Kyle Larson officially qualifies for Indy 500, posts sixth-fastest qualifying time

Now, Larson will have a shot at the pole on Sunday afternoon. It’s an awesome development for the Hendrick Motorsports wheelman, as he looks to bring his talent to a whole new world over the next couple of weeks.

Alas, it’s an incredible rebound for Kyle Larson, after a tough start to his afternoon in Indianapolis. He’ll bring a lot more eyeballs to the race from NASCAR’s contingent next weekend, looking to see how he does.

Jeff Gordon: Kyle Larson’s attempt, Rick Hendrick’s involvement in Indianapolis 500 a ‘dream come true’

Jeff Gordon is at Indianapolis for Kyle Larson’s qualifying attempt for the Indianapolis 500, and he’s taking it all in.

The four-time NASCAR champion never attempted to pull the double, like Larson will be doing next weekend, but the racer-turned-Hendrick-Vice-Chairman is putting all his support behind the driver. Speaking with the media during a beautiful Saturday afternoon, Gordon waxed poetic about Indianapolis.

“I feel like Indianapolis is what made me a fan of motorsports,” Gordon told Peacock. “As a kid, even in California, between Sprint Car racing and the Indianapolis 500, that’s what drew me in, and made me really want to be a race car driver. And I, as a kid, came here. So you know, I’ve been here before, a long time ago. I was able to drive the pace car here a few years back. And it is, it’s just special. When you live here in Indiana, you race around Indiana, it becomes that much more hallowed ground. 

“So yeah, that dream didn’t come true in an IndyCar, but it came true in the Brickyard 400, in a stock car. And this is another dream come true, getting Rick Hendrick, Kyle Larson and just all of Hendrick Motorsports involved in this amazing event. We hope we get qualified in, and we get to go and have a fun weekend next week.”

One has to wonder if Rick Hendrick would’ve been so supportive of Larson’s venture, if not for Gordon’s support. Since joining Hendrick, Larson has become the flag-bearer for the team, drawing comparisons to Gordon’s immense talent.

Kyle Larson has a long way to go to match Jeff Gordon’s NASCAR success, but he is attempting something Gordon never did as a racer, and it’s evident the four-time NASCAR champion has a heck of a lot of respect for Larson for doing so.