NASCAR Cup Series champion Kyle Larson has once again started a discussion about him being involved with Formula 1.  Speaking recently on The Pat McAfee Show, the driver explains his ideas around the appeal of F1 with its fans before admitting he would be interested in getting involved somehow. 

“Never been asked to drive in F1,” Larson explained during the show. “I think it’s tough coming from my background of dirt tracks and ovals.” 

The 32-year-old driver’s background doesn’t represent a conventional F1 trajectory, usually consisting of a progression from karting to Formula 3 and Formula 2, with the cream of the crop being chosen for seats in the pinnacle of racing. Larson, coming from a background of dirt track racing and stock cars, diverges from this. It doesn’t mean he isn’t talented enough for such a series, however.

“I went to Abu Dhabi in 2021. It was sick. Like, the event was awesome. I mean, it was incredible.”

This clearly left a lasting impression. 

 “But yeah, the racing – the racing is not what we are accustomed to in America,” he admitted. “Like, I think you… There, it’s crazy how big it is because. Like, it’s not super exciting. But I think it’s the stuff outside of it – the celebrities that are there, the engineering, the money – just everything about that, you know? The big brands on the cars and stuff.”

Kyle Larson, Hendrick Motorsports Chevrolet

Photo by: Mike Ehrmann – Getty Images

An opportunity opened up for Larson through discussions with McLaren Racing CEO Zak Brown in September of 2024. 

“We’ve been chatting about it,” Brown said during an episode of The Happy Hour Podcast. “Kyle, as you can imagine, definitely wants to do it in between our schedule, which goes from February to December, and NASCAR’s schedule, which is February to November.

“Finding that window – we did that with Jimmie Johnson and Fernando [Alonso] in Bahrain with Hendrick Motorsports [in 2018]. That was a lot of fun.

“I’d love to see Kyle in an F1 car. It is something that we’ve discussed and something I think will happen down the road.”

Larson has a strong love for American motorsport, but would be interested in F1 if the opportunity arose. 

“But you know, I feel like NASCAR and IndyCar here in America – like you can’t find much more exciting racing than what we have here. So I’m fortunate to get to run both of them. But I would definitely never turn down the opportunity to go and try it.”

“The double” has not been completed since 2001, despite several valiant attempts since then, but Kyle Larson is looking to add his name in the history books.

The Indy 500 is set to begin at 12:45 p.m. ET at Indianapolis Motor Speedway, five hours and 15 minutes before the green flag will come out in Charlotte, North Carolina, for the Coca-Cola 600.

The flight between the two tracks is roughly an hour and a half, but Larson wants to brave it out.

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Kyle Larson speaks to media members during the NASCAR Playoffs Media Day at the Charlotte Convention Center in Charlotte, North Carolina, on Sept. 4, 2024. (Jim Dedmon-Imagn Images)

“The main why is I love to race. I like to challenge myself, you kind of learn new cars and all that. And I like to compete in the biggest races in the world. So to do two of those in the same day, it’s pretty cool,” Larson said in a recent interview with Fox News Digital.

“For me, I want to do it while I’m in my prime. I’m only 32, feel like I’m at the top of our sport, I felt like the timing is right for that. I don’t know how long my NASCAR career will last… I think it’ll be really fun to do a road course race, just to experience that sort of feel of cars that have a lot of power and sliding around, no power-steering, the physicality of it. And also, getting to race with guys in their territory and see what they grew up doing, and just seeing the caliber and level they race at, because it would be different than what us NASCAR guys see and feel on a road course.”

Kyle Larson celebrates after winning a NASCAR Cup Series auto race at Las Vegas Motor Speedway on Sunday, March 3, 2024 in Las Vegas. (AP Photo/Ian Maule)

HOW A BOND BETWEEN FATHER AND SON BLOOMED A TWO-TIME INDY 500 CHAMPION

Five drivers, including Larson, have attempted the feat, and some have been able to run both races. However, Tony Stewart, who finished sixth at Indy and third in the Coke 600 in 2001, remains the only driver to accomplish all 1,100 miles. The last person to run both races is Kurt Busch, who finished the Indy 500 in sixth in 2014, but engine failure in Charlotte cost him the completion of that race.

Larson attempted the double last year, but rain delayed the Indy 500, and that same storm prevented him from competing in Charlotte later on in the day, despite making it to the track.

“I had fun last year, it helped prepare me for this year. There’s still a lot of good that came from last year even though I didn’t get to run both. Hopefully the weather stays good, as it looks like it should, we can have everything on time, and do a good job in the races too and run up front.”

For beginners, Larson has one main goal: “Finish all the laps.”

