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Audio By Carbonatix
Kyle Larson‘s second attempt at the historic Indy 500/Coca-Cola 600 double was far from what the former NASCAR Cup Series champion was hoping for. Larson crashed out of both races, ultimately running less than half of the planned 1,100 miles. And now, long after the attempt is over, Larson is facing backlash from fans for his behavior in the iconic IndyCar race.
Before the Indy 500 could even begin, Team Penske star Scott McLaughlin suffered an embarrassing crash while trying to warm his tires during warm up laps prior to the green flag. Now a new video from Larson’s in-car camera shows the NASCAR star giving McLaughlin a mocking thumbs-up gesture while passing by the devastated New Zealander.
https://t.co/v53Vxtxa4q pic.twitter.com/uIXVtNtAWF
— Skid (@WhoisSkid) May 26, 2025
Larson, who was working under strict time constraints in order to finish the Indy 500 and make it to Charlotte in time to start the Coca-Cola 600, was clearly frustrated that McLaughlin caused another delay. But his reaction comes across as cruel.
It looks even more ridiculous when you consider that Larson later crashed in the same race when he improperly downshifted in a corner, causing him to spin out and hit the wall. Larson also crashed by leading the Coca-Cola 600, essentially ruining any chances for a race win.
Mind you, this is the same Kyle Larson who just last year called himself the best all-around driver on the planet over Formula 1 champion Max Verstappen. Unsurprisingly, racing fans weren’t amused by his gesture toward McLaughlin.
“Never was a Larson fan to begin with (in NASCAR or for the 500) but things like this don’t help his case. Guys a jagoff,” one fan posted on X.
Even Lason supporters called him out over the behavior.
“As a big Kyle Larson fan, this is ridiculous,” X user @DrLarryHankins wrote. “You don’t get to be a special guest to another racing series and act like you’re better. I understand he was on a time crunch and frustration was building up, but ain’t no way to act like this. He deserved that wreck he had.”
Who knows whether karma is real or not? But it sure seems as if Larson got a real dose of it this weekend.