ll find Robby Gordon, NASCAR’s original rebel with a cause, tearing up the Memorial Day Double like a man possessed. Five times, this dirt-slinging, IndyCar-dabbling maverick tried to conquer both the Indy 500 and Coca-Cola 600 in one grueling day, chasing a dream that Kyle Larson’s now wrestling with.

Like Larson, Gordon was a wheelman with no limits—NASCAR, IndyCar, off-road, you name it, he tamed it. But the Double? That beast humbled even him, and the parallels to Larson’s 2025 meltdown are uncanny. Picture Gordon in 2002, muscling his way to eighth at Indy, only to limp to 16th in Charlotte, one lap short of completing the entire 1,100 miles.  Sound familiar? Larson’s crash-fest at Indy and wreck in Charlotte feel like a page ripped from Gordon’s playbook.

Gordon’s Double saga was a rollercoaster of heart-pounding highs and gut-wrenching lows. In 1999, he was this close to Indy glory, with two laps his race car ran out of fuel, leaving him fourth and fuming—much like Larson’s Lap 92 spin in 2025 left fans gasping. Both drivers, wired with that same fearless grit, pushed their machines to the edge, only to get burned by bad luck or bold moves. Gordon battled traffic jams, rain delays, and mechanical gremlins, just as Larson’s been dogged by practice crashes and chaotic restarts.

The only difference? Gordon kept coming back, five attempts deep, undeterred by the Double’s brutal toll. Larson, at just 32, has the raw talent to outshine Gordon’s legacy, but Kevin Harvick’s words hang heavy, calling the Double “worthless” for a NASCAR star with so much to lose.

Gordon’s runs never nabbed a win, but they made him a legend, a guy who’d rather crash than play it safe. Larson’s at a crossroads: does he keep swinging for history like Gordon, or heed Harvick’s advice and stick to dominating NASCAR?