Kyle Larson’s career is accelerating so quickly that it almost needs a stopwatch and digital timing to keep up. Fans will have ample opportunities to watch him this weekend. It’s an exciting time for motorsports enthusiasts, as Sunday promises thrilling high-speed action and fierce competition from one of the world’s most glamorous cities to NASCAR’s home base, with significant bragging rights on the line.
The Memorial Day weekend kicks off early Sunday with Formula One’s Monaco Grand Prix, followed by the Indianapolis 500 in the afternoon and the NASCAR Cup Series’ longest race, the Coca-Cola 600, in Charlotte later in the evening. It’s shaping up to be an incredible day of high-octane, mechanical drama. Larson will aim to participate in two of these events, much like he did last week when he qualified fifth for the 108th Indy 500 and quickly flew to North Carolina for NASCAR’s All-Star Race at North Wilkesboro Speedway, finishing fourth.
At 31, Larson is leading NASCAR’s top series, 30 points ahead of Martin Truex Jr., and holds the top spot in top-five finishes (six), laps led (649), and stage wins (seven). Hailing from Elk Grove, Calif., Larson is one of three multiple winners in the first 13 races, with his two victories trailing Denny Hamlin and William Byron, who each have three.
He will be the 11th driver to tackle two of racing’s most prestigious events. Tony Stewart was the only driver to complete all 1,100 miles in 2001, with Kurt Busch last attempting the feat in 2014. However, there is an 80 percent chance of rain at Indy on Sunday.
Larson expressed his hopes for the weather on Thursday: “If it’s going to rain, I hope it rains all day. That way, it can be rescheduled to Monday, and Charlotte won’t be affected. I just hope the rain holds off so we can race in Charlotte on Sunday night and then come back here on Monday.”
