What’s Happening?

Kyle Larson is attempting one of the great feats in motorsports, “The Double”, as he attempts to race in both the Indianapolis 500 and Coca-Cola 600 on the same day. This means his month of May is going to be busy thanks to a rigid and busy schedule for both series. This is Larson’s entire month of May Schedule.

• Kyle Larson is the first driver to attempt both races on the same day since Kurt Busch in 2014. The only driver to complete all 1100 miles across both races was Tony Stewart in 2001.
• Larson will have two full weeks of practice and qualifying at Indianapolis along with two Cup Series race weekends to complete. It’s set to be a busy month, and this is how it all breaks down.
• Fans are excited to see Larson attempt the double. It’s not something that happens often, and it makes fans of both events anticipate the Month of May a little more.

May 14th-16th: Indianapolis 500 Practice

Indianapolis 500 practice is not like a typical race weekend. Teams get between 29 and 30 hours of practice in the two weeks leading up to the race. Larson will likely be in the car as much as he can for all of these sessions. For fans near Indianapolis, they can watch these sessions from the grandstands for a $20-25 admission fee. The Monday through Wednesday sessions are typical practice sessions with race-day setups.

(UPDATE) Tuesday Practice: The first practice session of the week was cut short after only 29 minutes due to rain. Larson never got a full-speed lap in, so, he was 27th quickest with a speed of 149.869 MPH.

(UPDATED) Wednesday Practice: Kyle Larson got his first laps in on Wednesday in a weather-delayed practice. He briefly was at the top of the board, but, he ended the session in 15th quickest with a speed of 225.194 MPH.

(UPDATED) Thursday Practice: A precautionary engine change meant Larson only got 29 laps of practice in on this day. He finished 25th fastest with a speed of 222.805 MPH, while teammate Pat O-Ward was the fastest with a speed of 228.861 MPH. Larson needs to qualify in the top 30 on Saturday to guarantee a spot on the starting grid.

May 17th-19th: Indianapolis 500 Qualifying/All-Star Race Weekend

Friday

We already know that Kyle Larson will miss All-Star Friday, and Kevin Harvick will replace him. This is due to the importance of the Friday practice session at Indianapolis. This is known as “Fast Friday”, where teams are first administered their turbocharger boosts that will stay on the car through qualifying. The qualifying draw will also take place after the session is over.

(UPDATE) Friday Practice: Kyle Larson showed his best speed of the month so far on Friday. He finished 2nd quickest with a speed of 234.271 MPH as the qualifying turbocharger boost hiked speeds throughout the field. However, with qualifying being a 4-lap run, Larson’s 4-lap average is likely the most important metric, and he was 10th best with a speed of 232.549 MPH. A top-12 spot on Saturday puts him in positon to go for the pole on Sunday, while a top-30 spot locks him into the field.

Saturday

On Saturday, Larson has practice and qualifying at Indianapolis, which lasts until 5:50 PM. Saturday’s qualifying at Indianapolis may not determine his starting spot, but, if Larson is going for the pole, he needs to qualify in the top 12. A top-30 speed locks him into the field no matter what.

Kyle Larson told the media during Indy 500 practice that he will not be at North Wilkesboro for the Heat Races. He will focus on Indy 500 qualifying that day. Bob Pockrass reports that Kyle Larson will start at the rear in the All-Star Race as standby driver, Kevin Harvick, is ineligible for the All-Star Heat races.

(UPDATE) Saturday Qualifying: After cutting his first attempt short due to an engine issue. Kyle Larson went out later in the day, and he placed 6th with a speed of 232.563 MPH guaranteeing him a top-12 starting spot. He moves into top-12 qualifying in an attempt to make the Fast 6 on Saturday.

Sunday

Sunday depends entirely on Larson’s performance on Saturday. If he ends up between 13th and 29th, he doesn’t have to show up on Sunday. If he qualifies 30th or worse, he goes into the Last Chance Qualifying to see if he can make the field.

If he qualifies 12th or better, he goes into the Top-12 qualifying session. If he makes the Fast 6 out of that, he goes for the Pole in the Firestone Fast 6.

However, the All-Star Race does not start until 8:00 PM ET. He should be able to make the All-Star Race itself on this day, even if it’s tight, but, it could be a long day depending on where Larson qualifies.

(UPDATE) Sunday Qualifying: Kyle Larson made it into the Top-12, and he qualified his way into the Fast 6 by going 5th fastest (232.788 MPH). He stayed in that 5th spot later on Sunday in the Fast 6 with a speed of 232.846 MPH. He will start in the middle of row 2 in Sunday’s Indy 500.

(UPDATE) All-Star Race: Despite not practicing or qualifying, Larson used strategy and a fast car to slice through the field. He finished a solid 4th after flying in from Indianapolis.

May 20th-24th: Indianapolis 500 Practice

Larson will get a nice break the week of the Indianapolis 500, provided he qualifies. After a 2 hour session on Monday, he has 3 days off before Carb Day on Friday.

Carb Day is the day of Final Practice for the Indy 500. After the 2 hour session, the Indy 500 pit stop challenge goes from 2:30-4:00, but, Larson seemingly doesn’t have to be in attendance for that.

Monday Practice: Monday practice at Indianapolis is all about race prep. Larson was only 28th fastest with a speed of 223.312 MPH, but, the day was primarily about learning to drive the car in traffic.

May 25th-26th: Indianapolis 500 and Coca-Cola 600 Race Weekend

On Saturday, Larson will take part in Legends Day at Indianapolis before heading to Charlotte for Coca-Cola 600 practice and qualifying that evening. The session is scheduled after the Xfinity Series race.

On Sunday, Larson will attempt the double itself, provided he qualifies at Indianapolis. Depending on how long the “500” goes, he may be forced to start at the back thanks to missing Driver Intros. Kurt Busch had to start at the rear in 2014.

Kyle Larson is set for a busy Month of May. How will he do at Indianapolis?