Kurt Busch: Fernando Alonso perfect for Indianapolis 500

NASCAR driver Busch completed the Indy 500/Coca-Cola 600 double in 2014, finishing sixth in his IndyCar debut with the same Andretti Autosport squad that will run Alonso's McLaren-badged entry.

He believes Alonso can do well with the help of the Andretti team, and he backed the move to get the two-time F1 world champion an early test at Indianapolis before official practice begins.

"I don't have much advice for a Formula 1 world champion," Busch said.

"He'll be perfect for the situation. I think he'll do very well. He's a racer. He gets it.

"It's a perfect time in his career to make the attempt at the Indy 500 without having any other oval-type experience that we know of.

"He'll prepare well. I saw there was a test session for May 3. It's more like a rookie orientation.

"And the Andretti group will do a fantastic job for him. They treated me really well with respect of my background. They'll do that with his."

Busch said the size of the event, particularly when the grandstands are full for raceday, is impressive when a driver experiences it for the first time.

"It's hard to prepare, but the amount of times you are on track, the grandstands are empty," Busch said.

"Then you come out there that Sunday morning, and you feel the Indiana natives' respect for their track, and it's their world stage that they're standing on for the day.

"It's impressive to be there on Sunday. It's hard to get used to that amount of people and the amount of pageantry and the celebration that's going on Sunday morning."