Double Duty also referred to as the Indy-Charlotte Double or Memorial Day Double, is an auto racing term centered around two events held on

Memorial Day weekend Memorial Day (originally known as Decoration Day) is a federal holiday in the United States for mourning the U.S. military personnel who have fought and died while serving in the United States armed forces. It is observed on the last Monday ...

in most years. The two events are the annual

Indianapolis 500 The Indianapolis 500, formally known as the Indianapolis 500-Mile Race, and commonly called the Indy 500, is an annual automobile race held at Indianapolis Motor Speedway (IMS) in Speedway, Indiana, United States, an enclave suburb of Indi ...

, which is the most important

Indycar Series The IndyCar Series, currently known as the NTT IndyCar Series under sponsorship, is the highest class of regional North American open-wheel single-seater formula racing cars in the United States, which has been conducted under the auspices of ...

race held at the

Indianapolis Motor Speedway The Indianapolis Motor Speedway is an automobile racing circuit located in Speedway, Indiana, an enclave suburb of Indianapolis, Indiana. It is the home of the Indianapolis 500 and the Verizon 200, and and formerly the home of the United State ...

in Indiana, and the annual

Coca-Cola 600 The Coca-Cola 600, originally the World 600, is an annual NASCAR Cup Series points race held at the Charlotte Motor Speedway in Concord, North Carolina, on a Sunday during Memorial Day weekend. The first race, held in 1960, was also the first on ...

, which is a

NASCAR Cup Series The NASCAR Cup Series is the top racing series of the National Association for Stock Car Auto Racing (NASCAR). The series began in 1949 as the Strictly Stock Division, and from 1950 to 1970 it was known as the Grand National Division. In 1971, ...

race held at the

Charlotte Motor Speedway Charlotte Motor Speedway (previously known as Lowe's Motor Speedway from 1999 to 2009) is a motorsport complex located in Concord, North Carolina, outside Charlotte. The complex features a quad oval track that hosts NASCAR racing including th ...

in North Carolina. These two events are regarded as significant events for their respective series, as the Indianapolis 500 is the most prestigious race for Indycar while the Coca-Cola 600 has for years been considered one of NASCAR's most important races, as it is the longest event on the schedule. Both races are scheduled to be run on the same day, barring any postponements, with the Indianapolis 500 run in the early afternoon and the Coca-Cola 600 in the evening. For a driver to pull off the “Double”, he/she must compete at Indianapolis first, then board an airplane following the race and fly to Charlotte to complete the feat. By tradition, the Indianapolis 500 champion will not compete in the Coca Cola 600. The feat was first attempted by

John Andretti John Andrew Andretti (March 12, 1963January 30, 2020) was an American race car driver. He won individual races in CART, IMSA GTP, Rolex Sports Car Series, and NASCAR during his career. He was the son of Aldo Andretti, older brother of racer Ada ...

on May 29, 1994. In 2001,

Tony Stewart Anthony Wayne Stewart (born May 20, 1971), nicknamed Smoke, is an American semi-retired professional stock car racing driver, current NASCAR team co-owner of Stewart-Haas Racing, and current co-owner of the Superstar Racing Experience. He is a ...

became the first and only driver to date to successfully complete all 1,100 miles of both races in the same day. The feat is considered physically demanding and mentally draining as a driver is required to be in a race car for most of the day, cover over one thousand miles in the course of the attempt, and do so with very little rest if any at all. It is similar in concept to the established discipline of endurance racing, but without the help of a

relief driver Relief is a sculptural method in which the sculpted pieces are bonded to a solid background of the same material. The term ''relief'' is from the Latin verb ''relevo'', to raise. To create a sculpture in relief is to give the impression that the ...

, and the driver withstanding the very different physical demands of an Indycar, which is run with an open cockpit, and a stock car, in which the driver is enclosed. Four drivers (

Robby Gordon Robert Wesley Gordon (born January 2, 1969) is an American auto racing driver. He has raced in NASCAR, CART, the IndyCar Series, the Trans-Am Series, IMSA, IROC and the Dakar Rally. He is active in top-tier off road motorsports such as BITD, NO ...

x 5,

x 2 and

Kurt Busch Kurt Thomas Busch (born August 4, 1978) is an American professional auto racing driver. He last competed full-time in the NASCAR Cup Series, driving the No. 45 Toyota Camry TRD for 23XI Racing. He is the 2004 NASCAR Cup Series champion and the ...

