NASCAR’s Kyle Larson Passes Indy 500 Rookie Test For ‘Hendrick 1100’

Kyle Larson’s attempt at the 108^th Indianapolis 500 in 2024 is billed as the “Hendrick 1100.” The 2021 NASCAR Cup Series champion will become the next driver to compete in “The Double” by running in the Indy 500 and the Coca-Cola 600 NASCAR Cup Series race on the same day.

The “Hendrick 1100” received plenty of mileage Thursday at the Indianapolis Motor Speedway as Larson easily completed the Rookie Orientation Program for the Indianapolis 500.

Drivers must start ROP with 10 laps between 205-210 mph, following with 15 laps at 210-215 and finishing with 15 laps faster than 215 mph.

In a rookie test that began at 11 a.m. Eastern Time, Larson completed Phase 1 at 11:43 a.m. ET and Phase 2 at 12:25 p.m. ET.

At 1:18 p.m. ET, Larson completed the third and final phase and was able to spend the rest of his time on the track running laps at speed around the world’s most famous race course.

Larson was so good, and so smooth on Phase 2 of ROP that he went 15 for 15 on hitting the laps speeds of what he was mandated to hit in order to pass the phase. It showed the comfort zone Larson was in.

On the track, Larson completed all three phases of the ROP with ease, completing 72 laps in the Arrow McLaren/Hendrick Motorsports Chevrolet. His fastest speed was 217.898 miles per hour in the speed-governed test for driers that have never raced an Indy car around the famed 2.5-mile Indianapolis Motor Speedway.

But outside of the car, there was plenty of attention on his effort.

Larson’s arrival came with a large entourage including Hendrick Motorsports owner Rick Hendrick and Hendrick Motorsport Vice Chairman Jeff Gordon.

Hendrick has been coming to the Indianapolis Motor Speedway since the very first NASCAR Cup Series test in 1992 and to the race at the Brickyard since the first one in 1994.

But this is the first time Hendrick will be part of the Indianapolis 500.

To highlight the occasion, at Roger Penske’s request, the large scoring pylon at the Indianapolis Motor Speedway had a special welcome message for both Rick Hendrick and Hendrick Motorsports.

“I really want to thank Roger for the name on the pylon out there,” Hendrick said. “I thought that was quite an honor. I was surprised to see that. He told me today the track was mine.

“This is like home for Jeff. This track has got so much history. I never thought we would do this. But to be here today and watch it unfold is pretty special.”

There was also a film crew to document the first step toward the “Hendrick 1100” as Larson will be the latest driver to attempt to compete in the Indianapolis 500 and the Coca-Cola 600 NASCAR Cup Series race on the same day on May 26, 2024.

“Getting to turn laps around here in an Indy car, getting to feel what that feels like, it makes it even more special,” Larson said afterwards. “I’ve gotten the chance to race here on the dirt track, I ran the road course, the oval. We get to thankfully come back on the oval in the Cup car.

“This place is just awesome. The golf course is amazing, too. Love playing golf here. It doesn’t get much better than this place.

“It was fun,” Larson continued. “I guess mostly what I anticipated in a way, the speed and the grip didn’t feel thankfully scarier than what I thought it might. But just like how much the car wants to pull left, you have to fight it back to the right on the straightaways. All that was something I didn’t expect.

“The way the wheel was lighter, a lot lighter than the simulator, but still a little heavier than what I expected. Other than that, I thought it went really smooth.

“I think more of the pit road side of things is where I’ll have to work more on. Just the steering is so slow, you have to turn so far getting in and out. If you’re coming in around someone, leaving out around someone. Getting used to the steering at the slower speeds will be something to get used to.

“Then maximizing the apron, braking for pit road, stuff like that, is stuff I’ll have to really focus on and work on, maximizing potential.

“Overall, it was a great day. Felt like everybody at McLaren did a really good job prepping me to make things easier to get up to speed. Thanks to everybody there.

