Christopher Bell says he is interested in running the Indianapolis 500, which would also mean an attempt at “The Double.”
[autotag]Christopher Bell[/autotag] is still searching for his first NASCAR Cup Series title, but the 2024 racing season was promising. Bell was arguably NASCAR’s fastest driver as he won the 2024 Coca-Cola 600 and two other races. The Joe Gibbs Racing driver felt cheated out of a Championship 4 berth after the Round of 8 finale at Martinsville Speedway, which will only add intrigue to his story moving forward
However, could another piece of NASCAR history be a part of Bell’s future? According to Bell through Sportsnaut’s Matt Weaver, he would be interested in running the Indianapolis 500 under the right circumstances.
“Yeah, for sure,” Bell said. “If Toyota was interested in [the Indianapolis 500], I would be raising my hand to do it. They haven’t been (just) a huge part of my career, they have been my career. They have literally taken me from childhood semi-professional or amateur racing all the way to the [NASCAR Cup Series], so I would love that. I would love if they would do it, and I’d be the first one to raise my hand to do it.”
Recently, Joe Gibbs Racing lifted its dirt racing restrictions, allowing Bell to run in approved events in the future. For Bell’s hopes of the Indianapolis 500, Toyota would have to join the IndyCar Series, whether it’s a one-off race, part-time, or full-time. As of now, there are no imminent plans for Toyota, but Bell hopes that an attempt at the Indianapolis 500 is in his future.
Hendrick Motorsports says Kyle Larson will prioritize the Coca-Cola 600 over the Indianapolis 500 in his attempt at “The Double” in 2025.
Kyle Larson, Hendrick Motorsports, and Arrow McLaren all came together on Tuesday afternoon to announce the second edition of “The Double.” In 2025, Larson will compete in the Indianapolis 500 and Coca-Cola 600 after weather ruined his plans this year. However, would the driver of the No. 5 car run the Indianapolis 500 over the Coca-Cola 600 again?
According to Hendrick Motorsports owner Rick Hendrick, Larson will run the Coca-Cola 600, even if it means cutting the race short in Indianapolis. Hendrick confirmed his commitment to NASCAR, as Larson will run for a championship in 2025. Tony Kanaan was announced as Larson’s backup driver; however, if Larson starts the race, he cannot jump in the No. 17 car.
It was disappointing to see Larson’s first attempt at “The Double” ruined by the weather. Still, the hope is that May 25, 2025, will bring a lot of sunshine to Indianapolis Motor Speedway and Charlotte Motor Speedway. Larson is a special talent, and with one year of experience under his belt, it wouldn’t be shocking to see him win one of the two races.
Kyle Larson will attempt “The Double” with Hendrick Motorsports and Arrow McLaren in the 2025 Indianapolis 500 and Coca-Cola 600.
[autotag]Kyle Larson[/autotag] is going to run it back in 2025. On Tuesday afternoon, Hendrick Motorsports and Arrow McLaren revealed that Larson will attempt “The Double” for the second time next year. The driver of the No. 5 car will compete in the Indianapolis 500 and Coca-Cola 600 on the same day after the weather ruined his attempt in 2024.
Larson ran well in the 2024 Indianapolis 500 after a rain delay; however, a pit road speeding penalty ruined a potential top-5 run, and he finished in 18th place. The 2021 NASCAR Cup Series champion then flew to Charlotte Motor Speedway, only to never strap into the No. 5 car after weather canceled the rest of the Coca-Cola 600.
The highly anticipated attempt will take place on May 25, 2025. Larson was impressive in his Indianapolis 500 debut, providing optimism that he can compete for the win next year. Larson will have a full year of experience under his belt, which will likely give him more confidence. Hopefully, the weather cooperates, and Larson can complete all 1,100 miles of racing.
Hendrick Motorsports is scheduled to make a “special” announcement for the 2025 season. Check out the details behind the announcement!
