CONCORD, N.C.— Kyle Larson will once again attempt the Indy/Charlotte double in 2025.
On Tuesday, all parties involved with this year’s venture believed there was “unfinished business” for the Hendrick Motorsports and Arrow McLaren teams, given that Larson never completed the task due to rain.
The 32-year-old racer will revive his role in the No. 17 Arrow McLaren Chevrolet for the Indianapolis 500 and return to Charlotte Motor Speedway where the No. 5 Chevy will be waiting for Larson to run the Coca-Cola 600.
“My goal is to complete 1100 miles,” Larson said with a laugh. “To get to do both races is really important to me. We didn’t get that chance this year, unfortunately, due to weather. Just want to do what the others have done—who’ve attempted the double.
“So super grateful for the opportunity, once again. So thank you to Mr. H and everybody at Arrow McLaren as well for getting this deal together for me and let me try and live out another dream of doing the double. It was really cool to do the Indy 500 this season but for me, it’s all about the 1,100 miles.”
In May, Larson qualified fifth for the Indy 500 and finished 18th, after being hit with a pit road speeding penalty. Team Penske’s Josef Newgarden won the Indy 500. Arrow McLaren’s Pato O’Ward finished second. When Larson finally arrived at Charlotte Motor Speedway, the storm that delayed the IndyCar race dashed any hope he had to drive the No. 5 Hendrick Motorsports Chevrolet.
“We have some unfinished business to try and win the Indy 500 and of course the NASCAR race a couple of hours later,” said Zak Brown, COO of McLaren Racing. “To be partnering with Mr. H and Hendrick Motorsports—being sponsored with HendrickCars.com, working very closely with the legendary Jeff Gordon and having a current legend in our race car in Kyle Larson is a privilege and an honor.
“We’re very excited to do it along with Chevrolet, who is both of our partners, is very important and excited to put on an even better show then I think we did this year.”
Brown, who oversees both the IndyCar and F1 operations, described the partnership as “seamless.”
“We benefitted, we learned from each other,” Brown added, “If we look back at Year 1, it went really well. When we brought in Fernando Alonso (2020), which is probably the best comparison because he was another driver who had never driven in IndyCar. I consider Fernando to be one of the best drivers in the world, and Kyle matched him—every bit the talent around Indianapolis Motor Speedway. So, the job Kyle did on track was amazing.”
Justin Allgaier started the race for Larson and was running 13th when the skies opened. Although Larson was at the track and waiting in his team’s pit box to jump in the car, the opportunity never came. After 249 laps, NASCAR called the race due to weather. Christopher Bell was leading the Coke 600 and declared the winner.
If the pain of missing the race weren’t enough, NASCAR made Larson stew while they decided whether or not the No. 5 team would receive a Playoff waiver after not running in all 26 races leading up to the postseason.
Team owner Rick Hendrick made it clear the company’s priority in 2025 was to ensure Larson would be at Charlotte Motor Speedway for the start of the 600. He feels NASCAR was put “in a box” when asked to provide a waiver—and Hendrick never wants to go through that again.
“We will be here for the 600,” Hendrick said. “If that means having to cut the race short in Indy, we will because my commitment to NASCAR is that we’re in NASCAR and that’s where we run for the championship.
“So if weather catches us, Tony (Kanaan, 2017 Indy 500 winner and Larson’s coach) will get in the car.”
For Hendrick, who has participated in NASCAR for 40 seasons, attending his first Indy 500 was mind-blowing. He referred to the experience as “a bucket-list deal.”
“It worked out really well for Hendrick cars and it was a real honor to be it at Indianapolis,” Hendrick said. “I think this year I won’t be quite as nervous as I was last year walking in, but Roger Penske and the track welcomed us with open arms and NASCAR supported us.
“I think it was good for both organizations. It was unfinished business and we’re looking forward to it. Zak and his team, I know I had run extra cars before in my career, and I didn’t expect to have the quality. I should have but Arrow McLaren gave us exactly the same equipment that they were racing…the speeds were there and the team was just as motivated jacked up excited as we were.
“It couldn’t have been a better marriage going into that race and weather just cost us a lot.”
Larson’s experience the Greatest Spectacle in racing—was just that. Now, he wants to accomplish the full mission in May.
“They did a great job preparing amazing race cars,” Larson said. “Everybody was fast—and great to work with as well. It was fun to be competitive right off the bat. I recognized early on that we were going to have a lot of car speed. The balance was very neutral, too. That made my stress level much lower and allowed me to focus on things to get better behind the wheel.
“I think things will be a little different next year with the hybrid…but I believe we will be just as competitive next year.
“The next time around will be a lot smoother and we’ll get to live out a dream of completing 1,100 miles..
HENDRICK ADDRESSES HMS’ DECISION TO SIGN NEW CHARTER AGREEMENT:
Hendrick Motorsports was one of 13 owners to sign the latest—and final—charter proposal scripted by NASCAR before last Friday’s deadline.
As one of only two organizations along with Joe Gibbs Racing to be grandfathered in with four charters, Hendrick felt it was in his company’s best interest to move on.
“We worked hard on it for two years and you’re not going to make everybody happy,” Hendrick said. “It got down to—I was just tired. I think we got enough to protect the charters. Not everybody was happy but with any negotiation, you’re not going to get everything you want.
“But I felt like it was a fair deal. We protected the charters—which was number one. We got the (revenue) increase. A lot of the things we didn’t like, we got taken out.”
As for holdouts 23XI Racing and Front Row Motorsports, Hendrick replied, “I don’t have a dog in that fight.”
“I’ve had so many meetings about the charters. The majority of the teams felt like we got as much as we could and it’s time to move on. Good luck to them—and I’m not being a smart ass either.
“They feel very strong about their position and where they are. I’ve had no conversations with NASCAR or anybody to know what the reaction from NASCAR was…If NASCAR changes anything for those two teams, it will go across the board. I’m pretty sure about that. That would be the right things to do.”
Follow Lee Spencer on Twitter @CandiceSpencer or email her at: [email protected].
