Larson Turns Attention to Indy 500 — After One More Sprint Car Race
KANSAS CITY, Kan. — Kyle Larson had barely finished celebrating his third NASCAR Cup Series victory of the season at Kansas Speedway when he declared his focus was shifting to the Indianapolis 500 and another shot at making history. But with no practice at Indianapolis Motor Speedway scheduled until Tuesday, Larson found room in his calendar for one more race.
Instead of immediately diving into Indy 500 preparations, Larson decided to make a pit stop in Kokomo, Indiana, to compete in a sprint car race Monday night. Only after that would his full attention shift to the “Greatest Spectacle in Racing.”
“He just never stops,” said Chad Knaus, vice president of competition at Hendrick Motorsports, which runs Larson’s No. 5 Cup Series car and is partnering with Arrow McLaren for his Indy 500 effort.
Racing is simply what Larson lives for. While his main focus remains the Cup Series and pursuing a second championship, he consistently fills his schedule with Xfinity races, Truck Series events, and dirt track appearances—like the High Limit Racing sprint car race at Lakeside Speedway on Friday night, where he escaped a frightening crash. He brushed it off and was back at the track the next day.
“The thing that’s always impressed me about Kyle is how calm he is,” Knaus said. “He doesn’t let things rattle him. He’s composed, never emotional or weighed down by setbacks.”
That composure was tested during last year’s Indy 500, Larson’s debut attempt at the grueling “Double”—running both the Indy 500 and NASCAR’s Coca-Cola 600 in Charlotte on the same day. A speeding penalty knocked him out of contention at Indy, but the bigger blow came from the weather. Rain delays in Indianapolis forced him to choose: stay and finish the 500 or leave early to make the Cup race. He chose to complete the Indy 500, earning Rookie of the Year honors, but missed the start in Charlotte and was ultimately rained out there too.
“There was nothing we could do once the weather hit,” Knaus recalled.
This year’s forecast looks more promising, and Larson heads into this critical stretch with strong momentum. His commanding performance at Kansas—leading 221 of 267 laps—put him atop the Cup Series standings. He’s also notched wins in the Xfinity and Truck Series and claimed a sprint car victory, along with several top-five finishes.
Despite the recent success, Larson remains level-headed.
“I don’t let one race carry over into the next day,” he said Sunday night. “Sure, I’d rather win going into a big stretch than have a bad finish, but it doesn’t really change much for me.”
Still, the next two weeks could define his season—and his career. He’s been looking forward to another shot at the Double all year.
“It’s going to be a fun two weeks,” Larson said. “I’m excited to work with Arrow McLaren again, learn more about the car, fine-tune our setup, and hopefully be in the mix at the end.”
