CHARLOTTE, NC – Kyle Larson will try to compete in the Indianapolis 500 next year with McLaren Racing, a partnership with NASCAR team owner Rick Hendrick.
McLaren and Hendrick’s surprise announcement on Thursday finally clears the way for Larson to the race of his dreams. It also makes him the fifth driver to run “The Double” on Memorial Day weekend, driving the Indy 500 and Coca-Cola 600 on the same day in Charlotte, N.C. in Carolina. John Andretti, Robby Gordon, Tony Stewart and Kurt Busch are the other NASCAR drivers competing in both races.
Larson has long voiced his desire to compete in the Indy 500, but he did not have a viable Chevrolet option for the 2023 “The Greatest Spectacle in Racing” this May.
His involvement with McLaren will make Hendrick co-owner and HendrickCars.com, the primary sponsor of Larson’s NASCAR journey.
“Racing in the Indianapolis 500 is a dream of mine and something I’ve wanted to do for a very long time — since I was a kid before I started racing sprint cars,” Larson said. “I’m grateful for the opportunity and I’m looking forward to it, even though it’s still about a year and a half away. I’m really looking forward to racing in both the Indianapolis 500 and the Coca-Cola 600 and maybe even getting a win or two that day.”
McLaren didn’t have room for Larson – or Kyle Busch – this year, as Arrow McLaren already has four cars at Indianapolis. The team expanded this year, adding 2016 Indy 500 winner Alexander Rossi to its roster and hiring 2013 Indy winner Tony Kanaan for the 500.
To make room for NASCAR’s 2021 Cup champion next season, McLaren has partnered with Hendrick, who is making his first IndyCar race as an owner. Hendrick Motorsports has won a record 291 Cup races and 10 NASCAR victories at Indy’s 2.5-mile oval.
Larson is entering his third season with Hendrick Motorsports and has been active in the Indy 500. Rick Hendrick loosened his stance on drivers competing in other series around the time he signed Larson, and teammate Alex Bowman will race the Chili Bowl sprint car in Oklahoma this week.
“It was important to equip Kyle with the highest level of equipment and give him enough time to prepare for such a difficult challenge,” said Hendrick. “As a car owner, it will be very, very special to show a Chevrolet in the Indy 500. We needed a collaboration like this to make it happen, and luckily the stars aligned.”
The 30-year-old Larson, who just welcomed her third child on December 31, has 19 Cup victories since her debut in 2014. He won the NASCAR all-star in 2019 and 2021, when he won 10 races and a single Cup win. The Elk Grove, Calif. native has more than 400 career victories in various series and disciplines.
“Adding Kyle Larson to the Indy 500 lineup in 2024 through our partnership with HendrickCars.com is exciting for our Arrow McLaren team and race fans alike,” said McLaren CEO Zak Brown. , so I’m excited to see what Kyle can do.”
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