"It's going to be crazy" - Kyle Larson looks forward to Indy 500 qualifying as he prepares for next year's Memorial Day Double

2021 NASCAR Cup Series champion and driver of the #5 Chevrolet Camaro ZL1 Kyle Larson is the latest driver from the world of stock car racing to attempt the Memorial Day weekend double.

The Hendrick Motorsports driver has showcased his ability behind the wheels of several different genres of cars, ranging from NASCAR's nationwide series to grassroots dirt-track racing.

Looking to expand his horizons past the intricacies of NASCAR, Larson is set to challenge in arguably the biggest racing spectacle on the planet next season. Making his open-wheeled debut with Arrow McLaren SP in the NTT IndyCar Series, Kyle Larson will be gunning for a 2024 Indy 500 victory next year.

Familiarizing himself with the neck-breaking speeds of savage open-wheeled machinery at the brickyard, the California native was recently seen getting his first taste of IndyCar. Larson was seen in the Rookie Orientation Program this week.

Kicking off his debut well before the main event, the test program is compulsory for all entrants to get up to speed with IndyCar. As he slowly started building up speed through the track's four corners, Kyle Larson could not help but wonder what qualifying trim for the Arrow-McLaren machine would feel like.

In a press conference after the test, he told Bob Pockrass:

"When you go into qualifying trim, that's when it's going to be crazy. I think going another 20 miles an hour faster, from 220 (mph) to 240-plus is probably a big difference in sensation. So I'll get to experience that next year."

Indy 500 winner Tony Kanaan all praises for Kyle Larson after rookie test

NTT IndyCar Series champion and winner of the 2013 Indy 500 Tony Kanaan was one driver who seemed impressed by Kyle Larson's versatility.

Known to race in all sorts of series such as Sprint Cars to Late Models and everything in between, Kanaan was impressed by how well the Hendrick Motorsports driver could adapt to each discipline.

Heaping praise onto the 31-year-old Kanaan said (via indystar.com):

"It does make my life a lot easier when you have a superstar (driving for you), so that does make me look good. He’s a complete race car driver. Probably out of his generation, the best I’ve seen." -

Larson will be focused on the NASCAR Cup Series challenge this season, with the first race of the Round of 8 taking place at the Las Vegas Motor Speedway this Sunday.