Hendrick Motorsports has confirmed that Kyle Larson will start Sunday's All-Star Race from the rear of the field after missing multiple on-track sessions at North Wilkesboro Speedway.
The 2021 Cup Series champion was already set to miss Friday's practice and qualifying sessions due to NTT IndyCar Series practice at Indianapolis Motor Speedway. Hendrick Motorsports has now confirmed that he will also miss Saturday's heat races.
Indianapolis 500 qualifying begins on Saturday evening and continues until 5:50 p.m. ET. The Cup Series heat races that set the starting lineup for the All-Star Race begin at 5:10 p.m. ET. It will be impossible for Larson to take part in both sessions.
As a result, he will start Sunday's All-Star Race from the rear of the field. He will then have to work through traffic over the course of 250 laps while trying to win his fourth All-Star Race and his second at North Wilkesboro Speedway.
Hendrick Motorsports also confirmed this week that Justin Allgaier will serve as Larson's backup driver. The reigning Xfinity Series champion will practice and qualify in the No. 5 Chevrolet Camaro.
Allgaier will also be the reserve driver for the Coca-Cola 600 next weekend, a role he held last season as Larson attempted to complete The Double. Allgaier started 10th and finished 13th in the rain-shortened Cup Series race.
Starting from the rear of the field will put Larson at a disadvantage, considering the difficulty in passing at North Wilkesboro Speedway. However, he will have 250 laps to make his moves.
Fans with access to Max's Standard Plan ($16.99 per month) will be able to watch as the Hendrick Motorsports driver tries to work through the field. TNT Sports announced that Larson will be one of the four drivers on the Driver Cam's Featured Multiview. He will join defending All-Star Race winner Joey Logano, Christopher Bell, and Kyle Busch.
Max subscribers will also have the option of just loading up Larson's in-car camera if they only want to see his moves and hear his team's audio.