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There is already a tremendous level of expectation throughout NASCAR for Kyle Larson's Indy 500 bid, and now, Ryan Blaney, the freshly-crowned NASCAR Cup Series champion has expressed his interest to compete in the prestigious Indianapolis 500.
Blaney’s team owner Roger Penske on Thursday said that the #12 Ford driver has told him over the past several weeks that he’d like to contest the Indy 500. Blaney later confirmed that his interest in the Memorial Day doubleheader by racing in the Indianapolis 500 and NASCAR’s Coca-Cola 600 on the same day was authentic.
On Thursday morning, ahead of the evening’s NASCAR Awards ceremonies, FOX Sports journalist Bob Pockrass asked Ryan Blaney if he was serious about racing for Penske at the Indy 500. He replied:
“Honestly, it’s something that’s bounced around my mind for a couple years. It’s something I feel like is if you could do the double that’s cool. Larson is doing it next year. That’s gonna be great. I’ve poked around that idea with RP for a couple years now and I might have to bring it back up, so we’ll see where that goes.”
“I just feel like there’s not many people that can do the double” – Ryan Blaney
Kyle Larson is joining a very select fraternity of NASCAR drivers to have run ‘The Double’ as he will fly to Charlotte straight after the Indy 500 to race in Coca-Cola 600 at Charlotte Motor Speedway that evening. He will become the first driver since Kurt Busch in 2014 to attempt to race both the Indy 500 and Coca-Cola 600 on the same day.
Speaking about the challenge of the double header, Ryan Blaney said (via motorsports.com):
“I just feel like there’s not many people that can do the double. It’s a pretty short list and it would be neat to just do it.
“I have respect for all forms of motorsports, so I think you want to go experience something like that. I think at my age it would be kind of perfect to do it, but I just think the nostalgia of it and to be able to say you ran hopefully 1100 miles in one day on the racetrack is a cool feat,” Blaney added.
Five NASCAR drivers have attempted the Indy 500, and only NASCAR legend Tony Stewart has completed all 1,100 miles.
