Jeff Gordon: Kyle Larson’s going ‘go’ at Charlotte for Coke 600 before the start

Concord, NC – Jeff Gordon leaves no doubt. Kyle Larson desire Be at Charlotte Motor Speedway to start Sunday’s Coca-Cola 600.

Gordon, the vice -chairman of Hendrick Motorsports, said on Saturday that Larson was going to be “here for driver entry at 05:25 (PM et). That’s the call.”

It would be Larson – who tried to become the second driver in 20 years to compete with the Indy 500 and Coke 600 on the same day – on Charlotte an hour before the ET -Begin of 06:27 for one of Nascar’s leading racing.

This is the second consecutive year that Larson tried to run both races on the same day – and possibly the last for the near future.

Last year, a four-hour rain delay at Indianapolis created questions whether Larson would leave for the Coca-Cola 600. He stayed in Indianapolis and finished 18th. Larson arrived in Charlotte after the halfway mark of that race. Rain stopped the event before he could get into his car and took over Justin Allgaier.

“When the rain started to come last year (in Indianapolis) and the delays started, it has a factor of ‘OK, how do you use the opportunity of Kyle Larson and the team,’ ‘Gordon said. “Everyone worked so hard for their only and only shot in the Indy 500, especially now that the track is starting to dry and it starts to clear.

“We took that into account at that point.” Yes, he will miss the beginning of the 600, but we still had the plan to get him here (after Charlotte), get him in the car and finish the race. “That’s what we really have.

Larson can’t afford to miss the start of the Coca-Cola 600. Nascar, after the debate, gave Larson a waiver of the playoffs last year, but the series official set up a new rule this season.

SECTION 12.4.2.1.a of the cup rule book states that “, unless otherwise authorized by NASCAR, manager (s) and team owner (s) must start and try to complete all championships to be eligible for the play -offs.

A new part of the division reads: ‘If a driver does not start and try to complete a race and wants to be eligible for the play -offs, the manager must request a play -off match via the play -off game. Loss of play-offs is final and non-appealable. “

It would be devastating for Larson to accept a waiver of the play-off match for missing the beginning of the Coca-Cola 600 for competing for the Indy 500. Larson, who is the cup-points leader, has a 23 playoffs. He has at least ten more play -offs than any other manager except Christopher Bell.

Sunday’s Indianapolis 500 is scheduled to start at 12:45 p.m., and the Weather Underground forecast for Indianapolis asks for a 32% chance of rain at 15:00 ET and a 36% chance of rain at 16:00 ET -about when the race should end.

If Larson wins the Indianapolis 500, he would go through a shortened victory celebration before leaving for Charlotte. Larson begins 19th in the Indianapolis 500. He starts second in the Coca-Cola 600.

While Larson hopes to run both races again in the future, Hendrick Motorsports may not be as involved.

“Kyle Larson is doing well if the Indy wants to win 500 and I’m probably talking on behalf of Rick Hendrick,” Gordon said. “It would be tremendous, so we could say we did, and it was incredible and Kyle if you want to do the Indy 500 in the future, be our guest.

“That’s a lot. It takes a great commitment. We are proud to be part of it. It was great for (sponsor Hendrickcars.com). I finally think it was between Hendrick Cars and Rick Hendrick who made the decision to do it again. It is certainly not hurt that we also do a (prime) documentary, and the documentary was not complete, but I feel as if it will be completed from our perspective this time. ‘