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With a proven record as reigning Cup Series champion, Kyle Larson could be heading to the Indy 500 to do what he does best. The 29-year-old has always shown interest in racing there, but his team owner Rick Hendrick has always been against the idea, citing safety concerns.
In 2021, Larson had to give the IndyCar series a miss. Given how things are going at the moment, however, the driver might be the first from Hendrick Motorsports to race in the Indy 500. This comes after Jeff Gordon, Hendrick Motorsports vice-chairman, confirmed that Hendrick Motorsports was ready to let Kyle race in Indianapolis.
This was confirmed in a tweet by motorsport journalist Adam Stern, where he wrote:
“@JeffGordonWeb say that @ TeamHendrick is open to letting @Kyle LarsonRacin in the Indy 500, and Rick Hendrick added that he and Gordon are also eyeing another series to potentially enter Hendrick Motorsports into in the future on top of @NASCAR.”
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The 29-year-old driver of the Chevrolet #5 car is not only talented but also passionate and focused when it comes to racing. Despite having a successful career, Larson believes in waiting for the right time. While speaking to CBS Sports about his interest in racing at the Indy 500, he said:
“I would love to run the Indy500 someday. But I want to do it if the right opportunity was out there and I was out there and I was in a car I felt like was capable of winning with a team and crew that has a history of winning here at the Speedway.”
Despite Hendrick's approval, it is not going to be easy for Larson in the Indy 500 considering he has never driven those types of cars. According to the driver himself, he doesn’t want to race there just for the sake of racing but he wants to give himself a shot at winning. In 2017, one of his fans on Twitter asked him if he would ever participate in the Indy 500 and when. He had then replied, saying:
“I think so. Hopefully, I’ll get the courage in the next few years”
Judging from his recent races, he has all it takes to race in and win the Indy 500. The race, which is set to kick off on May 29, will also feature a veteran former NASCAR driver Jimmie Johnson, who is currently competing full-time in IndyCar.
Kyle Larson's career journey
Kyle Larson is a professional American auto racing driver, who drives the #5 Chevrolet Camaro ZL1 for Hendrick Motorsports. The 29-year-old has been quite successful on the dirt track, where he has won important events such as the Chili Bowl Nationals, Knoxville Nationals, and King's Royal. Larson is currently a full-time NASCAR Cup Series driver, where he won the 2021 championship.
In 2020, Larson was driving car #48 for Chip Ganassi Racing before the team unceremoniously fired him. He found himself in trouble after having uttered a racial slur during an iRacing event, thinking he had lost all communication.
Beyond the controversy, Kyle Larson has earned many laurels in the sport. In 2012 he was the NASCAR K&N Pro Series East champion, while also being named Rookie of the Year. In 2014, he earned Sunoco Rookie of the Year honors in the NASCAR Xfinity Series.
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