2021 NASCAR Cup Series champion Kyle Larson has announced that he will attempt to qualify for the 2024 Indianapolis 500 as part of a collaboration between Arrow McLaren and Hendrick Motorsports. Arrow McLaren will field a car for Larson which will be co-owned by Rick Hendrick and sponsored by HendrickCars.com.
Larson's Indy 500 bid will mark his first foray into IndyCar, and he will also become the latest driver to attempt to complete "The Double" by racing in both the Indianapolis 500 and NASCAR's Coca-Cola 600 on the same day. Larson will join a group of drivers that includes John Andretti, Robby Gordon, Tony Stewart and Kurt Busch.
"I'm super excited," Larson said in a team press release. "Competing at the Indianapolis 500 is a dream of mine and something I've wanted to do for a very long time – since I was a child before I ever began competing in sprint cars. To do it with McLaren and Mr. Hendrick especially is a dream come true.
"I'm grateful for the opportunity and am really looking forward to it even though it's still about a year-and-a-half away. I'm really looking forward to competing in both the Indianapolis 500 and the Charlotte (Motor Speedway) 600 and maybe even get a win or two that day."
A new name is coming to the Indianapolis 500. ✍️
— Arrow McLaren IndyCar Team (@McLarenIndyCar) January 12, 2023
Welcome @KyleLarsonRacin! 👀 pic.twitter.com/rt6nBirXnT
Larson and Hendrick will be collaborating with one of the most storied names in racing, as McLaren's racing program includes 20 Formula One world championships, 183 Formula One grand prix victories, three Indianapolis 500s and the 1995 24 Hours of Le Mans among its many accomplishments and accolades. All three of McLaren's Indy 500 wins came in a six-year span in the 1970s, with Mark Donahue and Johnny Rutherford piloting the famed M16-Offenhauser to victory.
Additional details for Larson's Indy 500 entry, including car number and paint scheme, will be announced at a later date.
