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IndyCar: Kyle Larson to race in ‘2024 and 2025’ Indy 500 with Arrow McLaren (Update)

Posted by AR1 staff

Jenna Fryer from the Associated Press reports that Kyle Larson’s deal with McLaren and Hendrick Motorsports for its Indianapolis 500 entry is actually for two years: 2024 and 2025.

 

January 12, 2023 

Champion driver Kyle Larson will join McLaren Racing for the 2024 Indianapolis 500, adding to Arrow McLaren’s star-studded lineup for the “The Greatest Spectacle in Racing.”

Kyle’s Chevrolet will be co-owned by NASCAR Hall of Famer Rick Hendrick and carry title partnership from HendrickCars.com. Rick is the chairman and CEO of Hendrick Automotive Group and the owner of 14-time NASCAR Cup Series champions Hendrick Motorsports, which Kyle has driven for since 2021.

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Additional details, including car number and livery for the HendrickCars.com Arrow McLaren Chevrolet, will be announced at a later date.

Kyle, 30, has proven success at the elite NASCAR Cup Series level where he won the 2021 series title, 19 points-paying races, the 2019 and 2021 NASCAR All-Star Race, and the 2014 Sunoco Rookie of the Year award. In his 2021 championship campaign, the Elk Grove, California, native won 10 points races and led more laps in a single season (2,581) than any driver since 1995.

In partnership with McLaren Racing, the 108th Running of the Indianapolis 500 will mark the first event as an NTT INDYCAR SERIES owner for Rick, whose stock-car teams have won an all-time record 291 points-paying Cup Series races. He is also NASCAR’s winningest owner at Indianapolis Motor Speedway with 10 Cup victories on the storied 2.5-mile oval.

Entering his 12th season in the NASCAR Cup Series and third with Hendrick Motorsports in the No. 5 HendrickCars.com Chevrolet Camaro ZL1, Kyle has consistently expressed interest to race the Indy 500 with Team Chevy. Arrow McLaren, with an opening in its 2024 lineup, seeks to have him at the front of the grid.

Pending additional 2023 entries, Kyle would become just the fifth driver to run “The Double” on Memorial Day weekend by racing in the Indy 500 and NASCAR’s Coca-Cola 600 on the same day. His double would be the first since Kurt Busch raced in both events in 2014.

Widely regarded as a world-class talent, Kyle has a broad resume of auto racing success with more than 400 career wins in a variety of disciplines and types of vehicles on dirt and pavement. His versatility and experience complements McLaren Racing’s investment, strategy and competition in different racing series.

Kyle joins a list of other notable names to run for Arrow McLaren in the Indy 500, including two-time race winner Juan Pablo Montoya, two-time Formula 1 champion Fernando Alonso and 2013 race winner Tony Kanaan, who joins the team of Pato O’Ward, Felix Rosenqvist and Alexander Rossi (2016 winner) for the Indy 500 for the 2023 season.

Kyle Larson, Driver, said:

“I’m super excited. Competing at the Indianapolis 500 is a dream of mine and something I’ve wanted to do for a very long time – since I was a child before I ever began competing in sprint cars. To do it with Arrow McLaren and Mr. Hendrick especially is a dream come true. I’m grateful for the opportunity and am really looking forward to it even though it’s still about a year-and-a-half away. I’m really looking forward to competing in both the Indianapolis 500 and the Coca-Cola 600 and maybe even get a win or two that day.”

Zak Brown, CEO of McLaren Racing, said: 

“Adding Kyle Larson with a HendrickCars.com partnership to the Indy 500 lineup in 2024 is exciting for our Arrow McLaren team as well as for race fans. He’s a complete driver, known for racing anything on wheels, so I’m looking forward to seeing what Kyle can do in an NTT INDYCAR SERIES car. It’s been great working with Rick Hendrick and (Hendrick Motorsports vice chairman) Jeff Gordon to pull this together, so a big thank you to them for what’s to come in May 2024.”

Rick Hendrick, Chairman/CEO of Hendrick Automotive Group and owner of Hendrick Motorsports, said:

“Having the opportunity to support Kyle, partner with an elite team like Arrow McLaren and promote HendrickCars.com in one of the world’s great auto racing events is truly unique. All of us are competitors. Putting Kyle in top-level equipment and allowing ample time for him to prepare for such a difficult challenge was important. It’s going to be very, very special to field a Chevrolet in the Indy 500 as a car owner. A collaboration like this was what we needed to make it happen, and fortunately the stars aligned. We’re 100% committed to doing it right and look forward to working with Zak and his organization.”

Gavin Ward, Racing Director of Arrow McLaren, said: 

“Kyle’s ability and desire to compete across so many disciplines of motor racing is as rare today as it is refreshing. He’s one of the best dirt track racers on the planet. He’s a NASCAR Cup champion. He’s won a Rolex 24 at Daytona. He’s an incredibly talented driver and has shown his ability to win no matter what he’s racing. I can’t think of a more exciting addition to Arrow McLaren’s 2024 Indy 500 lineup. We’re all racers on this team, and we’re going to give it everything to make sure this endeavour is as successful as possible.”