Kyle Larson prepares for the culmination of a lifelong dream as he attempts to race in both the Indianapolis 500 and Coca-Cola 600 on the same day in 2024.
After announcing his ambitious plan to race in both the Indianapolis 500 and the Coca-Cola 600 on the same day in January 2023, Kyle Larson is now just two weeks away from realizing his dream.
The Hendrick Motorsports driver will be among those practicing Tuesday for the Indianapolis 500, marking the beginning of an intense two-week period that he hopes will culminate in completing 1,100 miles of racing on May 26.
Larson, whose Indy 500 ride (his series debut) is being fielded by Arrow McLaren with support from Hendrick Motorsports, expressed his excitement about the upcoming challenge.
"I'm just kind of ready to live out a lifelong dream to this point and hopefully do a good job," said Larson. "I have a good opportunity with a great team."
Despite acknowledging that the double duty will be physically demanding, Larson remains confident in his ability to handle the challenge.
"There's not another driver on the planet that is behind the wheel of a car more than I am," said Larson. "With that experience, I'll be fine."
Larson's lifelong dream of racing in the Indy 500 was sparked by his father's love for the event and his own early exposure to the massive crowd.
"It's hard to say," said Larson when asked about his first Indy 500 memory. "I remember being young watching on TV and just always seeing how massive the crowd was."
Larson's children are also aware of the significance of their father's upcoming endeavor, with his eldest son, Owen, expressing particular enthusiasm.
"I think he's really excited about it," said Larson. "I don't think Audrey knows yet, but she thinks I'm going to flip. So hopefully I don't."
While Larson recognizes the potential danger involved in the Indy 500, he remains eager to experience all aspects of the race.
"All that for sure," said Larson when asked about what he is most looking forward to. "I've been in the car a few times, but I still haven't learned a ton yet about race situations."
The potential of setting a record by becoming one of only a handful of drivers to have completed the double is also not lost on Larson.
"I think so," said Larson when asked if it is a big deal to do something so rare. "I just like racing. That's the coolest part about it."
However, Larson is not looking too far ahead and is focused on completing the Indy 500 first.
"I'm just hoping the weather isn't an issue or anything like that and I complete all the laps and then get over to Charlotte and race hard to try and win that," said Larson.
Larson also discussed the possibility of running a full-time IndyCar season in the future, but he acknowledged the challenges involved, particularly in terms of road racing.
"I don't know," said Larson. "Never say never, I guess, but I don't know. They do a lot of road racing, and I didn't grow up doing that stuff. And I think those guys are way better than I am at that."
Finally, Larson offered some advice to Kevin Harvick, who will be driving his car in the All-Star practice session while he is at Indy 500 qualifying.
"I think my advice for Kevin would be to run hard," said Larson. "I definitely don't care, but I don't think [crew chief] Cliff [Daniels] cares if he crashes probably, either. I would want him to run hard."
