Tag: IndyCar

Kyle Larson ‘prioritizing’ Indianapolis 500 amid weather in the forecast

Kyle Larson is “prioritizing” the 2024 Indianapolis 500 with weather in the forecast. Could Larson miss the Coca-Cola 600?

The day that [autotag]Kyle Larson[/autotag] and everyone has been waiting for has finally arrived. Larson is supposed to attempt “The Double” by competing in the 2024 Indianapolis 500 and Coca-Cola 600. Unfortunately, the weather will affect the racing, and Larson may have his focus locked on the biggest racing event of the 2024 season.

According to Tony Kanaan on WTHR.com, Larson will “stay and prioritize the Indianapolis 500” despite the weather potentially delaying the start. This means Larson could miss the Coca-Cola 600, which Rick Hendrick has indirectly hinted at. If needed, Justin Allgaier would replace Larson in the No. 5 Hendrickcars.com Chevrolet at Charlotte Motor Speedway.

The forecast for the Indianapolis 500 isn’t great, but there might be a window to race today. If not, the NTT IndyCar Series will postpone the event until Monday. Meanwhile, there could be weather in the forecast for the Coca-Cola 600, too. It will be interesting to see what Larson does with the weather in the forecast for both events on Sunday.

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Indianapolis 500 Announcers: Who’s calling the 2024 race for NBC?

Here’s who will be on the call for the 108th running of the Indianapolis 500 on Sunday.

It’s time for the Indianapolis 500 once again, and if you’re tuning into the 2024 race on NBC, you’ll hear some familiar voices calling the action for the 500-mile race at Indianapolis Motor Speedway in Indiana.

For the 108th running of the Indy 500 on Sunday, pre-race coverage begins at 11 a.m. ET with coverage of the race itself beginning at 12:30 p.m. ET. Back on the microphone in various roles will be Mike Tirico, Danica Patrick and James Hinchcliffe, while Jimmie Johnson will also join to help out on pre-race and race coverage.

Actors Austin Butler and actress Jodie Comer will be the honorary starters, while MLB Hall of Famer Ken Griffey Jr. will be the honorary pace car driver.

Here’s the full list of announcers you’ll see on Sunday at the Indianapolis 500

NBC Indy 500 announcer booth

Play-by-play: Leigh Diffey

Analysts: Townsend Bell, James Hinchcliffe

NBC Indy 500 pit reporters

Pit reporters: Marty Snider, Kevin Lee, Dave Burns, Dillon Welch

NBC Indy 500 studio commentators

Studio commentators: Mike Tirico, Danica Patrick

Analysts: Jimmy Johnson

NBC Indy 500 roaming reporters

Roaming reporters: Jeff Burton, Kim Coon

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Starting lineup for the 2024 Indianapolis 500, including Kyle Larson

Check out the starting lineup for the 2024 Indianapolis 500 at Indianapolis Motor Speedway on May 26, including Kyle Larson!

The starting lineup for the 2024 Indianapolis 500 has been officially set. After two grueling and gut-wrenching days of qualifying, [autotag]Scott McLaughlin[/autotag] and Team Penske will lead the field to the green flag in a front-row lockout. Meanwhile, NASCAR superstar [autotag]Kyle Larson[/autotag] qualified in fifth place for his first Indianapolis 500 on May 26, where he will execute “The Double.”

On the other side of the spectrum, Marcus Ericsson and Graham Rahal barely squeaked their way into the Indianapolis 500 after rookie driver Nolan Siegel wrecked on his final qualifying run. Ericsson had to perfect his final run to be one of the 33 drivers in the show. Now, the NTT IndyCar Series will focus on the practices this week before the big event.

The full starting lineup is available below.

2024 Indianapolis 500 starting lineup:

  1. No. 3 Scott McLaughlin
  2. No. 12 Will Power
  3. No. 2 Josef Newgarden
  4. No. 7 Alexander Rossi
  5. No. 17 Kyle Larson (R)
  6. No. 14 Santino Ferrucci
  7. No. 21 Rinus VeeKay
  8. No. 5 Pato O’Ward
  9. No. 60 Felix Rosenqvist
  10. No. 75 Takuma Sato
  11. No. 27 Kyle Kirkwood
  12. No. 23 Ryan Hunter-Reay
  13. No. 26 Colton Herta
  14. No. 10 Alex Palou
  15. No. 6 Callum Ilott
  16. No. 11 Marcus Armstrong (R)
  17. No. 20 Ed Carpenter
  18. No. 4 Kyffin Simpson (R)
  19. No. 98 Marco Andretti
  20. No. 06 Helio Castroneves
  21. No. 9 Scott Dixon
  22. No. 78 Agustin Canapino
  23. No. 41 Sting Ray Robb
  24. No. 33 Christian Rasmussen (R)
  25. No. 66 Tom Blomqvist (R)
  26. No. 77 Romain Grosjean
  27. No. 8 Linus Lundqvist (R)
  28. No. 45 Christian Lungaard
  29. No. 24 Conor Daly
  30. No. 30 Pietro Fittipaldi
  31. No. 51 Katherine Legge
  32. No. 28 Marcus Ericsson
  33. No. 15 Graham Rahal

