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Kyle Larson is set to make his IndyCar debut in the 108th running of the Indy 500 next year. Larson will also start at the Coca-Cola 600 Cup Series race on the same day, undertaking double duty on Memorial Day.
Larson will be attempting "The Double" in a car fielded by the Arrow McLaren team. The collaboration between Hendrick Motorsports and the front-running IndyCar team Arrow McLaren will give Larson a genuine shot at fighting for the win.
The hype surrounding Larson's debut in the prestigious race is evident by the latest news surrounding ticket sales. The NASCAR Cup Series star's debut is said to have boosted ticket sales in comparison to the previous year's sales.
Adam Stern of the Sports Business Journal reported that ticket sales at Indianapolis Motor Speedway are up by 10,000 compared to the previous year's count in the same period. Stern added that over 225,000 people have already booked their tickets for the Memorial Day weekend race.
Stern posted on X (formerly Twitter):
“@IMS says that it’s up by roughly 10,000 tickets for the 108th Indy 500 versus the comparable sales period last year and that it would already have 225,000 people in attendance all told if the May event was held today.”
While the increase in ticket sales cannot be entirely attributed to Kyle Larson's debut, the 2021 Cup Series champion will be drawing in the NASCAR audience and his Mid-West fanbase for his debut outing in IndyCar.
Kyle Larson is widely regarded as the most versatile driver and a once-in-a-generation talent. With Larson competing at the front in every form of motor racing he has entered, the NASCAR audience is curious to see how the #5 Chevy driver will fare at the Indy 500 next year.
Larson will be the fifth driver to attempt the Memorial Day double, with Tony Stewart achieving the best results across both races in 2001 - a P6 finish in the Indy 500 and a P3 finish at Charlotte.
Roger Penske insists Kyle Larson will be an asset for the Indy 500
Roger Penske, owner of the Indianapolis Motor Speedway and the IndyCar Series, is excited to see what Kyle Larson can achieve in the Indy 500.
Earlier in December, 'The Captain' had reportedly stated that Larson's entry was driving up ticket sales and called the Hendrick Motorsports driver an asset to the open-wheeler series.
"We are so excited to see Larson come to the speedway, I know Rick (Hendrick) talked to me about running Larson and we hadn’t had the success for a couple years. I think that his skill and his fan base in the Midwest is amazing. The interest from the fan base with (Kyle) Larson coming, we can see it already in our ticket sales. He’ll be a great asset to Indianapolis and the 500," Penske was quoted by motorsports.com
