Kyle Larson’s highly anticipated attempt at completing ‘The Double’, running both the Indianapolis 500 and the Coca-Cola 600 on the same day, was never going to be an easy feat. But the challenge was part of the appeal. Representing Arrow McLaren at the Indy 500 and driving for Hendrick Motorsports in the NASCAR Cup Series, Larson became the first full-time Cup driver in a decade to attempt the historic 1,100-mile endeavor. His effort isn’t just a personal milestone, but also a logistical masterclass involving two elite teams and a tight, weather-sensitive travel schedule between Indiana and North Carolina.
This year, Kyle will not be taking any chances, like he did last year. In 2024, weather disruptions and scheduling conflicts made him fall short of completing his debut Double attempt, as rain delays at the Indianapolis Motor Speedway forced a late start to the race and Larson could not make it in time to Charlotte to start the Coca-Cola 600, which also resulted in him being replaced in his Hendrikc Motrosports #5 car. The weather in Indianapolis is expected to be cool, but showers forecast earlier in the week are now supposed to stay south of the Speedway. Larson joked during Saturday’s drivers meeting that last year he looked at the weather and it rained race day, so this year, he isn’t monitoring the forecasts.
While Larson prepares himself, his team has been working equally hard this year. “Our whole team is here, everybody, it’s just a big camaraderie thing for us and for Kyle just to be a part of it and show him support,” said Eric Ludwig, the jackman on Larson’s NASCAR crew. “We’ve got his back whenever we have the opportunity, and he does the same for us. It’s a really cool experience. Not everybody gets a chance to do it.”
But despite all the efforts, NASCAR is not making it easy for the ‘golden boy’ to conquer his dreams. While Larson was granted a playoff waiver that kept him eligible for the Cup title, NASCAR has since introduced a new rule that complicates things. They called Larson’s situation “uncharted waters,” and the new guardrails for playoff waivers will essentially force Larson to choose NASCAR over Indy. According to this new rule, if a driver misses a race in the way Larson did in 2024, they can still receive a waiver but will forfeit all of their playoff points. Which means that they won’t be able to hold onto any playoff points accumulated up to that point in the season, nor will they be able to acquire any future playoff points. They will start the knockout stages with zero bonus points.
This has been a matter of great concern for the driver, with too many things on his plate at once. If Larson misses the start of the Coca-Cola 600 because of the Indianapolis 500 again, he may still receive a waiver, but he would have to give away all 23 playoff points that he has earned in the 2025 season so far. This will also force him to lose the ability to acquire any future playoff points for the remaining season.
I think they’ll go as long as they can with Larson and then he’d just be forced to get out. New NASCAR rule says he would lose all his playoff points for the entire season so he really has no choice if he wants to run for the Cup title. https://t.co/aVBpc5awAh
— Jeff Gluck (@jeff_gluck) May 25, 2025
To make things worse, the start of the 109th running of the Indy 500 has been delayed by 30 minutes due to rain showers. Jeff Gluck explained how far the HMS and Arrow McLaren team could stretch this run, as they are already playing catch-up. “I think they’ll go as long as they can with Larson and then he’d just be forced to get out. New NASCAR rule says he would lose all his playoff points for the entire season so he really has no choice if he wants to run for the Cup title.” Fans couldn’t believe the luck their favorite driver has, and they just wanted him to go into damage control mode before his day gets worse.
Fans accept the reality of the fate that works against Kyle Larson
“Hang it up Larson-gonna be one of those years at Indy. Then when he gets to Charlotte he will be trying so hard he will end up wrecking,” wrote the fan. Now, even if he tries his best, there is a possibility he might end up in a crash or an accident. He is running against time to keep his hopes alive. But, with the weather already playing its role, fans believe that he could spoil his chances of doing well at Charlotte if he ends up with a disappointing finish.
And as if the NASCAR rules weren’t enough, IndyCar has also made Larson’s challenge a tricky one. The rules by IndyCar state that a driver who starts the race has to finish it, so Tony Kanaan, who has been named as the substitute driver for the #17 Arrow McLaren, cannot slip in and replace Larson if there’s a delay; they will have to retire the car. “I mean if he starts the race, and it gets delayed, by the rules, I cannot jump in the car. If he starts the race and then it rains or gets out, and he needs to get out. The car is parked,” said Kanan at the Dale Jr. Download podcast.
Indy 500 might be the biggest race, but is Larson willing to risk his championship to complete this race? Last year, he lost the regular season title by just a single point and he could’ve made the most of the buffer during the Martinsville race. Even HMS is aware about the detrimental impact of snubbing the NASCAR race, which is why they have been vocal about it from the start. “Thinking this is why Gordon has been running hard with the “he’ll be there” statements. Can’t afford to give up the any of the titles; regular season, championship or owners,” a fan added.
While a few fans voiced their frustration against NASCAR and the new rules that are in place, this fan took a realistic view of the situation. With the rain delay further pushing the conclusion of the race, the window that Larson has to travel back to Charlotte has already shrunk. “Larson should get out before it’s too late. It’s raining again, too. He has basically no time left by now.”
Some even suggested that there’s no point in starting the race knowing that he will have to quit it. At least Tony Kannan can drive the car and finish the race for the Arrow McLaren team. “At this point, might as well come down pit road and let replacement take over. Everything that can go wrong, is going wrong. What a huge disappointment.”
it is indeed a tricky situation for Kyle Larson to deal with. Given the delays and the what-ifs that are involved with this attempt, it is tough to see him complete the 1,100 miles, again.
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