Entering with a head of 1.5-mile steam and hopefully a better weather outlook, Kyle Larson will be seeking redemption in the Coca-Cola 600 at Charlotte Motor Speedway.

The 2021 Cup Series champion missed last year’s race after arriving late because the 108th Indianapolis 500 was delayed by four hours, negating Larson’s hope of becoming the fifth driver to race in the Indy 500 and Coke 600 on the same day.

The Hendrick Motorsports star will try again this season, driving the No. 17 Dallara-Chevrolet for Arrow McLaren before heading to Charlotte to pilot his No. 5 Chevrolet in the Cup Series.

Larson has personal bests for victories (three), top fives (eight) and laps led (817) through the first 12 races of a season. With his May 4 victory at Kansas Speedway, Larson surpassed 10,000 laps led in his Cup career and has led 24.5 percent of laps in the 2025 season. The win on the 1.5-mile oval was his 32nd in Cup.

Hendrick drivers have led 1,387 laps (41.6 percent) this season, the team’s most since 2010.

Cup drivers will compete in the longest race of the season Sunday night at Charlotte Motor Speedway.

Details for Sunday’s Cup race at Charlotte Motor Speedway

(All times Eastern)

START: The command to start engines will be given at 6:16 p.m. by U.S. Secretary of Defense Pete Hegseth, who will be joined by representatives from the U.S. Army, Marine Corps and Navy. … The green flag is scheduled to wave at 6:27 p.m.

PRERACE: The Cup garage will open at 3 p.m. … Driver introductions are at 5:25 p.m. … The invocation will be given by Chaplain LTC Will H. Horton, Deputy Command Chaplain, Military District of Washington, at 6:01 p.m. … “Amazing Grace” will be performed at 6:02 p.m. by the Charlotte Fire Department Pipe Band. … “Taps” will be performed at 6:04 p.m. by MSgt Kristopher Westrich, assistant principal trumpet, the United States Air Force Band. … The national anthem will be performed at 6:05 p.m. by Vocalist MU1 Danlie Cuenca of The United States Navy Band.

DISTANCE: The race is 400 laps (600 miles) on the 1.5-mile oval.

STAGES: Stage 1 ends at Lap 100. Stage 2 ends at Lap 200. Stage 3 ends at Lap 300.

ENTRY LIST: Click here for the 40 cars entered at Charlotte.

TV/RADIO: Prime will broadcast the race starting at 5 p.m. … Performance Racing Network and SiriusXM NASCAR Radio will have radio coverage.

FORECAST: WeatherUnderground — Cloudy skies with a slight chance of a rain shower, a high of 78 degrees and winds light and variable. It’s expected to be 77 degrees with a 15% chance of rain at the start of the Cup race.

LAST TIME: Christopher Bell led 90 laps to win the May 26, 2024 race that was shortened by rain after 374 miles.

Lyten, the supermaterial applications company and innovator of 3D Graphene, today announced the launch of Lyten Motorsports, a new venture designed to bring Lyten’s material science innovations to motorsports parts. Lyten Motorsports is launching in partnership with INDYCAR Experience, bringing its 25-year experience as a supplier to motorsports circuits around the world.

This press release features multimedia. View the full release here: https://www.businesswire.com/news/home/20250523498662/en/

IndyCar Experience car sponsored by Lyten

Lyten’s 3D Graphene is a foundational, carbon-based material that can be tuned to meet the specific needs of high-performance applications, impacting material properties like strength, weight, conductivity, and permeability. Lyten is already utilizing its 3D Graphene platform to build lithium-sulfur batteries approaching 2X the energy density of lithium-ion while eliminating 85% of the mined minerals, including elimination of nickel, cobalt, and graphite. Lyten is using the strength, weight, and conductivity of its materials to design and build parts that further push the limit of strength to weight ratio in motorsports.

“Material science is creating a future that is lighter, stronger and safer, while reducing our impact on the planet,” said Dan Cook, Lyten Co-Founder and CEO. “Motorsports sit at the apex of materials innovation, where small improvements make the difference in speed and safety. The introduction of carbon fiber revolutionized the sport, and we believe Lyten 3D Graphene can be the next materials revolution in motorsports.”

