NASCAR star Kyle Larson tests the limits of his Indy 500 ride at Phoenix Raceway

Kyle Larson’s latest and longest IndyCar session included “a moment” behind the wheel.

Larson nearly lost control of his Arrow McLaren Chevrolet during a four-plus-hour test at Phoenix Raceway on Monday, but the NASCAR star and 2021 Cup Series champion managed to save his Indianapolis 500 ride from hitting the wall at 180 mph.

“Just got caught off guard a little bit,” Larson said Tuesday. “I went into Indy car turmoil, got a little bit loose into the corner, got to the apex. As I was leaving the bottom, it just started to get sideways. Was able to catch it.”

It was just another part of Larson’s learning curve as he prepares to make his Indianapolis 500 debut in May. He also is scheduled to drive the NASCAR race, the Coca-Cola 600, in Charlotte, North Carolina, later that day.