After crashing out of the Indianapolis 500, NASCAR superstar Kyle Larson arrived at Charlotte Motor Speedway, determined to refocus and bounce back in the Coca-Cola 600.
“Frustrated and sad and all of the emotions,” Larson said in a brief interview with Amazon Prime after boarding an airplane headed to North Carolina. “Just try to mentally get reset and try to forget about it.”
Unlike last year, when rain delays in Indianapolis caused Larson to miss the majority of the Coca-Cola 600, the early exit from the Indy 500 gave him ample time to arrive and prepare for the NASCAR race. Larson will start on the front row alongside pole sitter Chase Briscoe, aiming for his fourth win of the season on the Cup Series circuit.
Larson’s second attempt at completing “The Double” – racing in both the Indy 500 and the Coca-Cola 600 on the same day – ended near the midway point of the Indy 500 when his car wiggled on a downshift in Turns 1 and 2, sending him into a spin and crashing into the outside wall after 91 laps.
“Just a bit crazy there on the restart,” Larson explained. “I got like, tight behind Takuma [Sato]. I was really close in. I got loose and kind of got all over the place, and yeah, so it spun. Just hate that I got a little too eager on the restarter. Hate it for everybody else.”
The crash also collected Kyffin Simpson and Sting Ray Robb. “When Kyle started losing it and checking up, I tried to go around the outside and there was just no grip out there,” Robb said.
Even before the crash, Larson faced challenges, including stalling the car on pit lane, which cost him valuable track positions. The rain delay in Indianapolis also cut into the tight window Larson had to make the 550-mile trip to Charlotte, as projected by his NASCAR team Hendrick Motorsports and IndyCar team Arrow McLaren.
Despite the setback, Larson remains focused on the Coca-Cola 600. “Just bummed out,” he said. “Try to get over this quickly and get on to Charlotte. Try to forget about it and win tonight.”
Álex Palou went on to win Sunday’s Indianapolis 500, becoming the first driver from Spain to capture the prestigious race.