Lyten will continue to execute materials research and development at its Headquarters in Silicon Valley and has opened a design and manufacturing facility in Indianapolis, Indiana for motorsport parts, co-located with the INDYCAR Experience headquarters. Lyten Motorsports is currently manufacturing 3D printed parts utilizing Lyten’s proprietary filaments and adhesives and quickly expanding into autoclave manufacturing to meet market demands. Lyten will be further enhancing the performance of carbon fiber parts and identifying metal parts that can now be converted into lighter, lower cost composite parts. Lyten Motorsports plans to develop parts for a broad range of US and International racing series.

Lyten has been testing new material designs on the INDYCAR Experience 2-seat INDYCAR for more than 2 years and will continue to use the platform to accelerate part development. The Lyten sponsored INDYCAR Experience 2-seater will be active throughout this year’s racing season, including this year’s Indy 500.

“Motorsports is a high-growth, technology enabled industry and challenge #1 is pushing the bounds of known materials. There is tremendous demand for that next materials innovation and Lyten has it with its 3D Graphene platform,” said Scott Jasek, CEO of INDYCAR Experience. “I am excited to use our base in Indianapolis to scale up U.S. manufacturing of motorsport parts and bring with it technology focused jobs.”

Lyten is a privately held company with >$425M in equity investment, including investment from Stellantis, FedEx, Honeywell, Nokia, Prime Movers Lab, the European Investment Fund, and Luxembourg Future Fund. Its products include lithium-sulfur batteries, composites, concrete, and sensors, all built on Lyten’s 3D Graphene supermaterials platform.

About Lyten

Lyten, founded in 2015, is a supermaterial applications company that has received more than $425 million in equity investment. Lyten has built a proprietary materials platform, called Lyten 3D Graphene, that it uses to build better performing, lower cost, and decarbonizing products. Lyten is currently commercializing next-generation lithium-sulfur batteries for use in energy storage, transportation, aerospace, space, consumer electronics, and defense markets; next-generation high strength, low carbon footprint composites and concretes; and next-generation sensors that significantly increase detection sensitivity and selectivity for use in environmental, automotive, industrial, health, and supply chain applications.

The company lists more than 520 patents granted or pending and is currently manufacturing Lyten 3D Graphene material, lithium-sulfur batteries, and other products in San Jose, California. Lyten was named Fast Company’s #8 Most Innovative Energy Company and named one of America’s Top Green Technology Companies by Time in 2024 and one of the World’s Top Green Technology Companies by Time in 2025.

View source version on businesswire.com: https://www.businesswire.com/news/home/20250523498662/en/

Bob Pockrass

FOX Motorsports Insider

INDIANAPOLIS — Josef Newgarden doesn’t shy away from the question of winning an unprecedented third consecutive Indianapolis 500.

In the 108-race history of the event, no driver has gone back-to-back-to-back. Both of his wins have come in dramatic fashion, with last-lap passes on Marcus Ericsson in 2023 and Pato O’Ward in 2024.

“We have a great opportunity,” Newgarden said. “To win three in a row. It would be historical, as everybody knows. I think the odds are astronomical. 

“If you look at the statistics, it should be almost impossible for us to do this, which sort of takes out the pressure.”

In speaking about it last week, Newgarden insisted he isn’t feeling the pressure.

“I have the same intensity that I want to win the race,” Newgarden said. “And if we win the race, circumstantially, it’s going to mean three in a row. But I feel more relaxed being here. How could you not? I’m just thankful to be here at this point. It’s all good.”

Newgarden will start 32nd in the middle of Row 11 after the penalties issued to his team for illegally filling a seam in a piece at the rear of the car. On “FOX and Friends” on Wednesday, Newgarden exuded confidence.

“We can totally do it,” he said. “We have the team, we have the people. … I want to win it from the last row now. The mountain is only getting taller this week. And it’s a big process. But I’m ready to go.”

So that’s what Newgarden said about the chance to three-peat. What about others who know him and compete against him? Here’s a sampling of what’s been said this week:

Indianapolis 500 Picks: Should You Bet on Josef Newgarden, Alex Palou, or Kyle Larson?

