Sit back, grab some popcorn, and prepare for one of the most entertaining motorsports stories of the year! NASCAR reigning champion, Kyle Larson, has traded his usual NASCAR playbook for something slightly different. He just accomplished the Indianapolis 500 Rookie Orientation Program with a twinkle in his eye and premium-grade motor oil in his veins.
Larson sauntered onto the track last Thursday at Indianapolis Motor Speedway and accomplished what most NASCAR drivers dare not dream of doing. Out to prove nothing having cylinder blocks for breakfast can’t accomplish, he completed the ROP, considered a major milestone for those wanting to compete in the prestigious Indianapolis 500 and NASCAR’s Coca-Cola 600 on the same day.
After the test run, Kyle Larson grinned and said, “It was fun, mostly what I anticipated. The weight of the wheel was a lot lighter than the simulator, but it was still a little heavier than what I expected.” His plans for the day and the moment’s exhilaration seemed to spark off his sweat-soaked racing suit.
You could say Larson passed his test with flying colors, with the Hendrickcars.com Chevrolet fielded by Arrow McLaren in a joint effort with Hendrick Motorsports charging smoothly across the tarmac. This was a sight unseen since our ancestors switched from horse to horsepower.
“I’m certainly going to live vicariously through Kyle a bit through this experience and see how excited he is about it, and he clearly is,” said Jeff Gordon, a five-time Brickyard 400 winner and Hendrick Motorsports vice chairman.
Yet even with this achievement, Larson is not resting on his laurels and has his foot firmly on the gas pedal. His plans to compete in the Indianapolis 500 and Coca-Cola 600 are surely gaining him a parking spot on our list of exciting motorsports stories to follow this year.
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