) have attempted. Of these, Tony Stewart's 2001 effort stands as the best combined result, finishing 6th at

Indianapolis Indianapolis (), colloquially known as Indy, is the state capital and most populous city of the U.S. state of Indiana and the seat of Marion County. According to the U.S. Census Bureau, the consolidated population of Indianapolis and Marion ...

and 3rd at

Charlotte Charlotte ( ) is the List of municipalities in North Carolina, most populous city in the U.S. state of North Carolina. Located in the Piedmont (United States), Piedmont region, it is the county seat of Mecklenburg County, North Carolina, Meckl ...

. The most recent attempt was made by Busch in 2014. He finished in 6th place at the Indianapolis 500, and was the fastest rookie. However, he dropped out of the Coca-Cola 600 with a blown engine mid-race. He completed 906 miles. Some drivers in the 1960s and 1970s attempted "crossovers," or running both events when they were scheduled on consecutive days, with

Donnie Allison Donnie Allison (born September 7, 1939) is an American former driver on the NASCAR Grand National/Winston Cup circuit, who won ten times during his racing career, which spanned from 1966 to 1988. He is part of the "Alabama Gang", and is the bro ...

competing in both events in the same year.

Logistics

The

is part of the

NTT IndyCar Series The IndyCar Series, currently known as the NTT IndyCar Series under sponsorship, is the highest class of regional North American open-wheel single-seater formula racing cars in the United States, which has been conducted under the auspices of ...

, and the

is part of the

. Both races are held, weather permitting, on the Sunday of

Memorial Day Memorial Day (originally known as Decoration Day) is a federal holiday in the United States for mourning the U.S. military personnel who have fought and died while serving in the United States armed forces. It is observed on the last Monda ...

weekend. The Indy 500 at the

is traditionally scheduled in the afternoon, while the Coca-Cola 600 at

is held as a night race. Since the events are not scheduled to overlap, this allows a driver a small window to travel between venues. Such an accomplishment can be grueling and physically exhausting. It calls for a driver to race for over seven hours in two entirely different disciplines of racing cars. Along with a 430-mile airplane flight and severe time constraints, the driver has time for only a brief rest aboard the aircraft where they normally take on

IV fluids Intravenous therapy (abbreviated as IV therapy) is a medical technique that administers fluids, medications and nutrients directly into a person's vein. The intravenous route of administration is commonly used for rehydration or to provide nutrie ...

, and are checked out by a physician. Weather plays a significant factor in the logistics of "Double Duty". If weather cooperates and there is no rain at either venue, delays are usually minimal. However, if rain delays one of the races (particularly Indianapolis), it can significantly disrupt or completely cancel the opportunity for the attempt. Thru 2020, according to NASCAR rules all drivers were required, without exception, to attend in person the pre-race drivers' meeting or suffer a grid penalty. If a driver misses the meeting for any reason, they were forced to start from last position on the grid. The meeting normally took place approximately two hours before the start of the race (Coca-Cola 600), and under the circumstances of "Double Duty", the driver had little or no opportunity to attend in-person. Despite attempts over the years to lobby officials, including garage area petitions, and use of a video-conference device, drivers attempting "Double Duty" have all been required to start at the back of the grid for the Coca-Cola 600. Since the

COVID-19 pandemic The COVID-19 pandemic, also known as the coronavirus pandemic, is an ongoing global pandemic of coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) caused by severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2). The novel virus was first identif ...

, NASCAR has discontinued in-person drivers' meetings and replaced them with a drivers' briefing e-mailed to drivers the day or two before the race. However to date no driver has attempted "Double Duty" since this change.

Month of May events

When a driver attempts "Double Duty", their schedule is not just limited to race day. Additional flights back-and-forth between the venues are required in the two weeks leading up to the races in order to participate in practice and qualifying for the respective events.

Time trials In many racing sports, an athlete (or occasionally a team of athletes) will compete in a time trial against the clock to secure the fastest time. The format of a time trial can vary, but usually follow a format where each athlete or team sets off at ...

for the Indy 500 are held on Saturday and Sunday one week before the race. This potentially creates conflicts with the

NASCAR All-Star Race The NASCAR All-Star Race, formerly known as The Winston from 1985 to 2003, the Nextel All-Star Challenge from 2004 to 2007, the Sprint All-Star Race from 2008 to 2016, and the Monster Energy NASCAR All-Star Race from 2017 to 2019, is an annual NAS ...

. Historically drivers have had to sacrifice part or all of Fast Friday running to practice and qualify for the All-Star race and then sacrifice any opportunity for a late-day Saturday attempt at Indianapolis qualifying to make the start of the All-Star Race. Additionally, during race weekend, historically practice and qualifying for the Coca-Cola 600 have taken place on Thursday before the race, with Carb Day at Indianapolis on Friday, and "Happy Hour" practice at Charlotte on Saturday before race day on Sunday leading to more travel. Presently NASCAR has reduced the Cup Series to 2-day shows, meaning practice & qualifying at Charlotte only takes place on Saturday reliving some, but not all travel burdens.

