Is Kyle Larson taking part in 2026 Indy 500?

Is Kyle Larson taking part in 2026 Indy 500?

After attempting Double Duty in both 2024 and 2025, Kyle Larson will not be taking part in the 2026 running of the Indy 500 this weekend.

The Hendrick Motorsports NASCAR driver became the fifth driver in history to attempt double duty back in 2024, when he tried to run the 500 miles of the Indy 500 before travelling to Charlotte, North Carolina for NASCAR'S Coca-Cola 600 - a race of 600 miles.

In 2024, Larson's schedule was blown apart by a lengthy rain delay at Indy, and although he was running strongly, finished 18th after a pit-lane speeding penalty. It meant he missed the start of the 600, with Justin Allgaier running relief, but ironically, the same rain cell which hit Indiana, followed Larson to North Carolina, and that race was called early due to rain. 

One year later, in 2025, Larson crashed out of the Indy 500 on Lap 91 and travelled to the NASCAR race, completing 245 of the 400 laps at Charlotte before retiring.

But for 2026, and the foreseeable future, Larson will only focus on the NASCAR race of the Memorial Day weekend double and so will not be racing at the Indy 500 in 2026.

That being said, Katherine Legge is attempting to become the first female driver to complete Double Duty - having qualified 26th for the Indy leg for AJ Foyt Racing and will compete in the #78 Live Fast Motorsports entry for NASCAR.

The most successful driver in completing Double Duty was Tony Stewart.

In 2001, Stewart finished sixth in the Indy 500 for Chip Ganassi before taking third for Joe Gibbs Racing in the Coke 600.

To this day, Stewart remains the only driver from the six drivers (not including Legge) to have completed all 1,100 miles of the challenge.