Folks, after competing in all three races at Homestead-Miami for Hendrick Motorsports, Kyle Larson has set his eyes on something bigger. He will try the punishing #Hendrick1100 on May 25, 2025. It will account for 1,100 miles of racing at two legendary events in one day! Rain stole his opportunity last year to complete ‘the double,’ but this time, he returns with a bang, a shiny new paint job, and grand aspirations. With these aspirations comes a place in the world’s top open-wheel racing series as well.
Yes, you heard that right! The NASCAR phenom isn‘t merely holding to stock cars anymore; he‘s looking at the Indy 500, the Coca-Cola 600, and now, a possible Formula 1 test! And how did it all unfold? It all starts with a collaboration, and it extends far beyond just placing logos.
The collaboration between Hendrick and Arrow McLaren is an all–out technical and emotional partnership. For the 2025 Indy 500, Larson‘s No. 17 HendrickCars.com Arrow McLaren Chevrolet will have a bold appearance: The iconic blue of HMS mixed with McLaren‘s iconic papaya orange and a white base with Amazon Prime Video branding on the side pods. Amazon‘s not only a sponsor, they‘re making a documentary about Larson‘s double attempt, documenting every heartbeat of this historic endeavor.
Team Hendrick is enjoying the handshake with Mclaren
Following Indy, Larson will jump into his No. 5 Chevrolet for the Coca-Cola 600 at Charlotte, sporting the same color scheme. It‘s a visual tribute to the coming together of these two behemoth teams, and it‘s got Larson revved up. This design connects two worlds of racing, but that’s not the only special part. It‘s the magic behind the scenes that will have everyone buzzing.
Larson and Jeff Gordon pulled back the curtain during a raw, heartfelt chat with Mamba Smith. “Yeah, I mean, Jeff can probably speak on that more than me,” Larson started, “but for myself, I had a great time working with their team last year. We had a lot of people from the IndyCar side of things, but even, I think, from the Formula 1 side came over to help with our team, specifically for the 500s. So that was cool, and then I believe this weekend, some of my team will be at Darlington to just kind of listen to how I communicate, how Cliff and I work together.”
He’s all in, trusting the process. Larson further added, “Thankfully, I feel like I’m pretty easy to work with, but yeah, I look forward to getting back together with some of the people that were on our team last year and then meeting the new members we have for this year.”
Join us live for this special #Hendrick1100 announcement featuring @KyleLarsonRacin and @JeffGordonWeb! https://t.co/uLuCBluBKB
— NASCAR (@NASCAR) April 2, 2025
Gordon jumped in, “Yeah, I mean it truly is a collaboration because we both have commonality in Chevrolet, so we get to see how they do things with Chevrolet and using all the technical tools there as well as how we use them on the stock car NASCAR side of things. Zak Brown and I’ve been friends for a long time… TK, seeing Tony Kanaan get himself into a position maybe similar to mine at Hendrick… it’s fun to work together with one form of motorsports… we can learn from one another in two completely different types of race cars.”
All these stories of friendship are great, but the plot thickens. McLaren Racing CEO Zak Brown doesn’t just rest on Indy and NASCAR—he‘s hinting at a future where Larson gets behind an F1 car! Brown has been throwing out hints like breadcrumbs, and fans are devouring them. Brown did confirm that Larson‘s F1 test “will happen down the road,“ although there is no solid date, fueling speculation throughout fans across motorsports.
Could it be tied to McLaren’s F1 schedule at circuits like Austin or Abu Dhabi? Brown’s keeping it vague, but he’s clear about one thing: Larson’s talent deserves a shot at the pinnacle of motorsport. Brown sees parallels between Larson and F1 legend Fernando Alonso, noting Larson’s versatility across disciplines. “He’s one of those exceptional talents that can jump into pretty much anything and be quick,” Brown said, fueling the hype. But Larson’s no stranger to stepping out of his comfort zone.
His 2024 Indy 500 run earned him Rookie of the Year honors, despite a pit-lane speeding penalty dropping him to 18th. Rain then axed his Coca-Cola 600 chance, leaving him with “unfinished business,” as he’s said. Now, with Tony Kanaan in his corner as a coach and Chevrolet’s engineering might behind him, Larson’s ready to rewrite the script. Rick Hendrick’s all in too, calling it a “monumental effort” after last year’s three-to-one sponsorship return. It’s great news for the driver after the inevitable setback he has recently faced.
Kyle Larson’s High Limit Series hits a weather wall in New Mexico
Kyle Larson and Brad Sweet’s High Limit Racing Series was all set to light up Vado Speedway Park in New Mexico on April 8 and 9, 2025, but Mother Nature had other plans. The forecast? Cold, wet, and windy—conditions so rough they had to pull the plug. It’s disappointing for fans, drivers, and the whole team who’ve been pouring their hearts into this sprint car series.
Larson, the NASCAR champ who lives for these dirt battles, and Sweet, his brother-in-law and a sprint car legend, built High Limit to give racers a real shot at big purses—like the $10,000-to-win and $20,000-to-win nights planned for Vado. They’d lined up stars like Rico Abreu, Kasey Kahne, and Tyler Courtney, plus Larson himself was set to jump in. But now? “Due to unfavorable weather conditions in the forecast for Vado, NM next week, we’ve made the tough call to cancel the High Limit events scheduled for April 8 & 9 at Vado Speedway Park,” the series announced. It’s not just a schedule change, it’s a letdown for everyone who was ready to feel the roar.
The team didn’t take it lightly. They’d been tracking the weather all week, hoping for a break. “We were really looking forward to bringing High Limit Racing to New Mexico for the first time,” they said. Refunds are rolling out—full ones for tickets, minus fees if you bought online—but that doesn’t fill the hole left by a canceled dream. Larson’s still got his eyes on the Indy 500 and Coca-Cola 600 double in May, but this scratch hurts.
For now, though, the weather’s the champ—and it’s got us all feeling a little empty.
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