Indy 500 – A scare and lots of lessons for Kyle Larson in Phoenix

Two months after his last trial gallop at Indianapolis, Kyle Larson found the Dallara that he will drive at the 500 Miles on May 26, 2024. The 2021 champion of NASCAR Cup Series conducted a day of testing on the Phoenix oval, and (finally) reached the limits of driving a car on this type of circuit.

“We went for a long relay (3 hours, the duration of an edition of the Indianapolis 500. Editor’s note) and we had different air pressures in the tires to begin with. The car was very different at the start of the run, and I had the impression that it was going to be livelier. But it started looking "fuzzy" pretty quickly, and I was a little confused, I wasn't really expecting that.

THE ➡️ Phoenix # Indy500 ????#INDYCAR // @KyleLarsonRacin pic.twitter.com/zqSPtiJp5t

—NTT INDYCAR SERIES (@IndyCar) February 6, 2024

The 31-year-old Californian almost ended up in the pile following a careless mistake. “I was trying to make adjustments to the weight distribution (between the front and the back. Ed.), and I was a little caught off guard. I had a few warnings a few laps before that. I entered turn 1. I eased off a little in the turn, reached the rope, and when I got to the bottom (from the track), the car started to skid. I was able to catch up with her. »

Kyle Larson can't compare himself to other IndyCar drivers yet because his testing has always been solo. While waiting to share the track with other competitors during Indy testing on April 10 and 11, the Hendrick Motorsports driver is listening to his feelings. And they are good.

“I felt like I was close to the limit. During the last stint, I saw that problems were coming. I was about to get a scare, and then I got it! I liked that what my brain was registering and perceived that I could feel the balance and describe it correctly. »

The American finally took the opportunity to practice pit stops. In a race like the Indy 500, the ballet of pit stops is a crucial moment. This is the only moment where the driver brakes completely in 3 hours of effort! The cerebral gymnastics are therefore fine to assimilate, especially since the brakes are very sensitive.

“I did a better job getting into my pit than I did at Indy. Last year, I made a few small mistakes during my first training sessions. So we checked a lot of things and re-acclimatized. »

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