[autotag]Hendrick Motorsports[/autotag] is one of NASCAR’s powerhouse organizations, but its reach has gone beyond the sport in 2024. [autotag]Kyle Larson[/autotag] put Hendrick Motorsports on a higher level when attempting “The Double” in Charlotte and Indianapolis in May. Unfortunately, the weather didn’t cooperate, which left a bad taste in everyone’s mouths. Now, it appears they will try it again.
On Tuesday, Hendrick Motorsports and Arrow McLaren will have a “special” announcement in Charlotte. Larson, Rick Hendrick, Jeff Gordon, and Zak Brown are slated to attend the event. The expectation is that Hendrick Motorsports and Arrow McLaren will announce that Larson will attempt “The Double” again in 2025.
The Coca-Cola 600 and Indianapolis 500 are scheduled for May 25, 2025. Larson was only able to race in the Indianapolis 500 after weather delayed the start of racing’s biggest event. Then, Larson couldn’t drive in the Coca-Cola 600 after rain canceled the rest of the event. The 2021 NASCAR Cup Series champion is ready for another try, and this time, he hopes the weather will cooperate.
Ryan Blaney expresses his desire to attempt “The Double” in 2025. What did Blaney say about attempting the Indianapolis 500 next year?
The NASCAR world was buzzing in late May as Kyle Larson attempted “The Double” on May 26. Larson was supposed to compete in the 2024 Indianapolis 500 and fly to Concord, North Carolina, for the Coca-Cola 600. Unfortunately, the day was ruined by the weather, and the Hendrick Motorsports driver wasn’t able to compete in the Coca-Cola 600.
During the weekend, [autotag]Ryan Blaney[/autotag] was asked about his interest in attempting “The Double” sometime in the future. Blaney has been on record expressing his interest in the past but revealed an exciting idea about attempting the Indianapolis 500.
“There’s always interest there,” Blaney said. “I think racers are always curious about other series. You want to see what the similarities and the differences are between different cars and IndyCar is obviously something I grew up really enjoy watching, as well as the NASCAR scene obviously.”
“I think it’s really special if you get to do The Double…There’s rumors of Kyle Busch doing it here soon. I think it’s really great. I’m trying to start a petition, I don’t know if say this or not, but me and [Scott McLaughlin] doing The Double. I don’t think that’s ever been done.”
Larson, Blaney, and Scott McLaughlin attempting “The Double” in 2025 would set the racing world on fire. All three drivers have the talent to win one of the races, and McLaughlin’s NASCAR debut would be special. Team Penske would have to enter two additional entries overall; however, it would be worth seeing Blaney and McLaughlin attempt “The Double” next year.
Josef Newgarden is interested in completing “The Double” in 2025. What did Newgarden say about the possibility of making his NASCAR debut?
[autotag]Josef Newgarden[/autotag] fought for so long to earn his first Indianapolis 500 victory during the 2023 season; however, it only took him one year to earn his second. Newgarden passed Pato O’Ward on the final lap to win the 2024 Indianapolis 500. The Team Penske driver celebrated with fans in the grandstands after winning two straight Indy 500s.
“I want to. So bad. I want to terribly badly — but that’s not just a me thing,” Newgarden said. “I think if you ask a lot of the drivers in the field, they would all relish in the opportunity to do the double. [Kyle Larson]’s in a unique position. He’s earned that position. It’s part of his pedigree and his history in racing. He’s known as the guy that jumps in and out of a lot of cars. So I think it was really fitting that he was there.”
“The NASCAR guys always had an easier time transferring to an IndyCar versus the other way around. But maybe now, with the specifications of the cars, the IndyCar guys can have some success going over there.”
Team Penske would be able to enter a fourth entry for Newgarden, as the organization only has three full-time cars in the NASCAR Cup Series. The two-time Indianapolis 500 winner has never competed in a NASCAR event but desires to attempt “The Double” in 2025. It’s not fully up to Newgarden, but he has nothing else to prove in the NTT IndyCar Series.
