Kyle Larson’s effort to complete the ambitious ‘Double’ — competing in both the Indianapolis 500 and the Coca-Cola 600 on the same day — did not go as he had envisioned. His run in the Indy 500 came to an early end after a crash on Lap 92. Larson spun on a restart, triggering a wreck that involved two other cars and ended his day with a 27th-place finish. Visibly frustrated, he left the Indianapolis Motor Speedway after what had been a challenging and emotional month of preparation.
With little time to dwell on the disappointment, Larson had to quickly reset his mindset for the second leg of his doubleheader: NASCAR’s 600-mile marathon at Charlotte Motor Speedway. Starting from the outside of the front row, Larson shared a message during his flight from Indianapolis to Charlotte, acknowledging the emotional toll of the Indy crash and stressing the need to mentally regroup and move forward.
Cliff Daniels, Larson’s crew chief at Hendrick Motorsports, spoke to NASCAR on Prime about how Larson is coping with the setback and preparing for the night’s race. Daniels praised Larson’s mental resilience, pointing out that his experience across multiple racing disciplines allows him to quickly shift focus from one event to the next — regardless of the outcome.
Daniels, who has worked closely with Larson for years, said he spoke to him during the trip to Charlotte, using humor to help lighten the mood. Despite the disappointing result at Indy, Daniels believes Larson is mentally ready to compete in the Coca-Cola 600 and remains deeply appreciative of the opportunity, as well as the support from Rick Hendrick and the entire Hendrick Motorsports team.
Daniels further noted that Larson is no stranger to managing high workloads and bouncing back from tough races, given his frequent participation in various forms of motorsport — from dirt sprint cars to high-level open-wheel events like the Indy 500. Although the scale and demands of Indy were uniquely intense, Daniels said the Hendrick team worked hard to create a supportive structure that allowed Larson to stay focused on each task. That included helping him transition smoothly between his commitments with Arrow McLaren at Indy and Hendrick Motorsports in Charlotte.
Notably, this year’s Coca-Cola 600 marks a milestone in NASCAR broadcasting, as it is the first Cup Series race to be aired exclusively on a streaming platform — Prime Video.
