Indy 500 Weather Update: Dark Clouds Sending Shivers Down Kyle Larson’s Spine

Kyle Larson’s quest to conquer “The Double” is once again staring down a familiar foe—Mother Nature! The 2021 NASCAR Cup Series champ is back for his second shot at racing the Indianapolis 500 and the Coca-Cola 600 on the same day, a grueling 1,100-mile challenge that only one driver, Tony Stewart, has ever completed. But if last year’s attempt is any indication, Larson’s got more than just the competition to worry about.

In 2024, rain turned his double-duty dream into a soggy nightmare, delaying the Indy 500 by four hours and forcing him to miss the start of the Coca-Cola 600 in Charlotte. He finished 18th at Indy, but by the time he jetted to Charlotte, storms had halted the NASCAR race after 249 laps, leaving him a bystander as Justin Allgaier drove his No. 5 car to a 13th-place finish.

Larson’s no stranger to battling the elements, but that 2024 washout tasted bitter. He’d led 20 laps at Indy and was running strong until a late-race speeding penalty dropped him down the order, and the Charlotte rainout meant he couldn’t even take a swing at completing the double. “It was a tough day,” Larson said after last year’s ordeal, his frustration clear as he vowed to come back stronger. Now, as he gears up for another crack at history—starting 21st at Indy after a practice crash last week—he’s got his eyes on the track and the sky.

With dark clouds looming over Indianapolis Motor Speedway, the weather’s shaping up to be the ultimate wildcard in his 2025 double attempt. The forecast for this weekend’s Indy 500 isn’t doing Larson any favors, and you can bet it’s sending shivers down his spine. As he prepares to take on two of motorsport’s biggest races in one day, the weather might just decide his fate again. And it’s not just Indy—Charlotte’s got its own storm brewing for the Coca-Cola 600

The weather forecast for the 109th Indianapolis 500 on Sunday is looking dicey, and Kyle Larson’s double-duty dreams are hanging in the balance. Dark clouds are gathering over the Speedway. At the moment, it looks like the day will see a high of 65° F, while the nighttime will have a low of 50° F. However, here’s the kicker. The rain could start as early as late morning, right around the scheduled 12:45 PM ET green flag, and there’s a risk of lightning, which would force a delay under IndyCar’s strict safety rules. If the storms linger into the afternoon, Larson’s tight schedule to jet to Charlotte for the Coca-Cola 600 could be thrown into chaos—again. Larson might be having chills down his spine.

Over in Charlotte, the Coca-Cola 600’s forecast isn’t much better, adding another layer of stress to Larson’s already packed day. The race, set to start at 6:00 PM ET, is facing a 50% chance of scattered thunderstorms, with temperatures hovering around 61°F and a muggy feel thanks to high humidity. Storms are expected to roll in around mid-afternoon, potentially overlapping with the tail end of the Indy 500, and could linger into the evening, threatening to halt the 400-lap marathon.

Speaking about the weather, Larson had said hopefully, “It’s been changing day to day; some days it’ll look a little worse and then the next day you check and it looks OK. You’re in the Midwest in May. It could be 80 degrees and sunny or it could be raining it’s (expletive) off.” 

Larson’s plan hinges on finishing Indy, hopping a jet, and getting to Charlotte in time to take over his No. 5 Hendrick Motorsports car—but if rain delays either race, he might be stuck watching from the pits again, just like last year. Larson’s already had a rough week at Indy—a practice crash left him starting 21st, and now the weather’s adding insult to injury. He’s got the talent to carve through the field, as he showed last year by leading 20 laps, but a rain delay could force tough decisions. Does he stay at Indy to finish the race and risk missing Charlotte entirely, or does he prioritize NASCAR and leave Indy early?

The forecasts for both tracks are a stark reminder of how little control Larson has over his double-duty fate. With storms threatening to derail his shot at history, fans are holding their breath, hoping the skies clear long enough for him to make a run at both checkered flags.

Tony Stewart Weighs in on Larson’s Double

Tony Stewart, the only driver to ever complete “The Double” in its entirety, has a close eye put on Kyle Larson’s 2025 attempt, and he’s got some thoughts. Stewart pulled off the feat in 2001, racing all 1,100 miles across the Indy 500 and Coca-Cola 600, finishing 6th at Indy and 3rd at Charlotte.

Recently, Stewart shared his take on Larson’s chances, saying, “So the 1,100 miles he should be able to do. What Kyle’s shooting for is to break finishing sixth or better in the 500 and third or better in the 600, which is doable. It’s very doable. He can accomplish that.” Stewart’s confidence isn’t just hot air—Larson’s proven he’s got the chops.

Stewart also pointed out where things went wrong for Larson in 2024, offering a bit of veteran wisdom. “I mean, you think about last year, he was in a good position to have a solid finish. And it was all on speeding on getting on pit road. And you can practice that on practice days and this and that. But when you get to race day, that atmosphere at the Indianapolis Motor Speedway is totally different,” Stewart said, reflecting on the unique pressure of the Indy 500. Larson’s 2024 penalty came with fewer than 70 laps to go, dropping him from a potential top-10 to 18th, a mistake that cost him dearly.

Stewart knows that Indy’s electric atmosphere—over 300,000 fans, the pageantry, the stakes—can rattle even the best, but he believes Larson’s learned from it. “He’s got the talent to do better than I did,” Stewart added, a nod to Larson’s versatility as a dirt racer, NASCAR champ, and now an IndyCar contender.

Larson, with six wins in 2025 alone and a knack for leading laps (8,646 in his Cup career), has the raw speed to match or beat Stewart’s record finishes. But as Stewart noted, it’s not just about speed—it’s about mastering the chaos of race day at Indy, from pit strategy to handling the pressure.

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