Indy 500: 12 drivers with a better chance than Kyle Larson
Only 12 drivers have shorter odds to win the 2024 Indy 500 than former NASCAR Cup Series Kyle Larson, who has no IndyCar experience.
By Asher Fair
It didn't take long; just a few days after the Indy 500 odds were listed by DraftKings Sportsbook a few months ago, Kyle Larson saw his odds to win shorten from +2500 to +2000.
And by placing a $5 bet on him, you can receive an instant $150 -- yes, more than a month and a half before the actual race.
Larson, the 2021 NASCAR Cup Series champion, is set to become the first driver to attempt the Memorial Day Double since former Cup Series champion Kurt Busch did the same in 2014.
Just four drivers have ever attempted the feat, running both the Indy 500 at Indianapolis Motor Speedway and NASCAR's Coca-Cola 600 at Charlotte Motor Speedway on the same day. Only Tony Stewart (2001) has successfully completed all 1,100 miles.
Larson is set to drive the No. 17 Chevrolet for Arrow McLaren (officially McLaren-Hendrick, due to the partnership with his Cup Series team, Hendrick Motorsports). Arrow McLaren have expanded to four cars for the "Greatest Spectacle in Racing" once again. Like Busch did, Larson is set to enter the race with zero IndyCar experience to his name.
Larson has spoken about making an attempt for several years, and now he finally has the opportunity to do so. Already a Coca-Cola 600 winner, his main goal is obviously to win the Indy 500.
The fact that he took on a two-year program shows that he knows what this race is, what it represents, and that he knows it's not a race he can just show up and dominate. Yet given his racing pedigree, it's not surprising to see him as more than a longshot to win this race.
To be honest, I don't think he's going to win. I really don't think he has much of a chance in year number one, at least; there's a reason he took on a two-year program. This isn't the type of race to which you generally show up with zero experience and beat out dozens of full-timers, Indy 500 winners, and IndyCar champions.
Larson's odds have since shortened even more as more money has been wagered on him to win the event, but for the purposes of this article, we're going to look at the 12 drivers listed with shorter odds after that initial shift (and before this week's test).
Here are those 12 drivers, beginning with No. 12.