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Betting on Kyle Larson’s attempt at the Memorial Day Double? Read your house rules closely

There are a lot of ways to get your Kyle Larson bets voided this weekend.

Kyle Larson will attempt to become just the second driver to ever complete all 1,100 miles of the Memorial Day Double, racing in the Indianapolis 500 in the early afternoon, then flying to Charlotte to run NASCAR’s Coca-Cola 600.

Finishing all 1,100 miles an incredible feat of endurance, timing, logistics and, of course, speed, that only Tony Stewart in 2001 pulled off. That year, Stewart finished sixth in the Indy 500, then took third at the Coke 600.

The expectations for Larson’s attempt are much higher.

At BetMGM, Larson is the favorite to win the NASCAR race at +475. He’s also the most-bet IndyCar driver to win the Indianapolis 500 at +675.

But anyone wagering on Larson this weekend at all will want to take a very close look at their house rules as a number of obstacles could limit how much racing Larson actually gets to do in both circuits.

There’s potential rain in the forecast in Indiana on Sunday. And if Larson arrives late to Charlotte — or leaves Indy early — another driver getting behind the wheel of either ride could complicate wagers.

Here’s how FanDuel, DraftKings, BetMGM and ESPN Bet decide whether or not a bet is action or void in these situations.

Spoiler: ESPN Bet has the strictest policy.

FanDuel Sportsbook

  • The start of the race is the signal to commence the warm-up lap. If a driver is not on the grid or ready to start from the pit lane when the signal is given we will void all bets on the selection.
  • Bets will be settled on the result at the time of the podium presentation regardless of any subsequent disqualifications.
  • The race must be run within 72 hours of the scheduled start time for bets to stand.

BetMGM

  • Motor Racing events must take place within 72 hours of the original start time or bets will be void.
  • All wagers will be settled according to the unofficial results reported immediately after the conclusion of the race by the governing organization. Any changes to the finishing order that occurs based on appeals, penalties or scoring malfunctions after the race has concluded, will not be recognized. If a race is abandoned and no presentation position or official result is declared all bets on that race will be void except for bets on any markets which have been unconditionally determined.
  • Match-up Props: If a driver does not take part in the race, then bets on them will be void.
  • Match-up Props:
    • A. Wagers are placed on the driver only, not the car or team.
    • B. If the original driver is replaced by another driver after the start of the race the original driver is the driver of record and the wager will be action.

DraftKings Sportsbook

  • The race must be completed within one week of the scheduled start time for bets to have action.
  • All bets are action unless the driver who was wagered on does not start the race.
  • Match-up Props: Both drivers must start the session for bets to have action. For race settlement if a driver fails to complete the race, the other driver in the match-up wager will be declared the winner. If both drivers fail to complete the race, the number of full laps completed will determine the winner. If both drivers fail to complete the race on the same lap, the official placing assigned by the league’s governing body will be used for settlement. For all other sessions the official placing assigned by the league’s governing body at the end of the stated session will be used for settlement.
  • Winning Manufacturer/Team: All bets are action regardless of certain drivers not starting the race.
  • Not/To Be Classified: In the event a driver does not start, all bets will be cancelled.

ESPN Bet

  • For settlement purposes, a driver/rider who has taken part in an officially-sanctioned practice or qualification session is considered to have taken part in the event, regardless of his eventual participation in the actual race.
  • In “Head to Head” bets all listed participants must take part in the session to which the bet refers to for bets to stand, irrespective of whether a driver manages to get an official time.
  • In “Outright” or “Place” bets, no refunds will apply on those participants who do not take part for any reason, for the session/event/championship to which the offer refers to.
  • All bets which make reference to teams’ performances will stand regardless of any driver/rider changes.

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The Indianapolis 500 weather forecast looks very, very bad

The Indianapolis 500 weather weather forecast looks very, very bad. Find out why the 2024 Indy 500 could be run on Monday or Tuesday.

