Kyle Larson stormed into the winners’ charts in 2024 after clinching the Pennzoil 400 race win. He defended his Las Vegas win from last October with resounding power. Although Tyler Reddick ran close behind his wheels all along, Larson’s fans were saved from heartbreak after he seized the checkered flag in the end. Now it seems that his fanbase has expanded to include more motor heads.
Kyle Larson entered the arena of IndyCar last year. This year he will be foraying into another world of car racing new to him. His explorer’s mindset is certainly not limited. Larson will be attempting a ‘Double Duty’ by competing in an IndyCar race and a NASCAR race on the same day. This turn in the driver’s career has resonated within the fan circles of both series.
Kyle Larson is acquiring fame in the IndyCar world
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Once you are a racer, you are always a racer. Hence, in any race, no matter how far apart in style or structure it is from your own, a desire to try it out will linger in your head. Joey Logano recently lamented NASCAR’s policy of paying extra to compete in a different tier, for instance, Xfinity or Truck. But that rule does not apply outside NASCAR.
Kyle Larson is banking on that and preparing for the Double Duty. He plans to compete in IndyCar’s Indianapolis 500 and NASCAR’s Coca-Cola 600 on the same day. He is also scripting history in the process, as no other driver has tried the feat since Kurt Busch did a decade ago.
With @INDYCAR starting this weekend, Kyle Larson’s #Indy500 attempt is on the minds of many.
What do you expect in May? pic.twitter.com/1g6I2JOvzk
— NASCAR on NBC (@NASCARonNBC) March 7, 2024
Larson took part in an IndyCar rookie orientation last October at Indianapolis Motor Speedway. Most recently in February, he partook in a 7-hour-long testing session on the 1-mile oval in Phoenix. He also gave some little details that go a long way in ensuring victory.
“Those details are pulling in your pit box, pulling out of your pit box. The steering wheel is so small, the cockpit is so tight, the steering so slow, turning in I have to turn way further than normal, be quick back the other way. Just getting all that timing pulling in is difficult.”
Ahead of his double trouble in May, Kyle Larson is already gaining attention from IndyCar fans. Journalist Jenna Fryer posted the photo of a fan on X, who was wearing Kyle Larson’s name on his shirt. She tweeted: “Found @sjake2011 wearing this @KyleLarsonRacin #Indy500 shirt at St. Pete. Said he spent the last month watching Larson in Tampa and Daytona.”
Found @sjake2011 wearing this @KyleLarsonRacin #Indy500 shirt at St. Pete. Said he spent the last month watching Larson in Tampa and Daytona. pic.twitter.com/k58iZNIP7j
— Jenna Fryer (@JennaFryer) March 9, 2024
Kyle Larson also seems to be well aware of how much his fans adore him. “I feel like I’m a grassroots type of racer. Even though I race on Sunday in the Cup Series, I still feel like I resonate with the local short-track fans. I think that’s exciting.”
Prominent IndyCar racers expect great things from Larson in his venture during the weekend in May.
Larson’s IndyCar debut blessed by Conor Daly
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Kyle Larson will be racing a Chevrolet-powered Arrow McLaren car at the IndyCar race in Indianapolis. Both that and the Hendrick Chevy he will race that evening in Charlotte will carry a similar paint scheme, papaya orange. IndyCar veteran Conor Daly recently shared that he is positive about Larson’s performance, albeit with a few hiccups.
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There’s one thing that will give Kyle Larson an advantage over the last NASCAR driver who ran the Indy 500, Kurt Busch. 🏎️ pic.twitter.com/aS6UcNIDIq
— Dirty Mo Media (@DirtyMoMedia) March 9, 2024
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“There’s going to be moments though that he does not know yet and that is the difficult part about you know being a first-timer at the Indy 500,” Daly said. “But without a doubt, depending on the speed of McLaren… I think he’s running in Top-5, Top 8-ish in that lead pack for sure towards the end of the race.”
Kyle Larson is already garnering attention for his IndyCar-NASCAR spectacle in May. But for the time being, all attention and energy are focused on the Shriner’s Children 500 race at Phoenix.