NASCAR Cup Series champion Kyle Larson will race 2024 Indy 500, attempt ‘The Double’

Kyle Larson will compete in the Indy 500 in 2024.

The 2021 NASCAR Cup Series champion and Mooresville resident announced Thursday that he will join McLaren Racing’s lineup for the 2024 edition of the Indy 500. Per a release from Hendrick Motorsports, the Chevrolet entry will be co-owned by Rick Hendrick and carry title sponsorship from HendrickCars.com.

This will be Larson’s first run in the Indianapolis 500. He will thus run “The Double” — the Indy 500 and Coca-Cola 600 at Charlotte Motor Speedway — in the same Memorial Day weekend. He will join a group of drivers who have done The Double, among them: John Andretti, Tony Stewart, Robby Gordon and Kurt Busch. None has ever won either leg.

Larson, 30, said in a release that running in the Indy 500 is something he has wanted to do for a long time.

“I’m super excited,” Larson said. “Competing at the Indianapolis 500 is a dream of mine and something I’ve wanted to do for a very long time — since I was a child before I ever began competing in sprint cars. To do it with McLaren and Mr. Hendrick especially is a dream come true.”

This story was originally published January 12, 2023 at 2:02 PM.

Alex Zietlow

The Charlotte Observer

Alex Zietlow writes about the Carolina Panthers and the ways in which sports intersect with life for The Charlotte Observer, where he has been a reporter since August 2022. Zietlow’s work has been honored by the Pro Football Writers Association, the N.C. and S.C. Press Associations, as well as the Associated Press Sports Editors (APSE) group. He’s earned six APSE Top 10 distinctions for his coverage on a variety of topics, from billion-dollar stadium renovations to the small moments of triumph that helped a Panthers kicker defy the steepest odds in sports. Zietlow previously wrote for The Herald in Rock Hill (S.C.) from 2019-22. Support my work with a digital subscription