“I’m glad to be through today and look forward to the open test in April.”

Arrow McLaren Sporting Director Tony Kanaan knows how to get around the Indianapolis Motor Speedway. The winner of the 2013 Indianapolis 500 and 2004 IndyCar Series champion worked with the NASCAR Cup Series star who is also one of the most acclaimed short track and sprint car racers.

“It makes my life easier when you have a superstar, so it makes me look good,” Kanaan quipped. “I woke up this morning, I was actually nervous. I didn’t know why. There’s no reason for me to be.

“It was an awesome day. I think the good thing is Kyle and I were teammates back in the day. We won the 24 Hours of Daytona together, so we knew each other. We fit in each other’s seat. It was seamless.

“I think we did what we were supposed to do today. It was a lot of information that I was trying to filter and tell people to stop talking to him about. He doesn’t have to worry about that.

“We’ll come back here in April and get on.”

Larson received a great deal of advice, not only from Arrow McLaren, but from former NASCAR Cup Series drivers who have also competed in the Indianapolis 500 and in IndyCar in their careers.

“A lot of people have said the same thing, like trusting your instinct,” Larson recalled. “If something doesn’t feel right, at least during practice and testing, the couple weeks leading in, you’ve got plenty of time. If something doesn’t feel right, just pit.

“I think me even just feeling the car today, like, it feels so stuck, I can tell where your confidence could get too high, then you’re back into the wall the next corner.

“So, I think if you feel something, just pit. Tony Kanaan told me that. Danica Patrick was texting me last night, same thing. Kurt Busch, Jimmie Johnson. They’ve all said the same thing.

“I’ve got a lot of people I can talk to. I’m sure I’m going to be able to soak in more and more information now that I got to drive the car once.”

Rick Hendrick has won 10 trophies as the winning team owner of the Brickyard 400 – the NASCAR Cup Series race that will return to the IMS oval in 2024.

His trophy collection includes an incredible collection from the many NASCAR Sprint Cup Championships to countless Daytona 500 victories and other major races.

He was part of NASCAR’s Garage 56 entry at this year’s 24 Hours of Le Mans.

But 2024 will be Hendrick’s first Indianapolis 500.

If Larson somehow won the race, where would Hendrick put a “Baby Borg” Trophy?

“That would go right in the middle. That would be something pretty special. I don’t even let myself go there, think about that. First, I want to make the race.

“Just to say you could win this race, could win it, would win it, you might be able to build off of that, just that trophy and the car, because it would be that special.”

Once Thursday’s ROP was completed, Gordon and Larson and other members of Hendrick Motorsports headed to Las Vegas, site of Sunday’s South Point 400 NASCAR Cup Series race – the first race in the “Round of Eight” in the NASCAR Cup Series Playoffs.

“The last round, that was the nerve-wracking one,” Gordon said. “We saw it all the way down to the final lap at the Roval.

“From our standpoint, we’re fortunate to have enough people and depth at our organization to be able to prepare for what’s ahead and really make sure that’s the priority and the focus for the company, to go win a championship this year, get through this next Playoff round and go to Phoenix, but also be up here and be able to enjoy a day like today.”

Hendrick Motorsports is in the business of winning NASCAR Cup Series Championships.

But competing in the Indianapolis 500 for the first time in the team’s history is a really big deal to the organization.

“This is a big deal for us and the company, everyone involved,” Hendrick said. “We want to do it right. We don’t want to come up here and stub our toe. We know how hard it is.

“Thank goodness we are teamed with someone like Arrow McLaren, watching the professionalism out there, just the tools and techniques they use.

“This is very, very important to us, no different than Garage 56 (at the 24 Hours of Le Mans). When we said we were going to do it, we spent a year, whatever it took, to do it. Although we don’t have as much to do in this situation as we did in that one, but still we want to look the part, be the part, and put our best efforts into it.”