Indianapolis 500 under caution for rain, Kyle Larson running out of time to complete Double

Today has not been a great day for Kyle Larson as he tries for the second year to complete 1100 miles of the Double. The Indianapolis 500 was delayed by rain to start and is now facing a caution flag due to a pop-up shower at the race track. The NASCAR star is running out of time.

The weather has not been kind to Kyle Larson the last two seasons when it comes to Memorial Day weekend. Larson has 90 minutes to get from Indy to Charlotte to make the Coca-Cola 600 on time and not forfeit his playoff points for the season.

On top of the weather issues, there was a wreck by Scott McLaughlin on the pace laps as the race was coming to green. Marco Andretti then crashed in the first turn once the race really got going. Each caution eats away at his timeline.

Yellow for drizzle.

— Bob Pockrass (@bobpockrass) May 25, 2025

Last season, Kyle Larson knew he wasn’t going to make the Coca-Cola 600 on time. He made the decision to race and complete his first-ever Indy 500. NASCAR has since made a rule change that missing a points race for any reason that isn’t medical, age-related, or a family emergency will result in losing all playoff points for the season.

In other words, Larson would give up his bonus points that carry with drivers through each round of the playoffs. In order to make the Championship 4 at that point, he would likely have to win a race in each round of the postseason. It makes his championship hopes in the Cup Series almost non-existent.

Then again, if anyone could overcome that kind of setback, wouldn’t it be Kyle Larson? Either way, NASCAR has drawn a line in the sand.

Kyle Larson has 90-minute window from Indy to Charlotte

To get in the helicopter at Indy, go to the jet, make it to Charlotte, get into another helicopter, and land at Charlotte Motor Speedway will take roughly 90 minutes in total. A very tight window has now emerged for Larson to finish the Indy 500 and still make it on time for the Coca-Cola 600.

On top of that, Larson had issues on pit road under caution. He stalled his car by dumping the clutch and then putting it into second gear. He had to use the hybrid system to get himself restarted. Not only has his window to complete the race closed, but now he is in the very back of the field and trying to figure out where it all went wrong.

Kyle Larson has spent weeks, if not months, preparing for today. 1100 miles. The Memorial Day Double. However, it appears that everything is slipping through his fingers again. This team has been cursed by bad weather and constant delays today.

Who knows what will happen the rest of the way, but Larson is definitely dealing with a lot of distractions as he tries to compete at over 200 MPH at Indy, and that includes wondering if he is going to have to park his car and leave the Greatest Spectacle in Racing before the finish.