{"id":2251842,"date":"2024-05-24T04:08:02","date_gmt":"2024-05-24T08:08:02","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/kyle-larsons-memorial-weekend-double-attempt-is-a-tribute-to-old-school-racers\/"},"modified":"2024-05-24T04:16:51","modified_gmt":"2024-05-24T08:16:51","slug":"kyle-larsons-memorial-weekend-double-attempt-is-a-tribute-to-old-school-racers","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/kyle-larsons-memorial-weekend-double-attempt-is-a-tribute-to-old-school-racers\/","title":{"rendered":"Kyle Larson&#8217;s Memorial Day Weekend &#8216;Double&#8217; is a Tribute to Classic Racers"},"content":{"rendered":"<aside class=\"mashsb-container mashsb-main mashsb-stretched\"><div class=\"mashsb-box\"><div class=\"mashsb-count mash-medium\" style=\"&quot;\"><div class=\"counts mashsbcount\">24<\/div><span class=\"mashsb-sharetext\">SHARES<\/span><\/div><div class=\"mashsb-buttons\"><a class=\"mashicon-facebook mash-medium mash-nomargin mashsb-noshadow\" href=\"https:\/\/www.facebook.com\/sharer.php?u=https%3A%2F%2Fwww.conservativenewsdaily.net%2Fbreaking-news%2Fkyle-larsons-memorial-weekend-double-attempt-is-a-tribute-to-old-school-racers%2F\" target=\"_top\" rel=\"nofollow\"><span class=\"icon\"><\/span><span class=\"text\">Facebook<\/span><\/a><a class=\"mashicon-twitter mash-medium mash-nomargin mashsb-noshadow\" href=\"https:\/\/twitter.com\/intent\/tweet?text=&amp;url=https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/?p=2251842&amp;via=ConservNewsDly\" target=\"_top\" rel=\"nofollow\"><span class=\"icon\"><\/span><span class=\"text\">Twitter<\/span><\/a><a class=\"mashicon-subscribe mash-medium mash-nomargin mashsb-noshadow\" href=\"#\" target=\"_top\" rel=\"nofollow\"><span class=\"icon\"><\/span><span class=\"text\">Subscribe<\/span><\/a><div class=\"onoffswitch2 mash-medium mashsb-noshadow\" style=\"display:none\"><\/div><\/div>\n            <\/div>\n                <div style=\"clear:both\"><\/div><\/aside>\n            <!-- Share buttons by mashshare.net - Version: 4.0.47--><p>The \u200barticle \u2064discusses Kyle Larson&#8217;s \u200bambitious\u2062 &#8220;Double&#8221; \u2064attempt at the Coca-Cola \u2064600 and the Indianapolis 500, \u200chighlighting \u200dhis old-school determination and the challenges\u200d he\u200b faces in transitioning\u2064 between racing car styles. \u2064It also mentions the historical context of racers attempting similar feats and \u2063the uniqueness of Larson&#8217;s versatility in different racing \u2063disciplines. The article delves into Kyle Larson&#8217;s daring &#8220;Double&#8221; endeavor\u200b at \u2064both \u200cthe Coca-Cola 600 and the \u2064Indianapolis 500, emphasizing his\u200d traditional \u2064racing spirit and the hurdles he\u2064 encounters \u2062while switching between car styles. It also explores\u200c past instances of racers\u200c undertaking comparable challenges and underscores Larson&#8217;s\u2063 exceptional adaptability \u2063across various \u2064racing domains.  <\/p>\n<p class=\"readmore\">\n    <button onclick=\"showReadMore()\" id=\"readmorebtn\">Read more&#8230;<\/button>\n<\/p>\n<hr id=\"line\">\n<span id=\"more\"><\/p>\n<p><?xml encoding=\"utf-8\" ?><?xml encoding=\"utf-8\" ?><?xml encoding=\"utf-8\" ?><\/p>\n<div class=\"article-content\">\n<p>Sunday\u2019s running of <a href=\"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/nascars-all-star-race-goes-big-by-going-small\/\" title=\"NASCAR's All-Star Race downsizes for a big impact.\"><a href=\"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/exclusive-rep-lee-zeldin-good-chance-joe-biden-avoided-army-navy-game-due-to-fear-of-lets-go-brandon-chant\/\" title=\"Exclusive \u2014 Rep. Lee Zeldin: 'Good Chance' Joe Biden Avoided Army-Navy Game Due to Fear of 'Let's Go, Brandon Chant'\">stock car<\/a> racing\u2019<\/a>s longest race will bring with it all manner of drama, for reasons that have nothing to do with the <a href=\"https:\/\/www.msn.com\/en-us\/sports\/other\/kyle-larson-s-double-hopes-in-danger-with-potential-donald-trump-appearance-at-coca-cola-600\/ar-BB1mKXq7?ocid=msedgntp&#038;pc=DCTS&#038;cvid=ffc35c5217fc4de98ef8de4d2af3183e&#038;ei=21\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener\">rumored visit<\/a> of President Trump to the event. In the Coca-Cola 600 in Charlotte, Kyle Larson will attempt a rare feat that will test his racing skill \u2014 and his endurance.<\/p>\n<p>If all goes to plan, the 2021 champion of NASCAR\u2019s premier series will run 600 miles in a stock car Sunday evening, after running in the famous <a href=\"https:\/\/thefederalist.com\/2017\/05\/26\/many-americans-love-indy-500\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener\">Indianapolis<\/a> 500 that afternoon. That Larson had the desire to accept the challenge presented by this unique \u201cDouble\u201d speaks to his old-school willingness to race and compete anytime, anywhere.