“But then, you look at where the bar’s at,” he continued, mentioning Stewart’s accomplishment. “You’re like ‘I want to beat that.’ If you can win one of the two, that’d be great. But it is hard to win a NASCAR race, which I do every week,” Larson said.

Kyle Larson, center, celebrates in Victory Lane after winning a NASCAR Cup Series auto race at Charlotte Motor Speedway in Concord, North Carolina, on Sunday, Oct. 13, 2024. (AP Photo/Chuck Burton)

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“Winning the Indy 500 would be tougher, but it can definitely be done at the same time. The fastest car, best driver, doesn’t technically always win the race. If you just execute the details the best you can and don’t make any mistakes, you can have an opportunity to win at the end. If we can just do a good job, the results can take care of itself and we can have a great day.”

It would be nearly impossible to win both, but Larson knows which one he would rather have.

“I’ve won the 600, I would take the Indy 500,” he said. “But if I can win one of the two, it would be amazing.”

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FILE – Chris Buescher during driver introductions before two NASCAR Daytona 500 qualifying auto races at Daytona International Speedway, Thursday, Feb. 13, 2025, in Daytona Beach, Fla. (AP Photo/John Raoux, File)

CONCORD, N.C. (AP) — Roush Fenway Keselowski Racing announced Friday a multi-year sponsor partnership with Trimble beginning in the 2025 NASCAR Cup Series season.

Trimble will be the primary sponsor on Ryan Preece’s No. 60 Ford Mustang and Chris Buescher’s No. 17 Ford Mustang, beginning with Preece’s entry at Nashville Superspeedway on June 1. In addition, it was announced that Trimble will increase its involvement across RFK Racing’s full fleet in upcoming seasons, including Brad Keselowski’s No. 6 Ford Mustang.

Trimble is a global technology company that enables essential industries including construction, geospatial and transportation.

“This is a high-profile opportunity to expand awareness of Trimble by supporting a leading NASCAR team with a technology vision closely aligned with our own,” Trimble president and CEO Rob Painter said. “Both organizations focus on cohesive technology ecosystems and data-driven precision as the formula for winning in dynamic and intensely competitive environments.”

Trimble employs more than 12,000 people worldwide and serves customers in over 175 countries. The company reported $3.68 billion in revenue in 2024, according to a release.

“Partnering with a forward-thinking, technology-driven company like Trimble is a great fit for RFK Racing,” said Steve Newmark, president of RFK Racing. “Our team and Trimble operate in fast-paced, high-performance environments that demand precision and innovation. Their deep expertise and commitment to technology will bring valuable perspective and collaboration to our program.”

Trimble is also set to join the RFK TeK Alliance, a collaborative platform where technology-oriented sponsors work together to test and refine products in applied racing and operational environments.

“Every week in NASCAR feels like a science project, where we’re constantly testing, learning, and improving,” said RFK Racing driver and co-owner Brad Keselowski. “Partnering with Trimble allows us to do more of that work in the digital space, refining our performance virtually before we ever hit the track. That kind of innovation is not only smart, it’s essential in today’s competitive environment.”

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“We’ve built something special with the No. 24 team,” said Byron. “I’m thankful for the opportunity to continue working with amazing people at Hendrick Motorsports who believe in me, especially Mr. and Mrs. Hendrick. We’ve accomplished some great things that we’re really proud of, but we have even bigger goals ahead. I’m excited to go after them with this team and this organization.”

Byron first signed with Hendrick Motorsports in 2016 at the age of 18, and earned Cup Series Rookie of the Year honors in 2018. Since then, the Charlotte, North Carolina driver has been a perennial playoff contender.

Christopher Bell will be looking to ride the momentum of his NASCAR All-Star Race win from last week when he seeks his fourth NASCAR Cup Series win of the year when he takes part in the 2025 NASCAR Coca-Cola 600 at Charlotte Motor Speedway on Sunday. Bell also has wins at Atlanta Motor Speedway, Circuit of the Americas at Austin, Texas and Phoenix Raceway. He was second at the 2025 Advent Health 400 on May 11 and at the 2025 Cook Out 400 at Martinsville Speedway on March 30.

Kyle Larson is the +550 favorite, with Denny Hamlin at +650, Bell at +700, William Byron and Tyler Reddick at +750, and Ryan Blaney at +800 in the latest 2025 NASCAR Coca-Cola 600 odds, from DraftKings Sportsbook. Sunday’s race is scheduled to start at 6 p.m. ET. Before making any 2025 NASCAR Coca-Cola 600 picks or NASCAR predictions, you need to see what NASCAR insider Steven Taranto has to say.

