Source: Chris Owens/Penske Entertainment / other
INDIANAPOLIS — Kyle Larson, a former NASCAR Cup Series champion and veteran dirt track racer as well, was introduced to the discipline of IndyCar racing on Thursday.
Larson conducted his rookie orientation program on the 2 1/2 mile oval at the Indianapolis Motor Speedway.
“It was fun,” Larson said. “I guess mostly what I anticipated in a way, the speed and the grip didn’t feel thankfully scarier than what I thought it might.”
Larson is attempting to qualify for the Indianapolis 500 in 2024 in a partnership between Hendrick Motorsports and Arrow McLaren. He intends to attempt “The Double” in trying to complete the Indianapolis 500 and NASCAR’s Coca-Cola 600 on the same day.
Larson was able to complete all his required laps at set speeds through the three phases of ROP.
He said the overall experience was about what he anticipated having done plenty of simulator work leading up to his rookie test. But, he says steering an IndyCar is much different than anything he’s experienced.
Source: Walt Kuhn/Penske Entertainment / other
“The way the wheel was lighter, a lot lighter than the simulator, but still a little heavier than what I expected,” Larson said. “Other than that, I thought it went really smooth. I think more of the pit-road side of things is where I’ll have to work more on. Just the steering is so slow, you have to turn so far getting in and out. If you’re coming in around someone, leaving out around someone. Getting used to the steering at the slower speeds will be something to get used to.”
Hendrick Motorsports vice-president and five-time Brickyard 400 winner Jeff Gordon was on hand to watch Larson test. Team owner Rick Hendrick was also present.
“I’m absolutely having a blast watching Kyle go through this process,” Gordon said. there’s been a lot of discussions, a lot of planning, and today we’re really seeing it unfold in reality.”
Larson turned 72 laps around the track for the whole day. His fastest lap speed was around 217.898 mph.
Now that Larson has cleared his ROP, he will be allowed to practice with the rest of the Indy 500 veterans immediately once practice begins in mid-May.
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