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Christian Lundgaard has shared his expectations about having Kyle Larson as his Arrow McLaren teammate at the 109th running of the Indy 500 in May. He spoke highly of the NASCAR champ and emphasized that he couldn't be taken out of contention for the win.
Larson's debut at the Greatest Spectacle of Racing in 2024 was aided by Arrow McLaren partnering with Hendrick Motorsports. It was one-half of his attempt at The Double, i.e., completing 500 miles at the Indy 500 and 600 miles at NASCAR's Coca-Cola 600 on the same day.
Larson's performance at the premier IndyCar race was phenomenal. The No. 17 Chevy driver qualified in an impressive fifth on the grid and could've finished inside the Top 5 if not for engaging the wrong gear on a restart and getting a separate drive-through penalty for speeding on pit road. He eventually finished in P18.
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Christian Lundgaard, who joined Arrow McLaren in 2025, will have the 2021 NASCAR Cup Series champ as his third teammate for the Indy 500 this year. Speaking about what he expected to learn from Kyle Larson, Lundgaard said on the Pit Pass Indy podcast:
"At the end of the day, I've had to adjust to two new teammates, why not just three? The addition of Kyle, for me to get to experience what his thoughts are on IndyCar versus NASCAR, the difference in driving style, the difference in the type of racing."
The 23-year-old Danish driver elaborated on the tricky nature of racing at the Indianapolis Motor Speedway and how Kyle Larson was a competitor to look out for.
"Obviously, we don't do as much pack racing as I think we would sometimes want to. I think we see that on short ovals, which is always cool. But the superspeedways are tough, and I think he put down an extraordinary showing in 2024. So yeah, he's definitely a guy to look out for," Lundgaard added.
Lundgaard has become a driver to watch out for in the IndyCar championship this year. He has stood on the podium twice in three races, appears to be the most consistent Arrow McLaren driver, and is third in the championship standings.
Kyle Larson prays to the weather gods for a dry Indy 500 in 2025
Unrelenting rains played spoilsport during Kyle Larson's first attempt at The Double in 2024. The heavens opened on the morning of May 26, delaying the start of the Indy 500 for four hours.
Larson decided to stick around to complete the race instead of rushing to Charlotte for the Coca-Cola 600. By the time he completed the 500 and reached the Charlotte Motor Speedway, a downpour had begun, halting the NASCAR race. The officials eventually called it off without the Hendrick Motorsports driver getting to race for even one lap.
Kyle Larson spoke about his expectations of returning for the Indy 500 this year.
"I'm just excited to get back to IndyCar," Larson said via Indy Star. "It's the biggest race in the world, and cool to be part of that. Hopefully, we get some good weather and get to do both races this year."
Larson recently dominated the Food City 500 at Bristol on April 13 to take his second win of the 2025 NASCAR season.
