Indianapolis, IN
Kyle Larson hopes rain and his daughter's misgivings don't ruin Indianapolis 500 debut
INDIANAPOLIS (AP) — Audrey Larson, all of 6 years old, is rooting for Alexander Rossi to win the Indianapolis 500. And if her dad doesn’t flip his car — she is pretty convinced he will — then maybe he can finish second.
That’s some kind of cheering section that Kyle Larson is taking into “The Greatest Spectacle in Racing.” Yes, the daughter he just whisked to Paris to see Taylor Swift as a birthday gift has chosen a rival over her father in his Indianapolis 500 debut on Sunday.
The 31-year-old Larson, a father of three, is trying to become the modern-day version of Mario Andretti, A.J. Foyt, Juan Pablo Montoya and Tony Stewart by showing once again that he is capable of winning in any kind of car. And the latest challenge for the sprint car superstar-turned-NASCAR champion is to become just the fifth driver in history to compete in both the Indianapolis 500 and NASCAR’s Coca-Cola 600 in North Carolina on the same day.
Stewart in 2001 is the only driver to complete all 1,100 miles. Kurt Busch in 2014 is the last to even try.
Larson hasn’t asked for much advice — mostly because he doesn’t even know what to ask about driving an Indy car — but the greats who came before him aren’t too concerned with how he will perform starting fifth in a joint effort between Arrow McLaren Racing and Hendrick Motorsports, his NASCAR team.
“He has the potential to do what’s never been done and win both of these races,” Stewart said. “He’s just one of those naturally talented guys that you can put him in anything and he can drive it.”
The list of drivers who try both open-wheel racing and stock car racing is long and the differences are stark. Stock cars can take a beating and contact is part of the deal; Indy cars are far more fragile, and contact with a competitor or wall can end someone’s race immediately.
Robby Gordon attempted “The Double” five times ,with his 2002 showing of eighth at Indy and 16th at Charlotte his best attempt. He too believes Larson can win both races; Larson already won the 600, NASCAR’s longest race, in 2021.
“Kyle has a shot, a legitimate shot,” Gordon said. “We may look at him as a stock car driver, but he knows where his wheels are, he’s not worried about clipping wheels with anybody or getting tires tangled. We all know he’s not scared, and he’s also light, that’s going to help him. He’s got a lot of advantages, and Kurt Busch did a great job, but I think Kyle will do a better job.”
The deal between Hendrick and McLaren is for two years, which could be the smart play if the Indy 500 gets rained out Sunday. The forecast is iffy at best. Rick Hendrick has indicated he would have a hard time pulling Larson out of Indy to get to Charlotte, but it is a possibility the NASCAR team owner holds Larson to his day job.
McLaren boss Zak Brown said the decision will be left to Hendrick, who brought Larson’s entire No. 5 crew to Indianapolis on Friday for Carb Day to give those employees a chance to experience the Indy 500 atmosphere.
Larson has been working on the project for more than a year, but he has truly embraced the past two weeks at the historic speedway. Rain washed out a bunch of track time the first week, but since then, he has milked a cow, participated in community day at a local elementary school and was set to lead the annual driver parade Saturday through downtown Indianapolis.
Indianapolis Motor Speedway officials are allowing Larson to be first in the parade to shorten his time in the city, giving him a buffer in getting to Charlotte later Saturday for qualifying for the 600.
Larson, who runs the Daytona 500, some of the top sprint car races in the world and won the sports car showcase Rolex 24 at Daytona, thinks many big events can learn from the pomp and pageantry of Indianapolis.
“This is like Disneyland or the Disney World of racetracks. It is the nicest facility,” he said. “Two weeks of stuff, buildup to the race — there’s so many things that make this event feel different and bigger. But yeah, there’s no other event I’ve been a part of to this point, and I haven’t even gotten to race yet, that’s felt quite as big as the Indy 500.”
Larson said his 9-year-old son, Owen, has grasped the magnitude of the Indy 500. Audrey remains unimpressed, while 17-month-old Cooper is just along for the ride.
“Audrey thinks I’m crazy. She’s said it multiple times, ‘Why are you going to get in a car that you are going to flip?’” Larson said. “Every time we’ve talked about it, she says it. I don’t know where she’s seen it. Owen, I think he gets how cool the cars are and how big the space is, and I hope Audrey does once the race gets here.”
Audrey seems to be alone in her opinion about dad, given that some of the best drivers in motorsports history seem to be in Larson’s corner. McLaren is celebrating the 50th anniversary of the first of its two Indy 500 wins with Johnny Rutherford this year, and “Lone Star JR” went to Kokomo Speedway last week to watch Larson race a sprint car.
