Is Rick Hendrick paying McLaren for Kyle Larson’s Indy 500 seat? Exploring the financials of HMS’ collaboration 

Kyle Larson is set to reattempt the Indy-Charlotte Double after failing to complete his debut 1100-mile run. The Hendrick Motorsports driver finished the Indy 500 but couldn't make it to the Coca-Cola 600 race on time, and, as a result, missed the crown jewel race.

HMS and Arrow McLaren announced on Tuesday, 10 September, that the 2021 Cup Series champion will give another shot at the Memorial Day Double. The owner of HMS, Rick Hendrick, will sponsor and own the #17 HendrickCars.com Arrow McLaren Chevrolet, in which Larson will run the 109th edition of the Indy 500 race.

When Kyle Larson debuted in the Indy 500, Hendrick reportedly paid $3 million for the former's open-wheel entry and owned the ride. Once again, the billionaire NASCAR Hall of Famer and Hendrick Automotive Group Chairman and CEO will be having ownership of the car, slated to run in 2025. Moreover, Rick's HendrickCars.com sponsored the Californian's Indy 500 debut and would do the same in the upcoming second attempt.

Hendrickcars.com has been sponsoring Larson since he joined the team in 2021. Hendrick outlined that his investment during the 2024 Indy 500 massively paid off, with a three-fold return.

“Kyle had a great month of May and showed what a gifted race car driver he is. From a sponsorship perspective, we saw an incredible lift for HendrickCars.com and measured a three-to-one return on our investment," Hendrick said via HMS' official release.

"It was a monumental effort by all involved, but we didn’t have the opportunity to see it through (because of inclement weather). Everyone learned a great deal that we’ll take into next year. Now that we’ve experienced it once, we know what to expect, which can only make us better and more prepared," he added.

As rain delayed the Indy 500's finish, the Coca-Cola 600 at Charlotte Motor Speedway kicked off, by the time Kyle Larson wrapped his open-wheel run. The HMS driver flew to Charlotte, and the race was red-flagged due to inclement weather. However, heavy downpours prompted the officials to call off the race and Larson couldn't even run a single lap.

"We have unfinished business": Kyle Larson on his second attempt after debut Memorial Day Double ended with a double whammy of setbacks

Kyle Larson showcased a promising performance during the qualifying run and stood fifth fastest. The Arrow McLaren driver led four laps and was the frontrunner with just 21 laps left until the checkered flag dropped.

However, the domination he gained when others pitted soon went away as he was asked to pit for service with 17 laps remaining. As a result, Larson finished 18th while Josef Newgarden won his second consecutive Indy 500 race.

“I really enjoyed the Month of May in Indy and racing with Arrow McLaren, but I was really disappointed with missing the Coca-Cola 600 with the No. 5 HendrickCars.com team. I appreciate the second opportunity because we have unfinished business. I really want to complete all 1,100 miles, and I think we have the opportunity to battle for the win in both events,” Larson said ahead of his second attempt via IndyCar.

Justin Allgaier filled in for Kyle Larson at Charlotte and was ready to switch when the race went green. However, rain didn't let that come to fruition and the HMS driver missed the regular season race.

Thus, according to NASCAR's rule, his playoff spot was in jeopardy, as, a driver has to compete in all regular-season races to be eligible for the playoffs. Nonetheless, Larson received a waiver and is fighting for the championship.