INDIANKeynote USAOLIS (Keynote USA) — Kyle Larson is adamant about his desire to live the full Indianapolis 500 experience as the NASCAR superstar prepares to make his debut in “The Greatest Spectacle in Racing” this weekend. Memorial Day.
He didn’t expect to find himself under an udder on Tuesday.
One of the most successful drivers of any generation is still a rookie at the Indy 500. And one of the somewhat new traditions in a place full of them is that the rookies, after completing their harrowing qualifying races and a penultimate practice on Monday , they return to the quiet Indianapolis Motor Speedway the next morning to try milking a cow.
“What? Is that a thing?” Larson asked when he was first informed about the custom.
When told it did indeed exist, the driver of the number 17 Arrow McLaren asked: “Can we put the gloves on?”
Then, on a hot, sunny Tuesday at the track, there was Larson, just as he had promised, standing next to a black and white Holstein that he was quietly chewing. Larson bent at the waist, extended his right hand (ungloved, for the record) and gave one of the udders a couple of tentative tugs.
“I grew up in a city,” explained Larson, who was born in the suburbs of Sacramento, California. “I’ve never actually been around a cow.”
Almost everything Larson does with a wheel in his hand seems natural to him, but a cow’s udder? Quite amateur. Still, Larson got a couple of loads of cum to squirt and, really, that was the point.
On Sunday he hopes to soak up that substance.
That’s another Indianapolis 500 tradition, of course, that began when parched 1936 winner Louis Meyer got out of his car and asked for a glass of buttermilk. Nowadays, drivers are asked beforehand which version of milk they prefer (Larson chooses whole milk, if he wins) and, upon reaching victory lane, usually take a quick swig before pouring it over their heads.
However, there is a lot up in the air as Larson prepares for race day, including what would happen if he wins.
He qualified fifth in a joint effort between Arrow McLaren and Hendrick Motorsports, his NASCAR team, and plans to run the entire race before flying to Charlotte, North Carolina, and participating in the Cup race that night. Only five drivers have ever attempted “The Double,” as it is known, and Tony Stewart in 2021 remains the only one to finish the 1,100 miles.
The schedule is tight: Larson will get out of his Indy car into an SUV, which will deposit him in a helicopter waiting for him at the track. That will whisk you to a nearby airport, where a plane will take you to Charlotte. After landing, another helicopter will take him to the track, where he will board his Cup Series car for the start of the race.
Any time spent celebrating an Indy 500 win would put Larson in the most welcome position.
“The pressure of being in the race and starting in a great place, and knowing we have the Coca-Cola 600 to race, will be pressure all day,” NASCAR team owner Rick Hendrick said. “How is the race going? It will rain? What time do we have to leave to return to Charlotte? “There’s going to be tremendous pressure.”
Ah yes, the rain. That’s also in Sunday’s forecast, a 50% chance of scattered showers early with more appearing in the afternoon. If that happens, Hendrick said, some tough decisions will need to be made.
“We talked about it many times. We know we need to be in Charlotte to earn points. We’re just going to let this happen,” she said, before adding, “It would be very difficult (to pull the plug). It would be very hard. It would be very disappointing, given all the effort that everyone from Arrow McLaren has put in. It is in a very good position. “It would be extremely difficult.”
Speaking of positions, Larson has found himself in many new positions in the lead-up to the Indy 500. He’s well versed in driving everything from late model dirt and sprint cars to stock cars, but piloting an Indy car at about 240 mph has been new.
So was lying under a cow on a sunny day at the racetrack.
“It was great,” Larson said with a smile. “Honestly, it was a great experience.”
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