Bob Pockrass
FOX NASCAR Insider
CONCORD, N.C. — Kyle Larson’s “double” began with rain and ended with it.
Rain delayed the beginning of the Indianapolis 500 for 4 hours and spoiled Larson’s plans to begin each the five hundred and the Coca-Cola 600 close to Charlotte on the identical day. Larson completed 18th within the Indianapolis 500, whereas the Cup race ended at lap 120 of the 400-lap occasion at Charlotte Motor Speedway resulting from rain.
Larson jetted to North Carolina and landed simply as a heavy rain storm arrived about 100 minutes after the top of the Indianapolis 500. He would have gotten into the Hendrick Motorsports automobile if the race resumed, however NASCAR didn’t resume the occasion and referred to as it official as they have been previous midway with 249 of 400 laps accomplished.
Justin Allgaier began the Hendrick Motorsports No. 5 automobile at Charlotte and completed thirteenth. NASCAR tried to dry the monitor however after a couple of 2-hour delay, it decided the excessive humidity would make drying the monitor tough to renew till after 1 a.m. ET and determined to name it an evening.
It was a irritating finish to the day for Larson as the identical rain system hit each tracks.
“I am very, very grateful for the expertise clearly — all the pieces in regards to the two weeks [at Indy] and all that was nice till at the moment,” Larson mentioned in regards to the two weeks of observe and qualifying lead as much as the Indy 500, his first IndyCar race. “It’s simply unhappy.
“All the things that might have went flawed at the moment, went flawed. Hopefully, I get to do it once more sooner or later and hopefully the climate is healthier.”
For Larson, the Cup Collection factors chief coming into the occasion, he would require a waiver from NASCAR as a result of Cup guidelines require a driver to “begin” each race of the common season to be eligible for the playoffs. Whereas NASCAR didn’t make an official announcement Sunday evening on the waiver, it might be stunning for Hendrick to have saved Larson on the 500 if it wasn’t assured in getting one.
As a result of Allgaier began the race, even when Larson had gotten into the automobile, he earned no factors for the occasion, the place the winner may earn a most 70 factors and eight playoff factors — each important numbers contemplating that these factors may make the distinction in advancing if a driver struggles in a playoff spherical.
Larson mentioned he was a part of the choice to remain in Indy and lamented a day the place he completed 18th in a single race and didn’t rating factors he may have used within the different.
Was the choice to remain in Indy value it?
“I locked my brakes and sped on pit street, so I didn’t make it value it,” Larson mentioned. “I’m simply mad at myself, mad on the scenario.”
Larson’s take care of Arrow McLaren to run the Indy 500 is a two-year deal, and Larson hopes to attempt the double once more subsequent 12 months and change into the fifth driver to do each races in in the future.
“I might undoubtedly like to be again subsequent 12 months,” mentioned Larson, who began fifth at Indy. “I really feel like I realized so much all through the race. I made a pair errors early there with the restart. Undecided what I did flawed there, however someway acquired myself into third.
“I felt like I did a very good job on the restarts and realized so much. Positively be ok with understanding what I would want totally different for the stability after I come again to assist runs and stuff. Then clearly I smoked the left entrance or one thing on a inexperienced flag cease and killed our alternative. Proud to complete however fairly upset at myself.”
NASCAR would have thought of delaying the beginning of Sunday’s race by 15-Half-hour if Larson was shut to creating the beginning of the 600, however when it was clear he wouldn’t make it, NASCAR began its longest race of the season as scheduled with Larson nonetheless competing at Indianapolis.
“It simply sucks, man,” Larson mentioned. “I don’t suppose they’ve had a delay there [at Indy] in how lengthy?”
Bob Pockrass covers NASCAR for FOX Sports activities. He has spent many years overlaying motorsports, together with over 30 Daytona 500s, with stints at ESPN, Sporting Information, NASCAR Scene journal and The (Daytona Seaside) Information-Journal. Comply with him on Twitter @bobpockrass.
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