Kyle Larson has been granted a waiver by NASCAR to remain eligible for the NASCAR Cup Series playoffs after not starting the Coca-Cola 600 at Charlotte Motor Speedway. “It was in uncharted waters,” said NASCAR senior vice president of competition …
Kyle Larson has been granted a waiver by NASCAR to remain eligible for the NASCAR Cup Series playoffs after not starting the Coca-Cola 600 at Charlotte Motor Speedway.
“It was in uncharted waters,” said NASCAR senior vice president of competition Elton Sawyer. “The decision-making process, it took the time it did to make sure that we got this right. The reason the waiver is in place, or one of the reasons it’s in place, is to give our fans some certainty that if they buy a ticket to come and watch our athletes and our stars perform, that they’re going to see them.
“The prior precedent that was set with allowing waivers, those were quick decisions. This one was unique in the fact that obviously Kyle raced with another series and wasn’t there to start our event… I commend our process, proud of our team and everyone had a view on it, and the ultimate decision that we wanted to get to was the right decision. We feel like we got there.”
Hendrick Motorsports requested the waiver after Larson was kept in Indianapolis to compete in the 108th Indianapolis 500. The start of the race (May 26) was delayed by 4 hours due to inclement weather. Larson qualified fifth (in the middle of the second row) in his Arrow McLaren machine and finished 18th after a late-race speeding penalty.
[lawrence-auto-related count=3 tag=2185]
Justin Allgaier started the Coca-Cola 600 in Larson’s No. 5 Hendrick Motorsports Chevrolet and because of the driver change, Allgaier dropped to the rear of the 40-car field for the green flag.
The plan was for Larson to complete the Indianapolis 500 and take over his Cup Series car after arriving at Charlotte Motor Speedway. Larson arrived on pit road in Concord at approximately 9:30 p.m. ET and was preparing to get into the car when the race was red-flagged because of rain and then went into a lightning hold.
A severe thunderstorm then moved into the area, and NASCAR deemed the race official nearly two hours later due to the weather and high humidity hampering track drying efforts that would likely have pushed the resumption of the event past 1 a.m. ET.
Allgaier ran the race’s 249 laps and finished 13th. He will be the driver of record for the Coca-Cola 600, with Larson not earning points for the event because he did not start the car.
“We went into that weekend all communication with (Hendrick Motorsports) was (NASCAR) was their priority,” Sawyer said. “That was their day job. And unfortunately, the weather situation threw them a curveball, threw the industry a curveball and something that we had to deal with. But ultimately, the effort that they made, without the weather, they’re going to be there. We feel confident that was going to happen.
“To not have Kyle Larson in our playoff and give our fans the opportunity to see him race for a championship and compete against some of the best drivers in the world, at the end of the day, didn’t feel like that’s the right decision for us to make. We didn’t. We felt like we got to the right spot.”
The waiver was necessary for Larson to remain eligible for the postseason because the NASCAR Rule Book states, “Unless otherwise authorized by NASCAR, driver(s) and Team Owner(s) must start all Championship Events of the current season to be eligible for The Playoffs.”
This story has been updated to include quotes from NASCAR’s Elton Sawyer.
“You never come into [the Indy 500] expecting to win it. It’s so tough to get right.”
Josef Newgarden went from being an elite IndyCar Series driver to the member of some exceptionally exclusive clubs after winning his second straight Indianapolis 500 on Sunday.
Following a four-hour weather delay to begin the race, the Team Penske driver started third, and Newgarden and his No. 2 team had a strong race. But at the end, the 33-year-old put on a racing masterclass in the final laps to take the checkered flag. For a peak Indy 500 finish, he out-dueled Arrow McLaren’s Pato O’Ward in the last few times around Indianapolis Motor Speedway’s iconic 2.5-mile oval, pulling off a stunning last-lap pass for the victory.
