Second Memorial Day Weekend doubleheader will be more like a first for Larson

Yesterday at 06:26 PM

Kyle Larson will attempt the Memorial Day Weekend doubleheader for the once again next month with the Indianapolis 500 and the Coca-Cola 600, and this time he’s hoping to actually run both races.

Although Larson was entered in both races last year, he didn't compete in the NASCAR race in Charlotte. The severe weather system that delayed the start at Indianapolis, where Larson competed and finished 18th with Arrow McLaren, moved across the country and brought an early end to the Coca-Cola 600. The red flag was brought out as Larson stood in his Hendrick Motorsports pit stall, ready to climb into his car.

So, in a way, Larson is attempting the double for the first time as he returns to Indianapolis.

"I didn't get to do the double, so it doesn't feel like I did (it) because I didn't," Larson said this week with the livery for both of his cars being unveiled. "So, yeah, I think I'm equally as excited as I was last year (right) now because I didn't get to do both. It was really, really cool to get to run the Indy 500, and I'm glad that I get to be buried someday knowing that I ran the Indy 500, but I want to do both."

Larson became the fifth driver to attempt the 1,100 mile double last year. Tony Stewart, John Andretti, Robby Gordon, and Kurt Busch did so before him. Stewart is the only one to have completed both races, doing so in 2001. Stewart finished sixth at Indianapolis and third at Charlotte.

"That's why I did it last year; I wanted to do both," Larson said. "I think that's why I was so bummed last year, also, is that I didn't get to do it. I hope it all works this year, and we can do it and complete all the laps and get to run both races."

Justin Allgaier drove Larson's car in the Coca-Cola 600 and is the driver of record with a 13th-place finish. Larson, because he didn't start the race, did not receive points for the event.

NASCAR granted Larson a waiver to remain playoff-eligible despite missing a race. However, the waiver policy was changed during the winter. If a driver is given a waiver for a non-medical reason, they will forfeit all playoff points earned during the regular season. There will be more pressure on Larson and Hendrick Motorsports to get to Charlotte for the Coca-Cola 600 next month.

Fortunately for Larson, having lived the experience once makes him well-prepared to try it again. But even off the racetrack, there isn't anything he would change or is trying to do differently to embrace attempting to accomplish this rare feat.

"I feel like I did a really good job last year of taking it all in," Larson said. "I signed every autograph I possibly could last year. I felt like that was important for me to embrace that and experience that; have the fans experience my experience. So, I don't think I would change much on that. I enjoyed Carb Day and getting to watch the pit stop challenge stuff. The Cup team came in that same day, too, so it was cool to hang out with them. We took lots of pictures. We've been having the documentary crew follow us around for all of it. So, I will get to relive it all.

"But I don't think there was anything I would change on the actual experience side of it. I think there are things that now living through (running) the race and the couple weeks in Indy, I would search for just a little different balance to my car to be better for the race, but that's really it. I felt like it all went smoothly last year. I felt we prepared well for it. The logistics of it all went really well. We should be ready to go for this year."