Minutes after the Coca-Cola 600 crash, Kyle Larson breaks silence on the crushing end to his Indy-Charlotte Double dream
Kyle Larson was poised to take on the grueling Double attempt this Memorial Day Weekend, starting with the iconic Indy 500 in an open-wheel car, followed by the Coca-Cola 600 later that evening on May 25. However, despite his preparation and determination, Larson’s day unraveled quickly, with setbacks compounding as the hours went by.
Larson began his Indianapolis 500 journey from P19, driving the #17 Arrow McLaren/Hendrick entry. Nearing the midpoint of the race, he spun out, triggering a multi-car incident that ended his day early with a P27 finish at the historic IMS oval.
Later that evening, Larson took on the Coca-Cola 600 at Charlotte Motor Speedway. However, his rough day continued as he crashed out during Stage 2, cutting his night short and adding to a frustrating outing for the former NASCAR Cup Series champion. After being released from the infield care center, the #5 driver shared his thoughts on a 'bummer' day of racing.
"I just saw smoke off of 4 and I tried to get left and didn't get far enough left and I think the 99 clipped me," he told @AlanCavanna. "Just a bummer way to end the day but it was a rough day all around for me."
Notably, Larson’s double attempt last year was disrupted by weather, as heavy rain delayed the Indy 500 by four hours, forcing him to miss the start of the Coca-Cola 600.
Driving the #5 Chevrolet for Hendrick Motorsports, Kyle Larson remains one of the most talented drivers in the field. Through 13 races this season, the 32-year-old has claimed 3 wins and 9 top-ten finishes, keeping him firmly in the hunt for the championship despite his recent misfortune at Charlotte.
Kyle Larson admits he got 'too eager' at Indianapolis following crash in the Indy 500
Kyle Larson's day at Indianapolis Motor Speedway came to an abrupt end after he crashed on lap 92 of 200 in the Indy 500. Larson's crash further collected a few more drivers, eventually ending his race with a multi-car wreck.
Following the end of the race, Larson reflected on what went wrong at IMS and expressed his emotions on not securing a better result, for causing the wreck and securing an underwhelming result for his team. (via NASCAR)
“I got a little too eager,” a disheartened Larson said. "Just made a mistake. I was really close to Takuma [Sato] and got kinda tight because I was really tucked up underneath him and as I peeked out left, just got loose and spun. I hate that I caused that crash there and hate it for everybody at Arrow McLaren and Hendrick Motorsports. A lot of people here to see a better result than that.”
Chip Ganassi Racing driver Alex Palou won the 109th running of the Indy 500, becoming the first ever Spanish driver to win the prestigious event.