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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.
| Tuesday, May 14th* | 12:00-6:00 PM ET* |
| Wednesday, May 15th | 10:00 AM-7:00 PM ET** |
| Thursday, May 16th | 10:00 AM-6:00 PM ET** |
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.
| Friday, May 17th | Indianapolis 500 Practice (Fast Friday) | 12:00-6:00 PM ET |
| NASCAR All-Star Friday* | 4:00-7:00 PM ET | |
| Saturday, May 18th | Indianapolis 500 Saturday Practice/Qualifying | 8:30 AM-5:50 PM ET |
| NASCAR All-Star Heat Races | 5:20/6:10 PM ET | |
| Sunday, May 19th (Bump Day) | Indianapolis 500 Top 12 Practice | 11:30 AM-12:30 PM ET |
| Indianapolis 500 Top 12 Qualifying | 2:00-3:30 PM ET | |
| Fast 6 Qualifying? | 5:15-5:45 PM ET | |
| NASCAR All-Star Race Driver Intros | 7:30 PM ET | |
| NASCAR All-Star Race | 8:00 PM ET |
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.
| Monday, May 20th | 1:00-3:00 PM ET |
| Friday, May 24th (Carb Day) | 11:00 AM-1:00 PM ET |
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.
| Saturday, May 25th | Indianapolis 500 Autograph Session | 9:00-10:00 AM ET |
| Public Drivers Meeting | 10:30-11:00 AM ET | |
| Coca-Cola 600 Practice/Qualifying | 5:05-7:00 PM ET | |
| Sunday, May 26th | Indianapolis 500 | 12:45 PM ET |
| Coca-Cola 600 Driver Intros | 5:25 PM ET | |
| Coca-Cola 600 | 6:00 PM ET |
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?
