Kyle Larson is going to reattempt ‘The Double’. Competing in the Coca-Cola 600 and the Indianapolis 500 on the same day has been somewhat of a lifelong dream for the racing driver, one that he could not fulfill in 2024. The weather played spoilsport, delaying his IndyCar appearance while ending the race at Charlotte Motor Speedway prematurely. Despite the heartbreaking outcome, the 32-year-old racing driver is eager to make amends next year when he attempts the feat once again.

However, none of this would have been possible without the support of Rick Hendrick. The HMS team owner has firmly backed his racing driver through this ambitious plan, despite the chaos that ensued after he missed the Coke 600 in 2024.

Kyle Larson gets one more shot at a lifelong dream

Kyle Larson has unfinished business. Having failed in his first ‘double’ attempt, the driver, team owner Rick Hendrick, McLaren CEO Zak Brown, and Hendrick Motorsports executive Jeff Gordon confirmed the California native’s second try in 2025 in a press conference. To pull off the feat, the 32-year-old racing driver will be required to compete at Indianapolis Motor Speedway and fly to North Carolina for the Coca-Cola 600, which is NASCAR’s longest race. The word ambitious would be an understatement, as it involves driving 1100 miles across two tracks in very different types of cars.

In a candid interview with Brad Gillie, Kyle Larson said, “There was a bitter taste in everybody’s mouth with how it went, with how much money was invested. Ended up making it happen. But I think as we got further away from the media, we all agreed that we needed to try it again and thankfully Rick Hendrick was on board.”

Rick Hendrick’s approval would certainly have been paramount, as he is the one financing the operation. Sports Business Journalist Adam Stern reported that HMS spent $3 million for Larson’s entry in the Indy500 this year. This was a sizeable investment from the NASCAR juggernauts, and despite it not paying off fully, Larson is grateful that Rick Hendrick is willing to try again. Larson reflected on this and said, “He’s the guy paying for it all. If he said no, we weren’t going to do it and I’ll be fine with that as well. Thankfully, I have his support and backing to go live out a dream.”

With the weather delaying the 2024 Indianapolis 500 by several hours, Rick Hendrick had a decision to make. Either Kyle Larson could remain at IMS and compete in the Indy500 but risk missing the start of the Coca-Cola 600, or fly out to Charlotte Motor Speedway immediately. The Hendrick Motorsports owner opted for the former, but the decision backfired. By the time the 2021 Cup Series winner reached the NASCAR fixture, the race had already ended prematurely because of rain, which meant that the No. 5 Chevy driver couldn’t run a single lap.

Moreover, his result in the Indianapolis 500 wasn’t what he had hoped for either. An 18th-place finish after being found guilty of speeding on the pit road left him unsatisfied, even though Larson was named Rookie of the Year. However, with experience on his side, the racing driver will hope to have a better outcome in 2025. Issuing a warning signal to his rivals, HMS executive Jeff Gordon said, “Don’t give Kyle Larson a second shot at something he already did well at. I think he’s going to knock it out of the park. He already did.”

Rick Hendrick reiterates commitment to NASCAR amidst 2025 double attempt

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It seems like Hendrick Motorsports have learned from their mistakes. The team is eager to not repeat the debacle of 2024, which left serious question marks about Kyle Larson’s eligibility to compete for the Bill France Cup after missing out on the Coca-Cola 600. As part of NASCAR rules, drivers are expected to compete in every regular season race to make it to the playoffs, but the sanctioning body made an exception in the California native’s case after his failed appearance at Charlotte Motor Speedway.

However, Rick Hendrick will not be putting his team in the same position once again in 2025. Reiterating that their priority will be to compete in NASCAR’s longest race, the team owner said, “We’re going to run the 600 even if that means having to cut the race short at Indy. My commitment to NASCAR is that we’re in NASCAR and that’s where we run for the championship.” The sentiment was echoed by Larson as well, who went on to say, “I think I owe it to my NASCAR team to try to win one of the biggest races of the (NASCAR) season. I’m OK with it.”

The news was confirmed by NASCAR president Steve Phelps, who went on to say that Kyle Larson will participate in the 2025 Coca-Cola 600, irrespective of the circumstances at Indianapolis Motor Speedway. The sanctioning body may have granted him a waiver in 2024, but it’s unlikely they will bend the rules for the No. 5 Chevy driver once again next year. Having narrowly missed out on the Cup Series trophy this year despite winning six races, the 32-year-old racing driver has unfinished business at NASCAR’s highest level as well.