Kyle Larson will drive Indy 500 over NASCAR Cup race if weather dictates

NASCAR star Kyle Larson will make the Indianapolis 500 "the priority" in his racing plans Sunday, the Hendrick Motorsports driver said on Sunday morning's NBC broadcast, as the likelihood for Larson to complete both legs of the vaunted 'Double' seems unlikely due inclement weather headed for Indianapolis and the delay of Sunday's Indy 500.

"I think our plan is to keep this the priority, so I would be here racing," Larson told NBC's Marty Snyder during an interview outside his motorhome on the NBC broadcast. "But I'm actually bummed about it. I want it to just rain out today, with the rain coming. I'd rather the storm be bigger and last longer, but it looks like it's going to be in that window where I guess we might be able to get it dry and then race some today."

Just after 11:15 a.m. Sunday morning, IMS announced a delay for the start of the 500 with inclement weather heading toward central Indiana and likely to arrive as early as noon. With precipitation set to clear the area by 3 p.m. or so, according to IMS president Doug Boles, race officials expect the 500 to start Sunday afternoon around 4:30-5 p.m., as long as additional scattered showers don't pop up during the track drying process.

With the NASCAR Cup series' Coca-Cola 600 set to start at 6 p.m. at Charlotte Motor Speedway, Larson and his Hendrick Motorsports team have said this month they would need to leave IMS via helicopter by 4:15 p.m. or so in order to make the start of the NASCAR race. With no delays expected for the start of Cup's 600, Larson's NASCAR team owner Rick Hendrick has been -- or will soon be -- be forced to make a decision whether or not to keep the 2021 Cup champ in Indianapolis for the start of the 500, with both major races likely to start within roughly an hour of each other.

Unless the 500 receives additional delays to its start and is ultimately pushed to run entirely on Monday, or if the 600 starts late due to weather, Larson's quest to complete 'The Double' this year -- as the first driver to attempt to do so in a decade -- will end one full leg short.

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"It's still weather, so you don't know how it's going to be exactly," Larson said. "I'd say the worst-case scenario is happening, which is such a bummer, more than anything. We'll get to get on-track in something today, so that's exciting."

During a news conference earlier this week with McLaren Racing CEO Zak Brown, Hendrick Motorsports owner Rick Hendrick noted that it would be "very hard" and "very tough" to pull Larson from the 500 -- hinting at the way the team seems to have leaned Sunday.

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"I think it's everybody within (the team), Rick (Hendrick), Hendrick Automotive Group, Hendrick Motorsports. I think we're all part of the decision, along with (HMS vice chairman) Jeff Gordon and (HMS president and general manager) Jeff Andrews," Larson told Snyder, when asked who ultimately was and would be involved in deciding where he would compete Sunday. "There's just been so much time and investment to make Indy happen. There's been a buildup of over a year. We need to run it, and I want to, an I feel like I've got a really good shot to have a good run and potentially win.

"I just wish it would all work out, and we could get both races in the full distance. I don't care if it's the same day. I just want to be able to race both races the full distance, but we'll see."

Earlier in the day on IndyStar's Pit Pass Live pre-race show from Gasoline Alley, Arrow McLaren team principal Gavin Ward said that Hendrick was "committed" to Larson running the 500 in the No. 17 Chevy co-entered by HMS and Arrow McLaren. Last weekend, Larson qualified 5th for his maiden 500 as Arrow McLaren's second-fastest entry among its three cars that made the Fast 12. Saturday evening, Larson qualified 10th for the Coke 600.

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Had the weather delays not hampered his schedule and forced he and HMS officials to choose, Larson was attempting to become the first driver in a decade to complete 'The Double' by running both the Indy 500 and Coke 600 the same day.

This article originally appeared on Indianapolis Star: Kyle Larson will drive Indy 500 over NASCAR Cup race if weather delays