Kyle Larson is brimming with confidence and happiness after his Memorial Day 2024 rides were revealed at Indianapolis. (Photo: Logan Skidan | The Podium Finish)
SPEEDWAY, Ind. – While Kyle Larson lacks some sleep heading into Sunday’s Verizon 200 at Indianapolis, it will be for good reason.
On Saturday night, Larson won his second Knoxville Nationals in the past three years. After winning one of the most prestigious sprint car races in the U.S., the 31-year-old returned to Indianapolis Motor Speedway on Sunday morning for Round 24 of the NASCAR Cup Series season.
Before Larson prepares to battle for his first Indianapolis win in his familiar No. 5 HendrickCars.com Chevrolet Camaro, his Memorial Day 2024 weekend paint schemes were revealed.
Although it is 284 more days until Larson’s pursuit of “The Greatest Spectacle in Racing,” he cannot wait to attempt the first Indianapolis-Charlotte double since Kurt Busch in 2014.
Larson’s 2024 Indianapolis 500 ride was revealed on Sunday, Aug. 13 at Indianapolis Motor Speedway. (Photo: Wayne Riegle | The Podium Finish)
“I’m excited for everyone to see the IndyCar,” Larson said in a team press release. “As far as feelings for running the (Indy) 500, it’s still far out. I’ve really just been trying to focus on the racing I’m doing right now. I’m sure once I get to the offseason and get bored, I’ll be thinking about it more.
“That’s when I’ll get really excited and probably nervous about it all at the same time. I’m thankful to HendrickCars.com for their support to the No. 5 team in the Cup Series and for allowing me the chance to run the double next year as well with Arrow McLaren.”
Both rides feature the familiar papaya colors synonymous with McLaren accompanied by HendrickCars.com’s distinct blue and white combination. To say the least, the excitement with Larson’s 1,100 mile attempt next May, at least for the Elk Grove, California native, may be like waiting for Christmas.
The usually red, white and blue No. 5 Chevy Camaro becomes the blue, white and papaya colored ride for the 2024 Coca-Cola 600 at Charlotte. (Photo: Wayne Riegle | The Podium Finish)
As for Sunday’s Verizon 200, Larson has one of the most stout cars in the field. Posting the second fastest time in practice, he qualified sixth. Larson improved his qualifying efforts by 16 positions when he struggled and crashed in last year’s race.
Naturally, he looks forward to going for the win at Indianapolis as he hopes to improve upon his Playoffs position. A third win would potentially move him to third or fourth in the postseason standings which means more margin for error in the opening rounds.
Likewise, Larson looks forward to Sunday’s race as Kamui Kobyasahi, a former F1 star who has made his presence known in sports cars in recent years, makes his Cup debut. The Hendrick Motorsports racer sees some good things happening with fans in Japan watching the Cup race for Kobayashi’s efforts and potentially his as well.
“That’s really neat,” Larson said to CBS Sports’ Steven Taranto. “I hope a lot of the Japanese fans watching will realize there’s another driver out there that’s of Japanese descent with me being half Japanese.
“I think that’s really cool to have two Japanese drivers in the field. He’s going to be extremely good. He’s in a great car. So, hopefully, it showcases our sport really well in a country that does love racing. That’s definitely awesome.”
Larson has a much more competitive No. 5 Chevy Camaro for this year’s Verizon 200 at Indianapolis. (Photo: Logan Skidan | The Podium Finish)
Given this weekend’s international influx at Indianapolis, Larson is recognizing the importance of growth and diversity in almost all walks of life at the racetrack. Notably, he is already bringing in Asian fans who support his efforts consistently.
Now, as he pursues a critical win in the third-to-last race of the regular season, perhaps fans in Japan and globally will know his name and follow his efforts beyond Indianapolis.
“I don’t know about in the country,” he said. “But I know there are many Asian fans at the racetrack. They’re usually wearing Kyle Larson t-shirts. I’m sure I have some sort of fanbase there already.
“Hopefully, after this week, and there’s a lot of people watching that will realize that I’m Japanese, will follow along with my career moving forward and become a fan.”
