NASCAR veteran addresses how Kyle Larson reacted to his Indy 500 disappointment

NASCAR veteran Ryan Blaney shared his take on Kyle Larson's reaction to his crash during Fast Friday practice for the Indy 500. The Team Penske driver stressed that it's important to not wallow in disappointment for too long and learn to move on from the setback.

Larson's preparation for the Indy 500 qualifying was overshadowed by a costly spin during the six-hour practice session at Indianapolis Motor Speedway. The 2021 Cup champion lost control of his No. 17 Arrow McLaren Racing Chevrolet and bounced off the SAFER barriers twice. He went nose-first into the wall, then spun around and backed into it for the second time.

To make matters worse, high temperatures and gusty winds forced Larson to wait till the final 90 minutes to test his qualifying pace. The subsequent crash cost him valuable track time at the 2.5 mile Speedway, with the Californian native coming back to log just three flying laps before the day ended.

Reflecting upon the same, Larson spoke to the media and said (via NASCAR.com),

"Obviously, it’s tricky, I spun. I don’t know, I was kind of caught off guard a little bit there, but like I said I think we’ll be fine. I tend to get over things pretty quickly. I know I spun but my [car’s] balance felt pretty close to being good. Just work on it a little bit. We’ll be good tomorrow. The track will be cooler. We’ll be fine.”

During NASCAR's practice session at North Wilkesboro Speedway, Blaney was asked his take on Larson's reaction and how tough it is to deal with such a predicament.

"Everyone goes about it differently. You know, I think it's really important to have short memory in this deal because you're gonna have rough days and you're going to have times where you make mistakes and wreck and things like that. It's, you know, how do you learn from it and move on," he said via Frontstretch [1:58 onwards]

Kyle Larson will get a chance to find his rhythm with an hour long practice ahead of Saturday's qualifying, which starts at 11 A.M. EDT on FS1.

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Kyle Larson compares his crash during Indy 500 open test with Fast Friday setback

Kyle Larson reflected on his misfortunes during Friday's practice at Indianapolis Motor Speedway and compared it to a similar blow during his Indy 500 open test three weeks back. The Hendrick Motorsports driver is set to attempt a Memorial Day Double weekend by competing in both the Indy 500 and the Coca-Cola 600 at Charlotte Motor Speedway.

During day 2 of open testing for the 500-miler, Larson locked up his tires into Turn 1 and hit the walls with his right front. Drawing parallels with the incident, Larson acknowledged how Friday's crash mirrored the experience, albeit in a different way.

"At least we’ve found both ends of the spectrum. The open test I hit [the wall] with the right front and today I backed it in," Kyle Larson said via NASCAR.com

After the dust had settled, Kyle Larson revealed further details from the open test crash, admitting that he was a big part of the mistake.

The Hendrick Motorsports driver plans for double duty this Sunday, as he returns to compete in the All Star race at North Wilkesboro Speedway after finishing up qualifying for the Indy 500. Notably, Larson won the All Star race in 2023, which marked the event's return after a hiatus since it's last running in 1996.