IndyCar driver Alexander Rossi has claimed that NASCAR superstar Kyle Larson is as good as Max Verstappen as the 2021 Cup Series champion attempts the 'Double Duty' this weekend. The Hendricks Motorsports driver has made a good start to the 2024 season and is currently placed at the top of the 2024 NASCAR Cup Series standings.
The 31-year-old has already won two races thus far in the Las Vegas and Kansas Spring races, with the latter getting the record for the closest winning margin in Cup Series history as Larson finished ahead of Chris Buescher by 0.001s.
Kyle Larson's NASCAR Racing Career
The California native started his NASCAR Cup Series career in 2013 with a short stint with the Phoenix Racing team at the Charlotte Motor Speedway to prepare for his debut season in 2014 and finished in 37th after an engine failure curtailed his race.
In his rookie season in 2014 with Chip Ganassi Racing, Larson showed his speed from the get-go and claimed a noteworthy performance at the Auto Club Speedway, finishing second behind Kyle Busch. He even won the Rookie of the Year Award later in the season.
After enhancing his skills further in the series for several seasons, he achieved sixth in the standings with the team in 2019, which included an All-Star Race win. Kyle Larson got suspended for using a racial slur during an iRacing event on April 13, 2020, eventually ending his tenure with the team and signing with Hendrick Motorsports on a multi-year deal in October.
Achievements
Kyle Larson got a new lease of life after signing for Hendrick Motorsports as he won his first Cup Series title and also finished on top at the Cup Series Regular season. He won ten races during the 2021 season which included the Coca-Cola 600 and Watkins Glen.
In 2023, he finished second in the standings behind a resurgent Ryan Blaney and lost the title by a single point. Larson has won the All-Star Race on three occasions in 2019, 2021, and 2023.
Why is Kyle Larson in the news?
Kyle Larson is attempting to win the Indy500 and the Coca-Cola 600, which is popularly known as the 'Double Duty' or the 'Memorial Day Double'. The Hendrick Motorsports driver will be the first driver since Kurt Busch in 2014 and fifth overall to attempt racing in two races on the same day.
He will race for the Arrow McLaren-Hendrick Motorsport in the Indy500 on Sunday, May 26, and would have to quickly make his way to the Charlotte Motor Speedway for the Coca-Cola 600 that starts two hours later.
Interestingly, Indy500 is one of the most prestigious races in the world and is part of the 'Triple Crown' which includes LeMans 24 hour and the Monaco GP, the latter of which will also be held on the same day on the streets of the Principality.
Alexander Rossi's comments about Kyle Larson and Max Verstappen
Former F1 driver Alexander Rossi stated that he believed that the NASCAR superstar was on the same level as Red Bull driver and current three-time world champion Max Verstappen.
Speaking with the Associated Press, the IndyCar star termed Larson 'The Man' and said that he and Verstappen are "on the same level which is like, yeah, that’s a pretty big deal.”