Despite a Decline in Performance, Kyle Larson Has Expectations Set From His Return to the Indy500

Kyle Larson is remaining unfazed. While many fans are wondering how ‘Yung Money’ will handle his second attempt at racing 1,100 miles in one day, the 32-year-old is simply hoping to make the most out of the opportunity at his disposal. Larson is so focused that even wrecking twice while preparing for the Indianapolis 500 hasn’t dampened his hopes one bit, even though doing ‘The Double’ will take a physical and mental toll on his body. As things stand, the California native is taking it all in his stride, one step at a time.

His performance in qualifying may not have been ideal, but the racer is remaining upbeat ahead of ‘The Greatest Spectacle in Racing’. Could he potentially become the second driver ever to complete all 1,100 miles at two iconic racing events? Time will tell. But it certainly looks that way, going by how things are progressing.

Kyle Larson is focused on the positives

It was never going to be easy. Friday’s IndyCar practice session featured several close calls and nervy moments as drivers struggled to find the right balance at ‘The Brickyard’. Kyle Larson and his No. 17 Arrow McLaren Chevrolet made his first mock qualifying run with just 90 minutes to go, but never got to complete a lap. While entering Turn 3, his car bottomed out, and Larson lost control, going on to slam nose-first into the outside wall before backing into the Turn 4 wall as well.

Things didn’t get much easier during qualifying either. After a hectic day, Kyle Larson managed to finish 21st in qualifying, a result that left much to be desired. Sharing his experience, the racer told Bob Pockrass, “It was fairly comfortable I would say. Just slightly less comfortable than what I felt last year in qualifying. I just had a little bit, kind of a free moment into 2 on the last lap but other than that, it felt pretty balanced. I was happy with that. Obviously, with the balance comes a little bit lack of speed, but at the same point, I didn’t crash. That was a plus for how we made in qualifying.”

Last year, Larson finished 18th at the Indianapolis 500, a result he’ll aim to improve on this time around. Identifying what went wrong in 2024 and needs to be worked on this time around, the California-native said, “I had a bad restart early last year and fell back to probably near that position, and we had to fight our way forward. Just execute some good laps, and we’ll have a good result.” That’s easier said than done, though, but the 32-year-old needs to make this opportunity count, especially because it could be his last ‘double’ attempt in some time.

Kyle Larson on how his car felt in qualifying and starting in Row 7 — the middle of the pack. @IndyCarOnFOX pic.twitter.com/9JPHCMBqs6

— Bob Pockrass (@bobpockrass) May 17, 2025

Larson needed two runs to qualify in 21st place, even though both the qualifying attempts would have been enough to earn him a starting spot in the top 30. However, with an average speed of 230.053 mph, his first run would have slotted him in 29th place, but now he can bypass Sunday’s qualifying in favor of NASCAR’s All-Star Race at North Wilkesboro Speedway. Despite the stakes being high, the 32-year-old isn’t feeling the pressure, as he said, “I want to do both races, and try to do a good job and have fun with everything.”

Arrow McLaren team principal praises Larson

Kyle Larson seems to have slotted in seamlessly. Despite being a NASCAR driver, ‘Yung Money’ has transitioned to IndyCar like a true professional, even though the open-wheel racing format has a hybrid system, which adds about 100 pounds to the rear of his vehicle. This has made the car tougher to drive, and it should come as no surprise that the Hendrick Motorsports driver has wrecked twice already. Once in Friday’s practice, and the other at an Indy 500 test a few weeks ago.

Arrow McLaren Team Principal Tony Kanaan, who is overseeing Larson’s program this month, revealed that they purposely kept the car in a conservative setup to help the driver. He said, “We wanted to give him something he could work on and not have it surprise him like (when he crashed). Look, it’s amazing that those (incidents) didn’t faze him at all, but the car has to be (predictable), and that’s not easy on a day with this wind and how tricky (the rear of the car is) the (heavy) hybrid.”

He wasn’t the only one. Hendrick Motorsports Vice Chairman Jeff Gordon was also impressed with the way Kyle Larson adapted to the weather, the car, as well as bouncing back from crashes. He said, “I’ve never seen him rattled about anything. Kanaan was telling me right after what happened in (the Open Test) that Kyle was itching to go again. That’s him.” Could the racer go on to win the Indianapolis 500 next week? Let us know your thoughts in the comments!

The post Despite a Decline in Performance, Kyle Larson Has Expectations Set From His Return to the Indy500 appeared first on EssentiallySports.