The Indianapolis 500 weather forecast currently suggests the 108th running of the event will be held on Monday or Tuesday. According to Weather.com, the weather forecast at Indianapolis Motor Speedway calls for an 82% chance of thunderstorms during the day on Sunday, with that increasing to 93% in the evening and night.

With no lights in Indianapolis, this creates a very, very bad situation as of Thursday, May 23. If the weather forecast doesn’t change, there may not be a window for the Indianapolis 500 to be run on Sunday. Therefore, the focus could be shifted toward Monday. The forecast looks much better, with a 47% chance of showers in the morning becoming less numerous later in the day.

Yet, without lights at the speedway, the NTT IndyCar Series could face the possibility of running the event on Tuesday, which has no rain in the forecast. Kyle Larson is supposed to attempt “The Double” on Sunday, but he may be forced to split the 1,100 miles of racing into two days. Hopefully, the forecast will improve, but time is running out.

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Kyle Larson’s attempt at “The Double” in serious jeopardy with looming weather

Kyle Larson’s attempt at “The Double” is in serious jeopardy with the weather. Find out why Larson may not get the opportunity on Sunday.

[autotag]Kyle Larson[/autotag] will start fifth in the 2024 Indianapolis 500 as the first leg of his attempt at “The Double” on May 26. Then, Larson will fly to Charlotte Motor Speedway and compete in the Coca-Cola 600. However, one issue that could derail the Hendrick Motorsports driver’s attempt at making history on Sunday is the weather.

According to Weather.com, the weather forecast for Indianapolis Motor Speedway calls for an 89% chance of thunderstorms during the day, dropping to a 71% chance at night. If this holds, it would be very likely that the 2024 Indianapolis 500 won’t be run on Sunday, postponing it to Monday. The hope is that the weather will clear up in the coming days.

If not, it could defeat the entire purpose of Larson attempting “The Double.” Sure, the 2021 NASCAR Cup Series champion could run the 1,100 miles across two days, but it wouldn’t be the same as doing it one day. Maybe this would influence Larson to try again in 2025. Hopefully, this doesn’t come to frution, and the Indianapolis 500 can run as scheduled on Sunday.

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Every 2024 Indy 500 driver’s choice of celebratory milk, should they win

The celebratory bottle of milk is a big part of winning the Indy 500.

Most people probably aren’t begging for a bottle of milk after a long afternoon of athletic competition, but at the Indianapolis 500, that’s the only thing the winning driver wants.

After taking the checkered flag to win the biggest IndyCar Series race of the season and one of the biggest motorsports races in the world, the victorious driver will usually celebrate a bit on the track and with their team before pulling the car to the Winner’s Circle.

Enter the Veteran Milk Man, a representative of the American Dairy Association Indiana who will hand the winner a chilled bottle of their preferred kind of milk. The winner usually takes a few sips before dumping it on their head and maybe splashing some folks nearby.

RELATED: Q&A: Indy 500 pole winner Scott McLaughlin on his record-breaking speed: ‘The closest you’ve ever felt to being a superhero’

Ahead of each Indy 500, the association polls drivers about their celebratory milk choice, should they win The Greatest Spectacle in Racing. The options are simple — whole, 2 percent or fat-free milk — though many drivers hilariously would like a few more options. (There is a secret lactose-free option, should a driver request that.)

As we’ve seen over the years, whole milk continues to dominate with 26 of the 33 drivers selecting it. Five opted for 2 percent and two prefer skim.

So, why milk? The answer is simple: It’s a nearly 100-year-old tradition. And the many traditions of the Indy 500 and Indianapolis Motor Speedway help make the 500 the magical event it is — milk and all.

Decades ago when the milk tradition began, it started with buttermilk and driver Louis Meyer. As Indianapolis Motor Speedway explains:

“Three-time Indianapolis 500 winner Louis Meyer regularly drank buttermilk to refresh himself on a hot day and happened to drink some in Victory Lane as a matter of habit after winning the 1936 race. An executive with what was then the Milk Foundation was so elated when he saw the moment captured in a photograph in the sports section of his newspaper the following morning that he vowed to make sure it would be repeated in coming years. There was a period between 1947-55 when milk was apparently no longer offered, but the practice was revived in 1956 and has been a tradition ever since.”

Buttermilk is no longer an option, but after the Indy 500, the designated “milk people” from the American Dairy Association Indiana will pull one of three bottles — one for each milk option — from a chilled cooler, which one of the milk people is sometimes handcuffed to. And they deliver it to the winning driver for the iconic celebration.

The 108th Indy 500 is set for Sunday, May 26 (green flag at 12:45 p.m. ET) at Indianapolis Motor Speedway.

