By sheer volume alone, Memorial Weekend is a motorsports fan’s dream come true with action in multiple time zones on two continents.
Hendrick Motorsports driver Kyle Larson is the only one who will participate in two-thirds of the action, including the Coca-Cola 600 in Charlotte on Saturday night.
The marathon viewing for true gearheads starts on the French Riviera early Sunday — Christmas morning-like — while most of the U.S. is enjoying coffee or still shaking off the cobwebs and waking up.
The Monaco Grand Prix is a beautiful sight to behold, but as far as action goes, it pales in comparison to what lies ahead in the remainder of the day’s oval-oriented antics.
Passing on the Monaco circuit is at best a premium and at worst non-existent. A heavy emphasis is placed on qualifying: Fourteen of the past 20 winners have started from the pole position, winding their way through the streets and roaring through the tunnel on their way to international glory.
Then it will be Larson’s turn to step into the spotlight.
The Elk Grove, Calif., native has hogged plenty of it this season. His three wins at Kansas, Bristol and Miami have him sitting atop the Cup Series standings entering his hectic weekend.
Those trio of victories will likely make the 2021 Cup champ and Christopher Bell, who won the All-Star Race at North Wilkesboro last weekend, strong contenders to collect a larger trophy at Phoenix on Championship 4 weekend in mid-November.
For now, Larson is set to become the fifth driver to compete in both the Indianapolis 500 and Coca-Cola 600 at Charlotte Motor Speedway. He would join Tony Stewart, John Andretti, Robby Gordon and Kurt Busch as “Double Duty” drivers.
Last year, rain delayed the start of the Indy 500, and the No. 5 Chevrolet driver missed the Coke 600, which ended after 249 laps with Joe Gibbs Racing’s Bell declared the winner because of rain.
Eight different winners have won the last eight 600s. Retired driver Martin Truex Jr. is the only repeat winner in the past 13 races.
After winning at North Wilkesboro, Bell was effusive in his praise of that short track, proclaiming in his frontstretch celebration that it should be added as a points race.
He was not alone.
“I’m good with it either way,” said Team Penske racer Ryan Blaney. “I kind of like Brad (Keselowski’s) comments about this (track) being a points race and moving the All-Star Race to the Charlotte oval and just kind of getting rid of the (Charlotte) Roval.”
The connections between Indy and Charlotte go beyond just Larson, and the biggest news ahead of Sunday’s race at Indianapolis Motor Speedway is about the Penske organization’s scandalous week.
On Wednesday, Roger Penske, a record 20-time Indy 500 winner as an owner, did some housecleaning with the firings of three top executives after a cheating scandal rocked the iconic speedway he owns.
Due to penalties because of competitive-advantage modifications to the Penske cars of Josef Newgarden and Will Power, the organization fired IndyCar managing director Ron Ruzewski and general manager Kyle Moyer. The organization also fired team president Tim Cindric.
Yes, that Cindric family.
The elder Cindric, who held the highest executive position in the organization, is the father of 26-year-old Austin, a three-time Cup Series winner who found the checkers at Talladega last month in the No. 2 Ford.
–Field Level Media
