Kyle Larson turns the Daytona 500 delay into a “straightforward” Indy 500 insight: "There wasn't much that I needed to learn"

Kyle Larson made the most of the Daytona 500 delay, giving an insight into his 2024 Indy 500 stint with Arrow McLaren. The Hendrick Motorsports driver drew parallels of open-wheel racing with NASCAR's NextGen racing, outlining that there wasn't much he needed to learn to prepare for the Indy 500.

The 67th running of the Daytona 500 was previously preponed by an hour, as a precautionary measure against the unstable weather conditions. However, the season-opener crown jewel race could barely run 11 laps when downpours forced the officials to red-flag the race.

Amid the delay, the 2021 Cup Series champion Kyle Larson sat in FOX's Daytona 500 booth and opened up about his Indy 500 stint. The HMS driver showcased a remarkable mettle in the qualifying, kicking off the race at the Indianapolis Motor Speedway from fifth place. However, due to multiple issues, the versatile motorsports driver succumbed to a P18 finish.

But Larson admitted he didn't feel IndyCar to be starkly different from NASCAR, and thus, didn't need to learn much before shining there.

"The race itself is very straightforward like a NextGen race. Kind of reminds me of a lot of this.. it's difficult to pass, you're saving fuel, you're trying to just shorten that pitstop, so there wasn't much I felt like I needed to learn," Larson said via IndyCar on Fox (0:48).

The Californian will make his second Indy 500 this year, with Arrow McLaren, majorly sponsored by HendrickCars.com.

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Kyle Larson opens up on what strategy he expects would be important amid the Daytona 500 delay

The iconic Daytona 500 is a lengthy superspeedway race. Thus, saving tires and fuel becomes critical for enduring the crown jewel race, something Kyle Larson pressed on to become an important factor in the 67th running.

Moreover, from the 11-lap run, the HMS driver found it difficult to overtake rivals in the initial eight laps, which could further worsen in light of the heavy downpour that has moistened the 2.5-mile oval.

Larson has several accolades like the Cup Series championship, and 29 Cup Series race wins, including three crown jewels - the 2021 Coca-Cola 600, the 2023 Southern 500, and the 2024 Brickyard 400 wins. However, his studded resume is still short of the Daytona 500 victory.

Do you think the Hendrick Motorsports ace can turn the fate around and claim the elusive Daytona 500 victory?