Can a talented race car driver make mistakes in pushing the limits of the machine they are piloting? Wrecks and crashes are a part of motor sports, and what good is a driver who doesn’t drive at the edge, and this title suits well for NASCAR star driver, Kyle Larson. He is no ordinary race car driver; put him into a box with four wheels and an engine, and he will master the skill and make speed with it. This is reminiscent of Tony Stewart, the most versatile driver of all time. Triple Crown USAC winner, IndyCar champion, NASCAR champion, and an NHRA Top Fuel winner. Most importantly, the only driver to complete “The Double,” running the Indy 500 and Coca-Cola 600 on the same day.

Naturally, Larson is walking in his footsteps and eyeing the Indy 500 glory in his second attempt. But, for some reason, his preparations have been mired by freak accidents and crashes, which have got his fans nervous ahead of the qualifying round. Some even started to question his ability as a race car driver, “kyle larson now has as many crashes this year in indy practices as katherine legge had in her whole career at Indianapolis,” a fan wrote on X. But, veteran driver Mark Martin quickly shut down this negativity.

Mark Martin Stands Tall in Support as Larson Faces the Heat

Despite a few drops of rain on the 2.5-mile oval of Indianapolis Motor Speedway on Friday, the practice for the Indy 500 race began with a short delay. The race began smoothly, but the latter half saw some difficulties on track with multiple car crashes and skids, possibly due to the wet track. Kryffin Simpson crashed heavily at the exit of Turn 4, going airborne in the first hour of the session, while another heavy crash from Marcus Armstrong in Turn 1 was seen as a result of winds gusting at nearly 30 mph on the field. But what shocked the audience was another incident in the latter half of the session.

In the final 90 minutes of practice, Larson’s No. 17 Arrow McLaren Racing Chevrolet crashed into Turn 3 and Turn 4 SAFER barriers, hitting the wall twice before coming to a halt. Larson also crashed during the Indy 500 open test last month, therefore earning criticism from many for wrecking his second Indy Car of the season. But Mark Martin gave a befitting reply to the critics. “I think we all forget how hard it is to drive a @IndyCar FAST. I think what @KurtBusch did is extremely under appreciated. Kurt was spectacular. His talent is underrated.”

Only five drivers have attempted to complete the Double Duty, and it takes more than just skill to conquer this massive undertaking. There’s a reason why very few drivers have had a go at it. Then there’s the physical challenge that comes with it. Stewart also hit a bump in his first attempt in 1999 and felt the effects of not planning his big day. “The first year in ’99, my girlfriend drove me home and every time she turned the corner or got on the gas or got on the brakes, I thought I was going to puke.”

Larson was sent to the infield care center, and despite his bold statement from the last crash, even he seemed to feel nervous after this incident. “Hopefully, this is the only time I crash in IndyCar. I was kind of tight yesterday, and I think it just carried over today, and going faster just magnified it all. As soon as I turned into 1, I was like, I’m in trouble here. Just ran out of the room and ran into the wall.”

Well, that is not how Larson and the Arrow McLaren team had hoped to prepare for the Indy 500. In two practice runs, the driver has rammed the car into the wall twice. Call it tough luck, a freak accident, or a driver low on confidence. One thing is clear: if Kyle Larson wants to redeem himself after last year’s heartbreak, he will need to be on his A-game during the qualifying rounds and the main event on May 25.

As if the HMS driver doesn’t have enough on his plate, there’s also this element of him missing the Coca-Cola 600 if weather plays spoiler in Indiana.

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Talks on Kyle Larson Being Replaced at 2025 Coca-Cola 600?

We all know the drama that ensued last year when Larson intentionally opted to miss the start of the Coca-Cola 600 race to make his Indy 500 debut. This forced NASCAR to make changes to the playoff waiver. Now, Larson will get the waiver to compete in the playoffs if he misses the race in Charlotte, but there’s a catch. He will have to forfeit all the playoff points he collects during the regular season. So, the HMS and the Arrow McLaren teams will be hoping for clear skies for the mega event.

But, if in case Larson is willing to take that chance, the name that is likely to replace him in the No. 5 Chevy at Charlotte Motor Speedway is Justin Allgaier. He was trusted with the task last year and has been the go-to guy for Hendrick Motorsports. Moreover, he is also dropped in as the driver to take the command for this weekend’s All-Star practice and qualifying sessions.

In a recent tweet on X, Bob Pockrass mentioned the fill-in plans of HMS for the Coca-Cola 600 race at Charlotte Motor Speedway. “Hendrick Motorsports says it will skip the heat races for its No. 5 car Saturday at North Wilkesboro. Justin Allgaier will practice and qualify Friday. And team will start in the back for the all-star race with Larson,” 

There are a lot of things that could go wrong for Larson and his team. But, given how disheartening last year’s “Double” turned out for him, fans are hoping that he gets a fair shot to complete the 1100 miles, without any interruption or freak accident.