“Not Sure He’s Gonna Be Up for That”—Hall of Famer Shoots Down Kyle Larson’s Coca-Cola 600 Hopes With Harsh Verdict

News has surfaced that a former U.S. president might be hitting up the Charlotte race this weekend, potentially leading to a total shutdown of local airports. This situation could give Kyle Larson just a tiny window to jet from Indianapolis to Charlotte. To throw another wrench in the works, the weather forecast for Indianapolis is looking iffy. If the Indy 500 (kicking off at 12:45 p.m. local time) gets delayed—which seems increasingly likely—Larson could miss his shot to race unless it’s pushed to Monday. The Indy 500 will be official after 101 laps, regardless.

Kyle Larson needs to be out of his Indy car by 4:15 p.m. US time if he’s to stand any chance of making the 6 p.m. start for the Charlotte 600. While fans are crossing their fingers for a smooth sequence of events, the odds are shaky. And it appears that racing legend Dale Jarrett is in the same boat, watching to see how the day unfolds.

Dale Jarrett on Kyle Larson’s ambitious double-duty attempt

Dale Jarrett, in a recent video on YouTube, got candid and talked about the things he would be looking forward to this weekend. Jarrett’s main focus this weekend is on Larson, who impressively secured a spot in the Firestone Fast-Six during one of the world’s toughest qualifying sessions, clocking a blistering average speed of 232.856 mph. Despite this feat, Jarrett remains uncertain about Larson’s ability to complete the grueling 1100-mile stretch.

Dale Jarrett isn’t just eyeing Kyle Larson’s skill set—he’s also considering the physical and mental demands of running two major races back-to-back. Larson dominated the Coca-Cola 600 in 2021 by leading 327 laps, a feat that Jarrett points out wasn’t just physically exhausting but also mentally grueling. “He’s going to try to go to Charlotte and maneuver 600 miles at Charlotte Motor Speedway in the Coca-Cola 600. […] Not sure he’s going to be up for that uh as far as getting it done it is a physically and mentally challenging race. And especially coming off one where you just run in your in first Indianapolis 500 providing that the weather is going to cooperate in Indy for him to make all this happen,” Dale Jarett remarked.

Adding to the complexities of Larson’s weekend, team owner Rick Hendrick expressed his readiness to prioritize NASCAR over IndyCar if adverse weather or logistical hurdles arise. Hendrick emphasized the significance of the Charlotte race for championship points, acknowledging the tough call that might be necessary. “We know we need to be at Charlotte for the points, and we’re just going to let it play out then we’ll make that decision Sunday. It’d be very tough, be very disappointing because of all the effort everyone has put in … He’s in such a good position, it would be extremely hard,” said Rick Hendrick.

Kyle Larson is the king of mile-and-a-half tracks in 2024, leading the pack with 11 consecutive leads. He’s a constant presence on these tracks, racking up 21 stage wins since 2021—his closest rival, teammate William Byron, has only five. Calling Larson a favorite might be an understatement; it’s a massive deal and a pivotal day in his career.

But despite these promising stats, not just Dale Jarrett and Rick Hendrick, but Larson himself seems pretty anxious about the hurdles that could throw a wrench in his ambitious double-duty plans.

The #5 driver shares his hopes and fears ahead of his Indy 500 run

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Kyle Larson’s getting ready for a hectic Indy 500 and shared his thoughts on the logistics of pulling off a double-duty day. Last week, NASCAR even pushed back the All-Star race by 15 minutes to help accommodate his schedule. Now, even he is crossing his fingers that they might do the same if needed this weekend.

When Bob Pockrass asked Kyle Larson about potentially winning the Indy 500 and rushing over to the Coca-Cola 600, Larson said, “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.”

Larson also opened up about his concerns, especially regarding the unpredictable weather. “You can look at the weather forecast and get worried now. I don’t know anything…I have no answers for you guys as far as decisions and all that. I don’t think anybody really does at this point. It just probably has to come down to game-time decisions…hopefully the weather gods work out for us and we can get both races in.” What do you think? Will Larson make it back to Charlotte in time if Rick Hendrick gives the green light?