In January 2023, it was announced that Kyle Larson and Arrow McLaren had agreed to a multi-year deal, in partnership with Larson's Hendrick Motorsports NASCAR Cup Series team, to run the Indianapolis 500.
Larson's Indy 500 attempt in 2024, followed by his trip to Charlotte Motor Speedway for NASCAR's Coca-Cola 600, marked the first Memorial Day Double attempt since Kurt Busch pulled it off in 2014.
However, a rain-delayed Indy 500, which saw Larson finish 18th after a late pit road speeding penalty knocked him out of the top 10, and a rain-shortened Coca-Cola 600 ended up making Larson's attempt the first to feature only one actual race since Davy Jones' ill-fated 1995 try.
In 2025, Larson got to compete in both races, but he crashed out of both. In fact, of the 39 drivers who competed only in the Coca-Cola 600, 29 ran more total miles than Larson did across both races. And to this day, he still hasn't won another Cup race.
This year, Larson isn't attempting the Memorial Day Double, after his 2025 attempt did officially make him the fifth driver to run both races on the same day. And while Zak Brown wasn't able to sign motorcycle racing legend Valentino Rossi to take his place, Arrow McLaren still made out pretty well with their newest addition.
IndyCar, Indy 500 champion Ryan Hunter-Reay replacing Kyle Larson
Ryan Hunter-Reay, the 2012 IndyCar champion and 2014 Indy 500 winner, nearly won the race a year ago in a backup car for Dreyer & Reinbold Racing with Cusick Motorsports. As the race leader, he was knocked out during his final pit stop, when his car ran out of fuel and failed to refire.
The 45-year-old from Fort Lauderdale, Florida is set to replace Larson this year, albeit behind the wheel of the No. 31 Chevrolet rather than the No. 17 Chevrolet. He has joined a lineup that consists of full-time drivers Pato O'Ward in the No. 5 Chevrolet, Nolan Siegel in the No. 6 Chevrolet, and Christian Lundgaard in the No. 7 Chevrolet.
The 2026 Indy 500 is set to mark Hunter-Reay's 18th start in the "Greatest Spectacle in Racing". The 16-time IndyCar race winner has not competed for a team other than Dreyer & Reinbold Racing in the crown jewel race since 2021, which was his 12th and final full season with Andretti Autosport.
With just 33 cars on this year's entry list, Hunter-Reay's No. 31 entry is locked into the race. For the first time since 2022, which was the one year since 2008 in which he did not compete, there will be no Bump Day to determine the field of 33.
Notably, Arrow McLaren team principal Tony Kanaan, the 2013 winner, is not a backup driver this year; he does appear to be officially retired. After his initial "Last Lap" tour in 2020, Kanaan still found his way back to the Indy 500 in 2021, 2022, and 2023, and he completed an oval refresher test a year ago in Larson's car, just in case Larson was unable to compete in the event of a rain delay, due to NASCAR's new, stricter playoff waiver rules.
Fox is set to provide live coverage of the 110th running of the Indy 500 from Indianapolis Motor Speedway beginning at 10:00 a.m. ET on Sunday, May 24. Qualifying is scheduled to take place on Saturday, May 16 and Sunday, May 17, with coverage split across Fox and Fox Sports 1. Begin a free trial of FuboTV and don't miss any of the "Greatest Spectacle in Racing"!
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