<\/p>\n<div class=\"fdrlst__b89e9-paragraph-2-long d-flex justify-content-center\" style=\"margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center; \" id=\"fdrlst__b89e9-541082241\">\n<div id=\"div-gpt-ad-1379703300879-0\" class=\"mb-30\"><\/div>\n<\/div>\n<div class=\"fdrlst__b89e9-ff33de19e3cb0c2b7717a9dfced8684d fdrlst__b89e9-paragraph-2\" id=\"fdrlst__b89e9-ff33de19e3cb0c2b7717a9dfced8684d\"><\/div>\n<h2 class=\"wp-block-heading\"><strong>New Guy on the Track<\/strong><\/h2>\n<p>For Larson to accomplish his feat will require no small amount of ability. A low-to-the-ground, sleek open-wheel car drives far differently than a big, bulky stock car. Larson had no experience in an open-wheel car prior to beginning preparations for his Indy 500 appearance, and the numerous rain delays during last week\u2019s practice sessions hindered his chances to get up to speed, literally and figuratively.<\/p>\n<p>Moving from one style of racing to another has not proved easy, as skill sets often do not translate and helpful techniques in one discipline may turn into bad habits in another. A few years ago, seven-time NASCAR Cup champion Jimmie Johnson decided to drive Indy cars after retiring from stock car racing. He struggled mightily, with a best finish of 17th in his first season, and didn\u2019t even try running the Indy 500 his first year because of his unease with the much higher speeds Indy cars run compared to <a href=\"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/dale-earnhardt-jr-and-jeff-burton-join-cars-tour-as-new-owners\/\" title=\"Dale Earnhardt Jr. And Jeff Burton Join CARS Tour as New Owners\">stock cars<\/a> on oval tracks.<\/p>\n<p>But thus far at least, Larson has flourished, qualifying fifth in the 33-car field for Sunday\u2019s Indy 500. His success stems in large part from his willingness, and desire, to drive and race practically anything on four wheels. Apart from his NASCAR feats and his Indy 500 \u201cside hustle,\u201d Larson spends numerous weeknights racing dirt cars and also co-drove a winning entry in the 24 Hours of Daytona sports car race in 2015.<\/p>\n<h2 class=\"wp-block-heading\"><strong>Old School Competitor<\/strong><\/h2>\n<p>In his competitive desire, Larson resembles the racers of yesteryear, who would go anywhere to get their racing fix. An ESPN <a href=\"https:\/\/www.msn.com\/en-us\/sports\/other\/what-larson-can-learn-from-past-indy-500-coke-600-doubles\/ar-BB1mNDzN?ocid=msedgntp&#038;pc=DCTS&#038;cvid=457fba58607f45be9bc80e5cde198afd&#038;ei=11\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener\">article<\/a> on Larson\u2019s \u201cDouble\u201d attempt noted that four drivers have attempted to race the Indy 500 and Coca-Cola 600 on the same day. (Only Tony Stewart completed all 1,100 miles, in 2001; in the other cases, crashes or mechanical failures prevented drivers from running all the laps.)<\/p>\n<div class=\"fdrlst__b89e9-7fba3b51bcb0f07518e0af4ce3260e72 fdrlst__b89e9-paragraph-6\" id=\"fdrlst__b89e9-7fba3b51bcb0f07518e0af4ce3260e72\"><\/div>\n<p>But the story also highlighted a little-known fact: Two generations ago, multiple racers drove in both races \u2014 just not on the same day. Until 1974, when the Memorial Day holiday became fixed on a Monday, the Indy 500 ran on the holiday itself, while the stock car race ran on the nearest Sunday. Because the two events didn\u2019t run in direct conflict, stock car racers like Cale Yarborough, Junior Johnson, and Neil Bonnett tried to qualify for the Indy 500. The most successful: Donnie Allison, who won stock car racing\u2019s longest race, then finished fourth in the Indy 500 a few days later. (His brother Bobby also <a href=\"https:\/\/x.com\/calhoun98\/status\/1792694194680868959?s=46\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener\">attempted the \u201cDouble\u201d<\/a> during this era.)<\/p>\n<p>At the same time that NASCAR drivers attempted to conquer Indy, open-wheel drivers also dabbled in other forms of racing. Both A.J. Foyt and <a href=\"https:\/\/x.com\/nascaronfox\/status\/1792366509248921691?s=46\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener\">Mario Andretti<\/a>, famous Indy 500 winners, won stock car racing\u2019s biggest race, the <a href=\"https:\/\/thefederalist.com\/2024\/02\/16\/nascars-biggest-race-is-not-that-big-if-the-best-drivers-cant-win\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener\">Daytona 500<\/a>; in fact, Mario won at Daytona two years before his Indy 500 triumph. Foyt also won the 24 Hours of LeMans, while Andretti went on to win a Formula One world championship and remains the last American driver to win an F1 race, back in 1978.