Itinerary

A driver attempting the "Double Duty" has an extremely busy and tight schedule, particularly for race day. The morning begins in Indianapolis, and at the conclusion of the Indy 500 (or when the drivers drops out of the race), he immediately travels from the

Speedway Speedway may refer to: Racing Race tracks *Edmonton International Speedway, also known as Speedway Park, a former motor raceway in Edmonton, Alberta *Indianapolis Motor Speedway, a motor raceway in Speedway, Indiana Types of races and race cours ...

(via

helicopter A helicopter is a type of rotorcraft in which lift and thrust are supplied by horizontally spinning rotors. This allows the helicopter to take off and land vertically, to hover, and to fly forward, backward and laterally. These attributes ...

police escort A police escort, also known as a law enforcement escort, is a service offered by police and law enforcement to assist in transporting important individuals or resources. This is done by means of assigning police vehicles, primarily cars or motor ...

) to a nearby airport - Eagle Creek, Indianapolis International, or another in the vicinity. The flight from Indianapolis to

Concord Regional Airport Concord-Padgett Regional Airport is a city-owned, public-use airport located seven nautical miles (13 km) west of the central business district of Concord, a city in Cabarrus County, North Carolina, United States. According to the FAA's Na ...

aboard a

private jet A business jet, private jet, or bizjet is a jet aircraft designed for transporting small groups of people. Business jets may be adapted for other roles, such as the evacuation of casualties or express parcel deliveries, and some are used by pub ...

takes approximately 55 minutes. From there, the driver will board a helicopter to

and land in the infield. Upon arriving at the

, the driver is escorted to their car. The schedule and the logistics are planned well in advance, and even the slightest deviation can cause significant delay and force the driver to miss the second race. Weather can cause unexpected delay, and even force the effort to be aborted. Due to the complex nature of the scheduling, it is standard practice for the driver's respective teams to have back-up relief drivers standing by at both events, in case the schedule is compromised. Depending upon which of the two events is considered the top priority, a "drop dead" departure time may be assigned at Indy. According to NASCAR & IndyCar rules, the driver who ''starts'' the race in the car receives full championship points for that entry. If the driver is a full-time competitor on the Cup Series circuit (and only part-time in IndyCar), the team may require the driver to leave Indy before that race is over in order to arrive at Charlotte on time and receive full points. Conversely, if the Indy 500 is the top priority, and that race is running long, the driver may choose to forgo or delay the trip to Charlotte, and assign the back-up driver to start the 600 instead. Regarding prize money, NASCAR awards prize money directly to teams based on a complicated charter system regardless of driver. If multiple drivers drive a single car at Indy, prize money will be split based on the distance each driver completed. In 2001,

's "Double Duty" effort had the following published itinerary: *9:25 a.m. EST (10:25 a.m. EDT): Stewart at Indianapolis Motor Speedway. *9:50 a.m. EST (10:50 a.m. EDT): Stewart changes into his fire suit. Driver

Richie Hearn Richie Hearn (born January 4, 1971) is an American former racing driver. Hearn was born in Glendale, California. He ran in the Toyota Atlantic championship for two seasons, winning the title in 1995. In 1996, he began driving for John Della ...

standing by to drive relief if necessary. *10:15 a.m. EST (11:15 a.m. EDT): Driver introductions at the Indy 500. *11:00 a.m. EST (12:00 p.m. EDT): Start of Indianapolis 500. *2:30 p.m. EST (3:30 p.m. EDT): Indianapolis 500 completed, Stewart finishes 6th. *2:35 p.m. EST (3:35 p.m. EDT): Stewart rides a golf cart from pit area to the infield care center. *2:45 p.m. EST (3:45 p.m. EDT): Stewart boards a helicopter to Signature/Combs Flight Center. *3:08 p.m. EST (4:08 p.m. EDT): Stewart leaves for Concord Regional Airport on a Citation Ten

. Stewart is administered two liters of IV fluids. *5:03 p.m. EDT: Plane lands at

. *5:10 p.m. EDT: Stewart changes clothes and boards helicopter to travel to

. *5:20 p.m. EDT: The helicopter lands in the Charlotte Motor Speedway infield, in front of the start/finish line. Stewart waves to fans and climbs into his car. (The team had

Mike McLaughlin Michael McLaughlin (born October 6, 1956) is an American former professional stock car racing driver. Nicknamed Magic Shoes, McLaughlin was a perennial fan favorite, winning the Most Popular Driver award in 1997. He also scored several wins and t ...

ready if Stewart did not arrive in time.) *5:37 p.m. EDT: Starting command for Coca-Cola 600 given, Stewart's car is moved to 43rd (last) starting position as a penalty for missing the pre-race drivers' meeting. *5:45 p.m. EDT: Start of the Coca-Cola 600. *10:00 p.m. EDT: Coca-Cola 600 completed, Stewart finished 3rd.