Taranto, who moonlights as a sim racer and has 20 career wins in iRacing, is the lead NASCAR writer for CBSSports.com. He has an annual NASCAR medial credential and also publishes a popular weekly NASCAR predictions column, famously calling Ross Chastain and Daniel Suarez’s breakthrough wins in 2022.

Taranto was red-hot for SportsLine in 2024 as he nailed 17 winners, including 16-1 longshot William Byron at the Daytona 500 and 14-1 longshot Chase Elliott at Texas. He correctly picked the Straight Talk Wireless 400 winner in Larson on March 23. Anyone following his NASCAR picks at their favorite sportsbooks could have seen huge returns.

Now, Taranto has analyzed the starting lineup and odds for Sunday’s 2025 Coca-Cola 600 at Charlotte Motor Speedway. He’s sharing his best bets at SportsLine. You can also use them to take advantage of the latest FanDuel promo code, DraftKings promo code or BetMGM promo code.

2025 NASCAR Coca-Cola 600 expert picks

For the 2025 NASCAR Coca-Cola 600 at Charlotte Motor Speedway, Taranto is high on Josh Berry at +2500 odds at DraftKings Sportsbook. The 34-year-old driver is coming off a sixth-place finish at the 2025 Advent Health 400 at Kansas earlier this month. He has had some success this season. Of his 12 races run, he has placed in the top-10 three times, including a win at the 2025 Pennzoil 400 at Las Vegas Motor Speedway.

He also took fourth at the 2025 Shriners Children’s 500 at Phoenix Raceway in March. He is in his third year at the NASCAR Cup Series level. In 52 races run, he has one win and nine top-10 finishes. He has also experienced success in the NASCAR Xfinity Series, logging five wins, four poles and 52 top-10s in 97 races over an eight-year span. See which other drivers he’s backing at SportsLine.

Top NASCAR props for Charlotte Motor Speedway

Head-to-head: Taranto sees strong value in taking Kyle Larson (-125) to finish ahead of Denny Hamlin (-105). Larson, who is attempting to pull double duty with Indy 500 also on Sunday, has logged three wins over the past seven races this season, while Hamlin has two wins and a second-place finish at Phoenix in 2025. Larson, 32, was the series champion in 2021, and finished sixth overall last season. He has 32 career wins with 191 top-10 finishes and 22 poles.

But Hamlin has struggled of late, finishing 36th at Texas Motor Speedway at the Wurth 400, and 36th at the AdventHealth 400, both earlier this month. He was also 21st at the Jack Link’s 500 at Talladega last month. Hamlin, 44, has posted 56 wins and 364 top-10 finishes in his career, with 43 poles. His best season finish came in 2010, when he placed second overall. See all of Taranto’s picks at SportsLine. 

How to make 2025 NASCAR Coca-Cola 600 predictions

Taranto has also identified four other drivers in his 2025 NASCAR Coca-Cola 600 best bets. He’s also high on a huge NASCAR longshot who’s going off at over 40-1, potentially netting any backer a huge payday. You can only see who they are here.

So who wins the 2025 NASCAR Coca-Cola 600 at Charlotte Motor Speedway, and which massive longshot could stun NASCAR? Visit SportsLine now to see the 2025 NASCAR Coca-Cola 600 at Charlotte Motor Speedway picks and best bets from a NASCAR insider who nailed a colossal 17 winners last year, and find out.

2025 NASCAR Coca-Cola 600 at Charlotte Motor Speedway odds, lineup

See full NASCAR Coca-Cola 600 at Charlotte Motor Speedway picks at SportsLine

(odds subject to change)
Kyle Larson +550
Denny Hamlin +650
Christopher Bell +700
William Byron +750
Tyler Reddick +750
Ryan Blaney +800
Chase Elliott +1200
Kyle Busch +1200
Ty Gibbs +1800
Ross Chastain +1800
Joey Logano +1800
Chris Buescher +2200
Chase Briscoe +2500
Brad Keselowski +2500
Alex Bowman +2500
Josh Berry +2500
Bubba Wallace +3000
Austin Cindric +4000
Daniel Suarez +4000
Carson Hocevar +4500
Ryan Preece +4500
Connor Zilisch +5000
Ricky Stenhouse Jr. +5500
Noah Gragson +5500
Erik Jones +5500
Michael McDowell +6000
Austin Dillon +6500
A.J. Allmendinger +9000
Zane Smith +10000
John Hunter Nemechek +10000
Cole Custer +10000
Todd Gilliland +13000
Shane Van Gisbergen +15000
Justin Haley +15000
Ty Dillon +30000
Riley Herbst +40000
Cody Ware +50000
Jimmie Johnson +100000