Kyle Larson says he will do the Indy 500/Coca-Cola 600 double someday

He’s only 24, so maybe we should give Kyle Larson some time before expecting him to log 1100 miles in one day.

Even though no one has tried it since Kurt Busch in 2014, there’s talk every year about which driver might pull “Double Duty” by running both the Indy 500 and the Coca-Cola 600 on the same day. With no obvious candidates other than Busch running in the Monster Energy NASCAR Cup Series right now, there’s been a consistent theme when looking for someone new to try the double: why not Kyle Larson?

The Cup Series points leader doesn’t have an open-wheel racing background like Tony Stewart, the most successful of the handful of men to drive in both races so far, but he’s young. talented and adventurous. Perhaps most importantly, his NASCAR team owner Chip Ganassi also fields multiple cars in IndyCar, and thus might be able to provide him with a ride.

Prior to this year’s Coca-Cola 600, Kenny Wallace pressed Larson on the idea of the double, and he wasn’t going to let the young star get away without giving an answer (via NASCAR.com).

"“I will someday. I just have to get the courage up. For sure, I want to.”"

Larson also noted that he watched the 2017 Indy 500 and thought some of the wrecks looked scary, no doubt referencing Scott Dixon’s wild ride that saw his car flipped multiple times and shredded. Thankfully, Dixon walked away more or less unscathed.

Next: Elliott, Keselowski crash out early

But while it would be awesome to see Larson represent Ganassi at Indianapolis and Charlotte, maybe we should all let him focus on his “day job” first. After all, he just won his first race this season, and he’s looking like a legitimate contender for the Monster Cup Series NASCAR Cup Series title.

The Indy 500 certainly beckons to him, as it does to most drivers, but it can wait.