Kyle Larson Returns To Indy

Photo: Joe Skibinski/Penske Entertainment

By Dennis Krause

The last time Kyle Larson was on track at the Indianapolis Motor Speedway, he won the NASCAR Cup Series’ Brickyard 400. This week he’s back as part INDYCAR’s open test in preparation for next month’s 109th running of the Indianapolis 500. Coming back now as a “500” veteran and a race winner at Indy hasn’t really changed the way Larson looks at the speedway.

“Yeah, I don't know. Because I'm here in INDYCAR, I feel like it's a totally different environment, so I haven't really thought about the Brickyard and winning that.

“But no, I mean, it is great to know that I've won here on the oval, and it would be even neater to win in INDYCAR now. But yeah, that Brickyard 400 was one of my most special wins for sure, just getting to win at an iconic venue like this with all the history between everybody who's raced here and won here.

“Yeah, it was an awesome experience, and looking to add to it hopefully next month.”

While he was 11th fastest on the speed chart in his No. 17 Hendrickcars.com Arrow McLaren Chevrolet at 223.430 miles an hour on Wednesday, it took Larson a little time to reaclimate himself to the speed of an Indycar.

“It doesn't seem like that long ago, and figured it would feel normal when I got back in, but it definitely took some getting accustomed to, so it's honestly good to go through the ROP (Rookie Orientation Program). I feel like it would be hard to commit to wide open anyway the first couple laps.

“Yeah, still just trying to get the hang of it. Definitely I feel like -- I haven't talked to any of the teammates yet, but I feel like it feels a little different handling-wise this year. I don't know if that's the hybrid stuff and the weight of that or what I'm feeling, but it feels a little different, so not quite the same balance that I had last year, so just got to kind of think through that and how you want to adjust to it, if you want to get it to a point like we were last year or not.

“Yeah, but overall I felt comfortable, but still a little rusty on things, small detail things, hitting buttons and trying to really get the dash setup to where it processes quick to my eyes and brain and little details like that.

“Good to get all that out of the way today, and hopefully tomorrow will go smoother.”

Before qualifying fifth and finishing 18th in his first attempt at the 500 last year, Larson had several on track tests and lots of simulation work. But Larson admits he hasn’t done any of that since stepping out of the car last May.

“Yeah, nothing really. Yeah, nothing at all. I didn't do any sim stuff. They have a new steering wheel, so I got molded for that. That's about all that I’ve done Indy related.

“You have so much track time here that you kind of can build into it anyway. Maybe if I got in the sim, buttons and all that would have been a little bit easier to kind of set up the way I wanted, but like I said, you have enough time here that I don't really feel like it's that necessary, and then the overall -- like sim, car balance I think for oval staff, it doesn't relate to real life. I think a lot of times you can just trick yourself in there. Even on the NASCAR side of things, I don't really use the sim.

“Yeah, I didn't do anything. But there's going to be plenty of track time to figure it out.”

One thing that is new for Larson since his last experience at Indy is the hybrid system, when to regenerate power and when to deploy it.

“Yeah, we messed around with it a little bit there. Hearing them describe it to me was a little bit confusing, but once I got out there and all that, it was okay. I didn't really feel like it does much of anything to help you. It definitely helps; it doesn't hurt.

“But it's not like you get this massive boost down the straightaway or anything like that. I feel like whenever I would hit it, I'd get like an initial kind of handful of horsepower and then it just flattens out to normal. You get kind of close and then you just kind of stall out.

“Then yeah, like I mentioned about the balance stuff, I don’t know if what I'm feeling there is due to the hybrid stuff. I think it's a fair bit heavier than last year and rearward, as well. I feel like that's what I might be feeling. But I just would like to talk to my teammates, see what they felt to see if it's similar.”

Earlier this year, Larson commented that doing the Indy 500 and Coke 600 on the same day was maybe a two-year chapter for him. Following last year’s rain delay at the “500” which prevented Larson from getting to Charlotte Motor Speedway in time to complete the double of racing in the NASCAR Coke 600 on the same day, team owner Rick Hendrick has stipulated that if the same situation arises again this year, Larson will leave Indy in time to start the race at Charlotte, whether the “500” is over, or not. Whether Larson will return to Indy next year for another shot has yet to be decided.

“I don't know. I haven't really had a sit-down discussion with anybody about that. So I don’t know. I can't really fully answer that.

“In my head, yeah, I'm going into this thinking it's at least for the time being, in the near future, the final Indy 500. But I am still young, and I mentioned on Dale Jr.'s Download

thing that maybe someday when I'm not full-time Cup and I can really devote all my mind to Indy, I'd like to do it again.

“But we'll see. If I happen to win the Indy 500, I'd probably just ride off into the sunset, too.

“I don't know, it's such a cool event. I think once you run it enough, I think, and you don't, you probably have a lot of FOMO and want to come back. It's hard to fully answer that right now.”

Dennis Krause has spent decades covering all forms of motorsports, including over 40 Indianapolis 500s, with stints at WIBA Radio, PIT PASS - Radio’s Premier Motorsports Magazine and Motorsports Minute. Follow him on X @DennisKrause500 or motorsportsminute.bluesky.social or motorsportsminute on Threads or Motorsports Minute + on Facebook.

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