NASCAR Cup Series championship leader Kyle Larson put in a solid performance during the first day of qualifying for the May 25 Indianapolis 500, earning a 21st-place starting position on the 33-car grid at the famed Indianapolis Motor Speedway.
Larson, driving the No. 17 Arrow McLaren Chevrolet, completed two four-lap qualifying attempts on Saturday. While his efforts were not enough to advance him into Sunday’s Top 12 qualifying session, which determines the pole-sitter and the first four rows of the race, Larson’s starting position ensures he will have another opportunity to make history.
On May 25, the 32-year-old Californian will attempt to become only the fifth driver ever to compete in both the Indianapolis 500 and the NASCAR Cup Series’ Coca-Cola 600 on the same day, a feat known as racing’s Memorial Day “Double.” Larson will join the late John Andretti, Robby Gordon, Tony Stewart, and Kurt Busch on this exclusive list.
Larson and his Arrow McLaren team faced some challenges during the week leading up to qualifying. During “Fast Friday” practice, Larson spun out and made contact with the wall. Fortunately, he was unharmed, and the team managed to repair the car in time for him to return to the track for a shakedown at the end of the session.
In Saturday’s qualifying, Larson’s second attempt in the mid-afternoon significantly improved his position, safely securing his spot on the grid. He jumped from 27th in speed on his first run to 16th-best with three hours remaining in the opening day of qualifying. However, five cars ultimately bettered his speed in the remaining time, placing him 21st overall.
“We’re P21, so we’re in the race,” said a smiling Larson, who started fifth in last year’s Indy 500. “After the first run I was a little nervous we’d be one of the guys battling for the final spots. Obviously, we would have loved to have been in the Fast 12 again but overall, a good day, we got two runs in.”
Larson, who now heads back to North Wilkesboro Speedway for Sunday night’s NASCAR All-Star Race, seemed unfazed by his seventh-row starting position for this year’s 500.
“I’m sure it will be a bit crazy as the race typically is back there,” he said. “I had a bad restart early last year and fell back to near that position and we were able to fight our way back forward. Just execute some good laps and hopefully we’ll have a good result.”
With his spot in the Indianapolis 500 secured, Larson can now focus on his dual racing commitments and his quest to make history on Memorial Day weekend.
