CHARLOTTE, NC – Kyle Larson will try to race Indianapolis 500 next year with McLaren Race in a joint effort with NASCAR Team owner Rick Hendrick.
The surprise announcement on Thursday by McLaren and Hendrick finally paved the way for Larson to the race of his dreams. It also means he will become the fifth driver to run “The Double” on Memorial Day weekend, driving an Indy 500 and Coca-Cola 600 in Charlotte, North Carolina, on the same day. John Andretti, Robby Gordon, Tony Stewart and Kurt Busch were the other NASCAR drivers competing in both races.
Larson has long said that he wants to race in the Indy 500 but has not been able to chevrolet chance to run “The Greatest Spectacle in Racing” 2023 this May.
His entry with McLaren will be co-owned by Hendrick and sponsored by HendrickCars.com, a major backer of Larson’s ride in NASCAR.
“Competing at the Indianapolis 500 is my dream and something I have wanted to do for a long time – since I was a kid before I started competing in sprint cars,” says Larson. “I am very grateful for this opportunity and really looking forward to it even though it is still about a year and a half away. I’m really looking forward to competing in both the Indianapolis 500 and the Coca-Cola 600 and maybe even getting a win or two that day.”
McLaren has no room for Larson – or Kyle Busch – this year because the Arrow McLaren lineup for Indianapolis already has four cars. The team has expanded this year to add 2016 Indy 500 winner Alexander Rossi to its roster and hire 2013 Indy winner Tony Kanaan for 500.
To make room for the 2021 NASCAR’s Cup champions next season, McLaren has teamed up with Hendrick, who will enter the first IndyCar race as an owner. Hendrick Motorsports has won a record 291 Cup races and has scored 10 NASCAR victories on the Indy 2.5-mile oval track.
Larson is entering his third season of driving for Hendrick Motorsports and has been actively pursuing an Indy 500 ride. Rick Hendrick loosened his stance on racers competing in other series about when he signed. contract with Larson and teammate Alex Bowman this week are competing in the Chili Bowl sprint in Oklahoma.
“It was very important to equip Kyle with the most advanced equipment and allow him plenty of time to prepare for such a tough challenge,” said Hendrick. “It will be very, very special to own a Chevrolet in the Indy 500. A partnership like this is what we needed to make it happen and fortunately, the stars lined up just right. .
Larson, 30, who just welcomed his third child on December 31, has won the Cup Series 19 times since his 2014 debut. He won the NASCAR all-star race in 2019. and 2021, the year in which he won 10 races and his only Cup title. The Elk Grove, California native has more than 400 career victories in multiple racing series and disciplines.
“The addition of Kyle Larson in partnership with HendrickCars.com to the Indy 500 lineup in 2024 is exciting for our Arrow McLaren team and race fans alike,” said McLaren head Zak Brown said. , so I’m looking forward to seeing what Kyle can do.”
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