‘Kyle Larson vs. The Double’ is a new documentary from Prime Video following Kyle Larson in his quest to complete 1,100 miles of racing on the same day between the Indianapolis 500 and Coca-Cola 600.
Two very different disciplines, and two historic tracks, separated by multiple states. There’s a reason so few drivers have ever attempted it, and only one has managed to run every lap in both.
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For those who weren’t following every step of Larson’s journey as it unfolded live, the documentary opens by making sure you know that things didn’t go as planned, stating how this was supposed to be seven months of filming that ultimately lasted over two years.
The documentary pulls no punches, and holds nothing back as it offers a behind-the-scenes look at Larson’s prep, as well as his his angst as things unraveled.
There was no glossing over the uglier bits, and not just where it relates to the ‘Double’ itself. The documentary takes time to reflect on the 2020 scandal when Larson was caught on a hot mic saying the n-word while iRacing, resulting in his suspension from NASCAR and being fired by Chip Ganassi Racing. Even his father spoke on it during the documentary, commenting how disappointed he was in Kyle for that moment.
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The human element
Kyle Larson celebrates with sons, Cooper Larson and Owen Larson and daughter Audrey Larson
Kyle Larson celebrates with sons, Cooper Larson and Owen Larson and daughter Audrey Larson
It also made an effort to show the human behind the helmet, frequently featuring his wife Katelyn, as well as their children Owen, Audrey, and Cooper. At one point, Owen somberly mentions how his dad misses a lot of his own races, and it’s something Kyle laments. They also showcase a teaching moment at a local track where Kyle and Katelyn talk Owen through an on-track setback.
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We learn some of the family history behind his middle name ‘Miyata’ and how Larson’s grandparents were sent to internment camps during World War II.
What the documentary really wanted to get across to the viewer was the ‘why’ behind Larson’s Double attempt, and that started with his family. “Racing is everything I’ve ever known,” remarked Larson, and they provided numerous videos that perfectly foreshadowed his future as a racing superstar. Once you get to know how he thinks through the documentary, you realize there really wasn’t ever going to be a reality where Larson turned down a challenge like the Indy-Charlotte Double.
Showcasing the prep and how new it all was to Larson
Kyle Larson, Arrow McLaren, Tony Kanaan, Arrow McLaren
Kyle Larson, Arrow McLaren, Tony Kanaan, Arrow McLaren
As the documentary finally gets into the preparation for his 2024 Indy 500 debut, we see just how much went into it and the sheer amount of things he had to learn. For example, Larson had no idea how a weight jacker worked and was unfamiliar with in-car adjustments, with 2013 Indy 500 winner Tony Kanaan right there guiding him through it all.
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We see Larson at the GM Technical Center on the sim, and his time at the Arrow McLaren HQ, doing everything from pit stop practice to learning the purpose of every button and knob on that steering wheel. It’s quite the departure from a NASCAR stock car where the only button on the wheel is for the radio.
It also made clear how unrealistically high some of the expectations were for Larson, with some declaring he might win both races.
Once at the Brickyard, Larson was asking constant questions as he worked to understand the gearing and just how far the brake pedal travels before there’s any kind of stopping power on the mighty 2.5-mile oval.
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While he said he’s not ‘scared of anything’ at one point, it made sure to show just how daunting Indianapolis can be. Right before he was supposed to go out and qualify, Rinus VeeKay slammed the wall.
During Larson’s first Q run, things were looking good, but he abruptly bailed on the final lap due to some alarm that signaled a potential problem. There was confusion and frustration from the pit box as they struggled to understand what (if anything) was amiss, and the fact that Larson didn’t at least cross the finish line to complete the run. It was another learning experience for the NASCAR Cup champion.
Of course, he found redemption later in the day and even reached the Top 12 Shootout. It was neat to see his NASCAR team watching closely on TV as they prepared for the All-Star Race at North Wilkesboro. Larson has later said that was the coolest part for him, as that was new to him.
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Weather and waiver worry derails the big day
Kyle Larson, No. 5 Hendrick Motorsports Chevrolet
Kyle Larson, No. 5 Hendrick Motorsports Chevrolet
The documentary really makes it so that you can feel the panic and the stress around race day as weather delayed the start of the Indy 500. Realizing he was going to miss the start of the Coke 600 if they stayed in Indy, Hendrick’s top brass went back-and-forth over what to do. Back in Charlotte, crew chief Cliff Daniels can be seen talking to NASCAR officials about how hard they will try to get Larson to the track for a mid-race swap.
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On the grid, Larson appeared fine, but as he said in the voiceover during those scenes, he was not. Larson revealed that he was doing his best to fake a smile and pretend to be happy, while inside he was a mess, thinking about the team he was letting down in Charlotte.
The documentary showed that his learning curve continued into the race itself, as he questioned the team about restart procedures. But despite all that, he rose to the challenge and was running inside the top ten late in the race.
That is until the speeding penalty on the final pit stop. “Did that just f*** our race?” asked McLaren boss Zak Brown. Kanaan could only lower his head as Larson’s good day got ripped away.
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Larson often talked about wanting to make everyone around him happy and feeling guilt whenever he let those around him down, and this speeding penalty was no different. He became a ‘spectator’ in the closing laps, riding around 18th just trying not to influence the finish.
As they rushed to Charlotte after the checkered flag, Jeff Gordon said how he “found out Kyle Larson is human after all.”
