Kyle Larson is taking a much more laid-back approach to prepping for the Indy 500

Don’t expect Kyle Larson to pound endless laps testing an Indy car ahead of this year’s 109th Running of the Indianapolis 500 on May 25. 

A year ago, the California native spared no expense in preparation for his maiden attempt at “The Double” – running the Indy 500 and the 600-mile NASCAR Cup Series race at Charlotte on the same Sunday of Memorial Day Weekend (a joint effort with Arrow McLaren and Hendrick Motorsports). He participated in the Indy 500 rookie test in October 2023 before pushing through roughly 172 laps of running at Phoenix Raceway in February of 2024. Then there was the annual Indy Open Test last April, which allowed Larson to get a feel for the elements against the rest of the Indy 500 entrants a month before the race. 

Larson’s pursuit of becoming the fifth driver to compete in both races fell short, with rain delaying the 2024 Indy 500 – where he started fifth and finished 18th – and the Cup race being called early after 249 of 400 laps, leaving him unable to turn a lap despite arriving late in Charlotte. 

While the 2021 NASCAR Cup Series champion aims to complete “The Double” this time around, his buildup to Indy won’t be nearly as intensive.

 “After going through it once, you know what to expect,” Larson told Motorsport. “Last year, I didn’t know what to expect on anything. So, I feel like I over prepped in a lot of ways — which is still good, but once I go to do it, it wasn’t really any different than what I’m used to.”

No preparation… yet

It’s very likely that Larson’s first – and potentially only – time driving the No. 17 Arrow McLaren-Hendrick Chevrolet prior to the Indy 500 will come at the Open Test, set for April 23-24 at Indianapolis Motor Speedway.

“I haven’t done any prep, and I think I probably won’t do anything until the Open Test in April — and then shortly after that leads into the 500, with a couple of weeks there,” Larson said. “I haven’t had the chance to talk to anybody from McLaren. I don’t know what my team looks like. I don’t know anything about it.”

One person that Larson won’t be able to rely on when he returns to Indy will be Brian Campe, an Indy 500-winning engineer who helped Larson’s transition to Indy cars. Campe, who was with Hendrick Motorsports at the time, joined Arrow McLaren after 2024’s 500 before leaving to join Legacy Motor Club as its technical director back in October. 

Kyle Larson (far right) on track in his Arrow McLaren at the 2024 Indy 500

Photo by: Phillip Abbott / Motorsport Images

While Larson waits to see how his IndyCar team will take shape, he’s fixated on this week’s Chili Bowl Nationals, and then the upcoming NASCAR season.

“I’ve just been focused on the dirt racing here in the offseason and getting our NASCAR season started,” said Larson, fresh off a prelim Chili Bowl win on Monday night. “I think soon we’ll get an idea of what everything looks like for Indy. But as far as prep and all that, I haven’t done anything — and I don’t think there’s an extravagance or anything extra special you have to do to get ready for that race.”