Kyle Larson: Five Possible Landing Spots in 2018
By Asher Fair
No. 42 – Chip Ganassi Racing
Kyle Larson is the current driver for the #42 Chip Ganassi Racing Chevrolet, and that may very well continue to be the case beyond the end of the 2017 season. Larson is really starting to come into his own with the team after his first two seasons were somewhat of a slow start. He made the playoffs after winning his first career race last season and went on to finish in 9th place in the championship standings.
Through 17 races this season, he is tied for 2nd among all drivers with two victories, and he is currently the leader of the standings. As the saying goes, “if it ain’t broke, don’t fix it.” Larson is currently in a very good situation, even in only a two-car team that isn’t specifically noted for its proficiency in NASCAR.
But a team not exactly noted for its NASCAR proficiency actually may be what Larson wants. Why? Because Chip Ganassi Racing is well-known for its proficiency in IndyCar, and Larson has stated that he would love to race in the Indianapolis 500 at least once. In fact, he is probably the driver with the highest chance of driving in both the Indianapolis 500 and the Coca-Cola 600 on the same day to attempt to complete the Memorial Day Double in the coming years.
Must Read: Five Drivers Most Likely To Attempt The Memorial Day Double
Only four drivers have ever driven in both races of the Memorial Day Double in the same season. Some NASCAR teams and owners simply don’t want their drivers driving in the Indianapolis 500 before the Coca-Cola 600, or quite frankly, at all. Chip Ganassi, the team owner of Chip Ganassi Racing, however, has been open to the idea of letting Larson attempt the historic feat.
"“All these social media want to blow me up and say, ‘let’s do it’. It takes a little planning, you know….He knows I’m open to it if he wants to sit down and make a plan and do it the right way….Do I think (Larson) would be a natural? Yes.”"
Given that Kyle Larson is thriving with Chip Ganassi Racing right now, the fact that Chip Ganassi is one of two team owners in both NASCAR and IndyCar, Roger Penske being the other, and the fact that Larson is interested in doing the Memorial Day Double, the scenario most easily envisioned is him remaining as the driver of the #42 car.
Next: Buy or Sell: Kyle Larson's Future with Chip Ganassi Racing
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