<\/p>\n<p>Kurt Busch, the last driver to attempt the \u201cDouble\u201d a decade ago, <a href=\"https:\/\/www.msn.com\/en-us\/sports\/other\/what-larson-can-learn-from-past-indy-500-coke-600-doubles\/ar-BB1mNDzN?ocid=msedgntp&#038;pc=DCTS&#038;cvid=457fba58607f45be9bc80e5cde198afd&#038;ei=11\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener\">told ESPN<\/a> that the corporate nature of modern-day racing encourages specialization. Some teams will even contractually forbid their drivers from racing in other series, to prevent them from getting injured in another team\u2019s car. But Busch said Larson\u2019s feat makes him a throwback:<\/p>\n<blockquote class=\"wp-block-quote is-layout-flow wp-block-quote-is-layout-flow\">\n<p>The way the racing business works now, at least the way it has worked as my generation was coming up, they want you to specialize. Us racers, we hate that. We want to drive everything before our careers are over. That\u2019s the way that Mario Andretti and A.J. Foy and Cale Yarborough, all those old-school guys, did it. Kyle Larson has always been one of those guys. So to see him do the Double, it will be fine. \u2026 Maybe this will open the door for guys who deserve a shot from being denied in the future.<\/p>\n<\/blockquote>\n<h2 class=\"wp-block-heading\"><strong>Overcoming Obstacles<\/strong><\/h2>\n<p>To win either or both races on Sunday, Larson will need to excel. Both his cars have shown speed, but the physical toll of spending hours in two hot cars will prove taxing, with dehydration a potential concern.<\/p>\n<div class=\"fdrlst__b89e9-70b2f576bb267d28d052ecfb2e20ea0f fdrlst__b89e9-paragraph-10\" id=\"fdrlst__b89e9-70b2f576bb267d28d052ecfb2e20ea0f\"><\/div>\n<p>With only about a two-hour window between the end of the Indy 500 and the start of the race in Charlotte, getting back and forth will also take some logistical luck. Apart from the potential security delays associated with a Trump visit, Larson has to fly into the Charlotte track on short notice, and the Secret Service often closes off airspace around a presidential event. The weather could prove an obstacle. With rain and thunderstorms in the forecast for Indianapolis Sunday, Larson could have to leave the Indy 500 to make it to Charlotte if the former gets delayed.<\/p>\n<p>But three years after an unfortunate off-track incident nearly <a href=\"https:\/\/thefederalist.com\/2021\/02\/12\/daytona-500-sees-kyle-larsons-redemptive-return-to-racing\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener\">short-circuited his racing career<\/a>, Kyle Larson is gaining newfound attention for all the right reasons on the track. He has tackled all the hoopla associated with his unique \u201cDouble\u201d with aplomb, even <a href=\"https:\/\/www.msn.com\/en-us\/sports\/motorsports\/indy-500-fastest-rookie-kyle-larson-milks-a-cow-she-was-full-of-pressure-and-ready-to-release-some-milk\/ar-BB1mNHJ8?ocid=msedgntp&#038;pc=DCTS&#038;cvid=06aee2ed54c7475c9646ea81aced8289&#038;ei=11\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener\">milking a cow<\/a> at a press event on Tuesday (<a href=\"https:\/\/x.com\/ims\/status\/1792933094409826357?s=46\">seriously<\/a>). And when he finally takes to the track for two of the year\u2019s biggest races on Sunday, he will have fans in both the stock car and open-wheel ranks cheering him on.<\/p>\n<div class=\"fdrlst__b89e9-cdedd40e200bcd5cdd95cd033822c169 fdrlst__b89e9-after-post-content\" id=\"fdrlst__b89e9-cdedd40e200bcd5cdd95cd033822c169\"><\/div>\n<hr class=\"wp-block-separator\">    \t\t\t\t\t   \t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n<p><\/span><\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>Sunday&#8217;s stock car race, the Coca-Cola 600 in Charlotte, promises drama beyond President Trump&#8217;s rumored visit. Kyle Larson aims for a rare feat, challenging both skill and endurance<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":521,"featured_media":2251843,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"_mo_disable_npp":"","fifu_image_url":"https:\/\/thefederalist.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/05\/Kyle_Larson_Watkins_Glen_2021.jpeg","fifu_image_alt":"","footnotes":""},"categories":[],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-2251842","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry"],"fifu_image_url":"https:\/\/thefederalist.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/05\/Kyle_Larson_Watkins_Glen_2021.jpeg","_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/2251842","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/521"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=2251842"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/2251842\/revisions"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/2251843"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=2251842"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=2251842"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=2251842"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}