Larson, who won the NASCAR Cup Series in 2021, is about to compete in his first-ever Indy 500. He’ll start fifth driving the No. 17 Arrow McLaren-Rick Hendrick Chevrolet.
This is Hendrick’s first time entering as a team owner in the Indy 500, making it quite special.
Larson is already considering future attempts in the Indy 500, depending on how he feels about this experience. When asked about it, he said, “Yeah, maybe. I just kind of want to see how this experience goes first. If I enjoy it, and if it doesn’t scare the shit out of me, then maybe I would like to do it again.”
During a media session with Brown and Hendrick, they discussed the possibility of making this a multi-year deal with options for the future.
Hendrick expressed interest in continuing the effort for 2025, saying, “Well, haven’t had enough time to talk about ’25 yet. But I know Zak and I have talked about it before, so we’ll see how this goes, and then I’ve got to see if Zak wants to do it again.”
Brown also showed his enthusiasm, saying, “I already know the answer to that. The opportunity to work with Mr. H and this entire organization, I think we collectively have a big passion for racing and road cars.”
However, there’s a sensitive point regarding how things would be handled if weather affects Larson’s race. Larson is also scheduled to run the 600-mile Cup Series race at Charlotte on Sunday evening after the Indy 500, attempting ‘The Double’ on Memorial Day weekend.
Hendrick admitted it would be very tough to pull Larson out of the Indy 500 if weather became an issue, considering the tremendous effort everyone has put in. He said, “It would be very hard. Would be very disappointing because of all the effort that everyone has put in.”