"Cross-over" history (1960–1993)

The

debuted in

1911 A notable ongoing event was the Comparison of the Amundsen and Scott Expeditions, race for the South Pole. Events January * January 1 – A decade after federation, the Northern Territory and the Australian Capital Territory ...

, and from its onset, was scheduled in conjunction with

. In 1960,

was completed, and the inaugural

World 600 The Coca-Cola 600, originally the World 600, is an annual NASCAR Cup Series points race held at the Charlotte Motor Speedway in Concord, North Carolina, on a Sunday during Memorial Day weekend. The first race, held in 1960, was also the first on ...

was scheduled for Memorial Day weekend as well. However, for 1960, it was postponed until June 19 in order to ready the facility. Starting in 1961, both Indy and Charlotte were scheduled around Memorial Day. Through the 1960s, the Indy 500 was normally scheduled for Memorial Day proper (May 30) regardless of the day of the week. When May 30 fell on a Sunday, the Indy 500 was moved to Monday May 31. At Charlotte, the World 600 was to be scheduled for the Sunday closest to Memorial Day. Thus for more than a decade, the two races were held on different days of the week. This prompted a handful of

NASCAR The National Association for Stock Car Auto Racing, LLC (NASCAR) is an American auto racing sanctioning and operating company that is best known for stock car racing. The privately owned company was founded by Bill France Sr. in 1948, and hi ...

regulars to attempt to race in the Indy 500. On a few occasions, drivers were able to "cross-over" and compete in both events, or skip the race at Charlotte in favor of Indy. The NASCAR points system utilized at the time, as well as the structure of the schedule itself, differed substantially from modern times. The system was much more forgiving of drivers who missed a single race, which is why some drivers chose to skip Charlotte altogether. In 1971, the

Uniform Monday Holiday Act The Uniform Monday Holiday Act () is an Act of Congress that moved permanently to a Monday three Federal holidays in the United States—Washington's Birthday (colloquially Presidents’ Day), Memorial Day, and Labor Day—and that made Columbus ...

took effect, and began to alter the respective schedules for the races. Starting in 1974, the Indy 500 was permanently moved to the Sunday of Memorial Day weekend. Thus from 1974 to 1992, the races were scheduled for the same day, and at roughly the same starting time. Therefore, drivers were not able to compete in both events. Furthermore, in 1975, the NASCAR points system was overhauled, and became much more unforgiving to drivers missing individual races. Very few NASCAR regulars would choose to skip Charlotte, which was emerging as one of the crown jewels on the Winston Cup calendar. Starting in 1985, the World 600 secured the sponsorship of

The Coca-Cola Company The Coca-Cola Company is an American multinational beverage corporation founded in 1892, best known as the producer of Coca-Cola. The Coca-Cola Company also manufactures, sells, and markets other non-alcoholic beverage concentrates and syrups, ...

, and henceforth became known as the Coca-Cola 600.

1963

NASCAR regular

Junior Johnson Robert Glenn Johnson Jr. (June 28, 1931 – December 20, 2019), better known as Junior Johnson, was an American NASCAR driver of the 1950s and 1960s. He won 50 NASCAR races in his career before retiring in 1966. In the 1970s and 1980s, he became ...

entered at Indy, but did not qualify.

Curtis Turner Curtis Morton Turner (April 12, 1924 – October 4, 1970) was an American stock car racer. Throughout his life, he developed a reputation for drinking and partying. In 1999, he was inducted into the Virginia Sports Hall of Fame. History He was ...

passed a rookie test, but later crashed in practice.

1965

The World 600 is held on Sunday May 23, and the Indy 500 is held on Monday May 31. The NASCAR Wood Brothers pit crew were invited to Indy to service the Lotus-Ford entries of

Jim Clark James Clark Jr. OBE (4 March 1936 – 7 April 1968) was a British Formula One racing driver from Scotland, who won two World Championships, in 1963 and 1965. A versatile driver, he competed in sports cars, touring cars and in the Indianapol ...

and

Bobby Johns Robert James Johns (May 22, 1932 – March 7, 2016) was an American race car driver. Johns raced in the NASCAR series in the 1956–1969 seasons, with 141 career starts. He had two wins among his 36 top ten finishes and finished the 1960 season ...

