Kyle Larson’s dream of racing in the Indianapolis 500 turned into a bit of a nightmare. The 2021 NASCAR Cup Series champion faced weather issues that ruined his chance to complete the “Hendrick 1100”—competing in both the Indianapolis 500 and the Coca-Cola 600 on the same day, something not done since Kurt Busch in 2014.
Unfortunately, the weather didn’t cooperate. A lightning storm and heavy rain hit the Indianapolis Motor Speedway after 11 a.m. ET, delaying the start of the 12:45 p.m. race by four hours.
A lot of effort had gone into Larson’s first attempt at the Indianapolis 500, making it the day’s top priority. NASCAR team owner Rick Hendrick and Vice Chairman Jeff Gordon agreed, as they had invested significant time, effort, and resources into Larson’s Indy effort.
Because of the rain delay, Larson decided to start the Indy 500, meaning he wouldn’t be able to start the Coca-Cola 600 at Charlotte Motor Speedway.
Instead of starting the No. 5 Hendrickcars.com Chevrolet for the 400-lap NASCAR marathon, Kyle Larson’s stock car was driven by Justin Allgaier.
Rather than experiencing the joy of racing in his first Indianapolis 500, Larson felt overwhelmed with guilt, as he shared with NBCSports.com at the Indianapolis 500 Victory Celebration on Monday night. He felt he was letting down his entire Hendrick Motorsports NASCAR team and his many fans.
“It was going perfect until race day,” Larson told NBCSports.com. “That is what kind of gets me down.
“Race day just sucked. Honestly, yesterday sucked. I didn’t really enjoy any of it.
“Hopefully, we can get to do it again someday and really get to enjoy doing both races.”
There is a reason why so few drivers attempt to compete in two of the biggest races on earth on the same day. The Indianapolis 500, known worldwide, boasts over a century of history and tradition. The Coca-Cola 600, NASCAR’s longest race, is one of its biggest events and is held in Charlotte, North Carolina, the center of the NASCAR universe.
“It’s difficult, and I think it’d be easier to cope with if it was just a normal race day like normal events,” Larson said. “But when you’ve got two marquee events and one that impacts your season, it’s tough to get over. But I’m grateful for the opportunity. I’m grateful for even being able to have the shot to do it.
“Just wish the weather would have cooperated.
“I was just praying for an hour more of rain and it all would have been fine, but it just didn’t end up that way.”
Larson believes that if it had rained for just one more hour in Indianapolis, the Indy 500 would have been postponed to Monday. He could have then completed the full distance of the Coca-Cola 600 and returned to Indianapolis for the 500-Mile Race on Memorial Day.
However, with 347,000 fans packed into the Indianapolis Motor Speedway, every effort is made to run the Indy 500 on its scheduled date to avoid disappointing those who have invested heavily in attending the event.
By deciding to compete in the Indy 500 despite the four-hour delay, Larson couldn’t shake the overwhelming feeling of guilt.
“I don’t know if I ever quite fully got in the correct mindset,” Larson admitted to NBCSports.com. “I felt a lot of weight on me and a lot of guilt for not being able to be in two places at once.
“I just was never in the right mindset. I didn’t enjoy anything about yesterday.”
Not even the pre-race ceremonies, the drama, or the presence of Rick Hendrick, Jeff Gordon, and other major team executives, along with the photos taken with VIPs at his car on the starting grid, could alleviate the dreaded feeling within Larson.
“I just felt like we were all in a lose-lose situation with the weather and all that,” Larson said. “So, I’m really hopeful that everyone there had a good time.
“Even though it’s the biggest race in the world, it’s hard to fully enjoy it when you know you’re going to miss another one.”
While Larson felt guilty, Gordon was excited. As he walked on the starting grid to Larson’s car before the Indy 500, he told NBCSports.com that he had “goosebumps.”
“This is so cool and so emotional, and I know it’s going to be even more emotional once the pre-race ceremonies start,” Gordon said. “I’ve had goosebumps being at the Indianapolis 500 on race day and I know there are more to come.”
Larson had an almost flawless two weeks leading up to the 108th Indianapolis 500. He qualified fifth after making the Fast Six in qualifications and showed consistent performance in practice and time trials at Indy.
He quickly adapted to the high speeds, engaged with fans by signing autographs and taking photos, and participated in numerous media interviews and personal appearances, more than he typically would in a NASCAR Cup Series season.
Larson was a stellar ambassador at the Indianapolis 500, representing both NASCAR and the grassroots dirt track sprint car crowd.
These efforts earned him the 2024 Indianapolis 500 Rookie of the Year award, despite finishing 18th. He led four laps and was in contention for a top-five finish until he was penalized for speeding on pit road during a stop on Lap 131, which put him down a lap. However, he managed to fight back to the lead lap and complete all 200 laps of the race.
“The experience over these last couple of weeks is unlike anything I ever got to experience before,” Larson said when accepting the Indy 500 Rookie of the Year award. “The fan support was incredible. I felt like a fan favorite from the start.
“Having Rick Hendrick here was amazing. I just wish the whole plan would have gone better.”
Larson admitted he checked his phone every two minutes for weather updates, which added to his stress.
After finishing the Indy 500 at 7:45 p.m., he rushed to Charlotte Motor Speedway for the Coca-Cola 600 but was disappointed when the race was red-flagged for rain just 10 minutes after his arrival.
“There was still disappointment on Larson’s face as he returned to Indianapolis on Monday to collect his winnings for the 500,” the report noted.
Despite the challenges, Larson credited Arrow McLaren sporting director and 2013 Indianapolis 500 winner Tony Kanaan for helping him adapt quickly to the No. 17 Hendrickcars.com Chevrolet.
“Tony Kanaan was such a great asset to me,” Larson said. “It made the experience and the transition smooth. I hope to do it again someday.”
Reflecting on his father’s excitement, Larson said, “Ever since this deal got announced, I knew how excited my father would be. He had a great time over these last two weeks. He got to meet his hero, Mario Andretti, on the grid yesterday.”
“It meant more for me to race it for him than it did for myself.
“I hope and pray that I get another opportunity.”
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