“I kind of like the way things are” - Kyle Larson tackles hot topic of NASCAR practice as Indy 500 run approaches 

Amid the ongoing short practice displeasure inside the NASCAR paddock, Hendrick Motorsports driver Kyle Larson has put forth his thought process highlighting his nod for the current system.

Before the COVID-19 pandemic shut the world down, NASCAR used to have two to three hours worth of practice sessions. The long trial stints on the track enabled the drivers to give appropriate feedback to the team and allowed the crew to make the necessary tweaks then and there and send the car back on the track.

The hours-long car data help the teams to identify the lacking portion in their high-octane ride and eliminate them before kicking off the qualifying run. However, the post-COVID era in NASCAR has witnessed a drastic slash in the duration of the practice sessions.

Unlike before, each driver and car now has only 20 minutes to test and provide feedback, which has been criticized due to the limited interchange of critical information. However, being accustomed to dirt racing, Larson is used to less than 20 minutes of practice and holds a different point of view.

Ahead of his Indy 500 debut, the Californian shared his thoughts, saying (via Dirty Mo Media on X):

"Truthfully like 20 minutes is more than I'm used to in a dirt race. You know, we'll get that's three to five laps. [If] I feel like we have an advantage with our setups and stuff I would like no practice. I guess selfish but I don't know I kind of like the way things are."

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Kyle Busch takes a contrary approach to the practice drama than Kyle Larson

The 31-year-old HMS driver is used to kick off his dirt racing stint straightaway with just 3-5 laps worth of practice. So, the 20-minute practice schedule of NASCAR that's causing dismay to several teams might not be a big problem for Kyle Larson.

The current season has seen Kyle Busch bagging three top-10s and a solitary top-5, where he missed the Atlanta victory by a slim margin of 0.007 seconds over the winner Daniel Suarez. The Richard Childress Racing driver has found himself battling with his own #8 Chevy several times and believes that the new format of practice doesn't justify the very essence of what practice is as he's seemingly unable to capitalize from the 20-minute runs.

Speaking on the unjust duration set by NASCAR, the two-time Cup Series champion Busch opened up during an interview on the Pat McAfee Show, giving a different view than Larson, saying:

"Years prior, before COVID era, it always was like 2 or 3 hours of practice that you would have for a given weekend. So a lot more time to fine tune the cars, to work on the cars. Now when you show up to the track, you get in, you get a little bit, and there's not a whole lot you can adjust on the cars with the rules."