“The decision is already made”: Kyle Larson makes his feelings clear on the ‘priority’ between Indy 500 and Coca-Cola 600 

Kyle Larson recently appeared on Dale Earnhardt Jr.’s podcast, the Dale Jr. Download. The Hendrick Motorsports ace will attempt to run “The Double” for the second straight year. On that note, he told Dale Jr. exactly what his priority will be.

Running “The Double” refers to a driver taking part in the crown jewel Coca-Cola 600 and the Indianapolis 500 (IndyCar Series) on the same day. Without a doubt, it is an incredibly challenging feat to pull off, given that the driver has to run a combined 1,100 miles in a single day with two very different types of cars.

However, like last year, NASCAR is going to be the priority this year as well. Speaking of the same, the 2021 Cup Series champion said,

“This year is simple because the decision is already made, you know, like, Cup racing and NASCAR is the priority.”

Last year, rain delayed the start of the Indianapolis 500 by several hours. After it was all done and dusted, Kyle Larson flew to Charlotte Motor Speedway for the Coke 600 right after, but didn’t get in his No. 5 Chevy as NASCAR called the race after running 249 laps, again due to inclement weather. Recalling the same, Larson added,

“I hope it doesn't run into any of that but it's obviously something that you look at... I'll be staring at the forecast every single day like I was last year.“ (0:23 onwards)

Besides Kyle Larson, several drivers, including Robby Gordon, John Andretti, Kurt Busch, and Tony Stewart, have attempted to run “The Double” to this day. However, only Stewart has been able to pull off the task, finishing on the lead lap of both races.

That being said, Larson is currently vying for his second win of the season. His first one came at Homestead-Miami Speedway earlier this year. Next up for the Elk Grove native is the Food City 500 at Bristol Motor Speedway on Sunday, April 13.

The 500-lap race will be televised on Fox Sports 1 from 3 pm ET onwards. Fans can also listen to live radio updates on MRN and SiriusXM NASCAR Radio.

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Kyle Larson’s replacement for the 2025 All-Star Race qualifyings revealed

With the qualifying and practice sessions for this year’s NASCAR All-Star Race and the qualifying for the Indianapolis 500 scheduled for the same weekend, Kyle Larson will not be able to fulfill his NASCAR commitments. Kevin Harvick will serve as his replacement behind the wheel of the No. 5 HendrickCars.com Chevy.

The same was announced recently on NASCAR RaceDay. As per reports, Larson might even miss the heat races scheduled for Saturday, May 18.

“We've been trying to find drivers and stuff to replace me in the seat for practice," Larson said in an interview with FOX. "We decided to go with Kevin Harvick. He is going to practice the 5. The whole team is excited."

Notably, Kyle Larson is a three-time winner of the All-Star Race. He has won the event at three different tracks—Charlotte Motor Speedway, Texas Motor Speedway and lastly in 2023, North Wilkesboro. That one is a series record by itself.