Newgarden is now the first back-to-back Indy 500 champion since Hélio Castroneves did it in 2001 and 2002, and he’s also now the 11th two-time winner of The Greatest Spectacle in Racing.
For The Win spoke with Newgarden about his victory, the famous milk celebration afterward and the moment he knew he had the edge over O’Ward.
This interview has been condensed and edited for clarity.
Congratulations. How are you? Have you slept?
I have not slept, and it was not from a lack of trying. I tried to get back early [Sunday] night. We celebrated a little bit with the team. We also got done very late [Sunday] with the four-hour delay. Everything after that gets pushed, and it’s a long process to go through with this event.
Team Penske driver Josef Newgarden (2) celebrates with his crew members, Sunday, May 26, 2024, after winning the 108th running of the Indianapolis 500 at Indianapolis Motor Speedway. (Alex Martin / Journal & Courier-USA TODAY NETWORK)
How did that four-hour delay affect you, if at all, ahead of the race?
It’s difficult to keep yourself mentally where you need to be. You wake up, and you’re expecting the intensity of race day and for the moment, and then you see this impending storm that’s barreling down on us, and you sort of already know that the race is gonna be put into jeopardy as far as the timeline.
I ended up taking a nap. I didn’t actually feel that great [Sunday] morning, and my son was scheduled for a nap. So I took one with him. I got about an hour and a half in, and then it stopped raining when I woke up and it seemed like we had an opening. … But just, yeah, roller coaster of emotions and energy and just trying to stay in the program for what we’re about to do. It’s a tough race to get right, and ultimately, it’s the only day that matters this month. We’re here for three weeks; this is the only day that matters.
I’ve visited this very spot the night before the Indy 500 every year since my rookie start in 2012. I sat here Saturday night and could not wait for the opportunity to run this race once again. I love this place so much. The home of speed ❤️ pic.twitter.com/BAGsoWXDzP
You’re the sixth driver to have back-to-back Indy 500 wins, the first in more than 20 years. You’re the 11th two-time winner. You joined a lot of exclusive clubs. Has two-time Indy 500 winner sunk in yet?
It’s crazy. I let go of the fact, last year, that we were ever gonna win this race just because it’s so difficult to win. And to finally break through last year and then to follow it back up with this year, it’s pretty extraordinary. That’s the only way I can put it. It was unexpected. You never come into this race expecting to win it. It’s so tough to get right.
And just really proud of the team. They executed all day, and it’s a team sport, more so than people realize in racing. And every race we go to is a team effort. But nowhere else that we go to exemplifies the team like Indianapolis, and it really is about everyone doing their job perfectly on the day. And we were able to do that two times in a row, which is pretty cool.
Josef Newgarden, driver of the #2 Shell Powering Progress Team Penske, celebrates in Victory Circle after winning the 108th Running of the Indianapolis 500 at Indianapolis Motor Speedway on May 26, 2024 in Indianapolis, Indiana. (Photo by Justin Casterline/Getty Images)
It looked like you very politely sipped from your bottle of milk instead of pouring it everywhere. Was that lessons learned from last year, or did this one just feel different and a different celebration followed?
Well, I wasn’t super polite. I still had a bunch dripping all over me, so it wasn’t very clean. But I think you celebrate however you want to. I don’t think there’s a wrong way to celebrate. But a lot of times people will pour the milk over their heads after they have a drink, and I did that last year. It was fun to do. It just seems like you want to do that for some reason. But having already gone through that and done that, I thought, well, we don’t need to do that again. I’m just gonna enjoy the milk this time and savor it. And so that’s what I tried to do.
May 26, 2024; Indianapolis, Indiana, USA; Indycar Series driver Josef Newgarden celebrates after winning the 108th running of the Indianapolis 500 at Indianapolis Motor Speedway. Mandatory Credit: Mark J. Rebilas-USA TODAY Sports
Oh, you didn’t want to sit for six hours in a milk-covered suit?
Yeah, not this time. It definitely helps with the clean up. It wasn’t all over the car. Yeah, it’s a better process it seems like.
