Kyle Larson delivers a straightforward take prioritizing $1,000,000 over the Indy500

Kyle Larson will prioritize NASCAR's $1 million prize money over a higher Indy 500 starting position. Per Frontstretch on X, Larson said he would skip the Fast Six to ensure he arrives in the stock car racing league's All-Star Race on time.

For context, the Fast Six is the Indy 500's final qualifying session, where the six finalists fight for the pole position. The issue is that the session starts at around 6:00 p.m. on May 18, which could delay Larson from making NASCAR's All-Star Race scheduled later at 8:00 p.m. ET.

During his The Double attempt last year, the Hendrick Motorsports star was able to finish the Fast Six to secure the fifth starting position before arriving at North Wilkesboro Speedway. If he advances to the Indy 500's final qualifying session but chooses not to participate, he will start the iconic 200-lap open-wheel race in sixth.

Kyle Larson shared his strategy for the day of the NASCAR All-Star Race in a press conference at Texas Motor Speedway, saying:

"I think that I would miss the Fast Six and go to the All-Star Race. It's important to race it. It's a lot of money on the line," the 32-year-old said. [3:01]

"Sure, it would be great to get an opportunity at the pole, but I'd rather race for $1 million, I think, and start sixth. We'll see, I mean, you really never know how it's going to go, so got to make sure our car's fast enough to even worry about all that anyway," he added.

As usual, Kyle Larson will try to earn the $1 million prize money in NASCAR's All-Star Race in the #5 Hendrick Motorsports Chevrolet. Over in the IndyCar Series, he will qualify in the #17 Arrow McLaren Chevy for the second consecutive year.

The following week, the 2021 NASCAR Cup Series champion will kick off his The Double attempt in the Indy 500 at 12:45 p.m. ET before flying to Charlotte Motor Speedway for the Coca-Cola 600, which will commence at 6:00 p.m. ET.

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"It would be unreal": Kyle Larson on winning the Indy 500

Kyle Larson, a proven winner in various racing disciplines, shared his thoughts on adding an Indy 500 win to his resume. He believes the feat will further elevate his status in the racing scene to a point he doesn't even know where it would take him.

In a press release by McLaren, the team backing Larson in the Indy 500, the 32-year-old Californian said:

"It would be unreal. Sure, I wouldn’t be out there if I didn’t think I could do it, but gosh, I don’t even know. That would take your status to a completely different level. I don’t think you can imagine what it might do for your career."

Kyle Larson driving the #17 at Indianapolis Motor Speedway last year - Source: Getty

The Indy 500 is one of the three races under the Triple Crown, an unofficial achievement considered the holy grail of global motorsports. Larson will try to etch his name in the sport's biggest race following a disappointing 18th-place finish last year.

The other two races are Formula 1's Monaco Grand Prix and the 24 Hours of Le Mans of the FIA World Endurance Championship (WEC), the global counterpart of America's IMSA SportsCar Championship.