NASCAR over the years has had some of the most iconic rivalries. It started with Richard Petty versus David Pearson and then transitioned into Dale Earnhardt versus Jeff Gordon. While there have been a few rivalries that have stood out in the modern era, they do not hold up against the might of these legends. But, with Kyle Larson representing the Chevy team and Christopher Bell riding out for Toyota, it looks like we finally have a match-up that might become NASCAR history.
Both drivers are equally skilled and have a similar trajectory in terms of development. They started their competitive racing career on the dirt tracks and are now dominating the ovals in NASCAR. Larson has three Chili Bowl wins to his name, a record which Bell held before this year’s mega event. The JGR driver bagged a golden driller at Tulsa Shootout, while Larson came through at the Super Bowl of midget racing.
Thanks to Joe Gibbs who lifted the ban for JGR drivers to compete in non-NASCAR races we were able to see Bell and Larson compete against each other on dirt. But, it looks like the Oklahoma native isn’t content with just dirt and is now eyeing an ambitious attempt to race in the Indy 500.
Christopher Bell wants to attempt the historic Double
“I do want to drive in the Indy 500. That is The Race, man! The Daytona 500, like that is – The coolest thing to me, I didn’t even realise as a kid growing up, about those two events. Those two events are outside of motorsports. Every NASCAR race, you have NASCAR fans that watch it. Daytona and Indy are the two events that you have global, worldwide, casual fans that don’t really watch racing, watch those two races, That’s what they know about, that’s definitely circled on my things to do.” Bell said this on Rubbin is Racing.
Although the likes of Carl Yarborough, Donnie Allison and Neil Bonnett have had a go at the iconic race, drivers have to pull double duty in the modern era. NASCAR has its crown jewel race clashing with the Indy 500 on Memorial Day. So, NASCAR drivers attempt to run the 1100 miles on a single day starting out in the open-wheel car at the Indianapolis Motor Speedway and then returning to Charlotte in time to get back in their stock cars. Tony Stewart is the only driver to have completed the double with the likes of Johns Andretti, Robby Gordon, Kurt Busch, and Kyle Larson all coming short of matching Smoke’s achievement.
Bell continued, “The Indy 500 is unique because there is a lot of practice for that event. I would hope that if I got a good ride and drove for a good team, I could get up to speed by the time the race starts. They’re at Indianapolis for almost a month of getting track time and stuff. Even before that, if you want to run the Indy 500, Larson had to go through qualification processes the year before. I know he did a test at Phoenix Raceway in an Indy Car. There’s a lot of seat time that you get before you get into the Indy 500 race.”
Larson is the most recent driver to attempt the historic double with the Arrow McLaren team. He was second fastest in the practice session, hitting 226.384 mph. Thanks to the routine sessions and seat time, the HMS star was able to bag a fifth-place starting position. Given how talented Bell is on different surfaces, he will be able to get up to speed on the open-wheel car if provided an opportunity.
But, the actual race didn’t turn out like Larson and his team hoped. A pit road mistake on Lap 184 spoiled the day for him as he had to contend with an 18th-place finish. To make matters worse, just as he reached Charlotte, the rain had played spoiler and the race was called official. And the driver that won the NASCAR race that day was none other than Christopher Bell.
It’s fair to say that Kyle Larson has some unfinished business with Indy 500 and he will look to make the most of the opportunity he’s got this year. However, this year’s Double attempt could jeopardize Larson’s Cup Series championship run if he prioritizes the race at Brickyard over the Coca-Cola 600.
Rick Hendrick and Co. will prioritize the NASCAR race over the Indy 500
The weather at Indianapolis Motor Speedway forced the start time of the Indy 500 by four hours. Larson was eager to make his debut and decided to snub the start of the Coca-Cola 600 race. Now, this is where things got tricky as the driver intentionally missed the NASCAR race thus forcing his team to get a waiver for him to compete in the playoffs.
NASCAR warrants their drivers to compete in all 26 regular season races to be eligible for the playoffs. A waiver was provided to those who had medical emergencies or were suspended from a race. But with Larson opting to sit out put his team in trouble, and while the waiver came, the communication from NASCAR was clear, and that was reflected in Rick Hendrick’s statement when they announced Larson’s second attempt for the Indy 500.
“We’re going to run the [Coca-Cola 600]. We will be here for the 600 if that means cutting the race short at Indianapolis because of my commitment to NASCAR. We’re in NASCAR, and that’s where we run for the championship. If the weather catches us, Tony [Kanaan] will get in the car.” Mr. H stated.
Well, NASCAR has also taken themselves out of the decision-making process here with a new playoff waiver rule. In case the driver decides to miss a Cup race, they will lose out on all the bonus points they’ve collected in the regular season. This new rule is labeled as the Kyle Larson rule as the waivers are now strictly reserved for family and medical emergencies.
The post Christopher Bell’s Years of Dirt Rivalry with Kyle Larson Spills Into Roger Penske’s Empire as He Eyes New Hunting Ground appeared first on EssentiallySports.