Kyle Larson’s ambitious Double Duty attempt was meant to be something special. Fans from both NASCAR and IndyCar, along with Hendrick Motorsports loyalists, were glued to their screens, hoping to witness history. But a 35-minute weather delay again threw everything off track, and at Indy, Larson’s debut ended early after a crash on Lap 91. Once again, his dream was put on hold.
“Just hate that I got a little too eager on the restarter. Hate it for everybody else,” Larson was heard blaming the restart strategy after the crash. But is it the rain?
The travel time between Indianapolis and Charlotte is about 45 minutes by air, but with the Indy 500 delayed by rain for 35 minutes, Larson’s tight window became even tighter. When the race finally got underway, he was buried deep in traffic on a slick track. Just as he was trying to make up ground, a downshift unsettled the car, sending him spinning into the outside wall. And, just like that, his another attempt was over. Though technically, he did start the Indy 500, but the big question remains: how would he have made it to Charlotte in just 15 minutes?
While Larson has sort of hinted with a question about the double’s worth, Dale Earnhardt Junior, too, has extremely strong thoughts about whether Larson should even try this again.
“I’m sure he feels exactly the same way. He hasn’t done the double. He’s not gonna be satisfied until he can get to the finish line to with great results in both races.” Junior said as he sat down with Jordan Bianchi in one of the Dirty Mo Media episodes.
Now, we understand what junior means when he talks about the satisfaction, especially when the toughest challenge in motorsports is in question. And let’s not forget what the only driver to complete the double noted when he first completed the challenge. “It requires two, three years” to be truly competitive with the top drivers,” Tony Stewart said back in 2001.
Further detailing out the bare possibility, even if Larson would have finished the Indy 500, Dale Jr added, “The 45 minute buffer? That’s just one part of the logistical nightmare.”
So, maybe this becomes part of Kyle Larson’s learning curve. With the Indy 500 president and Mr. H likely to revisit the guidelines, there’s hope that a smoother attempt could be in the cards next year. But for now, the sting is real. Larson’s disappointment is hard to miss; he knows how much went into this effort, and to have it slip away so suddenly, he feels terrible.
“I hate the way the day went. I wish I could hit the reset button. I feel terrible for everybody, especially for (car owner) Rick Hendrick. The Double is a tough undertaking. The window of time is just too tight,” the HMS driver said.
However, for Dale Jr., it’s not just a matter of endurance but also of priority. And, he’s deeply concerned about Larson’s Cup Series stats.
For those who don’t know, Larson sits 29 points behind teammate William Byron. Imagine his Charlotte run wasn’t affected by that Lap 246 crash, or he didn’t finish P37, or instead any better, above P10, the points gap would be different. And, Dale Jr. is worried exactly about that. His Cup Series Championship.
“I won’t be that excited about an announcement (to do it again). I’ll be more like – c’mon man, let’s just go with the 600.” Dale Jr believes that Kyle Larson should just continue doing what he does best, bringing the number 5 to victory and getting that championship cup home. And let’s accept that the advice holds weight. It comes from one of the greatest sports veterans. You never know, maybe Junior got a similar one from the Intimidator back in the day.
Big Update on Larson working with McLaren in 2026
Let’s just accept that this year’s double didn’t just test Larson’s stamina, it pushed the limits. And, it looks like after crashing out of both the Indy 500 and the Coca-Cola 600, he has made up his mind.
“ I haven’t really thought about it much. The Double is just kinda hard to do logistically… after the race, I realized I wouldn’t even have been able to finish the whole thing. The windows are too tight,” Larson exclaimed post-race.
Though disappointed, Larson didn’t close the door on his open-wheel dreams. “There’s a lot that goes into it, and I don’t think The Double would happen again,” he admitted, before quickly adding, “ but hopefully someday I can run the 500 again. I definitely wanna do that.”
McLaren racing CEO Zak Brown has also expressed strong admiration for Kyle Larson’s versatility and performance time and again. In response to Larson’s post regarding the disappointing end on X, Brown remarked, “ Dude, apologize for nothing. You drove like the champion you are. Team loved working with you and would love to do it again. No doubt you can win it! You’re a special breed!”
While the door to the same-day double might be closing, another might quietly be opening. Larson may not have finished either this time. But don’t be shocked if a call from McLaren puts him back at the Brickyard, and he joins Tony Stewart, becoming the 2nd driver in motorsports history to finish 1100 miles in a day.
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