INDIANAPOLIS (AP) — Kyle Larson accepts the challenge of racing any car on any track at any time.
He now faces his toughest task yet – preparing for his Indianapolis 500 debut next month.
Larson returns to the historic 2.5-mile oval Wednesday was the first of two days of open testing and time spent on the track trying to learn as much as possible. 2021 NASCAR The Cup champion will attempt to complete a Memorial Day weekend double – 1,100 miles of racing in Indianapolis and Charlotte, North Carolina on the same day.
“I went out there, I started getting tighter and tighter (at the wheel) and then (Josef) Newgarden passed me and I got super tight,” Larson said, referring to the one-time Indy winner. first last year. “So I don’t know if that level of tightness is real or not but I think it’s probably more real than not having another car out there.”
It didn’t take long for Larson to show what he had decoded. He achieved the second fastest lap of the morning practice session, 226.384 mph, albeit at a slightly slower pace. drag. Only Newgarden, at 228,811, is faster.
But Larson may be better suited to complete a successful Indy-NASCAR double than today’s more dedicated drivers.
His busy schedule and willingness to compete in multiple formats evoke images of the days when fans watched AJ Foyt and Mario Andretti compete at almost every circuit.
However, getting used to the nuances of faster, lighter IndyCars is a challenge.
During Larson’s previous trip to the Indianapolis Motor Speedway, On a sunny October day, he needed about 2½ hours to get through the race’s three-stage rookie test before spending the rest of the afternoon running in little to no conditions. traffic passing by. He also discovered several spots where overconfidence – or gusts of wind – could send drivers flying straight into concrete walls.
Larson, who finished second in the NASCAR race at Martinsville, Virginia last weekend, said it would have been more “overwhelming” if he had had to deal with rookie orientation during Wednesday’s test.
He returned to Arrow McLaren No.17 Chevrolet in February on Phoenix’s 1-mile oval and admitted he nearly spun out of the car that his NASCAR team, Hendrick Motorsports, was also supporting. Larson called it a good sign to run at the edge of the car.
With the May 26 doubleheader approaching, higher stakes come with more complex lessons.
“I think I definitely learned a lot, but when the package is so small, you don’t know if what you’re learning is practical,” Larson said. “I’m also learning how to stay ahead of people and get used to my mirror, communicating and connecting all of that together, seeing the runs develop behind me and knowing when to lift up, when to line up all that .”
Wednesday’s weather conditions didn’t help.
The cool, overcast day also resulted in intermittent track closures for showers. Larson was so busy checking boxes during the first two hours of testing that he couldn’t consult with his 500 teammates – Mexico’s Pato O’Ward, American Alexander Rossi – British rider Callum Ilott , who replaced the injured David Malukas for testing, or driving coach Tony Kanaan, the 2013 Indy winner.
Malukas is recovering from offseason wrist surgery following a mountain biking accident. Ilott replaced him in the St. Louis races. Petersburg and at the Thermal Club.
Larson is also looking to balance the logistics of balancing practice, qualifying and race weekend festivities in Indy with full-time Cup duties over the two weekends in Charlotte, North Carolina.
IndyCar veterans believe that Larson, the current points leader among NASCAR drivers, has plenty of time to adjust his strategy.
“If we had run another hour or two, we would have been fine,” O’Ward said during the team’s lunch break. “I mean there’s a lot of time to run during the month and the weather will be different. There’s plenty of time to get to work.”
The versatile Larson is trying to become the fifth driver to attempt a double.
“He (Larson) is a real driver, he wants to drive anything,” said O’Ward, a four-time IndyCar champion and second in IndyCar points. “I respect that very much.”
