CONCORD, N.C. — Kyle Larson’s “double” started in the rain and ended in it.
Rain delayed the start of the Indianapolis 500 by four hours and spoiled Larson’s plans to start the 500 and the Coca-Cola 600 near Charlotte on the same day. Larson finished 18th at the Indianapolis 500, while the Cup race ended on lap 120 of the 400-lap feature at Charlotte Motor Speedway due to rain.
Larson flew to North Carolina and landed just as a heavy rainstorm arrived about 100 minutes after the end of the Indianapolis 500. He would have ridden in the Hendrick Motorsports car if the race had resumed, but NASCAR did not resume the event and canceled it. official because they were halfway there with 249 of 400 laps completed.
Justin Allgaier started the No. 5 Hendrick Motorsports car at Charlotte and finished 13th. NASCAR attempted to dry the track, but after approximately 2 hours of delay, determined that high humidity would make it difficult to resume drying the track before 1 a.m. Eastern Time and decided to put an end to it.
It was a frustrating end to the day for Larson as the same rain system hit both tracks.
“I’m obviously very, very grateful for this experience – everything about the two weeks (at Indy) and it’s all been great until today,” Larson said of the two weeks of training and qualifying leading to the Indy 500, his first IndyCar race. “It’s just sad.
“Everything that could have gone wrong today went wrong. I hope I can do it again in the future and I hope the weather will be better.”
For Larson, the Cup Series points leader entering the event, he will need a waiver from NASCAR because Cup rules require a driver to “start” each regular season race to be eligible for the playoffs. Although NASCAR did not make an official announcement Sunday night regarding the waiver, it would be surprising for Hendrick to have kept Larson in the 500 if he wasn’t sure he would get one.
Because Allgaier started the race, even though Larson had gotten in the car, he earned no points for the event, where the winner could earn a maximum of 70 points and eight playoff points – both important numbers given that these points could make the difference moving forward. if a driver has difficulties during an elimination round.
Larson said he was part of the decision to stay at Indy and lamented a day where he finished 18th in one race and didn’t score any points he could have used in the other.
Was the decision to stay in Indy worth it?
“I locked up my brakes and accelerated on pit road, so it wasn’t worth it,” Larson said. “I’m just angry at myself, angry at the situation.”
Larson’s deal with Arrow McLaren to race the Indy 500 is a two-year contract, and Larson hopes to attempt the double again next year and become the fifth driver to compete in both races in one day.
“I would definitely love to be back next year,” said Larson, who started fifth at Indy. “I feel like I learned a lot throughout the race. I made a few mistakes at the start, with the restart. I’m not sure what I did wrong there, but I ended up third.”
“I felt like I did a really good job on the restarts and learned a lot. I feel really good knowing what I would need different for balance when I come back to help the races and all that. Then obviously I smoked the left front or something at a green flag stop and I wasted our opportunity. I’m proud to finish but pretty upset with myself.
NASCAR reportedly considered delaying the start of Sunday’s race by 15 to 30 minutes if Larson was about to start the 600, but when it was clear he wouldn’t make it, NASCAR began its longest race of the season as expected with Larson still competing at Indianapolis.
“It sucks, man,” Larson said. “I don’t think they’ve had a delay there (at Indy) in how long?”
Bob Pockrass covers NASCAR for FOX Sports. He spent decades covering motorsports, including more than 30 Daytona 500s, with stints at ESPN, Sporting News, NASCAR Scene magazine and The (Daytona Beach) News-Journal. Follow him on Twitter @bobpockrass.
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