Motor racing-Larson will attempt Indy 500, NASCAR 600 twice in 2024

Jan 12 (Reuters). Kyle Larson will try the Indianapolis 500/NASCAR Coca-Cola 600 double next Year after announcing that he would join Arrow McLaren Racing to make a single run at Brickyard.

Larson, 2021 NASCAR Cup Series champion will attempt the double since Kurt Busch raced at both events in 2014.

Only four drivers attempted the double challenge of racing at Indy 500 in Indianapolis as well as flying to Charlotte, North Carolina to drive the Coca-Cola 600.

“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. It’s a dream come true to be able to compete with Arrow McLaren, Mr. Hendrick, and other drivers.

“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.”

McLaren’s entry in Larson will be a joint effort with Hendrick Motorsports, McLaren’s NASCAR team.

Rick Hendrick has won 291 Cup Series races with his stock car teams, but the Indy 500 marks Hendrick Motorsports debut IndyCar series.

“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 has regularly added prominent names to their driver roster for the Indy 500. This includes 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 from Steve Keating in Toronto. Editing done by Ed Osmond.