What Kyle Larson is about to attempt this weekend — at both Indianapolis Motor Speedway and Charlotte Motor Speedway — surely makes race car drivers everywhere envious. It’s a dream race day for many drivers, and Larson is the latest to make a go at it.
Sunday at 12:45 p.m. ET, Larson will be behind the wheel of the No. 17 Chevrolet as the green flag flies in his first Indianapolis 500. By 6 p.m. ET, Larson will be with his No. 5 Chevrolet stock car in Charlotte and ready for the start of the Coca-Cola 600.
If all goes well, Larson will be just the fifth driver to compete in the pair of races on the same day — also known as “The Memorial Day Double,” or just “The Double” — and if he finishes both events, he’ll join Tony Stewart as the only two drivers to complete all 1,100 miles.
It’s a daunting challenge, especially considering the Indy 500 will be Larson’s first IndyCar Series race ever.
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Full-time racing in NASCAR, Larson is usually behind the wheel of a hulky stock car — a stark contrast to IndyCar’s lighter, faster open-wheeled ride. But the 31-year-old former NASCAR champ is one of the most versatile drivers in the country, maybe the world.
So before Larson’s first Indy 500 attempt, For The Win spoke with three IndyCar drivers — Team Penske’s defending Indy 500 champ Josef Newgarden and 2024 Indy 500 pole winner Scott McLaughlin and Arrow McLaren’s Pato O’Ward, Larson’s temporary teammate — to see if they have any advice for the NASCAR driver joining them in The Greatest Spectacle in Racing.
These answers have been condensed and edited for clarity.
What do you think about Kyle Larson competing in the Indy 500 and then NASCAR’s Coca-Cola 600? He's not the first, but it's been 10 years since another driver has tried it.
Arrow McLaren/Rick Hendrick driver Kyle Larson (17) gets out of his car following his second run Saturday, May 18, 2024, during qualifying for the 108th running of the Indianapolis 500 at Indianapolis Motor Speedway.
Pato O’Ward, No. 6 Arrow McLaren Chevrolet: I have a lot of respect for Kyle just because the guy wants to drive anything that’s got four wheels on it. And I told him, ‘You’ll be just fine.’ So I think it’s super cool. And once I win the Indy 500 once, I’d love to try The Double. It’d be awesome.
Scott McLaughlin, No. 3 Team Penske Chevrolet: I think it’s awesome, but I think it’d be cool if an IndyCar driver did what he’s doing but going the other way. So, I’ve already put my hand up for that. Hopefully one day I could do that. That’d be pretty cool. But Kyle’s a tremendous racing driver, so fast and someone that I’ve always admired. And to be able to race wheel-to-wheel with him, it’s gonna be a lot of fun. …
It’s a big day. It’s physical. I know they’re talking to him already about maybe getting an IV drip and stuff like that just to rejuvenate yourself. It’s gonna be a hot day as well. It’s the peak of summer, but it’ll hopefully be a memorable one for him, and he’ll have a lot of fun.
Josef Newgarden, No. 2 Team Penske Chevrolet: I love that Kyle Larson is going to be there. It’s a big boost for all of us. The Indianapolis 500 is the biggest stage in motorsport, and you want to have the best drivers from all over the place competing in it. So Kyle adds to that mix, which is fantastic. He’s gonna bring a ton of interest, and I want to see more of it.
We want to see more [NASCAR] Cup [Series] guys try The Double — and vice versa! So I’d love to see IndyCar guys trying The Double from our side, come from IndyCar, try and go do the Coke 600 too. So we need more of it. I love that Kyle is doing it. It’s gonna be a huge boost. And let’s see if we can get more in the future.
You want to try to do it?
Kyle Larson cars are unvelied after an announcement that he is racing the Indy 500 and Coca-Cola 600 Sunday, Aug. 13, 2023, prior to the Verizon 200 at the Brickyard at Indianapolis Motor Speedway.
Newgarden: Oh, I very much want to do it. I am like, trying to position myself to do it one day. I don’t know when that would be or if it’ll ever happen. But I would love to do The Double at some point. … I think I’m in the right spot. But we’ve got to stay focused on our task, which is my priority. I mean, IndyCar racing, the Indy 500 itself — that’s what I’m focused on. But if we can add a layer to that in the future, I’m all for it.
What advice would you give to someone like him who's competing full time in a very different racing discipline?
Arrow McLaren/Rick Hendrick driver Kyle Larson (17) sits in his pit box Friday, May 17, 2024, during Fast Friday ahead of the 108th running of the Indianapolis 500 at Indianapolis Motor Speedway.
Newgarden: You gotta have a lot of respect for Kyle already. I think he’s very versatile. He’s one of the most versatile drivers in the world. So I think he’s probably best positioned to do The Double. I also think that transition, you can’t quantify this, but I think coming from the NASCAR side to IndyCar is probably a little more seamless than the other way around.
For whatever reason, I think it’s tougher to figure out the NASCAR side, coming from an open-wheeled car, you know? It’s easy to speed yourself up. At Indy, you gotta speed up from a stock car, and from Indy to a stock car, you gotta slow down. And so to slow your reflexes down and slow the process, I think that’s a tougher transition for people.
But for Kyle, he’s had so much experience jumping in and out of multiple forms of racing that I think he’s gonna do a great job. But he’s got to prepare himself for the unknown and race situations. He’s gonna see stuff in practice, and he’s gonna qualify the car when it’s really light, low downforce, going super fast. But when the actual race happens and you get in the mess, things change quickly, and when you don’t have the experience, it can cash you out. So I think for him, he’s got to watch out for those moments specifically.
May 16, 2024; Indianapolis, IN, USA; Arrow McLaren/Rick Hendrick driver Kyle Larson (17) heads into turn one Thursday, May 16, 2024, at Indianapolis Motor Speedway during practice in preparation for the 108th running of the Indianapolis 500. Mandatory Credit: Mykal McEldowney-USA TODAY Sports
O’Ward: I’d say, don’t feel bad about taking your time and getting up to speed. And by that I don’t mean like, wussy-pedal the car. But take your time in learning what it does in traffic and learning what it does with the draft because it’s a big difference when you’re behind eight cars versus just one or two cars.
McLaughlin: Look, I think there’s not much advice you need to give Kyle Larson. He’s a world-class racer. But I think learning the car as much as you can, take your time during the month of May to learn the Indy car, but try and get some rest as well. I’m sure it’s gonna be hard to be so excited, but, you know, a lot of racing in that month of May. But a guy like him, he’s used to doing a lot of racing, I think it’ll be just fine.
2024 Indianapolis 500 starting lineup
Team Penske driver Scott McLaughlin (3) holds up the trophy after winning pole position Sunday, May 19, 2024, during qualifying for the 108th running of the Indianapolis 500 at Indianapolis Motor Speedway.
McLaughlin won the 2024 Indy 500 pole on Sunday and will lead the field to green on race day. He’s joined by Team Penske’s Will Power and Newgarden on the front row, followed by Alexander Rossi starting fourth, Larson starting fifth and Santino Ferrucci starting sixth.
