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.
No. 12 - Colton Herta, Andretti Global: +1800
As much as I like Kyle Kirkwood, you get a sense that Colton Herta is almost being written off as the team leader at Andretti Global after just one winless season, and that's a dangerous game to be playing. He is still just 23 years old, and he was just as fast as his teammate in last year's Indy 500, rallying from 28th to ninth place after a late pit penalty. With a bit more qualifying pace, he can be a real threat.
No. 11 - Santino Ferrucci, A.J. Foyt Enterprises: +1800
Bookies aren't making the same mistake they made last year with Santino Ferrucci, listing him at +8000 despite four top 10 finishes in four previous Indy 500 starts. Last year's third place finisher -- and most likely winner, had it not been for the restart pileup leading to the final red flag -- capitalized on A.J. Foyt's team finally being relevant again.
No. 10 - David Malukas, Arrow McLaren: +1800
David Malukas is actually my dark horse pick to win the race. His oval success with a relatively small team in Dale Coyne Racing in 2022 and 2023 was, relatively speaking, off the charts. He consistently beat multiple drivers at multiple top teams. Now at Arrow McLaren, he really has a chance to shine.
No. 9 - Will Power, Team Penske: +1500
It would be easy to write Will Power off after a winless 2023 season, but I did just that after a lackluster 2021 season, and he went on to win the 2022 championship. He is a former Indy 500 winner who drives for Team Penske. Enough said.
No. 8 - Kyle Kirkwood, Andretti Global: +1400
Despite their qualifying pace still being off a bit, Andretti Global showed up to last year's Indy 500 with their best race day package since Takuma Sato won it in 2017. Kyle Kirkwood took advantage and ran as high as second place in the late stages before being involved in the worst race day wreck the track had seen since Scott Dixon's in 2017. Winner of two races in his first season with Michael Andretti's team last year, Kirkwood is the real deal.
No. 7 - Scott McLaughlin, Team Penske: +1200
Within his first two starts at every oval track he's driven, Scott McLaughlin has recorded a podium finish, which is quite impressive considering the fact that he doesn't have an oval racing background. But there is one exception: Indianapolis Motor Speedway, where he has never placed higher than 14th in three tries. Eventually, you have to think he'll break through there too.
No. 6 - Alexander Rossi, Arrow McLaren: +1100
Alexander Rossi is one of those drivers who always hangs around the front of the pack and you can never count out, but he just hasn't yet had that single breakthrough moment that everyone has been expecting year after year. Sure, he won the race in 2016 on fuel strategy, and that obviously still counts. But how close is he to getting back to duking it out for an Indy 500 win like he did with Simon Pagenaud in 2019? Year number two with his new team could be one to remember.
No. 5 - Marcus Ericsson, Andretti Global: +1000
No driver is going to go to Indianapolis Motor Speedway with more motivation than Marcus Ericsson. The 2022 Indy 500 winner came closer than anybody to repeating since Helio Castroneves actually did so in 2002, only to see his hopes derailed by a restart some argue shouldn't have happened. Andretti Global haven't been as strong as Chip Ganassi Racing in the Indy 500 as of late, but their race day speed was right up there in 2023.
No. 4 - Josef Newgarden, Team Penske: +800
The fact that Josef Newgarden won the Indy 500 in what was considered a "down" month of May for Team Penske -- which had been riding an uncharacteristically "long" Indy 500 drought of three years -- speaks volumes about his oval dominance over the last few seasons. That said, he did only lead five laps, the fewest a winner had led since Dan Wheldon led only lap 200 in 2011. It has been more than two decades since the reigning race winner drank the milk, but if anybody can change that, it's Newgarden.
No. 3 - Scott Dixon, Chip Ganassi Racing: +800
Last year's Indy 500 was the first since 2019 in which Scott Dixon did not have the car to beat. But after his series winless streak eclipsed a full year, he won three of four races to end the 2023 season, proving he is far from finished. After coming up shy for three very different reasons in 2020, 2021, and 2022, perhaps 2024 is finally the 2008 winner's year to notch that second victory.
No. 2 - Pato O'Ward, Arrow McLaren: +650
Pato O'Ward is consistently one of the fastest drivers at Indianapolis Motor Speedway. He backed up finishes of sixth, fourth, and second place in his first three Indy 500 starts with an effort which saw him lead a field-high 39 laps last year, only to crash out while battling for second.
No. 1 - Alex Palou, Chip Ganassi Racing: +550
Alex Palou has been the driver to beat at Indianapolis Motor Speedway over the last three years, yet he still hasn't won the race. He has only been beaten by a now four-time winner in Helio Castroneves in 2021, and by pit road issues in 2022 and 2023. He still managed to rally from 30th place (both times) to finish in ninth and fourth, respectively, the last two years. His pole run last year was the fastest ever. Between him and O'Ward, take your pick as to who is more "due".
All odds and availability subject to change
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