Kyle Larson Confesses the Detrimental Effect of Controversial Chip Ganassi Exit over Indy 500 Dream

Kyle Larson’s Indy 500 run has long been overdue. Apart from NASCAR racing, Larson is pretty much open to race anything with four wheels and an engine. We all know how much he admires running Sprint Car races. However, his long-term goal was to chase the historic “Double Duty” only completed by Tony Stewart so far, and more importantly run in the Indianapolis 500 race.

In theory, his Indy 500 run was within his reach during his racing days at Chip Ganassi Racing. However, he found himself engulfed in a major controversy during an esports event, and that put a halt on his aspirations. Fast forward three years, and he is within touching distance of completing his dream run, but it seems like he is still not over his exit from his former team back in 2020.

“I thought it was done,” Kyle Larson still has some bitter memories

Larson is looking to become only the second driver to complete “Double Duty” after Tony Stewart’s 2001 heroics. Interestingly, Stewart was a part of JGR in NASCAR at that time and signed for Chip Ganassi Racing for a chance to compete in Indy. So making a switch to Chip Ganassi Racing was probably the best move by Larson, as it brought his Indy 500 dream much closer.

Apart from running NASCAR racing operations, Chip Ganassi had an Indy Car team, which could allow Larson to make the smooth jump and have a go at completing the historic double.

But his dream came crashing down on him after his use of racial slur during an online gaming event in the 2020 season. Not only did he see his dream slip away from his hands, but he was barred from NASCAR racing for the entire year. The backlash was so severe that Chip Ganassi had to let go of Larson just four races into the season, leaving the talented driver without a team to run for the entire season.

Not to forget, even NASCAR suspended him, leaving his racing future in serious doubt. Sharing the backstory about his pursuit for the Indy 500 run, Kyle Larson, in an interview with Indy Car said, “I think it’s something I’ve always wanted to do. But once I started racing for Chip in 2014, because he owns both, you know, Indy Car and Cup teams. I thought, as long as I’m here, I might be able to get to do it someday and then I ended up not being able to race for him anymore. So I kind of thought it was done, at least for a while.”

Nearly all of his sponsors dropped him in the aftermath as well. McDonald’s, Credit One Bank and Fiserv terminated their sponsorship deals, and Chevrolet terminated its personal-services relationship with him. Larson was in the final year of his contract with Ganassi Racing and he had a decision to make. He could chose to stay with Ganassi after his suspension was over or move to Tony Stewart’s NASCAR team, however, after his controversy, his options appeared limited.

Luckily, Rick Hendrick was able to see past the controversy and the drama that ensued, which brought Larson to Hendrick Motorsports in 2021. This is when the 2021 Cup Series champion refueled his idea of attempting the dream run.

However, there was one little roadblock he needed to clear, and that was convincing his team boss to support his Indy 500 aspirations.

Here’s how Larson managed to pursue Rick Hendrick to back his Indy 500 dream

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After getting bared by NASCAR, and fired from his racing team, Larson wanted to prove his worth as a race car driver, which he rightly did by winning his first Cup Series championship in 2021. Trying to make the most of his winning run, Larson pitched his ambitions of running in the Indy 500. It did take some convincing at first, but he’s glad that he’s finally embarking on his dream run after all.

“So at the end of the season, I think, it was around Christmas time I was like, ‘Man I think I’d really like to try Indy 500’. It just took some convincing, but yeah, shortly after they went on work to trying to find the right team. Because it had to be a Chevy team (…) It’s just a good relief that it’s finally here, and I don’t have to think about it anymore.” Larson went on to add.

While it might have been tough to convince Hendrick initially, once he gave Larson the thumbs-up, there was no stopping the team owner. From ensuring that crew members have access to the best of facilities to making sure his driver is comfortable throughout, Rick Hendrick has been taking care of everything. Reportedly, the team owner also managed to fly his team around in a private plane, one of which is rumored to be the $2.5-million ex-Chautauqua Embraer ERJ-145LR, capable of holding 50 flyers on board.

And not just transport, Rick Hendrick’s services extended far beyond that. HMS’ technical director Brian Campe, who was in charge of the #5’s Indy500 run, shed more light on the grand preparations. “It goes from getting everywhere where we need to go, and hotels and rental cars, to what does the apparel look like. And the group spans from aviation to marketing to competition to credentials and all of those things,” the executive said, according to NBC.

“There’s Ryan Glenn who manages all of the team operations on the HMS side, and Tracy and Savannah that do all the travel and the planes and the flight department. It’s a team of people that have the focus of making sure we make this happen, and everyone’s excited about it. It’s a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity,” he further revealed.

Having said that, Kyle Larson is starting fifth in the second row for his Indianapolis 500 race. Meanwhile, he will determine his starting position for the Coca-Cola 600 race with the qualifying run today. Hopefully Rick Hendrick’s efforts will pay off. What do you think?