(Reuters) – Kyle Larson will attempt the Indianapolis 500 and NASCAR Coca-Cola 600 double next year after announcing on Thursday he would join Arrow McLaren Racing for a one-off run at the famed Brickyard.
Larson, the 2021 NASCAR Cup Series champion, will become the first driver to attempt the double since Kurt Busch raced in both events in 2014.
Only four drivers have attempted the double of racing in Indy 500 in Indianapolis and flying to Charlotte, North Carolina to jump in a car and run the Coca-Cola 600 later that same day.
“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,” said Larson in a statement. “To do it with Arrow McLaren and Mr. Hendrick especially is a dream come true.
“I’m grateful for the opportunity and am really looking forward to it even though it’s still about a year-and-a-half away.”
Larson’s entry will be joint effort between McLaren and his NASCAR team Hendrick Motorsports.
While Rick Hendrick’s stock car teams have won a record 291 Cup Series races, the Indy 500 will mark Hendrick Motorsports first IndyCar series event.
“He’s a complete driver, known for racing anything on wheels, so I’m looking forward to seeing what Kyle can do in an IndyCar series car,” Zak Brown, the CEO of McLaren Racing.
“It’s been great working with Rick Hendrick and (Hendrick Motorsports vice chairman) Jeff Gordon to pull this together, so a big thank you to them for what’s to come in May 2024.”
McLaren have routinely added notable names to their driver lineup for the Indy 500, including twice Formula One world champion Fernando Alonso.
This year McLaren are fielding a four-driver team for the May 28 race known as “The Greatest Spectacle in Racing” — Mexico’s Pato O’Ward, Sweden’s Felix Rosenqvist, Brazilian Tony Kanaan, the 2013 Indy 500 winner, and American 2016 winner Alexander Rossi.
(Reporting by Steve Keating in Toronto, Editing by Ed Osmond)