Was there a moment before you took the checkered flag where you thought, “Oh, my gosh, I’m going to win this thing again”?
Yeah, right entering Turn 4. When I passed Pato in Turn 3, I saw that I had the momentum on him, and I think it’s because of the nature of that pass. I passed him basically right at the apex is where I cleared him — the middle of the corner in [Turn] 3 — and I could see that he lost momentum because of it. And I felt really good about the fact that I had enough gap now to get to the line, and it’s gonna happen.
It’s crazy when it does. You almost can’t believe it when you’re headed to the line, and you see that it’s gonna be yours, it’s the team’s. But yeah, that was the moment. Definitely, entering Turn 4, I knew we had it.
This is only the fourth time the Indy 500 has been decided with a last-lap pass, and you’re responsible for the last two. Can you explain the strategy with that and why you’re able to make it work so well in such a high-pressured situation?
It’s definitely not my strategy — I promise you. It’s just the circumstance. The race last year was pretty different, but it was intense with a one-lap shootout. So if you were gonna win it, it needed to be a last-lap pass. There was really no choice. And then [Sunday], there was no game plan. I didn’t know how that was gonna ultimately shape up at the end, but I felt like, whatever happens, I’m gonna react to it, and I’m just gonna try and be ready for the moment.
Pato chose his point to go, and I just tried to basically rebuttal pretty quickly. And it ended up being the right place, right time, right moment. So it worked out for us. I think he’s a great champion too. He’s a great driver. He drove me with a lot of respect, and that’s ultimately what made the move possible. You can’t just drive with everyone like that. Pato is a really hard racer, but he races clean.
One of the most dramatic finishes in #Indy500 history.
Can you expand a little bit on how if it were a different driver or you were raced differently, why you might not have been able to pull that off?
I don’t know that I would have done anything different. The likelihood of it being pulled off, I think, is higher with someone like Pato because he’s a fierce competitor, but he’s very clean. He’s gonna race you fairly, and that was on full display. He raced me incredibly fair, and I didn’t know if it was gonna work out with him. But I think the likelihood is much higher with someone like Pato.
He’s definitely someone I have a lot of respect for, and he deserved to win this race just as much as me. I think he drove a great day. His team did a great job, and it just fell our way. And sometimes that’s the way it rolls. It’s heartbreaking for him. I know it is. I would have been heartbroken on the other end of it, but that’s the Indy 500. That’s why it’s so gratifying when you get it right.
May 26, 2024; Indianapolis, Indiana, USA; Indycar Series driver Pato O’Ward (5) passes Josef Newgarden coming to the white flag during the 108th running of the Indianapolis 500 at Indianapolis Motor Speedway. Mandatory Credit: Mark J. Rebilas-USA TODAY Sports
When you and Pato and Alexander Rossi were trading for the lead and racing hard at the end, the broadcast described it as a “220-mile-an-hour game of chess.” Is that what it felt like?
Yeah, pretty much. We were all sizing each other up, trying to understand. No one was gaming it. We were all just trying to lead and show who’s the superior car at the very end. It was a 30-lap shootout for sure, and you’re just trying to study everybody on the fly. There’s not enough time to study everything and come up with an articulate plan for how it’s all gonna unfold, so you’re just reacting within the learnings that you have throughout those laps.
But it was definitely a chess fight just trying to see where you’re gonna be positioned and when you’re gonna make the move at the right time. There’s no perfect recipe. It’s really hard to understand what the right thing to do is. So that’s why I always say it’s reactionary because, in a lot of ways, it’s not planned. You can’t plan exactly how it’s gonna go, so you’re just trying to understand how it’s flowing and then react accordingly.
In these few hours since you won, what has been the best celebration moment for you?
Oh, it’s the traditions. When you win the race, you get to come back. You can celebrate differently — everyone does — but I like to go back to the Yard of Bricks, right on the start-finish line. I like to celebrate with the crowd, and then it’s everything that comes after that. It’s the milk, it’s the wreath, it’s the kiss from one of the [500 Festival] Princesses.
