Stars in awe of insane 1000-mile, two-race day

1 year ago 61

NASCAR prima Kyle Larson has earned the plaudits of IndyCar's champion arsenic helium looks to instrumentality connected 1 of satellite motorsport's toughest assignments.

In 2024, the NASCAR Cup Series champion volition contention the Indianapolis 500 and the Coca-Cola 600 connected the aforesaid day.

It's a uncommon feat that lone a fistful of drivers person attempted.

Stan Sport is the lone spot to ticker the 2023 IndyCar Series. All the enactment streaming ad-free, unrecorded and connected demand

It volition spot Larson commencement with the 200-lap, 500-mile IndyCar contention connected May 27 astatine Indianapolis Motor Speedway successful what is the highest-attended, single-day sporting lawsuit successful the world.

He'll past alert from Indiana to North Carolina to contention successful the 400-lap, 600-mile NASCAR Cup Series contention astatine Charlotte Motor Speedway.

All told, Larson could walk astir 8 hours successful a contention car by the extremity of the night.

Alongside motorsport's Triple Crown, doing the treble is an effort galore tin lone imagination of completing.

"It's conscionable a hellhole of a story, man," said Alexander Rossi, who volition beryllium teammates with Larson astatine McLaren successful 2024.

"It's really, truly chill to beryllium capable to beryllium witness, portion of idiosyncratic doing the double.

"That's specified an astonishing happening for immoderate racing driver, to person the accidental to bash that.

"Obviously I deliberation he's 1 of the elite racing drivers connected the planet.

"He's going to travel successful and person his ain benignant of sentiment and acquisition to bring to the table.

"I deliberation some years we've got a batch of truly breathtaking things to look guardant to successful presumption of our four-car lineup for the 500."

Just 4 drivers person attempted the Memorial Day double.

John Andretti was the archetypal to bash it successful 1994 and a twelvemonth aboriginal Davy Jones tried to implicit it but failed to suffice for the Charlotte leg.

The archetypal of 5 doubles by Robby Gordon came successful 1997 with consequent efforts coming successful 2000, 2002, 2003, and 2004.

Tony Stewart remains the lone operator to successfully implicit each thigh of the treble successful 2001.

He is besides the lone operator to assertion a podium decorativeness successful either race, earning 3rd astatine Charlotte.

Kurt Busch is the astir caller operator to contention the treble successful 2014.

Larson's forthcoming effort besides earned praise from different of his aboriginal McLaren teammates Pato O'Ward, describing the effort arsenic "sick".

"I deliberation it's truthful chill that he's going to articulation america adjacent year," said O'Ward.

"I deliberation he's going to truly enjoy. Definitely going to beryllium astir apt the quickest he's ever going to spell successful his life. So I'm definite helium volition bask that.

"I mean, helium drives truthful galore antithetic cars. He jumps into whatever, I consciousness like, accidental that helium wants to either acquisition oregon enjoy.

"The feline tin instrumentality a contention car. I'm excited to person him arsenic a teammate.

"I met him a small spot – not past twelvemonth but 2 years agone successful Abu Dhabi erstwhile helium was determination aft helium won the NASCAR championship.

"I was truthful blessed to spot him bash truthful good connected his comeback to NASCAR aft the mishap that helium had a fewer years ago.

"I'm a large instrumentality of him. I deliberation he's great. I consciousness similar I tin talk connected behalf of the full team; everybody's truly excited to person him around."

McLaren volition beryllium led by Rossi, O'Ward, and Felix Rosenqvist successful 2023 with a 4th car added for 2024 to accommodate Larson.

Going into the 2023 NASCAR Cup Series season, Larson has 19 contention wins and 1 title to his credit.

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