. Bobby Johns was a NASCAR semi-regular, and he skipped Charlotte to concentrate on Indy.

1966

NASCAR driver

Cale Yarborough William Caleb "Cale" Yarborough (born March 27, 1939) is an American former NASCAR Winston Cup Series driver and owner, businessman, and farmer. He is one of only two drivers in NASCAR history to win three consecutive championships, winning in 1 ...

skips Charlotte and races at Indy. He finishes 28th. The Wood Brothers pit crew returned for a second year, but the car they were to service (

Dan Gurney Daniel Sexton Gurney (April 13, 1931 – January 14, 2018) was an American racing driver, race car constructor, and team owner who reached racing's highest levels starting in 1958. Gurney won races in the Formula One, Indy Car, NASCAR, Can-Am, ...

), crashed out on the first lap.

1967

The World 600 is held on Sunday May 28, and the Indy 500 is scheduled for Tuesday May 30. NASCAR driver

LeeRoy Yarbrough Lonnie "LeeRoy" Yarbrough (September 17, 1938 – December 7, 1984) was an American stock car racer. His best season was 1969 when he won seven races, tallied 21 finishes in the top-ten and earned $193,211 ($ when inflation is taken into accoun ...

skips Charlotte and races at Indy. He finishes 27th, having been involved in three separate spins.

becomes the first driver to compete in both races in the same year. He dropped out with broken steering and finished 41st at Charlotte. At Indy he placed 17th, spinning out once, and crashing out late in the race. A rain delay caused the Indy 500 to be held over two days, May 30–31.

1968

The World 600 is held on Sunday May 26, and the Indy 500 is held Thursday May 30.

Jerry Grant Gerald Wayne "Jerry" Grant (January 23, 1935 – August 12, 2012) was a driver in the USAC Championship Car series. Born in Seattle, he began racing sports cars in Northern California in the early 1960s. He raced in the 1965-1977 seasons, wi ...

becomes the second driver to compete in both races in the same year. He finished 12th at Charlotte and 23rd at Indy.

1969

The World 600 is held on Sunday May 25, and the Indy 500 is held Friday May 30. NASCAR driver

Lee Roy Yarbrough Lonnie "LeeRoy" Yarbrough (September 17, 1938 – December 7, 1984) was an American stock car racer. His best season was 1969 when he won seven races, tallied 21 finishes in the top-ten and earned $193,211 ($ when inflation is taken into accoun ...

won the race at Charlotte, and at Indy, he finished 23rd.

Charlie Glotzbach Charles Lee Glotzbach (June 19, 1938 – April 23, 2021) was an Auto Racing Club of America, ARCA and NASCAR Monster Energy NASCAR Cup Series, Winston Cup Series driver. He holds one of the oldest race records in NASCAR. He has the record for fas ...

, a NASCAR regular, entered at Indy, but failed to qualify.

1970

The World 600 is held on Sunday May 24, and the Indy 500 is held Saturday May 30. NASCAR driver

won the race at Charlotte, and finished 4th at Indy. To date, it is the best combined performance for both races.

Lee Roy Yarbrough Lonnie "LeeRoy" Yarbrough (September 17, 1938 – December 7, 1984) was an American stock car racer. His best season was 1969 when he won seven races, tallied 21 finishes in the top-ten and earned $193,211 ($ when inflation is taken into accoun ...

also competed in both events. He finished 29th at Charlotte and 19th at Indy. The day after Indy (Sunday May 31), Yarbrough flew to Martinsville to race in the

Virginia 500 The Blue-Emu Maximum Pain Relief 400 is an annual 400-lap NASCAR Cup Series stock car race held at the Martinsville Speedway in Ridgeway, Virginia. It had no name from 1950 to 1955, before taking the name Virginia 500 in 1956. It is the first o ...

. He dropped out and finished 26th. For the second year in a row,

(who finished 25th at Charlotte) entered, but failed to qualify at Indy.

1971

Memorial Day is moved to Monday, and the Indy 500 is held Saturday May 29. The World 600 is held the very next day, Sunday May 30. NASCAR driver

finished 6th at Indy on Saturday, and finished 2nd at the race at Charlotte.

skipped Charlotte, and managed to finish 16th at Indy. Sunday night, Donnie Allison flew back to Indianapolis in time to attend the 500 Victory Banquet.

1972

The races are held on successive days again, but no drivers attempt to race in both.

skipped Charlotte once again, and finish 10th at Indy.

1973

Charlotte is held on Sunday May 27, while Indy is scheduled for Monday May 28. Due to rain, the Indy 500 is not held until Wednesday May 30.

