Kyle Larson Returns: Indy 500 Qualifying Preview

Qualifying for the 109th Indianapolis 500 kicks off this weekend, May 17-18, with 34 drivers competing for 33 grid spots in what is considered to be the greatest spectacle in racing.

The NASCAR Cup Series points leader, Kyle Larson, is back for his second straight attempt at racing 1,100 miles in one day, and so far, it hasn’t come without any challenges. He’s been pushing the limits, crashing during Friday’s practice and at an open test a few weeks ago.

"I try to look at the positives of it," Larson told the media. "I don't want to crash, but I crashed.

"I learned a lot. I'm sure the team is going to look at the data and learn a lot from it, my teammates as well."

Larson qualified fifth last year, and if it wasn’t for a speeding penalty he committed on pit road, he was racing for a potential top 10.

The obstacle a year ago was the weather. He finished 18th, but by the time the rain-delayed Indy 500 ended, NASCAR’s Coca-Cola 600 had already started. Larson traveled to Charlotte as fast as possible, however, the rain came with him, ending the race early and he never got into his Cup car.

It’s Larson’s final attempt, for at least the foreseeable future at the historic double, which has only been completed once by Tony Stewart in 2001. While other drivers, like John Andretti, Robby Gordon, and Kurt Busch have also tried, only Stewart finished all 2,000 laps.

Saturday’s qualifying is a four-lap run beginning at 11:00 a.m. with only one car on the track at a time. The top 12 will advance to Sunday’s shootout, with positions 13-30 locked in.

On Sunday, the 12 fastest will do another qualifying round starting at 4:05 p.m., with the six fastest drivers moving on and the slowest taking spots 7-12. To finish qualifying, the four slowest drivers on Saturday will compete for the final three spots, with one being left out.

Team Penske’s Josef Newgarden, who has won back-to-back Indy 500s, Scott McLaughlin, and Will Power swept the 2024 front row, making them the favorites. Arrow McLaren’s Pato O’Ward has been close, but has never won here before.

Other names like teammates Alex Palou and Scott Dixon are almost certain to be fast. Helio Castroneves and Takuma Sato are both multi-time winners and also considered big-time threats.

Weather permitting, Larson should be able to do the unprecedented on May 25. Qualifying well would be an added bonus. Either way, Larson is aiming to rewrite the history books with a very competitive mindset, and it starts tomorrow.