Brickyard 400 trophy in hand, Kyle Larson eyes 2025 Indy 500
INDIANAPOLIS — Kyle Larson thrilled the Indianapolis Motor Speedway crowd Sunday night by exclaiming:
"How about we come back next May and try to kiss these bricks in an IndyCar?"
The crowd, already celebrating his Brickyard 400 victory, went wild. So anyone who would tell Larson he can't do it will have a lot of explaining to do.
OK, OK, the weather delays from May are still painful for many in the Hendrick Motorsports camp. Rain delayed the Indianapolis 500, keeping Larson from making the start of the Coca-Cola 600 and nearly derailing a NASCAR Cup Series playoff run as NASCAR waited a week to decide that Larson could remain eligible for the Cup title despite missing the start of the 600 (Cup drivers must start every race unless granted a waiver from NASCAR).
Still, Larson's original deal with Hendrick and Arrow McLaren was a two-year agreement. The second year of the double and another attempt at doing 1,100 miles in one day just needs to be finalized.
Rick Hendrick said he has "not yet" signed off on Larson's 2025 Indy 500 deal.
"We definitely have been talking about it," Larson said. "I think weighing what's important to everybody.
"It sounds good, I'll say, so far, but things could change. We'll see. I would obviously love to do it. I think everybody knows I would love to do it because in my mind I did not get to do it this year. I didn't get to at least do the double."
Larson, who finished 18th in the Indy 500 this year in his IndyCar debut, said he hopes an announcement can come soon.
"I hope that the pieces can fall into place, and we can hopefully get things put together and announce something, get excited about doing the double next year," he said.
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And after winning the Brickyard 400, maybe Larson knows that good things can happen for him at Indy.
"Hopefully, someday I can get a chance to win the 500," Larson said. "I've won on the dirt track [in a midget race at IMS] in the BC39, got to kiss the bricks there. Now today in the 400.
"I guess there's one more to check off, which is the Indy 500, which would be pretty special."
Bob Pockrass covers NASCAR for FOX Sports. He has spent decades covering motorsports, including over 30 Daytona 500s, with stints at ESPN, Sporting News, NASCAR Scene magazine and The (Daytona Beach) News-Journal. Follow him on Twitter @bobpockrass.