Arrow McLaren reveals car number for Kyle Larson's Indy 500 debut

When Kyle Larson makes his IndyCar debut in the Indy 500 next season, he will be sporting the No. 17 for Arrow McLaren on his car. The HendrickCars.com Chevy will be displayed at Indianapolis Motor Speedway on August 13. That is the same weekend NASCAR tackles the Indy Road Course.

So, it is safe to say that things are progressing just fine. Kyle Larson has been fitted for his seat in the Arrow McLaren shop. There have been some other work between the two groups in the weeks and months following the announcement that Larson would attempt the Indy 500 in 2024.

Of course, Larson will also have to race in the Coca-Cola 600 at Charlotte Motor Speedway on the same day. One day, two races, 1100 miles of action. 17 days until the big reveal of the No. 17 Chevy. That number has a lot of meaning to the Hendrick organization and family.

The countdown begins now. ⏳
August 13. Mark it. 📅👀 pic.twitter.com/pWueA0OpyD

— Arrow McLaren IndyCar Team (@ArrowMcLaren) July 27, 2023

There is a proud history of “Double Duty” at Indy and Charlotte. The first to ever try the Herculean feat was John Andretti in 1994. Since Andretti, Davy Jones, Robby Gordon, Tony Stewart, and Kurt Busch have all tried their hand at both races.

Stewart is still the only driver to complete every lap of both races on the same day. In 2001, Smoke finished P6 for Chip Ganassi Racing in the Indy 500. He followed it up with a P3 finish at Charlotte. Busch was the last to make the attempt in 2014. Of the 10 attempts in history, only twice has a driver finished the 600 miles in the NASCAR race, 1999 and 2001, both by Stewart.

Will Kyle Larson join the legendary driver on that prestigious list?

Kyle Larson looking to make history

With the Memorial Day Double that Kyle Larson is planning, he is going to test himself to the limits. It isn’t just the racing, it is the travel and logistics of doing qualifying, practice, and everything else needed to make both events work.

The good news is Larson will be in some good equipment. He will have plenty of support from not only Hendrick Motorsports but also Arrow McLaren. We keep hearing how Larson might be the best driver not just in NASCAR, but all around. He has open-wheel experience, dirt racing, late models, and stock car, and he plans on making his IndyCar debut count.

It was in 2021 when Kyle Larson went on a three-win streak after taking the win in the Coca-Cola 600. He would later go on to win the championship in that season. He has run very well at Charlotte and should be in the mix for that race in 2024.

However, we just don’t know about his IndyCar debut. A lot of things can go wrong in those races, especially for an inexperienced driver. If he somehow pulls off a top-10 finish in that race or better, he’ll be well on his way to matching or possibly surpassing Tony Stewart’s best mark.