Kyle Larson on his 2024 Indy 500 head start: 'Totally different than anything I've been in'

At some point last year, as Zak Brown was beginning to toss around the idea of running a fourth Indianapolis 500-only car, newly-hired Arrow McLaren racing director Gavin Ward threw out the name of one well-known driver, frankly, as a bit of a joke.

The team was in the process of luring Tony Kanaan for one last ride in 2023, but they were also thinking a year ahead and wanted to put the puzzle pieces of the future into place.

“And I said, ‘Well, if you give me Kyle Larson to put into it, I’d definitely want to do it,'” Ward said Thursday morning, partnered with a hearty laugh. “Little did I know that that was even a possibility.”

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As he was saying that Thursday, Ward, of course, was sitting next to the 2021 NASCAR Cup series champ himself, inside the Indianapolis Motor Speedway media center minutes before the pair would share timing stands and debriefs throughout the afternoon in preparation of Larson’s 2024 rookie 500 bid.

Having toured the Arrow McLaren shop a couple weeks ago, in part to have his seat poured and fit, a day at IMS to observe was the next box on Larson’s long checklist. After that, he’ll double-back on scouring the “big packet” of notes and various onboard clips compiled specifically for him to prepare for a test day – one which has not yet been scheduled.

“And I don’t want to pick people’s brains yet, other drivers’ brains too early on,” Larson said. “Because then I’ll have to go to them in a few months and ask the same questions over again.”

For the Hedrick Motorsports driver, it’s clear he’s very much in an eyes wide-open phase of his preparation, which he’ll put days upon days’ worth of work into over the next 12 months. As he explained, it’ll be as simple as watching this year’s race differently from his motorhome at Charlotte Motor Speedway than he would have as strictly a fan. Thursday, he even started taking note about how Arrow McLaren’s hospitality unit was configured.

“This is the one day I’m going to be able to come this year, so just getting my eyes on the small things I think will help for next year,” he said. “Being a fan in years past, you might overlook things. You’re probably just looking at the quality of racing and stuff like that, whereas now I’ll be more in-depth in watching the race, watching what they do in practices. Being able to listen to communication today is awesome as well.”

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To aid in his reconnaissance mission, Larson was accompanied by Hendrick Motorsports vice chairman and former legendary driver Jeff Gordon, who’s won more than anyone on the IMS oval with his five Brickyard 400 wins. Early in his career, Gordon hoped to have a chance at what Larson’s embarking on when open-wheel racing seemed like a potential career path.

“I’m kind of glad that Kyle said, ‘This is something I’d really like to do one day. Do you think this is something that Mr. Hendrick and Hendrick Cars would want to support?’” Gordon said Thursday. “I think as a driver, driving a racecar is sort of natural of what you need to go fast and compete. But you’re talking about Indianapolis at 230-plus mph, what it takes to get comfortable, what kind of language there is for a driver of the types of things that they’re talking about versus a stockcar or a sprint car.

“I did say to him, he’s going to be able to live out a dream of mine, but to me, this is equally as exciting because, for one, I sure as heck right now don’t want to drive into Turn 1 at 238 mph, or whatever they’re running. But Kyle does. Kyle is capable of it.”

Capable is one thing but, as Larson said, this type of elongated timeline allows him to chip away at off-track preparation. He can attend an Indy 500 practice day and get to his testing program at his own pace, which will help him, he hopes, be competitive in Year 1. This isn’t about checking a box or living out a boyhood dream, but setting himself up to do something few have ever done – ‘The Double’ – well. With options in the teams’ deal for the future, this very likely will be more than a one-and-done project, too.

“I would say everything I race is much more simple than an Indy car. The only kind of thing I feel like I have to judge off of that was new to me – not overwhelming, but just stressful – was when I did the Rolex 24 for the few years that we did,” Larson said. “Obviously different cars (than an Indy car), but a lot more of a totally different kind of foreign racing to me, which I feel like IndyCar stuff will be.

“In a stockcar, I’m worried about turn on brake fans – and even if I don’t, it’s really not a big deal. Sprint cars, I have a wing valve. Late models, nothing. Midgets, nothing. And an Indy car, you’ve got, I don’t even know. As far as the driving part, hopefully that will all come naturally, but I don’t really know. I don’t have any experience yet to even have an opinion. It’s just totally different than anything I’ve ever been in.”