Yahoo Autos NASCAR would accommodate Larson getting to Charlotte ‘within reason’
NASCAR wants to see Kyle Larson attempt the Indianapolis/Charlotte double and will try to be as accommodating as possible Sunday night for the start of the Coca-Cola 600.
“We’re going to work closely with the folks at Speedway Motorsports, our TV broadcast partners, the folks at (Hendrick Motorsports, to do everything we can to make sure that Kyle can get there — within reason,” NASCAR’s Elton Sawyer told SiriusXM NASCAR Radio. “We’ve got some minute-by-minute (schedules) and when we do our command and when the green flag (waves), but we’re going to work closely together to make sure our fans get to see one of the best drivers ever in our sport to be able to participate in our Coke 600 Sunday night.”
Larson qualified fifth for the Indianapolis 500 with Arrow McLaren last Sunday and flew to North Wilkesboro Speedway to compete in the NASCAR All-Star Race the same night. Although the Hendrick Motorsports driver made it with time to spare, landing at 7:15pm ET, NASCAR had pushed the start of the race back by 15 minutes.
The Indianapolis 500 has a green flag time of 12:45pm ET Sunday. Sunday night’s Coca-Cola 600, the longest race on the NASCAR schedule, goes green after 6pm ET.
“If you back up from what we just had at the All-Star weekend and obviously what was going on at Indy with Kyle, that is a great motorsports story for this young man to be able to do the double,” Sawyer said. “I think President Steve Phelps said it this week: that’s a generational talent, and there was an opportunity to do the triple where he could run Monaco (with Formula 1), then he could get to Indy, and then he could get to the 600, Kyle Larson is the guy who could do that.
“Obviously, that’s not going to happen; it logistically doesn’t work out. But as far as the sanctioning body, the industry, our fans last weekend, to see the helicopter drop in there at (North) Wilkesboro and Kyle get out, it’s a great storyline.”
It’s an estimated 50 minutes to one hour by plane from Indianapolis to Charlotte Motor Speedway. The plan is for Larson to leave the Brickyard by helicopter, get on a plane, and fly into the Concord airport before helicoptering to the speedway. For drivers who have competed in the double — most recently Kurt Busch in 2014 — the helicopter has landed on the frontstretch grass.
It’s also worth noting that the forecast for Sunday in Indianapolis calls for thunderstorms and heavy rain. Rick Hendrick said this week they will “let it play out” on race day before a decision has to be made about where Larson will compete.
The forecast for Sunday in Concord is partly cloudy and 87 degrees.
