Less than three months. That’s how much time Kyle Larson has before he makes another ‘double’ attempt on May 25th. The Hendrick Motorsports driver will be hoping luck is on his side this time around after weather played spoilsport in last year’s attempt. In a less-than-ideal scenario, the racer couldn’t compete in the Coca-Cola 600 at all after heavy rain ended the crown jewel event prematurely, forcing the California native to get a waiver to compete in the playoffs.

Despite the awful experience last year, Larson is willing to risk it all again. The 32-year-old is hoping to go down in the history books by driving 1,100 miles in a single day, becoming one of only a handful of drivers to achieve the iconic feat.

Kyle Larson is keeping his dream alive despite the risks

Kyle Larson is leaving no stone unturned. Determined to fulfill his lifelong ambition of completing ‘the double’, the racer has a plan in place so that he can prepare extensively to cope with the demands of the feat. He will return to IndyCar in late April for testing and get accustomed to open-wheel racing in the subsequent weeks for the Indianapolis 500. The California native finished 18th at ‘The Greatest Spectacle in Racing’ last year after receiving a pit road penalty, which foiled his hopes of making it to the top ten.

This time around, Kyle Larson will be in it to win it. Sharing his thoughts about ‘the double’ attempt, the racer said, “I really want to do it again because I didn’t technically get to do it. I want to do the double, what it would be like to run 1,100 miles.” The 2021 NASCAR Cup Series champion will be partnering with Arrow McLaren once again, and expectations will be high from the racer going into the event this time around.

In 2024, Justin Allgaier replaced Kyle Larson behind the wheel of the No. 5 Chevy. The Hendrick Motorsports driver had a tough decision to make after the Indianapolis 500 was delayed due to bad weather, but he decided to complete the IndyCar event after consultation with Rick Hendrick. However, mother nature playing spoilsport meant that he never got to compete in the Coca-Cola 600 later that day, as the race in Charlotte Motor Speedway ended prematurely because of rain.

As a result, Kyle Larson had to get a waiver to be able to compete in the playoffs. Despite NASCAR making a one-off exception, the racer missed out on valuable points because of his absence, which may have ultimately cost him a regular series championship. However, the 32-year-old is taking a different approach this time around, going on to say, “I think our priorities probably look different for this coming Indy 500 and double attempt anyways.”

Larson will not risk his participation at the Coca-Cola 600 under any circumstances this year. The Hendrick Motorsports driver knows that NASCAR won’t offer him another waiver if things go wrong this time around. However, things can go wrong, a lesson the racer learned the hard way in 2024, which may jeopardize his entire Cup Series campaign if he fails to make it to Charlotte Motor Speedway in time for the race.

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McLaren Racing CEO has high hopes for Larson

Kyle Larson has a lot to get accustomed to. The California native will have two new teammates at Arrow McLaren, as Nolan Siegel has joined the team in the No. 6 car after David Malukas got injured, while Christian Lundgaard has replaced Alexander Rossi as well. Pato O’Ward is the only familiar face the NASCAR driver knows from his 2024 appearance, but despite it all, the racer can’t wait to get started, going on to say, “I had a great time with the teammates that I had last year and I look forward to learning from those guys again this year.”

The prospect of attempting ‘the double’ is an exciting one for McLaren Racing’s CEO, Zak Brown, as well. Speaking about Larson and the Indy 500 in a press release, he said, “There’s no doubt we’re counting down the days until the Indy 500, where we’ll be racing once again with Kyle Larson in the No. 17 HendrickCars.com Arrow McLaren Chevrolet for our fourth entry in the race.” Brown concluded by saying, “We’re working hard together to get Kyle in a position to complete all 1,100 miles on May 25 in Indy and Charlotte, and just maybe win at both.”

While the risk of bad weather looms large, Larson is unconcerned about potentially missing out on the Coca-Cola 600 amidst NASCAR’s stricter waiver policy. The racer said, “It’s probably going to come into play more for people getting suspended for doing stupid stuff on the track rather than a weather delay at Indianapolis.” While the 32-year-old is right to an extent, competing in ‘the double’ presents a risk in itself, but the Hendrick Motorsports driver will hope that circumstances work in his favor so that he can fulfill a lifelong ambition this year.