Kyle Larson believes it’s unfair to compare the Daytona 500 with the Indianapolis 500. The Cup Series champion, who has participated in both events, described them as “equally amazing” during his recent appearance on “SPEED With Harvick and Buxton.”
Larson is part of a select group of drivers who have competed in both prestigious races. The Hendrick Motorsports driver attempted the Double – racing in the Indy 500 and Coca-Cola 600 on the same day – in both 2024 and 2025. Unfortunately, neither attempt was successful; rain cut short his 2024 attempt, and crashes ended his races prematurely in 2025. His experience in both events lends weight to his view, as discussed on the podcast.
Thanks for the submission!
When asked to compare the dynamics of each series’ major race, Larson refrained from ranking them.
“Well, they’re different. So. I don’t think it’s fair to try to compare them, and I don’t want people to hear me describe the two of them and think that I’m making one out to be better than the other. Because I truly feel like they’re both equally amazing,” he said on the “SPEED” podcast (2:46 onwards).
Larson did highlight unique aspects of each event. Regarding the Indianapolis 500, he noted:
“I will say the Indy 500… they do the drivers’ meeting on the frontstretch and there’s fans, and they give each driver a ring that has their average qualifying speed and stuff. So there’s a little bit of gifts and things that I think make the 500 special.”
As for what the Daytona 500 offers, Larson remarked:
“You also get similar pageantry and prestige at this (Daytona 500) race, too. Doing the media day… is a little bit more fancy, almost here… And then Daytona is just a shorter week now. It’s not two weeks like it used to be. So, it’s not that you rush through it. It’s just the Indy 500 is like a really slow ramp-up to the race, which makes the race feel really big, where here it’s like boom, we’re straight into qualifying, duels, and then boom, the race. So it’s a quick buildup. So they’re both unique and both fun to have been able to be a part of.”
The Daytona 500 is the cornerstone event of the NASCAR season, while the Indianapolis 500 holds a similar position in IndyCar. Larson, having raced in both, speaks from experience rather than speculation.
Although winless in both races, Larson has expressed a desire to return to Indianapolis as a standalone effort in the future.
Kyle Larson on how Daytona 500 has changed for him and where things stand now
Despite his respect for both events, Larson’s record at Daytona doesn’t reflect his status in the sport. In 13 Daytona 500 attempts, the two-time Cup Series champion has yet to win. He’s started from the front row twice but has rarely been a top contender.
When discussing how age and experience influence his expectations and reduce pressure, Larson shared how his focus has evolved:
“I don’t think I’ve ever put too much pressure on myself, but I think I’m more focused on the race now. I think the first year, especially the first couple of years, it’s a bit overwhelming to see this many fans. When you do the catwalk and all that, it’s craziness, on pit road, and all.” (4:11 onwards)
“That was a little bit more distracting back then. Where(as) now it’s like you can just kind of keep your blinders on and stay more focused, and when you get in the car, you’re kind of ready to switch on and go. So yeah, I think that comes with probably the age and experience,” he added.
In 2026, Larson finished 16th in the Daytona 500, marking another lackluster performance on a track where his skills have yet to translate into results. The 2026 season has also been slow to start for him, with four top-10 finishes in the following five races, placing him ninth, 147 points behind the leader.
Edited by Parag Jain
