INDIANAPOLIS (AP) — Kyle Larson will shoot for the Indianapolis 500 pole after the NASCAR star posted a blistering four-lap average of 232.788 mph on Sunday during his Fast 12 run at Indianapolis Motor Speedway.
Larson is trying to become the second driver ever and first since Tony Stewart in 2001 to complete “The Double,” running the entire Indy 500 and the Coca-Cola 600 in Charlotte on the same day — a full 1,100 laps.
The fastest 12 from the first day of qualifying advanced to Sunday. The top six among them run for the pole.
“Pretty neat being in the top six,” Larson said. “Just happy with how the day is going. Felt like our car was good there.”
By making the six-car shootout, Larson also will get a dry run for the big day May 26. He is due at North Wilkesboro later Sunday to run the NASCAR All-Star Race, and he must leave Indianapolis Motor Speedway on a helicopter waiting for him on the infield golf course at 6:15 p.m. EDT to reach a nearby airport and hop on a plane to North Carolina.
NASCAR and TV broadcaster FOX worked with Hendrick Motorsports on Sunday to provide him a bit of a buffer. They pushed back the start of the All-Star Race by 16 minutes to 8:30 p.m. If all goes according to plan, Larson would land at Wilkes County Airport at 7:45 p.m., jump into another helicopter and land at the track 15 minutes later, giving him a 30-minute cushion.
Chad Knaus, the vice president of competition at Hendrick Motorsports, had said there was no backup plan if Larson did not make it in time, which may have played a part in NASCAR moving back the start. Larson is one of its biggest stars.
“The car would just sit there and look pretty. We would save it for another event,” Knaus said from North Wilkesboro. “The way things are working out, all of our cards are in getting Kyle here. That’s the plan.”
Larson had a nervy first day of qualifying Saturday when an engine issue that Chevrolet has struggled with all weekend caused him to scrap his initial attempt. But he returned to the track a little later and laid down a 232.563 mph four-lap average, putting him sixth quickest among the 34 entries and into the pole mix.
Things were a little dicey again during an hourlong practice Sunday, too.
Larson had to abort his first qualifying simulation because of traffic, backed out of his second with understeer, but eventually put together a quality run that gave him confidence of making the final six going for the pole.
When he did it, thousands of fans along the front stretch at Indianapolis Motor Speedway stood and cheered.
Larson will need to find even more speed in the six-car pole shootout.
Scott McLaughlin led the way earlier Sunday with his four-lap average of 233.492 mph, while Team Penske teammates Will Power and Josef Newgarden were right behind. Larson’s teammate with Arrow McLaren, Alexander Rossi, also edged him, with Santino Ferrucci of A.J. Foyt Racing not far off his pace.
“People used to say to me, ‘Can you believe Kyle Larson?’” said Jeff Gordon, the vice chairman of Hendrick Motorsports, which is working with Arrow McLaren to field the No. 17 car for “The Greatest Spectacle in Racing.”
“I used to think the same way but I don’t anymore. He always steps up. He’s just fun to watch.”
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AP Sports Writer Steve Reed in North Wilkesboro, North Carolina, contributed to this report.
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AP auto racing: https://apnews.com/hub/auto-racing
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