Kyle Larson’s got that “never back down” kind of energy. Whether it’s wheeling a Cup car on a Sunday afternoon or jumping into an IndyCar at 230 mph, the guy’s not afraid of a challenge. But even with all his talent and trophies, the Indy 500 didn’t exactly roll out the red carpet for him last year.
Now, as he gears up for a second shot at racing’s wildest weekend — the legendary “Double” featuring 1,100 miles in the Indianapolis 500 and the Coca-Cola 600 — Larson’s looking back on what went wrong the first time, and how he plans to fix it.
Kyle Larson on His 2024 Indy Struggles
For fans who remember, Larson made his much-anticipated Indy 500 debut in 2024. He teamed up with Arrow McLaren and gave it his all, but the car just wasn’t playing nice.
“Hopefully, we will continue to get comfortable in the car,” Larson recently shared in a pre-practice interview. “And then in the practice, I think we can work on the handling a little more than I did last year. Last year, I had a bit of understeer in traffic. I wish, I could go back and get our car turning a little bit better.”
It starts now pic.twitter.com/N2dsAApZaE
— Kyle Larson (@KyleLarsonRacin) May 13, 2025
In simple words, “understeer” basically means the car was stubborn to turn around corners. Instead of gliding through turns, it kept pushing wide, which made Larson feel like he was fighting the car instead of working with it.
Despite his best efforts, he ended up finishing 18th last year. Not terrible, but definitely not what he had in mind. And to add more fuel to the frustration, the Indy 500 got delayed by rain and caused him to miss the start of the Coca-Cola 600, ending his dream of completing “The Double.”
New Year, New Car, Same Determination
This year, Larson’s back — and it’s clear he’s not done chasing greatness. He’s still with Arrow McLaren in IndyCar, while continuing to crush it in NASCAR with Hendrick Motorsports. Just last week, he dominated Kansas, leading 221 of 267 laps and grabbing his third Cup Series win of the season.
But it’s not all glory and checkered flags. During the Indy 500 Open Test, Larson had a bit of a moment when he spun coming out of Turn 1 and crashed his car, reminding him that Indy doesn’t forgive mistakes. He ran 45 laps at the first practice session on May 14 and finished 24th on the speed chart, with a lap of 221.207 mph.
Larson’s not discouraged. In fact, he’s locked in on making the car feel more balanced this time around. And honestly, if there’s anyone who can figure it out, it’s Larson.