13 magnificent photos of Josef Newgarden’s Indy 500 victory milk celebration

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Richard Childress supports Kyle Busch to run the 2025 Indianapolis 500

Richard Childress supports Kyle Busch to run the 2025 Indianapolis 500. Find out what Childress said about the possibility involving Busch!

[autotag]Kyle Busch[/autotag] has been flirting with the Indianapolis 500 for several years, but his possible seat at Arrow McLaren is not up for grabs now. Busch was talking to Arrow McLaren about a possible entry, but Kyle Larson took the seat for 2024, with an option for 2025. Larson has taken the racing world by storm as he will start fifth in the 2024 Indianapolis 500.

However, what if the two-time NASCAR Cup Series champion still wants a chance to run “The Double” in 2025? NBC Sports’ Dustin Long reported what Busch’s team owner, Richard Childress, had to say about him possibly running the 2025 Indianapolis 500.

“We’ve talked a little about it,” Childress said. “The right opportunities, the right team, the right situation, we would do it, and I’m sure [Kyle Busch] would do it…It’s Kyle’s call to make that decision. I’d support it for sure.”

Before the 2024 Indianapolis 500, Larson was noncommittal about running the event next year. After the Hendrick Motorsports driver’s schedule over the last week, he may be more inclined to rerun it, but Busch could take the ride if not. The Richard Childress Racing driver still has the talent to run “The Double,” and hopefully, he finds a way to make it happen, whether it’s with Arrow McLaren or another team.

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Kyle Larson talks about qualifying fifth for the 2024 Indianapolis 500

Kyle Larson talks about qualifying fifth for the 2024 Indianapolis 500. Check out what Larson had to say about his qualifying effort!

[autotag]Kyle Larson[/autotag] looks like one of the best race car drivers in the world right now. After Larson’s first week of practice and qualifying in the NTT IndyCar Series, he will start in fifth place for the 2024 Indianapolis 500. It was a monster run as the NASCAR superstar. Larson is the second-highest driver outside the Team Penske camp, trailing teammate Alexander Rossi.

Following his final Indianapolis 500 qualifying run, the 2021 NASCAR Cup Series champion talked about the qualifying sessions. Larson praised Arrow McLaren and Hendrick Motorsports before flying out for the 2024 NASCAR All-Star Race at North Wilkesboro Speedway.

“This is just a great team, really,” Larson said. “They prepared an awesome race car that’s stuck to the racetrack, and also has speed. Qualifying went a lot better than I ever could have hoped or anticipated. I’m just proud of everybody at Arrow McLaren and Hendrick Motorsports that’s been involved in this. Now, it’s time to switch the mindset over to the heavy stock car and try and go figure out [North Wilkesboro Speedway].”

Larson will have two more practice sessions in Indianapolis before he runs his first Indianapolis 500. The Arrow McLaren driver has one practice on Monday afternoon and “Carb Day” on Friday. It will be a historic weekend for Larson as the challenge of driving 1,100 miles will be difficult. However, if there is one driver that can accomplish the feat, it’s Larson.

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Scott McLaughlin discusses winning the pole for the 2024 Indianapolis 500

Scott McLaughlin discusses winning the pole for the 2024 Indianapolis 500. Check out what McLaughlin had to say about this achievement!

After the first day of qualifying for the 2024 Indianapolis 500, it became clear that Team Penske would likely win the pole position. However, no one could have expected a new qualifying record. [autotag]Scott McLaughlin[/autotag] won the pole for the 2024 Indianapolis 500, setting a new record average with a 234.220 miles per hour run on Sunday evening.

It was a shocking run by McLaughlin, who drove the yellow No. 3 car into the pole position by a landslide. Following his final qualifying attempt, McLaughlin talked about winning the pole for the 108th Running of the Indianapolis 500.

“The car has been good,” McLaughlin said. “I thought the potential was there, even yesterday. It was just about getting the right balance. I knew my engineer would nail it, and they did, and when first number came up, I just had to hold on. Got a little bit loose at the end but the Pennzoil Chevy held on.”

“Super proud to put the Yellow Submarine back on the pole and sweep for Team Penske. What a great spot for the 108th Running [of the Indianapolis 500]. I’m really proud. I think it’s the first Team Penske clean sweep of the front row since ’88. In this day and age, that’s a proud moment.”

Team Penske has been blazing fast since unloading at Indianapolis Motor Speedway, and nothing suggests it will go away anytime soon. McLaughlin, Will Power, and Josef Newgarden have locked out the front row, and it could be their race to lose next Sunday. However, McLaughlin sits at the top of the trio, with his first Indianapolis 500 pole position.

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