Kyle Larson's Indy 500 Bid Begins with Wednesday Open Testing

Penske Entertainment: Joe Skibinski

As Kyle Larson barrels toward his second consecutive start in the Indianapolis 500, the 2021 NASCAR Cup Series champion will take his first on-track steps toward competing in one of the world's most famous races in Wednesday's Indy 500 Open Test session.

While Larson finished 18th after a late-race pit road speeding penalty in last year's Indianapolis 500 on his way to scooping up Indy 500 Rookie of the Year honors, the driver will not be permitted to compete in the "Oval Veterans Practice" session, which runs from 10:05 AM ET to Noon ET.

Instead, Larson, who has not competed in an IndyCar since last May's Indianapolis 500, will have to participate in the 12:00 PM ET to 2:00 PM ET "Rookie Orientation Practice & Oval Refresher" session.

Once Larson clears the refresher course in his Arrow McLaren machine, the 32-year-old racer will be permitted to participate in full-field practice from 2:00 PM ET to 6:00 PM ET at the famed 2.5-mile rectangular speedway in Indiana on Wednesday.

The entirety of Wednesday's Indianapolis 500 Open Test session can be streamed for free on IndyCar's official YouTube Channel.

Last year, Larson impressed mightily in his first attempt at the Indianapolis 500.

The California native notched the fifth-place starting spot for the event after an impressive qualifying effort, which saw him record a four-lap average speed of 232.846 mph in the session.

In the 108th running of the Indianapolis 500, Larson was no less impressive. While the end result, an 18th-place finish in the 33-car field wasn't indicative of how strong Larson was throughout the day, the driver ran near the front all race long, and would lead four laps late in the event before being rocked with a pit road speeding penalty on his final pit stop.

Last season, Larson attempted 'The Double' (running the Indianapolis 500 and Coca-Cola 600 on the same day), which hadn't been achieved since Kurt Busch pulled it off in 2014. However, the 2024 Indianapolis 500 was weather-delayed, which led to Larson not making it to Charlotte Motor Speedway in time to compete in the Coca-Cola 600. This led to the driver waiting in limbo for a Playoff waiver from NASCAR, which he was ultimately granted.

Larson will again attempt 'The Double' in 2025, but this year, Larson and Hendrick Motorsports have committed to making sure Larson makes it to Charlotte Motor Speedway for the start of the Coca-Cola 600, even if that means leaving Indianapolis before the finish of the Indianapolis 500.

The 109th Indianapolis 500 is set for Sunday, May 25 and will be televised on FOX. Television coverage of the iconic event kicks off at 11:00 AM ET.