“He’s a racer,” said Rick Mears, the four-time Indy 500 winner, who downplayed Larson’s lack of IndyCar experience. “I’ve said for years that I can come out here or anywhere and test for three weeks and I will learn more in the first 30 laps of the race than I learned in three weeks of testing. Because in testing and practice, you don’t get put in positions that you do in the race. And that’s when you start learning.
“That’s where his learning curve is, right? He’s dealt with similar stuff through the years. He’s going to have his work cut out for him, but if he does the job I think he will, he’ll have an opportunity.”
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AP auto racing: https://apnews.com/hub/auto-racing
According to a few different rankings, here are the best available NFL free agent defenders for the Indianapolis Colts.
As the Indianapolis Colts attempt to get back to the playoffs for the first time since 2020, free agency will have to be a big part of that equation.
The Colts will have money to spend this offseason. According to Over the Cap, the Colts have $45.77 million in available cap space. Compared to the rest of the NFL, this is the ninth-most in football currently.
As GM Chris Ballard said on Thursday, salary cap-wise, the Colts are in “good shape.”
The Colts also have the ability to create more cap room if needed.
Last offseason, we saw Ballard take a much more aggressive approach in free agency. From the sounds of it, he will “continue down that path” this offseason.
There are always reasons to address just about every position group over the course of an offseason, but two specific areas Ballard mentioned on Thursday were the defensive front and getting faster on defense as a whole.
So, with a focus on the defense, specifically the front seven, here are the top available free agents this offseason at those positions.
Best available 2026 NFL free agents on defense for Indianapolis Colts
- DE Trey Hendrickson
- DE Jaelan Phillips
- IDL John Franklin-Myers
- LB Quay Walker
- LB Devin Lloyd
- DE Odafe Oweh
- DE Boye Mafe
- LB Nakobe Dean
- DE Joey Bosa
- IDL Travis Jones
- DE Khalil Mack
- LB Demario Davis
- DE Kyle Van Noy
- IDL Teair Tart
- IDL DaQuan Jones
*This list was compiled by rankings from Sports Illustrated, The Ringer, and Bleacher Report
INDIANAPOLIS – Confidence remains high.
Carlie Irsay-Gordon made that clear Sunday night when she announced the Indianapolis Colts would move forward under the direction of general manager Chris Ballard and coach Shane Steichen.
And Ballard reinforced that conviction during Thursday’s postscript following an 8-9 record and fifth consecutive season without a playoff appearance.
“It wasn’t all negative,’’ he insisted. “I mean, 8-2 is real.
“That was not a mirage. It wasn’t. We were humming. We were playing good football.’’
After outlasting the Atlanta Falcons in overtime in Berlin Nov. 9, the Colts returned home 8-2.
“I mean, I would have told you when we got back from Germany . . . we had a top-four team in the league,’’ Ballard said. “I believe that. Still believe that.
“But losing seven in a row is losing seven in a row. That’s not what top-four teams do. And that’s reality. That’s the facts.’’
Here’s another undeniable fact: The Colts’ confidence moving forward is rooted in Daniel Jones.
Simple as that.
Yes, the edge pass rush wasn’t nearly good enough and a legitimate bookend for Laiatu Latu is critical. A free-agent acquisition should be a priority.
Yes, the defense must, as Ballard stressed, get younger and faster. The 2026 front-seven won’t resemble the 2025 front-seven.
And yes, the Colts must be able to run the ball better even when situations aren’t favorable. During the seven-game losing streak, which was fueled by injuries to Jones, Jonathan Taylor averaged 63.7 yards per game and 3.3 per attempt.
But if Jones isn’t the answer, nothing much else matters.
There are two significant issues with Jones that would be major impediments to a continued relationship in any other scenario.
Jones:
- Will be an unrestricted free agent in March.
- Tore his right Achilles Dec. 7, underwent surgery Dec. 9 and faces an arduous rehab. He expects to be ready for the start of training camp in late July. That would represent an 8½-month rehab.
“We’ll attack the process and make sure I’m ready to go,’’ Jones said Monday.
“I’m not a doctor and I’m not God in terms of knowing what the future is going to hold in his healing,’’ Ballard said. “ . . . the history of guys coming back has been pretty good and they’ve been older than Daniel.
“He’s a pretty freaky talent in terms of athletic ability. So no, I do feel confident that he will make it back. Will he be the version you saw (last season) right away? Maybe not, but he’s still going to be really good. I think as he goes along and plays, he’ll be fine.
“I know . . . he’s going to give every ounce of his being into being the best he can be to be ready.’’
But first things first, and that means signing him to an extension.
At the risk of assuming too much, that almost assuredly will be done.
“I’d love to be back here,’’ Jones said.
The feeling is mutual.
Ballard was asked if the Colts were committed to retaining Jones “come hell or high water.’’
He smiled.
