Kyle Larson to run Indy/600 Double Duty again

Kyle Larson is set to attempt the Indianapolis 500 again next season, with a promise to NASCAR that the Coca-Cola 600 will be the top priority this time around. If rain once again interferes with his shot at completing “The Double,” he will need to leave. It is to be noted, however, that at the press gathering for the announcement, a key question remained unanswered: “But what happens if Larson is leading at the time?”

This past May, Larson became the fifth driver in history to try completing the 1,100 miles of racing on motorsport’s biggest day. However, rain delayed the start of the Indy 500 by several hours, and given the significant financial investment from Hendrick Motorsports, the decision was made to keep him at the Indianapolis Motor Speedway.

“It was unfinished business,” team owner Rick Hendrick said. “Weather just cost us a lot.”

It was nice to see Hendrick setting the record straight that any and all decisions made regarding Indy do not come from Larson. It’s a mistake that numerous fans continue to make as they place blame squarely on him for missing the 600 while conveniently forgetting that Hendrick and Arrow McLaren field the expense of the endeavour and clearly have the final say on everything that happens.  Larson could not unilaterally call the shots. 

Larson shone throughout May, qualifying fifth for the Indy 500, but a late-race speeding penalty knocked him out of contention, leading to an 18th-place finish. Despite this, he was named top rookie of the race.

By the time he made it to Charlotte Motor Speedway, the Coca-Cola 600 had been halted due to rain and never resumed. Larson didn’t get to race, earned zero points, and a lengthy debate between Hendrick Motorsports and NASCAR ensued before Larson was granted a waiver to participate in the playoffs despite missing the event.  That point, in and of itself, received much debate and backlash given that NASCAR used Larson’s Indy 500 appearance for promotional purposes but questioned whether to give him the waiver. 

Ultimately, missing the 600 impacted Larson’s season as he finished just one point behind Tyler Reddick for NASCAR’s regular-season championship, a title that would have earned him 15 additional playoff points. With those extra points, last week’s early wreck in NASCAR’s playoff would not have affected his standing quite as much as it did.