Kyle Larson’s first qualifying attempt started well, but on the fourth and final lap, the NASCAR Cup champion ran into trouble. The vehicle encountered an electrical problem with the steering wheel and was forced to stop driving. “The alarm went off and the engine lost power,” Larson said. “I don’t know what happened.
I couldn’t get out of turn two. I don’t know what happened because I haven’t talked to anyone. But that’s the worst. I’m not sure what our driving experience was like, but the car felt very balanced. ”
Larson was sixth out of 34 cars on the track for qualifying, but the weather and track temperatures seemed to give him an advantage. He abandoned the race and had to qualify later in the day. The Arrow McLaren IndyCar Team determined that the cause was an electrical problem.
It was a big sigh of relief. The team did not have to change the engine, which was what they had done earlier in the week. The accident had already occurred before Larson entered the track. Linas Vikay spun and fell heavily during the qualifying trials. Larson was able to put that aside and focus on his run. In today’s qualifying, three of Arrow McLaren’s four cars had problems. Callum Ilott lost time due to a rear tire violation, while Pato O’Ward had a similar problem with a plenum fire in his No. 5 Chevrolet.
This team is considered one of the favorites to win. Almost two hours later, Larson returned to the track for qualifying. There were no particular problems this time, and the response was quick. His four-lap average of 232.563 mph was good enough for sixth place. This allowed him to finish in the top 12, which is what every driver wants. Tomorrow these 12 drivers will battle for pole position. Qualifying will end today at 5:50pm (Eastern Time).
Jeff Gordon at Indianapolis
While all eyes are always on the drivers, this Indy 500 race will feature two other NASCAR legends. Rick Hendrick and Jeff Gordon were key players in this deal, and Gordon was at the speedway today to witness Larson’s performance firsthand.
Gordon, who won the Brickyard 400 five times, was unable to fulfill his dream of competing in racing’s biggest spectacle. His career has certainly been going well, but he knows exactly how serious this iconic event is.
“I feel like Indianapolis made me a fan of motorsports,” Gordon told Peacock. “When I was a kid, even in California, between sprint car racing and the Indianapolis 500, that was what fascinated me and made me want to be a racing driver. And I came here as a kid. You know, I’ve been here a long time ago, a few years ago, and I was able to drive a pace car here.
And it’s just something special. Living here in Indiana and racing in Indiana makes Indiana an even more sacred place. ” “This dream didn’t come true in IndyCar, but it did come true in stock cars at the Brickyard 400, and we’re excited to have Rick Hendrick, Kyle Larson, and everyone at Hendrick Motorsports participate in this great event. It’s another dream come true. I hope to qualify and have a fun weekend next week.”
Kevin Harvick Handles NASCAR All-Star Qualifying
While Kyle was busy qualifying for Indianapolis, Kevin Harvick was busy getting behind the wheel of Larson’s Cup car at North Wilkesboro Speedway. Harvick spent the week in the simulator and attended team meetings with Hendrick.
He was impressed with the whole process. “Team owners contacted me twice in two weeks,” Harvick said with a laugh. “It is different. It’s interesting to see…the race shops, the structures and how everyone does things differently.” “There are a million different ways to do things, but what’s special about Hendrick Motorsports in general to me is that they run it like a business, where it’s part of the actual structure of how things are done and who you talk to.”
Qualifying was rained out, but Harvick finished 25th out of 37 cars that participated in practice. Harvick will start 12th in tonight’s first heat race. Larson returns to the All-Star Race main event on Sunday night.