“Well, hell or high water is a strong word, but we would like . . . it’s mutual on both sides,’’ he said. “I think Daniel was a really good fit for this organization and I think this organization and city were a really good fit for Daniel.’’
A multi-year deal could mirror that of contracts secured by Sam Darnold in Seattle (three-years, $100.5 million, $55 million guaranteed) or Baker Mayfield in Tampa Bay (three years, $100 million, $50 million guaranteed).
Ballard admitted Jones’ Achilles injury and rehab will impact negotiations, “but we’ll work through that with his agent. He’s got a really good agent.
“We’ll find a way to work through that.’’
If common ground can’t be reached – that probably means guaranteed money – the Colts always could use the franchise tag to retain Jones. The projected 2026 tag for quarterbacks is roughly $46 million guaranteed.
Jones turns 29 in May, which can be the midpoint of a quarterback’s career.
A reinvestment in Jones will represent short- and long-term stability at a position that’s been in flux since Andrew Luck’s sudden retirement two weeks before the 2019 season.
“I’m looking at him both: Near and long,’’ Ballard said. “And I think that helps us. I mean, I’ve been very stated about like when you’re chasing the quarterback all the time, it makes it very . . . it’s hard. Like, your margin for error really shrinks down.
“And I feel very good about Daniel Jones and where he’s at, where he’s going. Yes, he’s got the Achilles, but I think Daniel Jones has got a really bright future here in Indianapolis. And look, there is some comfort knowing that, okay, we know we’ve got a guy that’s proven, that’s done it, and done some really good things.
“So, that does give you some confidence.’’
Until Jones fractured his left fibula then tore his right Achilles, he had distanced himself from his inconsistent and error-prone six seasons with the New York Giants. You remember, right? One playoff appearance was overshadowed by a 24-44-1 record as a starter and 70 turnovers.
Through the Colts’ 8-2 start, Jones was among the NFL’s most productive and efficient quarterbacks: 3rd in yards (2,659) and completion percentage (69.9) and 5thin yards per attempt (8.3). He joined Peyton Manning as the only player in franchise history to pass for at least 200 yards in each of his first 10 starts.
Jones completed 68% of his passes, averaged 8.1 per attempt and finished with a 100.2 rating. All were career highs.
“I’ll give Shane and the offensive staff a lot of credit,’’ Ballard said, “playing to his strength. He is really accurate with the football, okay, and he’s very smart and decisive of where he plays with the football.’’
What about Richardson?
The team’s undeniable commitment to Jones brings into question Anthony Richardson Sr.’s future with the Colts. He’s under contract through next season – there’s no reason to believe the team will exercise his fifth-year option – and finished the season on the injured reserve.
Richardson underwent surgery to repair a fractured right orbital bone after a freak accident with a resistance band before the Oct. 12 game with Arizona.
“Unfortunately for Anthony, he’s had some really bad luck,’’ Ballard said.
The No. 4 overall pick in 2023 has missed 29 of a possible 51 games because of a variety of injuries.
Richardson lost a training camp competition with Jones and was on the field for just 14 snaps in two games. He practiced the last three weeks but still was experiencing some degree of vision issues.
“He’s got to still work through the vision he has and we’ll see what the future holds there,’’ Ballard said. “We’ll kind of see going forward how that ends up playing out.
“A lot of it’s going to deal with his health, too.’’
Acquiring a late-round pick in a trade for Richardson shouldn’t be ruled out.
He is confident he’ll experience success.
“Oh yeah, no doubt,’’ he said. “If I’ve still got a chance to play football, it is always out there for me.’’
The Colts could consider Richardson expendable after seeing Riley Leonard play reasonably well as a rookie. If there is a concern that Jones won’t be ready for the season opener in September, they could bring in a veteran with starter experience in the offseason.
“Yeah, we’ll work through that,’’ Ballard said. “That is something we will evaluate. We got to make the decision. ‘Okay, if Anthony doesn’t get to where we think he can be, can Riley be the 2?’
“I do think it’s a position that every year we’ve got to address in some way, fashion or form.’’
You can follow Mike Chappell on Twitter at @mchappell51.
Indianapolis Sports Calendar 2026: Final Four, Indy 500 & More
Following a banner year in 2025, Indianapolis has solidified its reputation as a premier destination for major sporting events.
The city demonstrated exceptional capacity for hosting diverse competitions, from professional leagues to collegiate championships, setting a high standard for hospitality and logistical execution.
As the calendar turns to 2026, the “Circle City” is not slowing down; instead, it is gearing up for another year of world-class athletic showcases.
The success of 2025 was not accidental.
It was the result of decades of strategic planning that transformed Indianapolis into a hub built specifically for large-scale events.
The city’s compact downtown, connected by skywalks and anchored by top-tier venues like Lucas Oil Stadium and Gainbridge Fieldhouse, allows fans to navigate easily between hotels, restaurants, and arenas.
