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3 months ago
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Kyle Larson is not giving up lightly in his bid to become just the fifth driver in history to complete the Indianapolis-Charlotte double.
Just 17 minutes after finishing 18th in the Indy500, NASCAR star Larson has boarded a flight to Charlotte as he embarks on a mad 574-mile rush to the Coca-Cola 600.
NASCAR's annual Cup Series event got underway at 6pm ET on Sunday, meaning the 31-year-old will be joining midway through if he makes it in time.
Given it lasts a staggering 600 miles, he still stands a chance of playing a part in the race and pulling off the incredible feat.
Only four drivers have ever raced in the Indy500 and the Coca-Cola 600 on the same day, meaning Larson will earn himself a special place in history if he completes it.
Kyle Larson is not giving up lightly in his bid to become just the fifth driver in history to complete the Indianapolis-Charlotte double
The American driver, who won the NASCAR Cup Series in 2021, saw his hopes of playing a full part in the Charlotte showpiece fall by the wayside when Indy500 was delayed due to thunderstorms in Indianapolis.
Fans were asked to take shelter, and while most took cover, a small group of attendees were seen racing each other on foot along the concourse in Indianapolis.
Track president J. Douglas Boles said it would take track drying equipment about two hours to dry the 2.5-mile oval, but the expectation is that the race would begin roughly four hours late and all 200 laps would be completed before dark.
'It looks like it's going to be that window where I guess we might be able to get it dry to race today,' Larson said earlier on Sunday. 'But obviously that affects things for the 600. It's still the weather. You don't know how that is going to go exactly.
'But the worst-case scenario is happening, which is a bummer. We'll get on the track in something today.'
Just 17 minutes after finishing the Indy500, Larson has boarded a flight to Charlotte as he embarks on a mad 574-mile rush to the Coca-Cola 600
The NASCAR star came 18th on his debut in the Indy500 before embarking on the journey
His hopes of completing the double were dented when the Indy500 was delayed on Sunday
Heavy storms had been expected all week, and they arrived about 12:45 p.m., just when the green flag was supposed to drop. Along with heavy rain, the band brought wind gusts up to 45 mph and dangerous lightning, and video boards inside the race track advised fans who had already made their way into the speedway to seek shelter.
If he does indeed make it in time, Larson will cement his place in history at the Coca-Cola 600 with former US President Donald Trump watching on at Charlotte Motorway Speedway.
Trump is in town for the race after sending fans wild by flying his private plane over the track in North Carolina.
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