Larson continued to berate himself for the mistake, but it only made him more determined to get back behind the wheel of his Cup car and finish the night on a high note. He arrived just as the rain that delayed Indy impacted Charlotte, which seemed to be advantageous as he could quickly get in the car once the storms moved out.
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This entrance was portrayed as heroic with cheering fans and hugs all around. But the very next scene is Larson sitting in the pit box as rain poured down and lightning flashed in the background. After an agonizing wait, the race never resumed, and Larson failed to complete a single lap of the 600.
You could see just how soul-crushing it was, and Gordon remarked that he had never seen Larson so dejected. What followed was this intense back-and-forth over the merits of the NASCAR waiver, and if the Sanctioning Body should deem him ineligible for the championship after failing to start every race. After a long wait, they did.
The showrunner tried their best to give him a positive ending to Part 1 of his Indy 500 journey, showing how he returned to the speedway later that year to win NASCAR’s Brickyard 400. And while it was a huge moment for him, there was still this feeling of unfinished business.
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The second Double attempt
Kyle Larson, Arrow McLaren
Kyle Larson, Arrow McLaren
The story was not yet over, and if it was a Hollywood script, a grand redemption would have followed in the 2025 edition of the Indy 500, but as the documentary moved closer to the second ‘Double’ attempt, there was an ominous vibe.
At this point, you can also tell the documentary was never supposed to be a two-year odyssey, as the 2025 attempt didn’t get near as much depth as they explored it, but they still managed to do it justice.
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There’s a montage of him going through a lot of the similar prep from the previous year, his exercise regiment, and the absurd amount of travel back-and-forth.
While he was hoping for a smoother run in 2025, Larson got the opposite experience, and as Kanaan pointed out, “joined the club” as he crashed for the first time while driving an IndyCar. Kanaan also warned him that “this place can really take a big toll on anyone,” and those words were about to ring very true.
The documentary showed how the 2024 effort reshaped some policies, both within NASCAR as missing a race will result in a loss of critical playoff points, but also within the team, as Rick Hendrick made it clear that he cannot miss the 600 again … even if he was leading at Indianapolis with time running out.
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But they wouldn’t have to worry about that scenario unless weather decided to plague them again … which it did.
A nightmare becomes reality
Kyle Larson, Hendrick Motorsports Chevrolet
Kyle Larson, Hendrick Motorsports Chevrolet
He can be seen sitting in the car, and obviously cannot believe this same nightmare is happening again as rain spits down. The Arrow McLaren engineers can be seen debating how much info they should share with him about the weather delay. They observed that he was getting understandably anxious.
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The race eventually gets underway, but Larson’s second start in the Indy 500 did not last very lap. After stalling in the pits during the first stop, he went into the wrong gear and wrecked on a Lap 92 restart, ending the dream.
“You idiot, the first opportunity of the race you just f*** it up,” said Larson as he recalled what he told himself in those moments.
But this time, he would get to start the 600, and an angry, upset, and determined Larson was all-in on winning that race. He took the lead early, but just 43 laps into NASCAR’s longest race, he hit the wall and spun out.
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“Get out of my f****** way,” shouted crew chief Cliff Daniels at the Prime camera operator as the team tried to assess the damage. They were wounded, but soldiered on, only to be taken out in a separate wreck later in the race when another car spun across the track. He completed just 595 of the 1,100 miles he hoped to complete on Sunday, ending the day with a double DNF.
Larson’s reflections
Kyle Larson, Arrow McLaren
Kyle Larson, Arrow McLaren
Ahead of the 2024 race, Larson had said that his biggest fear was failing to finish both races, and in 2025, that fear became a bitter reality.
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“I can’t believe that it’s real. You’re just hopeful you’re going to wake up from some dream and you get to start the day all over,” said Larson. He lamented his failure and bad luck, talking again about how he just wanted to make the experience good for those around him. He desperately wanted a ‘happy ending’ to this story, but fate had other ideas.
The one positive Larson took from it all was that his attempts showed just how ‘tough’ it is, and the true scope of the challenge he was undertaking. He also wouldn’t go as far as to say the entire experience was a failure. He prided himself on being one of the few who had the courage to risk themselves, their reputation (and their sanity) in pursuit of the Indy-Charlotte Double.
Larson reflected on how he may regret the mistakes, but he will never regret the decision to attempt the Double. Since then, Larson has ruled out a third attempt at the Double, but he would like to return to Indianapolis…after his NASCAR career.
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Definitely worth watching
Kyle Larson, Arrow McLaren
Kyle Larson, Arrow McLaren
Whether you followed every second of Larson’s journey or if you didn’t pay any attention to his Double attempt, this documentary is worth a watch. It’s raw, it’s real, and it’s heart-wrenching at times.
It does lose some of its deeper behind-the-scenes content in the second Double attempt as they clearly didn’t intend for it to be part of the original documentary, but it more than makes up for it with Larson’s candid commentary on what transpired.
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As we said earlier in this piece, the documentary does not shy away from the more uncomfortable parts of the Double attempts or Larson’s life, and that really elevates it. They do try to give it a nice bow at the end, showing Larson’s second Cup title in the end-credits, but the truth is that Larson — while still fast — has not won a Cup race since his 2025 Double attempt. But hey, maybe that’ll change in this weekend’s 600?
Kyle Larson vs. the Double is available to stream on Prime Video as of Thursday, May 21, and precedes the beginning of the platform’s five-week run broadcasting Cup races.
Kyle Larson and Tony Kanaan at screening of documentary
Kyle Larson and Tony Kanaan at screening of documentary
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