In 2025, the city hosted a series of high-profile events that brought significant economic impact and cultural vibrancy to the region.
Local businesses, from Black-owned restaurants on Indiana Avenue to downtown hotels, thrived on the influx of visitors.
The seamless execution of these events proved once again that Indianapolis is capable of managing the complex infrastructure required for national and international sports.
Looking ahead, 2026 promises to elevate this legacy further. With a calendar featuring the NCAA Men’s Final Four, the historic Indianapolis 500, and the return of the NFL Scouting Combine, the city is prepared to welcome hundreds of thousands of visitors.
These events are more than just games; they are community gatherings that celebrate competition, diversity, and excellence.
Take a look below at Indianapolis Sports Calendar 2026: Final Four, Indy 500 & More.
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February 23 – March 2: NFL Scouting Combine
The NFL universe descends on Lucas Oil Stadium as top college prospects showcase their skills for professional scouts, coaches, and general managers.
This annual event remains a staple of the Indianapolis sports calendar.
March 2: WWE Monday Night RAW
Gainbridge Fieldhouse will host the drama and athleticism of the WWE, bringing global superstars to the city for a night of high-energy entertainment.
March 4–8: Big Ten Women’s Basketball Tournament
Gainbridge Fieldhouse welcomes the best women’s teams from the Big Ten Conference.
As women’s basketball continues to surge in popularity, this tournament is expected to draw significant crowds.
March 8–10: Horizon League Men’s and Women’s Basketball Tournament
The action shifts to the Corteva Coliseum at the Indiana State Fairgrounds, where the Horizon League crowns its champions and determines automatic bids to the NCAA tournament.
March 18–21: NCAA DIII Men’s and Women’s Swimming Championships
The IU Natatorium at IU Indianapolis, known as one of the fastest pools in the world, will host elite swimmers competing for national titles.
April: The Road to the Championship
April marks the climax of the college basketball season, with Indianapolis serving as the epicenter of the sport.
April 2 & 5: National Invitation Tournament (NIT) Semifinals and Championship
Hinkle Fieldhouse will host the semifinals, followed by the championship game at Gainbridge Fieldhouse, showcasing top-tier programs battling for the historic NIT title.
April 3: College Slam Dunk & 3-Point Championships
Hinkle Fieldhouse hosts this fan-favorite event, featuring the nation’s top shooters and high-flyers in a showcase of individual skill.
April 4 & 6: NCAA Men’s Final Four and National Championship
The eyes of the sports world will turn to Lucas Oil Stadium for the conclusion of March Madness.
Hosting the Final Four is a prestigious honor that underscores Indianapolis’s elite status in the sports world.
April 5: NCAA DII & DIII Men’s Basketball National Championships
In a celebration of collegiate athletics across all levels, Gainbridge Fieldhouse will host the title games for both Division II and Division III men’s basketball on the same day.
Spring and Summer: Racing and Golf
As the weather warms, the focus shifts from the court to the track and the links.
May 9: Sonsio Grand Prix
The month of May kicks off at the Indianapolis Motor Speedway with the Sonsio Grand Prix, setting the stage for the weeks of racing ahead.
May 24: 110th Running of the Indianapolis 500
The “Greatest Spectacle in Racing” returns to the Indianapolis Motor Speedway.
This iconic event is a cultural touchstone, drawing hundreds of thousands of fans for a day of speed and tradition.
Coaches and players from the expanded Big Ten conference gather to preview the upcoming college football season, bringing media attention from across the country.
July 26: Brickyard 400
NASCAR returns to the oval at the Indianapolis Motor Speedway for one of the most prestigious races on the Cup Series schedule.
August 20–23: LIV Golf Indianapolis
The Club at Chatham Hills will host LIV Golf, bringing many of the world’s top professional golfers to the area for this unique team-based competition.
Fall and Winter: Football Focus
The year concludes with major football events that celebrate both heritage and championships.
September 2–7: NHRA U.S. Nationals
Known as “The Big Go,” this drag racing event at Lucas Oil Indianapolis Raceway Park is the most prestigious drag race in the world.
Lucas Oil Stadium hosts the Circle City Classic, a celebration of Historically Black Colleges and Universities (HBCUs).
This event is a cultural highlight, featuring not only the game but also the renowned battle of the bands, a parade, and community festivities.
The college football regular season culminates at Lucas Oil Stadium, where the Big Ten champion is crowned, often with College Football Playoff implications on the line.
Indianapolis approaches 2026 with a proven playbook.
For residents and visitors alike, the 2026 schedule offers opportunities to witness history and participate in world-class experiences.
Whether it is the roar of the engines at the Speedway, the buzzer-beaters of the Final Four, or the pageantry of the Circle City Classic, Indianapolis is ready to deliver another magnificent year in sports.
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