Team owner Roger Penske:

“He’s a pro. He’s been probably the best on ovals for the last two or three years, whether it’s a short oval, medium or obviously at Indy. … He’s done it with courageous passes and execution in the pits.”

Four-time Indy 500 winner Rick Mears:

“All I can [suggest to him] is kind of go off what I felt I should do. I can’t really speak for Josef. This is Indianapolis, it’s almost impossible to keep it as another race. But that’s the frame of mind I tried to keep when we were running. That way I’m not pressured into doing something that I shouldn’t do. I just think that’s the best way. That’ll be up to him how he wants to approach it.”

NASCAR teammate Joey Logano:

“What I see in Josef is a very intense person who is very aware of everything that is going on around him. And he is ultra-competitive in anything he does. So when you put a big prize in front of him, he’s going to be the person that levels up because he’s going to want it really bad. And I think there’s no better example of than the pass he made last year to win the Indy 500. The amount of [courage] it took … going for it on the outside in Turn 3 like that. I mean, he just said, ‘If I wreck, I wreck, I’m going for the Indy 500 win.’ It was an all-or-nothing move. That’s why he wins. But I also think he’s very calculated.”

NASCAR teammate Ryan Blaney:

“Josef is an animal, man. … He is one of the hardest-working guys out there. One of the nicest guys ever. He just kind of has that it factor. I don’t know what it is, but it’s just something about him. He is just a hard-core racer. I have no doubt in my mind he can go out there and win it. His pass last year around O’Ward around the top into [Turn] 3 takes some guts to do that. Does he do that move yet if he hasn’t won one yet? I don’t know.”

2008 Indy 500 winner Scott Dixon:

“It’s the 500. He’s definitely one of the favorites. Penske were definitely favorites last year. So I think this year is pretty similar. … He’s definitely one of the favorites for sure.”

2016 Indy 500 winner Alexander Rossi:

“Josef is the most aggressive oval driver in the series. … Talking about the specific pass for the win with Pato last year, Josef had the momentum and had the run on the outside. We certainly saw in the past [a different move] at Gateway, Josef kind of forced the issue and made the other driver make a decision. It’s part of his DNA. It’s part of why he’s so successful on ovals, especially short ovals. And honestly, it was always a little bit of an outlier why those results that he had on ovals didn’t translate to Indy [initially]. Like it was only a matter of time.”

Penske teammate Scott McLaughlin:

“He’s the same Josef we know. I’d be pretty relaxed. If I win one, I’m going to be very [expletive] relaxed. … He’s won 500s, and I’d take that over anything on this planet. It’s a lot of hard work to get to that point. He put himself in positions last year and the year before that really allowed him to do that, and that’s a credit to him.”

Four-time Indy 500 winner Helio Castroneves: 

“Penske has great potential, especially with Josef, the way he did the last two years. He’s in the hunt for sure. He’s another competitor that I know is going to be very, very, very tough to beat.”

Bob Pockrass covers NASCAR and INDYCAR for FOX Sports. He has spent decades covering motorsports, including over 30 Daytona 500s, with stints at ESPN, Sporting News, NASCAR Scene magazine and The (Daytona Beach) News-Journal. Follow him on Twitter @bobpockrass.

BEST OF FOX SPORTS’ INDY 500 COVERAGE:

Get more from NTT INDYCAR SERIES Follow your favorites to get information about games, news and more

The new partnership will debut during the 2025 NASCAR Cup Series season, with Trimble serving as the primary sponsor on Ryan Preece’s No. 60 Ford Mustang Dark Horse on June 1 at Nashville Superspeedway.

Trimble will also sponsor Preece at Darlington Raceway on August 31. The partnership also includes primary sponsorship of Chris Buescher’s No. 17 at Dover Motor Speedway on July 20.

Trimble will increase its involvement across RFK Racing’s team in upcoming seasons, including Brad Keselowski’s No. 6 Ford Mustang.

“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,” said Rob Painter, president and CEO of Trimble. “Both organizations focus on cohesive technology ecosystems and data-driven precision as the formula for winning in dynamic and intensely competitive environments.”

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.”