CONCORD, N.C. – Kyle Larson will see his dream of running the Indianapolis 500 come true.
The 2021 NASCAR Cup Series champion will join McLaren Racing as part of Arrow McLaren’s lineup for the 2024 edition of the Indy 500. The Chevrolet entry will be co-owned by Rick Hendrick and carry title sponsorship from HendrickCars.com.
“I’m super excited,” Larson said. “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 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 Charlotte (Motor Speedway) 600 and maybe even get a win or two that day.”
The 108th running of the Indianapolis 500 will also mark the first event as an NTT INDYCAR SERIES owner for Hendrick, who was inducted into the NASCAR Hall of Fame in 2017. It is something that is extremely meaningful to the 14-time championship-winning Cup Series team owner.
“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,” Hendrick said. “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 (Brown, CEO, McLaren Racing) and his organization.”
Much like Hendrick Motorsports, McLaren Racing has a storied history. The organization has won 20 Formula 1 world championships, 183 Formula 1 grand prix, three Indianapolis 500s and one 24 Hours of Le Mans (which came in its first attempt in 1995).
“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,” Brown said. “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.”
The 30-year-old Larson hails from Elk Grove, California, and will look to become the fifth driver to run “The Double” – the Indianapolis 500 and the Coca-Cola 600 on the same day over Memorial Day weekend. John Andretti, Tony Stewart, Robby Gordon and Kurt Busch are the others. Busch is the most recent to do it (in 2014), while Stewart (in 2001) is the only driver to complete all 1,100 miles. No driver to attempt “The Double” has ever won either leg of it.
The upcoming 2023 NASCAR Cup Series season marks Larson’s third with Hendrick Motorsports in the No. 5 HendrickCars.com Chevrolet. In 2021, he won 10 races, the All-Star Race and the Cup Series championship. Last season, he won three races and is now the winningest driver in the history of the team’s No. 5 car with 13 victories.
Additional details such as the car number and paint scheme for the entry will be announced later.