Bobby Allison Robert Arthur Allison (born December 3, 1937) is a former American professional stock car racing driver and owner. Allison was the founder of the Alabama Gang, a group of drivers based in Hueytown, Alabama, where there were abundant short track ...

skipped Charlotte and raced at Indy for the first time.

1974

The two events are held on the same day for the first time, with roughly the same start time. No drivers attempt a "cross over."

1975

skipped Charlotte and raced at Indy. This would be the final time during this era that a noteworthy NASCAR regular did a "cross over" to the Indy 500.

1976

Rookie

Janet Guthrie Janet Guthrie (born March 7, 1938) is a retired professional race car driver and the first woman to qualify and compete in both the Indianapolis 500 and the Daytona 500, both in 1977. She had first attempted to enter the Indianapolis 500 in 197 ...

made a highly publicized attempt to qualify at the Indy 500. However, she was not able to get her car up to speed and did not make a qualifying attempt. After creating a media stir, and with the spotlight still on her, she quickly found herself an alternative. Promoter

Humpy Wheeler Howard Augustine "Humpy" Wheeler (born October 23, 1938) is the former President and General Manager of Charlotte Motor Speedway, one of the premier auto racing venues owned by Bruton Smith's Speedway Motorsports, Inc. Better known as H.A. or ...

consummated a deal for Guthrie to acquire a car from

owner

Ralph Moody Ralph Moody (September 10, 1917 – June 9, 2004) was an American stock car racer. He eventually became a team co-owner of Holman Moody. Background He built his first Model T Ford race car in 1935, and ran it on nights and weekends. He served i ...

, and within 48 hours, flew her to

to qualify instead for the

. Guthrie started 27th and finished 15th. It was her first NASCAR Winston Cup Series start.

1979

NASCAR regular

Neil Bonnett Lawrence Neil Bonnett (July 30, 1946 – February 11, 1994) was an American NASCAR driver who compiled 18 victories and 20 poles over his 18-year career. Bonnett was a member of the Alabama Gang, and started his career with the help of Bobby an ...

entered at Indy looking to qualify. He was up to speed, however, he suffered a blown engine on the morning of pole qualifying. The following weekend, rain complicated his schedule, and he decided to withdraw from Indy.

1980

Future

star

Tim Richmond Timothy Lee Richmond (June 7, 1955 – August 13, 1989) was an American race car driver from Ashland, Ohio. He competed in IndyCar racing before transferring to NASCAR's Winston Cup Series. Richmond was one of the first drivers to change fro ...

, who started his professional driving career in

Indy cars INDYCAR, LLC, is an American-based auto racing sanctioning body for Indy car racing and other disciplines of open wheel car racing. The organization sanctions five racing series: the premier IndyCar Series with its centerpiece the Indianapolis 5 ...

, won the

Rookie of the Year Award A rookie is a person new to an occupation, profession, or hobby. In sports, a ''rookie'' is a professional athlete in their first season (or year). In contrast with a veteran who has experience and expertise, a rookie is usually inexperienced ...

at Indianapolis.

1983

Future

driver

Ken Schrader Kenneth Schrader (born May 29, 1955) is an American professional racing driver. He currently races on local dirt and asphalt tracks around the country while also competing part-time in the ARCA Menards Series, driving the No. 11 Ford for Fast Trac ...

entered at Indy. He crashed during practice and failed to qualify.

Double Duty history (1994–2015)

In 1992,

Musco Lighting Musco Lighting is a privately owned American company that specializes in design, manufacture of sports and large area lighting systems. Based out of Oskaloosa, Iowa, Musco is responsible for lighting a full range of sports facilities, from Dayton ...

Company installed lights at

, becoming the first "speedway" to allow for night racing. For 1992,

The Winston The NASCAR All-Star Race, formerly known as The Winston from 1985 to 2003, the Nextel All-Star Challenge from 2004 to 2007, the Sprint All-Star Race from 2008 to 2016, and the Monster Energy NASCAR All-Star Race from 2017 to 2019, is an annual NA ...

was held under-the-lights, but the Coca-Cola 600 was still held during the afternoon. In 1993, the start time for the Coca-Cola 600 was moved to 4:30 p.m. eastern, which eliminated overlap with the Indy 500, and the race became an evening/night race. The 4:30 p.m. start time did not yet allow adequate time for a competitor to complete both, but the idea was planted, and subsequent years, the start time for the 600 was moved later, and a travel window would open up.

