Who will Kyle Larson race for in the 2025 Indy 500? All about Arrow McLaren

After a first failed attempt at the iconic Memorial Day Weekend double-duty, Kyle Larson is set to try again in 2025. The Hendrick Motorsports star racer will be driving the #17 Arrow McLaren race car, owned by NASCAR Hall of Famer Rick Hendrick, in the Indy 500 race.

While Larson is popular for his exploits in the Cup Series, and HMS is regarded as one of the most successful teams in NASCAR, many new or casual fans of the motorsport are not aware of the history of McLaren's IndyCar division. Here's everything you need to know about Arrow McLaren.

After a horrific accident in 2000 that rendered him quadriplegic, IndyCar race winner Sam Schmidt returned to the sport as the founder and owner of Sam Schmidt Motorsports in 2001. Since then, the team has undergone three name changes (Schmidt Hamilton Motorsports in 2012, Schmidt Peterson Motorsports in 2013, and Arrow Schmidt Peterson Motorsports in 2019) before partnering with the legendary British Formula 1 outfit McLaren Racing in 2020.

Since then, the squad has been known as the Arrow McLaren IndyCar Team (Arrow Electronics being their title sponsor from 2019 onwards). The team has clinched three Indianapolis 500 and 25 IndyCar wins and has 72 podium finishes under its belt.

The Papaya Orange-colored team has three full-time drivers. Nolan Siegel drives the #6 Chevrolet, Pato O'Ward is behind the wheel of the #5 Chevrolet, and Alexander Rossi pilots the #7 VELO Chevrolet. Apart from them, the team also fields Kyle Larson as a part-time racer, driving the #17 HendrickCars.com Arrow McLaren Chevrolet.

In May this year, the Californian driver attempted the Memorial Day Weekend double-duty, which includes racing the Indy 500 and Coca-Cola 600 races in a single day. Despite a four-hour delay due to rain, the #5 Hendrick Motorsport racer was able to finish the first leg (Indy 500) of the 1,100-mile-long run.

However, with the weather worsening at Charlotte Motor Speedway, Larson was unable to complete the iconic run. The former Cup Series champion, along with HMS and Arrow McLaren, recently announced a second attempt at double-duty in 2025 season.

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"He’s one of the most talented racing drivers out there," - McLaren Racing's CEO Zak Brown heaps praise on Kyle Larson during the 2025 Memorial Day Weekend Double announcement

Despite falling short of the legendary Hendrick 1100 run this year, Kyle Larson, Hendrick Motorsports, and Arrow McLaren are determined to make another attempt in 2025. During a media event at Charlotte Motor Speedway on September 10th, 2024, Zak Brown, CEO of McLaren Racing, expressed his admiration for the NASCAR Cup Series driver.

"Kyle showed us all what he was capable of this past May, and given a second chance with better weather conditions, I think we’ll all be excited to see him fight for a win at the Indy 500 and then another one in Charlotte. He’s one of the most talented racing drivers out there, and it’s a privilege to do this again with Mr. Hendrick and Jeff Gordon, who are both world-class. We can’t wait for May," he said.

While the 32-year-old was unable to start the Coca-Cola 600 race during the double duty, he surely made an impression on IndyCar fans by grabbing the 'Rookie of the Year' award and setting the 'Single-Lap Rookie Record' at Indianapolis in the qualifying session, with an average speed of 233.543 mph on the first lap.

Larson was the fifth racer to attempt the iconic 1,100-mile run after John Andretti, Tony Stewart, Robby Gordon, and Kurt Busch.