Kyle Larson makes his feelings known on differences between NASCAR and IndyCar cockpit

Racing in IndyCar can be distinctly different from NASCAR, and Kyle Larson recently spoke about this contrast. The 32-year-old recently shared his thoughts on what he considers to be the key differences between the cockpits in both series.

The 2021 NASCAR Cup Series champion is gearing up to compete once again in the upcoming Indianapolis 500, and ahead of the event, the California native shared his thoughts on various aspects of his venture into IndyCar racing.

Speaking on the Dirty Mo Media podcast with Dale Earnhardt Jr., alongside Arrow McLaren team principal Tony Kanaan, Larson discussed several topics, including his adaptability to the IndyCar racing series. Quizzed about what he considers the main difference in the cockpits of the two cars, Larson stated:

“I mean, obviously the cockpit’s way narrower. I mean, you're just—you're sitting in there, and I didn’t really feel like you're laying down as much as I thought you would feel, but your legs and all that are, like, together."

"Not that that's uncomfortable or anything—it’s just different. Somebody's buckling you in because you can't really—like, you can't move your arms and stuff the way you need to, so somebody’s buckling you in every time,” he added (36:22 onward).

Kyle Larson is one of the few drivers to have competed across several racing categories. Aside from making a name for himself in the NASCAR Cup Series, the 32-year-old has also been involved in the Xfinity Series, the ARCA Menards Series, and the Chili Bowl Nationals, among others.

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Tony Kanaan speaks on Kyle Larson's adjustment to IndyCar

Kyle Larson during the 108th running of the Indianapolis 500 - Source: Getty

Tony Kanaan also spoke about how he ensured Kyle Larson adjusted seamlessly to the demands of IndyCar racing. The Hendrick Motorsports star made his debut in the American open-wheel racing series with Arrow McLaren in 2024.

Kanaan explained that his decision to take over radio communication between Larson and the pit wall played a major role in aiding the driver's swift adjustment to IndyCar. The former Brazilian motorsports driver, speaking on the podcast, stated:

“We'll go through it, but to me, before—the engineers were trying to, like, give him all this information. I told them, just relax. Let me talk to him like a driver. You guys stay out of it. What do you need? And even on the radio, I said to Kyle, ‘Look, we have the front bar and the rear bar.”

“I gave him the technical part, but I said, ‘Don’t worry about it. If the car feels like that, ask.’ That’s all I did—I filtered everything out to help him deal with and understand the situation,” he added (19:30 onwards).

The efforts of the Arrow McLaren team principal clearly paid off, as Kyle Larson—on his IndyCar debut at the Indy 500—qualified in fifth place and led several laps on race day. However, a pit lane infringement penalty saw him tumble down the order, ultimately finishing his debut race in 18th place.

Larson will now have his sights set on an even better outing as the 2025 edition of the “Greatest Spectacle in Racing” draws near.