1994

IndyCar veteran

switched full-time to the NASCAR Winston Cup Series starting in 1994, but desired to also compete in the Indy 500. Andretti announced that he would become the first driver ever to attempt to drive in both the Indy 500 and Coca-Cola 600 in the same day. Andretti successfully qualified for both events, and planned a detailed travel itinerary. On race day, Andretti got off to a good start early on. He was running as high as third at Indianapolis during the first half of the race. At the checkered flag, Andretti finished 10th at Indy. He then immediately boarded a helicopter to the airport. He flew to Charlotte, and arrived in just enough time to make the start for the Coca-Cola 600. Since Andretti missed the pre-race drivers' meeting, he was forced to start at the back of the field at Charlotte. He dropped out on lap 220 with engine failure, and finished 36th. Later in the year, Andretti raced in the Inaugural Brickyard 400. Indy 500 veterans

Danny Sullivan Daniel John Sullivan III (born March 9, 1950), better known as Danny Sullivan, is an American former racing driver. He earned 17 wins in the CART Indy Car World Series, including the 1985 Indianapolis 500. Sullivan won the 1988 CART Champions ...

A. J. Foyt Anthony Joseph Foyt Jr. (born January 16, 1935) is an American retired auto racing driver who has raced in numerous genres of motorsports. His open wheel racing includes United States Automobile Club Champ cars, sprint cars, and midget cars. He ...

, and

Geoff Brabham __NOTOC__ Geoff Brabham (born 20 March 1952) is an Australian racing driver. Brabham spent the majority of his racing career in the United States. Racing career CART He raced successfully in CART early in his career, finishing 8th in 1982, 1 ...

also qualified for the event. But Andretti became the first driver to compete in both events in the same season.

1995

IndyCar veteran Davy Jones announced plans to attempt the "Double Duty." He qualified at Indy, but failed to qualify at Charlotte.

1996

No drivers or teams expressed interest in attempting the double in 1996. Meanwhile, the

open wheel An open-wheel single-seater (often known as formula car) is a car with the wheels outside the car's main body, and usually having only one seat. Open-wheel cars contrast with street cars, sports cars, stock cars, and touring cars, which have thei ...

"split" was the focus of the month at Indy.

1997

IndyCar veteran

switched full-time to NASCAR for 1997. Driving for the

Felix Sabates Feliciano Sergio "Félix" Sabates Jr. (born September 9, 1945) is a retired Cuban-born entrepreneur and philanthropist Philanthropy is a form of altruism that consists of "private initiatives, for the Public good (economics), public good, foc ...

SABCO Racing The NASCAR operation of Chip Ganassi Racing was established in 1989 by Felix Sabates, a Cuban immigrant who was a self-made millionaire distributing products such as Teddy Ruxpin and Sega video game systems. The team was known as SABCO Racing, fo ...

team, he was entered in both races, a highly funded, and highly publicized effort. On race day, however, the Indy 500 was rained out, and the opportunity for the true "Double Duty" was eliminated. Gordon departed the grounds, and went directly to Charlotte when the postponement was announced. Gordon finished 41st at Charlotte after a crash. On Monday, Gordon flew back to Indy, and started the race. The race was halted on lap 15 due to rain, and the conclusion was pushed into Tuesday. On Tuesday, Gordon dropped out early with a fire, and finished 29th.

1998

No drivers attempted the "Double Duty," but one crew member worked both races.

Dale Earnhardt Ralph Dale Earnhardt Sr. (; April 29, 1951February 18, 2001) was an American professional stock car driver and team owner, who raced from 1975 to 2001 in the former NASCAR Winston Cup Series (now called the NASCAR Cup Series), most notably dri ...

's gasman

Danny "Chocolate" Myers Danny "Chocolate" Myers (born October 17, 1948) is an American stock car racing personality. A long-time staffer for Richard Childress Racing, he was the fueler on six of the team's NASCAR championships (Dale Earnhardt Sr., 1986–87, 1990–91, 1 ...

was invited to also serve as the fueler for

Billy Boat William Leonard Boat (born February 2, 1966) is an American former open-wheel driver who raced in the Indy Racing League. Racing career Boat began his career in USAC where he won 11 straight Western Series races on his way to the 1995 champions ...

's car at

A.J. Foyt Racing A. J. Foyt Racing, officially and historically known as A. J. Foyt Enterprises, is an American racing team in the IndyCar Series and formerly NASCAR. It is owned by four-time Indianapolis 500 winner, 1972 Daytona 500 winner, 1967 24 Hours of Le ...

1999

, an IRL regular from 1996 to 1998, switched to the NASCAR Winston Cup Series for 1999. He arranged to attempt "Double Duty" for the first time. On pole day, Stewart had to qualify at Indy, then quickly fly to Charlotte in order to participate in the

Winston Open Winston may refer to: Places Antarctica * Winston Glacier Australia * Winston, Queensland, a suburb of the City of Mount Isa United Kingdom * Winston, County Durham, England, a village * Winston, Suffolk, England, a village and civil pari ...

