INDIANAPOLIS — Kyle Larson thrilled the crowd at the Indianapolis Motor Speedway on Sunday night when he exclaimed:
“How about we come back next May and try kissing these bricks in an IndyCar?”
The crowd celebrated his Brickyard 400 victoryhas gone crazy. So anyone who tells Larson he can’t do it will have a lot of explaining to do.
Okay, okay, the weather delays from May are still hurting many in the Hendrick Motorsports camp. Rain delayed the Indianapolis 500, kept Larson from starting the Coca-Cola 600 and nearly derailed a round of the NASCAR Cup Series playoffs when NASCAR waited a week to decide that Larson could still qualify for the Cup title despite missing the start of the 600 (Cup drivers must start every race unless they get a waiver from NASCAR).
Larson’s original deal with Hendrick and Arrow McLaren, however, was a two-year deal. Year two of the double and another attempt at running 1,100 miles in a day just needed to be completed.
Rick Hendrick said he “has not yet” signed Larson for the 2025 Indy 500.
“We definitely talked about it,” Larson said. “I think it was about considering what was important to people.
“It sounds good, I would say, so far, but things could change. We’ll see. Obviously I’d love to do it. I think everyone knows I’d love to do it because in my mind, I haven’t done it this year. I haven’t done it at least twice.”
Larson, who finished 18th at this year’s Indy 500 in his IndyCar debut, said he hoped an announcement would be made soon.
“I hope everything falls into place and we can put things together, announce something, get excited about doing the double next year,” he said.
Kyle Larson on running the 2025 Indianapolis 500
And after winning the Brickyard 400, perhaps Larson knew good things could come his way at Indy.
“Hopefully one day I can have a chance to win the 500,” Larson said. “I’ve won on dirt. [in a midget race at IMS] at BC39, had to kiss the bricks there. Now today at 400.
“I guess one more thing to check out is the Indy 500, that’s going to be special.”
Bob Pockrass covers NASCAR for FOX Sports. He has spent decades covering motor sports, including more than 30 Daytona 500 races, with stints at ESPN, Sporting News, NASCAR Scene magazine and The (Daytona Beach) News-Journal. Follow him on Twitter @baboon.
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