Larson Qualifies Fifth for Indianapolis 500 Before NASCAR All-Star Race

Kyle Larson, NASCAR champion, will start fifth in his Indianapolis 500 debut on May 26, after achieving an average speed of 232.846 mph in Sunday’s qualifying. Larson is the only rookie to make it to the Fast Six, securing a spot in the second row of the historic race.

Larson, with his Arrow McLaren Chevrolet No. 17, will join John Andretti, Tony Stewart, Robby Gordon, and Kurt Busch in attempting the famous Memorial Day Weekend "Double": competing in the Indy 500 during the day and the NASCAR Coca-Cola 600 at Charlotte Motor Speedway at night.

“It was a great team effort. They prepared an incredible car that stayed on the track and had speed,” said Larson, 31. “The qualifying went much better than I could have hoped. I am proud of Arrow McLaren and everyone at Hendrick Motorsports.”

After qualifying, Larson quickly headed by helicopter to a local airport to catch a plane to North Carolina. From there, he traveled by another helicopter to North Wilkesboro Speedway for the NASCAR All-Star Race, where he is the defending champion. NASCAR adjusted the race schedule to give Larson extra time for his transit.

Next Sunday, Larson will follow the same travel plan to go from Indianapolis to the Charlotte track, where he won in 2021. This month has been remarkable for the 2021 NASCAR Cup Series champion, who currently leads the standings and won at Kansas Speedway on May 5. His transition to open-wheel cars has been impressive, consistently being one of the fastest at the Indianapolis Motor Speedway since Indy 500 practice began last week.

The qualifying weekend started off rough for Larson, with his car slowing down during the first attempt. However, he recovered and placed among the top 12, advancing to Sunday’s final session. He qualified fifth in the initial round and maintained his position in the final session.

Jeff Gordon, Hendrick Motorsports executive, was present to support Larson. “People ask me if I can believe what Kyle Larson does, and I’m no longer surprised. He always steps up. It’s exciting to be part of this experience and see how the team has responded.”

Penske Racing secured the front row with Scott McLaughlin on pole, registering an average speed of 234.220 mph, followed by teammates Will Power and Josef Newgarden. Larson will start in the second row with Arrow McLaren teammate Alexander Rossi and A.J. Foyt Racing’s Santino Ferrucci.