Kyle Busch was set to run 2024 Indy 500 before Kyle Larson took his ride

Had sponsorship worked out differently, we would have been talking about Kyle Busch racing the Indianapolis 500 last year. Instead, it was NASCAR rival Kyle Larson who attempted the famous Memorial Day Double.

Kyle Busch has openly wanted to do the Double for years. It is one of the few things on his bucket list that he has yet to accomplish. That and the Daytona 500, of course.

On Denny Hamlin’s Actions Detrimental today, Busch revealed his Indy 500 plans that almost were. Instead, it was Kyle Larson who ended up taking the ride meant for the RCR driver.

“No, I had it signed, sealed, and delivered again, and then Larson took it,” Busch explained. “Yes, I won’t release the sponsor but I had a sponsor talking to Zac Brown, the deal was done, and we were about ready to go to contract and Zac Brown was like, ‘Well, hey,’ told the sponsor, he was like, ‘Hey, I need you to buy the car.’ And the sponsor was like, ‘Why do I want to buy the car? I don’t want to buy the car, I don’t need the car, I want to sponsor the car. I’m sponsoring Kyle, he’s going to drive the car. I don’t want to buy the car.’ [Zac Brown said] ‘In case he wrecks the tub, we want you to buy the tub.’”

Kyle Busch in the Indianapolis 500 would be electric. If we had two NASCAR drivers attempt the Double in the same year? That would be even better. Busch was so close to making his dream come true.

“Well, it wasn’t two weeks later that then I’m talking to this sponsor guy, and he was like, ‘Yeah, I guess that we’re too late anyways now that the opportunity’s closed because Larson got it.’ I’m like, ‘What do you mean Larson got it?’ Then I found out Larson signed a two-year deal, and we were only going to do a one-year deal,” Busch said.

Kyle Busch lost out on his Indy 500 ride. Surely, a sponsor is out there who would want to support Busch and his efforts. The only issue is finding a competitive ride. If you can’t race for Arrow McLaren or Team Penske, is it really worth doing?

At this point in his career, Busch is running out of time. If he wants to attempt the Double like his brother Kurt did in 2014, then he will have to put together a deal sooner rather than later. If that deal doesn’t come together in the next couple of years, I’m afraid it won’t ever happen.