INDIANAPOLIS – Sunday, May 26, was an eventful day for Kyle Larson as he attempted to complete the #Hendrick1100. Unfortunately, circumstances out of his control meant he would only get to race the IndyCar portion of the 1100 planned miles.
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On Sunday morning, the radar for Speedway, Indiana, did not look promising. While the morning was dry, a large storm system to the west was headed straight for the track and was supposed to hit about an hour before the scheduled time for the green flag. While the heavy rains came, IndyCar officials were confident they could get the track dried and still complete the 500 miles of scheduled racing action. The problem for Larson? It would overlap with the start of the NASCAR Cup Series main event in Charlotte.
After discussing the options with the leadership team of Hendrick Motorsports as well as Rick Hendrick himself in Indianapolis, the group decision was made to stay in Indiana.
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Once pre-race ceremonies concluded, Larson was forced to put aside the sudden change of plans and focus on the task at hand. After stating in the fifth position, the driver of the No. 17 HendrickCars.com entry survived the chaotic opening few laps. His only nervous moments came on the race's first restart where he upshifted from 1st gear to 3rd gear and lost considerable track position to the field. Slight contact on his right front tire also occurred but no damage came as a result of it.
However, these moments certainly did not define the rest of the day. As more and more drivers found trouble at the 2.5-mile track, Larson quietly stayed inside the top-10 for the majority of the event. Unfortunately, a right front tire lock up on lap 131's pit stop resulted in a speeding penalty, trapping the team a lap down. While Larson was able to rejoin the lead lap with the next caution, his loss of track position resulted in an 18th-place finish in his first ever IndyCar start.
The real disappointment of Sunday was not on the track but after the IndyCar portion of the day was over. After finishing his short media session at his car on pit road, Larson was quickly taken to the airport and headed to Charlotte Motor Speedway to compete in as much of the Coca-Cola 600 as possible. Unfortunately for Larson, the rain from Indianapolis followed him to Charlotte and he was unable to turn a lap once landing in North Carolina.
Even more agonizing was Larson's timing. When the helicopter landed, weather was in the area but had not hit the track quite yet. This allowed for Larson to make a triumphant entrance to his pit box, debriefing with the team about how they would make the switch. Sadly, that switch would never happened. The Coca-Cola 600 was called due to weather just before midnight on Sunday.
There are still penalty of positives to take away from Larson's rookie campaign at the Indianapolis 500. First and foremost, he ran all 500 miles and was competitive throughout the race. While other IndyCar rookies and veterans alike found trouble in the opening half of the event, Larson's steady progression towards the front did not go noticed. On paper, he even led laps as he stayed out on an alternate strategy to the competition.
Next weekend, Larson and the No. 5 HendrickCars.com team will attempt to rebound at the upcoming Cup Series main event at WWT Raceway. Tune in at 3:30 p.m. ET on FS1, MRN Radio and SiriusXM NASCAR Radio (Channel 90).