Jeff Gordon Backs Kyle Larson for The Double in Documentary
jeff gordon says Kyle Larson was built for The Double because his range, drive and ambition fit a rare two-race day that few drivers have even tried. The Hendrick Motorsports vice chairman says the effort grew out of Larson’s dream of racing Indy while still carrying a full-time NASCAR schedule.
Gordon And Larson
“I think it starts from a kid's dream of wanting to be one of the best race car drivers in the world, and has a successful NASCAR career going and always dreamed about racing in Indy.” Gordon said in a one-on-one interview for the documentary. “And the only way to get to do that is you've got to do The Double and do them both in the same day.”
Larson is the reigning Cup Series champion, and Gordon pointed to that mix of talent and intent as the reason he fit the project. “What separates him is being a guy that races all kinds of different cars and has success behind the wheel of all of them,” he said.
Rick Hendrick’s Role
Once Larson showed interest, Gordon said Hendrick Motorsports moved quickly to build the plan. “Once we knew that this was something that Kyle wanted to do or was interested in doing, we started putting all the logistics and all the thoughts together, putting the team together and trying to make it a reality,” he said.
Rick Hendrick was part of that push from the start. “Luckily for both Kyle and me, Rick Hendrick is a guy that loves to make dreams happen, so that's kind of where it started,” Gordon said. “This is really special, not many people have ever done this before, we should document it.”
The documentary The Double is set for release on Amazon Prime on May 21, giving the attempt a built-in record of a rare motorsports project. Larson would become the fifth driver to try the Indy 500 and Coca-Cola 500 on the same day, and he is the first in 25 years since Tony Stewart to take it on.
Larson’s 2024 Attempt
The effort is not coming out of nowhere. Larson finished 18th in his first Indy 500 attempt in 2024, and Gordon said that year showed why the driver fits the challenge. “If you looked at how he performed year one (he finished 18th in 2024) especially,” Gordon said.
There is a complication built into the story, too. One year covered by the documentary included weather conditions at the Indy 500 that wiped away Larson’s quest, and Larson has said he is unlikely to do The Double again. He has also said he would only do the Indy 500 if he can focus his full attention on it, which could mean the next chance for another attempt will not come until after his NASCAR career is over.
