McLaren’s Mission Impossible: shaking up racing in spirit of Bruce

The Double: it’s one of the toughest physical tests in sport, never mind racing.

It starts with a full 200 laps of the Indianapolis Motor Speedway – most of which will be spent north of 200mph – against 32 other fearsome IndyCar competitors in the ‘500’.

Then it’s onto a private jet – via a chopper to add to the Mission Impossible atmosphere – and a 700-mile zoom down to North Carolina for the Coca-Cola 600 at Charlotte, NASCAR’s longest event. And you have to win that too, if you can survive 600 miles of rubbin’ and racin’ against 40-something other unsympathetic stock car rivals.

Only four drivers in history have attempted The Double, the last being Kurt Busch in May 2014, and none have managed to win at either event. It has lain dormant for nine years, partly because these over-audacious stunts became slightly passé in professional motor sport, and partly because few competitors are capable of taking on a challenge that demands exceptional driving ability and physical stamina.

Larson has eyes on 2014 Indy 500 challenge

NASCAR

But a decade on from the last attempt, there will be a new challenger. Kyle Larson, dominant 2021 Cup champion and the pre-eminent NASCAR talent of his generation, will take on the challenge in May 2024. Arguably America’s top racing prospect, Larson’s involvement is less of a surprise than the IndyCar outfit he’s teaming up with: McLaren .

After spending the 2010s mired in an F1 furrow, McLaren is stretching its ambitions again, turning back to the innovation, commercial nous and transatlantic focus that its founder Bruce embodied when the team was formed decades ago. This time led by Zak Brown, it is redefining racing teams in the same way.

In addition to Larson, McLaren has three full-time IndyCar entries, has taken over Mercedes’ Formula E concern and launched an Extreme E team, in addition the main Formula 1 interest – and it still has the potential of a WEC Hypercar entry.

Busch was the last person to attempt double duty in 2014

Getty Images

Participation is all very well, but Brown has his eyes on emulating the incredible achievements of Bruce by fully succeeding at each level, even though he is yet to tick that off in any of the series.

IndyCar squad’s racing director Gavin Ward – formerly of Red Bull in F1 – said that the appeal of simultaneously scaling motor sport mountains old and new mirrored the lure of The Double for Larson, who has already won at the highest level in stock cars, dirt racing and sports cars in the Daytona 24 Hours: “Kyle’s ability and desire to compete across so many disciplines of motor racing is as rare today as it is refreshing.”