'Easy mistake to make': Kyle Larson's Indy 500 run ends with a crash ahead of Coca-Cola 600

Yahoo

25-05-2025

INDIANAPOLIS — Kyle Larson's effort to run the Indianapolis 500-NASCAR double got off to a bumpy start.
Larson spun out in Turn 2 on a Lap 86 restart, collecting Sting Ray Robb and Kyffin Simpson and knocking them out of the race.
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'We were punched up on the restart and I was really pissed at Takuma (Sato) in front of me. I got tight behind him and as I peeked left, the nose crabbed and I spun,' Larson said. 'Made a mistake on pit road and it compounds from there. You feel like you need to catch up and that was probably the wrong thing to do and got a little too overzealous.'
While the pack checked up following a hectic restart, Larson downshifted as he entered Turn 2 behind Sato. The No. 17 Arrow McLaren Chevrolet lost control and spun, hitting Simpson on his way to the Turn 2 wall.
Simpson spun after his contact with Larson, sending the No. 8 Chip Ganassi Racing Honda to the wall. While Simpson's car spun, Robb ran out of race track and brushed the wall on the exit of Turn 2 as he tried to avoid the spinning Simpson.
'I hate that I caused that crash (and) that others got collected in it,' Larson said. 'I hate it for Arrow McLaren and Rick Hendrick.'
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How to watch: NASCAR Coca-Cola 600 start time, where to watch, how to stream
That wall contact damaged Robb's suspension, causing the No. 77 Juncos Hollinger Racing Chevrolet to spin multiple times before hitting the tire barrier at the start of the backstretch on the inside of the track. Robb empathized with Larson.
'It's an easy mistake to make. Cold track, long running stints, marbles on the inside, cold tires on a restart and mixed conditions to make it tough,' Robb said. 'I think that with him getting loose, I thought he saved it there for a second but these cars are tricky. The added weight of the hybrid here seems like it's put some hindrance in some of the driving abilities.'
Larson was not a factor after starting 19th. He stalled the car on a Lap 25 pit stop. He finished 27th.
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The 32-year-old Cup star was taking a second crack at the double — competing at Indy and in the NASCAR Cup Coca-Cola 600 in Charlotte, North Carolina, on the same day.
He raced on the 2.5-mile Indianapolis Motor Speedway oval in 2024, finishing 18th after a pit-road speeding penalty dropped him from fifth place. However, a 4-hour rain delay in Indianapolis made him late for Charlotte. The Cup race had already begun and, when he got there, rain had stopped that race, so he never got in the car.
He qualified second for the Cup race on Saturday.
Larson had an eventful couple of weeks at Indianapolis, narrowly avoiding a spinning car, crashing in practice and qualifying for the 19th starting spot.
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Larson hopes Charlotte offers him solace after his disappointment at the Speedway.
'We put a lot into making this effort possible so (I'm) bummed out but we'll try to mentally move on from here quickly and get to Charlotte,' Larson said. 'The best therapy is to just get back behind the wheel, so thankfully I only have a few hours until I'll be back behind the wheel. Once we crank the engines up there, hopefully I'll forget about it.'
Kyle Larson's Indy 500-NASCAR weekend schedule
Today, May 25: Indy 500 starts at 12:45 p.m. ET; NASCAR Cup Coca-Cola 600 starts at 6 p.m.
Now to watch NASCAR Coca-Cola 600
Watch the NASCAR Cup Coke 600 with a 30-day Amazon Prime trial
Who raced in both Indy 500 and NASCAR on same day?
Larson is the sixth driver to attempt the Double, though just four have driven in both on the same day:
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John Andretti : 1994 , 10th at Indy, 36th in Cup.
Robby Gordon : ' 97 , Indy was postponed by rain; 2000 , 6th at Indy, 35th in Cup; '02 : 8th at Indy, 16 in Cup; '03 , 22nd at Indy, 17th in Cup; '04 , stepped out of Indy during a rain delay in favor of Jaques Lazier, finished 20th in Cup.
Tony Stewart : 1999 , 9th at Indy, 4th in Cup; 2001 , 6th at Indy, 3rd in Cup, becoming the first driver to complete 1,100 miles.
Kurt Busch : 2014 , 6th at Indy, 18th in Cup.
Davy Jones tried in 1995, but he failed to qualify for the Cup race.
This story was updated to add a video.
This article originally appeared on Indianapolis Star: 2025 Indy 500 results: Kyle Larson finishes 27th in Indy 500-porton of Double