IMS President Unmasks Kyle Larson’s Upper Hand That Could Propel Him to Charlotte-Indy Double Victory

2024 looks like it’s going to be a hectic one for Kyle Larson. With the Cup Series races packing his weekends from February mid-week, his own High Limit series demanding a chunk of his attention, and the double-duty challenge of racing in next year’s Indianapolis 500 and Coca-Cola 600, his plate is overflowing. Although juggling all these might seem like a tightrope walk, NASCAR insider Doug Boles seemed to be brimming with confidence in Larson’s capabilities. Boles firmly believes Larson isn’t just participating; he’s got a real shot at leading the pack in double duty.

Kyle Larson might just outshine Tony Stewart if Doug Boles’ hunch is right

To this day, only a handful of drivers have braved the double duty challenge: John Andretti, Robby Gordon (who took it on five times), Tony Stewart twice, and Kurt Busch, the most recent at Indianapolis in 2014. Busch had a hell of a day: starting 12th, dipping to the 20th, and then jetting to Charlotte with moments to spare. He had to start at the back of the pack due to missing the crucial pre-race driver’s meeting. Busch showed promise, climbing as high as the top 15, but an engine failure cut his race short. 

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For now, Tony Stewart holds the record for the best finish so far in double duty, clinching ninth in the 1999 Indy 500 and fourth in the Coke 600. However, IMS president Doug Boles is placing his bets on Kyle Larson to potentially outdo Stewart’s impressive feat. In Boles’ words, “The thing about Kyle is that he is really smart in that race car. We know everything he’s got, and he has been successful. So, I really feel like he’s maybe the best prepared other than Tony Stewart to be competitive in the double and he does have great teammates. There are a lot of things in his camp that I think give him a really legitimate chance, certainly to run it to the front. And who knows where you are at the end of those 500 miles? He has a chance to win it.”

The reason the double duty is so revered is its intense physical and mental demands. It’s an all-day marathon, clocking over a thousand miles, with little to no rest. It’s akin to the rigors of endurance racing, but without the relief of a co-driver, plus the distinct challenges of mastering an open-cockpit IndyCar and an enclosed stock car.

While Kyle Larson is gearing up for this colossal challenge, his proficiency in sprint and stock cars bodes well for him. But Larson’s focus isn’t just on the track. Even in the off-season, he’s thinking beyond himself, not only aiming to uplift underprivileged communities but also providing them an opportunity to drive and earn in his series. He is also making sure the participating teams benefit from his initiatives.

2021 Cup Champion & Co. are setting the stage for a revolutionary change in the world of sprint car racing

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The High Limit Racing series, powered by FloSports and co-owned by 2021 NASCAR Cup champion Kyle Larson and five-time World of Outlaws champ Brad Sweet, is gearing up to roll out a charter system reminiscent of NASCAR’s approach. As per the Sports Business Journal, the new system, aimed at being fully operational by 2026, is designed to provide long-term value to team owners, much like a franchise model in traditional sports.

The move is a strategic play to bolster the enterprise value for team owners. Taking a leaf out of NASCAR’s book, which launched its charter system in 2016 by granting 36 free charters to qualifying full-time teams, High Limit plans to adopt a similar strategy. Over the next two years (2024 and 2025), the series plans to issue a total of 10 charters. The first five will be awarded to the top teams in the year-end points championship of 2024.

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The next five, handed out after the 2025 season, will go to the highest-ranking teams that didn’t receive a charter the previous year, based on their average points over the two seasons. Starting in 2026, the chartered teams will reap the benefits of this system, earning 50% of High Limit’s digital streaming revenue annually.