There’s so many little details that this race has accumulated over the years that have just built tradition, and it’s fun to go through that whole process. There’s nothing like it. There’s no other race that rivals it. So I just cherish all of that. That hour period right after the win is really cool here.
What was it was a different running in the stands this time? Did you know you were going do that or was it like, let’s run it back and do it again?
Well, I always wanted to do that [and did] last year. Ever since I’ve been here, I’ve been dreaming of going into the crowd. And I knew where to go, and I was maybe thinking of something different but I couldn’t come up with a good scenario. So I thought, “Well, I’m gonna do that again, but I’m gonna go into a different spot.”
I think I was a little filled with adrenaline, to be honest with you. It was so unexpected to win the race again that I didn’t really have a plan. I just wanted to get into the crowd as quickly as possible. So, yeah, still pretty nuts and cool to do.
Kyle Larson tried, but Mother Nature wouldn’t cooperate.
The NASCAR star attempted to pull off two races in one day — he was a rookie in the Indy 500 and finished 18th. Then, he flew to Charlotte for the Coca-Cola 600 for an attempt at The Double, but because the weather in Indianapolis delayed the start of that race, he didn’t get into Charlotte until the middle of the NASCAR race.
Then, weather stopped that race, giving Larson a chance to replace Justin Allgaier… but it was eventually called due to rain.
Larson posted on X (formerly Twitter) and sounded so heartbroken. You’ve got to feel for him:
What I thought could be one of the best days of my life quickly turned into one of the most disappointing ones I’ve ever experienced. I hate it for Rick Hendrick, Jeff Gordon, HAG, Hendrick Motorsports, everyone a part of the 5 team, everyone on the 17 indycar for speeding, my…
So much time, money, and effort went into this experience and it just kills me to have it all end the way it did. I feel like I let so many people down. We knew all along weather could throw a wrench into things but seeing it come to reality is a horrible feeling.
Up until Sunday it was truly one of the greatest experiences of my life. I can’t describe how appreciative I am of everyone’s support of me to live out a dream. I hope it’s not the last opportunity I have to try the Double but if it is I guess it was memorable.
Thank you to everyone at Arrow McLaren, Indianapolis Motor Speedway, and all the competitors there for making me feel welcomed.
Ready to get back on track now and get refocused on winning a 2nd championship for our team.
Pato O’Ward talks about his heartbreaking finish in the 2024 Indianapolis 500. Find out what O’Ward had to say about the final moments!
[autotag]Pato O’Ward[/autotag] thought he had finally accomplished his dream. In Turn 1 on the final lap of the 2024 Indianapolis 500, O’Ward passed Josef Newgarden for the lead, which is the turn where he lost the 2022 event. However, the Arrow McLaren driver’s dreams faded quickly after Newgarden pulled off a remarkable pass in Turn 3, winning his second straight Indy 500.
O’Ward climbed out of his No. 5 car in devastation. The 25-year-old driver was in tears as he thought the 2024 Indianapolis 500 was his to lose. Then, O’Ward talked to NBC Sports about the defeat and didn’t hold back his emotions.
“It’s hard to put it into words,” O’Ward said. “I’m proud of the work we did today; we recovered, we went back, we went forward, we went back. Some people were just driving like maniacs. We had so many near-race ends and were just so close again, so [expletive] close.”
“I put that car through things I never thought it was going to be able to do. Sometimes I said, ‘Aw, that’s it,’ and somehow I came out of the other side of the corner. Oh, man: It’s just so painful when you put so much into it, and then two corners short.”
The words don’t do it justice. O’Ward was absolutely devastated, and everyone could see it after the race and during the interview. The Arrow McLaren driver was so close to winning the biggest racing event in the world. Instead, O’Ward has to settle for another second-place finish and wait for his turn at winning the Indianapolis 500.
