This was not the plan Larson wanted. He aimed to be one of the few to race in both the prestigious IndyCar Indy 500 and NASCAR’s lengthy Coke 600 on the same day.
However, rain delayed the start of the Indy 500, leaving Larson with a tough decision. Larson is already guaranteed a spot in the NASCAR Cup playoffs because he won twice this year. But to stay eligible, NASCAR says drivers must try to compete in every race. Larson may need NASCAR’s permission to stay in the playoffs, which he’s likely to get.
Larson is also leading in the regular season championship, which comes with 15 bonus points for the playoffs. He’s ahead of Martin Truex Jr. by 30 points. However, the Coke 600 offers more points than any other race on the schedule because it has an extra stage.
Justin Allgaier, who was already picked as a backup driver, will drive the No. 5 Hendrick Motorsports Chevrolet at Charlotte. Larson qualified tenth, but Allgaier will start at the back of the 40-car field due to the driver switch. Larson plans to race in Charlotte once he finishes in Indianapolis, but Allgaier, as the starting driver, will get credited for the race’s result.
In Indianapolis, Larson is driving the No. 17 Arrow McLaren-Hendrick Chevrolet. Both his IndyCar and NASCAR efforts are supported by HendrickCars.com, giving Hendrick more say in this decision.
Larson qualified fifth for the Indy 500, outperforming all other rookies. When he starts from the middle of the second row, he’ll be the sixth NASCAR Cup Series champion to compete in the “Greatest Spectacle in Racing.”
