Kyle Larson Puts NASCAR in a Tough Spot With Questionable Demand for Coca-Cola 600

The month of May is proving to be a success for Hendrick Motorsports driver, Kyle Larson. Having bagged his second win of the Cup Series season last weekend at Kansas Speedway, he will be hoping to make history at the end of the busy and eventful month of racing. The 2021 Cup Series champion is hoping to become only the second driver to complete “the double”, finishing 500 laps at Indy500 and 600 laps at Coca-Cola 600 on the same day. However, his adventurous attempt has put NASCAR in a tricky spot.

If the HMS star does manage to pull off a historic win at the Indianapolis Motor Speedway, NASCAR might have to make some changes.

Kyle Larson wants NASCAR’s help to script a historic run

Larson will only be the fifth NASCAR driver attempting to complete “the double.” John Andretti was the first to attempt this feat in 1994, followed by Roby Gordon and Tony Stewart, with Kurt Busch being the last to take the endurance test in 2014.

Out of these four, the only driver able to pull off this impressive feat is Tony Stewart, not just once but twice. However, in Larson’s case, he feels like he has a better shot at winning the Cup Series event than the Indy500. Therefore, this puts NASCAR in a tricky spot, in case he surprisingly wins the historic open-wheel racing event. For that, the HMS driver has asked the authorities to play smartly.

Bob Pockrass did ask Larson about this hypothetical situation in an interview, stating, “If you win the Indy500, would you be able to make it to the Cup race?” To which he replied, “I would hope NASCAR would be smart enough like delay the program just a little bit. I think the opportunity for TV ratings and stuff would be great. It’s going to be super tough to win that race. So I’m not even thinking about it yet. Just hoping no weather is an issue or anything like that. Complete your laps and get over to Charlotte and race hard to try and win that.”

No NASCAR driver has been able to win running at both events on the same day. But given Larson’s impressive track record this season, he just might be able to achieve this historic feat. Sharing his thoughts, he said, “I know I have a good shot to hopefully win at least the Cup race and then you would love to have a good run in the Indy500. Just set a record or break a record, whatever you wanna call it’d be pretty neat.” But it seems like Larson is just being humble.

This dilemma, a product of his good run at the Indy500, is not far-fetched. If we are to look at statistical details, then Kyle Larson was one of the fastest drivers during the open test in Indianapolis. Looking at how he tamed both the unfamiliar car and track, one could rightly argue that his expertise was trying hard to save itself for the main race.

Ahead of the milestone attempt, Larson will stay in Indianapolis on May 17 to practice for the 500 rather than travel to North Wilkesboro Speedway to practice and qualify for the NASCAR All-Star race. He is expected to qualify for the Indy 500 on May 18 before he travels to North Carolina to compete in an All-Star heat race later that night.

Last month when Larson talked about pulling off Double Duty he said, “Hopefully, I’ll be able to run a heat race, I hope to make it back in time for the race itself. Kind of don’t really know yet. Kind of depends on how the week is going in Indy. For sure, won’t be able to practice, I know that.” Attempting and completing the Double is no mean feat, given the short list of racers who have gone for it.

Interesting fact: Tony Stewart completed the Double in a combined 7 hours, 43 minutes and 42 seconds in 2001. During that historic day in 2001, Stewart finished sixth at Indianapolis and third at Charlotte.

And if we are to look at how the driver innately feels, Kyle Larson himself admitted his shooting confidence by stating that the cars in NASCAR and Indy are more similar than ever. However, before Larson takes on the challenge of pulling off the Double Duty, he still has a lot more NASCAR racing to focus on.

Larson will be hoping for double wins, before the Double Duty

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How many wins will Kyle Larson bag for the 2024 NASCAR Cup Series season? In just 12 starts, he has already been to the victory lane twice, and considering the number of races he has yet to compete in, it won’t be a surprise to see him clinch a few more. With six top-5 finishes, including his two wins, he has been the most consistent driver so far. Therefore, with another mile-and-a-half race at Darlington this weekend, he could go for back-to-back wins, a feat he hasn’t managed to achieve in the Next Gen era.

Although he did emerge victorious at the track that was tough to tame last fall, as far as spring races are concerned, he hasn’t had much luck. Yet, we cannot ignore the fact that Larson has an average finish of 9.4 at Darlington, which is the third-best among all drivers with more than two starts. He has also led a total of 270 laps in his six starts with HMS at the track, with three podium finishes.

It is safe to say that the mile-and-a-half events have been a strong suit for Larson, and banking on his good runs this season, he just might be able to make the month of May even more successful. Although, he will face stiff competition from the likes of Denny Hamlin, Chase Elliott, and Martin Truex Jr. All of them are genuine contenders for wins every weekend.