Kyle Larson’s Indy 500 and Coca-Cola 600 double attempt ends in double retirement
A dejected Kyle Larson explains what went wrong on the 💟Memorial Day weekend.
Kyle Larson was aiming to become just the second driver in history to complete both the Indy 500 and🉐 the Coca-Cola 600 on the same day. But instead, he retired from both races in a frustrating double outing.
Larson kicked off his daܫy by making his second c🐎onsecutive appearance in the Indy 500 with Arrow McLaren.
Light rain and drizzle delayed the s💞tart of the race, but the weather cleared up in time to allow Larson to go ahead with hi꧒s plans to complete the double.
Lining up 19th on the grid, Larson made some progress towards the front before sta🔴lling on th♋e pitroad and dropping back down the order.
The 32-year-old still had a shot at finꩵishing the race, but on lap 91 he lost the rear-end of his car while shifting down the gears and was sent spinning rear-first into the wall at Turn 2.
Kyffin Simpson and Sting Ray Robb were also caught u🍸p in the melee and forced to retire💧 from the race.
"We were just bunched up on the restart and I was really close to Takuma [Sato] in front of me and got kind of aero-tight behind him and as I peeked left, the nose grabbed [toward the surface]ꦇ and I spun," Larson𓂃 explained.
is over. day ends after 91 laps. — NTT INDYCAR SERIES (@IndyCar)After a premature end to his Indy 500 outing, Lars🌳on hopped on a private jet to Charlotte to take part in the longest race on the NASCAR Cup Series caleﷺndar, the Coca-Cola 600.
Things appeared to be on 💦the up when he grabbed thꩲe lead in the #5 Hendrick Motorsports Chevrolet on lap 10.
But just 28 laps 💝later he hit the wall, with the damage forcing him ꦇinto a spin shortly afterwards.
Despite pitting several times for repairs, he managed to ge▨t back on the lead lap, only for his race to end 𓃲when he couldn’t avoid the out-of-control car of Daniel Suarez.
The right-rear side of La🙈rson’s Chevrolet was too damaged and he had to head to the pits to retire the car.
“I hate the way the day went,” Lars♛on summed up. “I wish I could hit the reset button. I feel terrible for everybody, especially for [team owner] Rick Hendᩚᩚᩚᩚᩚᩚᩚᩚᩚ𒀱ᩚᩚᩚrick.”
“I guess it just wasn’t meant to be, I guess.”
꧅This 🍸was the second time in two years that Larson attempted to pull off double duty.
Last year, he finished 18th in a rain-delayed Indy 500. By th♒e time he reached Charlotte, the Cola-Cola 600 was already at around half-distance. While he wan꧟ted to jump into the car and take over the driving duties from Justin Allgaier, the race was stopped because of poor weather.
With his second attempt in 2025 also failing, Larson has cast doubt about returning to the Indy 500 again. Hꦚis deal wi💛th Arrow McLaren was only for two years.
“The double is a tough undertaking,” he s🦂aid. “The windowꦫ of time is just too tight.”
"I don't know [if I will return]♌. It's a large investment and to have it go not good two years in a 𓆉row, I just don't think it's really worth it at this point."
Kurt Busch remains the only driver to complete all 1100 miles of racing across Indy and Coca-Cola 600 thanks to his successful aꦛttempt in 2001.