. He was forced to take a slow speed in time trials, and ended up qualifying 24th at Indy. That evening, Stewart won the Winston Open, and finished second in main event, The Winston. On race day, Stewart finished 9th at the Indy 500, and was not a factor. At Charlotte, Stewart led laps, and finished 4th.

and

Roberto Moreno Roberto Pupo Moreno (born 11 February 1959), usually known as Roberto Moreno and also as Pupo Moreno, is a Brazilian former auto racing, racing driver. He participated in 75 Formula One Grands Prix, achieved 1 podium, and scored a total of 15 c ...

became the first two drivers to compete in a

CART A cart or dray (Australia and New Zealand) is a vehicle designed for transport, using two wheels and normally pulled by one or a pair of draught animals. A handcart is pulled or pushed by one or more people. It is different from the flatbed tr ...

event and at the Indianapolis 500 on consecutive days. The Motorola 300 at Gateway was held on Saturday May 29. Moreno finished 4th, and Gordon crashed and finished 27th. Gordon and Moreno both returned to Indy in time for Sunday's race.

2000

attempted "Double Duty" for the second time. On race day, rain delayed the start of the Indy 500 by three hours. Gordon remained at Indianapolis, and started the race as planned. He finished 6th, and back-up driver

P. J. Jones Parnell Velko "P. J." Jones (born April 23, 1969) is an American professional racing driver. He has contested in multiple disciplines, including NASCAR, IndyCar, IMSA GT Championship, the American Le Mans Series, USAC, the Chili Bowl, and the S ...

started his car at Charlotte instead. After the Indy 500 was over, Gordon flew to Charlotte, and during a pit stop, took over the car from Jones. He drove the car to a 35th-place finish. Three other drivers competed in multiple events during the weekend.

Juan Pablo Montoya Juan Pablo Montoya Roldán (; born September 20, 1975) is a Colombian racing driver. He won the International F3000 championship in 1998, the CART FedEx Championship Series in 1999 in his debut year in the series, and the IMSA WeatherTech S ...

and

Jimmy Vasser James Vasser Jr. (born November 20, 1965) is an American former racing driver. Vasser won the 1996 CART IndyCar championship with Chip Ganassi Racing, and scored ten victories in the series. Vasser was the last American to win the CART champio ...

participated in the

Bosch Spark Plug Grand Prix at

Nazareth Speedway Nazareth Speedway was an auto racing facility near Nazareth in the Lehigh Valley region of Pennsylvania which operated from 1910 to 2004 in two distinct course configurations. In its early years, it was a dirt twin oval layout. In 1987 it was reo ...

on Saturday, the day before the Indy 500. Montoya finished 4th, and Vasser 7th. Also on Saturday,

Jason Leffler Jason Charles Leffler (September 16, 1975 – June 12, 2013) was an American professional open-wheel and stock car racing driver. Leffler began racing in the open-wheel ranks, competing in the 2000 Indianapolis 500 before moving to primaril ...

traveled to

to participate in the

Busch Series The NASCAR Xfinity Series (NXS) is a stock car racing series organized by NASCAR. It is promoted as NASCAR's second-tier circuit to the organization's top level Cup Series. NXS events are frequently held as a support race on the day prior to a ...

Carquest Auto Parts 300 The Alsco Uniforms 300 is an annual 300-mile (482.803 km) NASCAR Xfinity Series race held at the Charlotte Motor Speedway in Concord, North Carolina during Memorial Day weekend as a support race for the Coca-Cola 600. The race's origins tra ...

. Leffler finished 21st at Charlotte. All three were back to Indy on Sunday.

2001

For the second time,

decided to attempt "Double Duty." Still part of

Joe Gibbs Racing Joe Gibbs Racing (JGR) is an American professional stock car racing organization owned and operated by former Washington Redskins (today the Washington Commanders) coach Joe Gibbs, which first started racing on the NASCAR circuit in 1991. His s ...

in NASCAR, he signed with

Chip Ganassi Racing Chip Ganassi Racing, LLC (CGR), also sometimes branded as Chip Ganassi Racing Teams, is an American auto racing organization with teams competing in the IndyCar Series, NTT IndyCar Series, International Motor Sports Association, IMSA WeatherTech ...

for Indy. On race day, Stewart was a factor all day, leading 13 laps. Despite a brief rain shower, the race did not have a significant delay. Stewart wound up finishing 6th at Indy, on the lead lap. He immediately departed for Charlotte, and made it to the track in just enough time. Starting last due to missing the drivers' meeting, Stewart spun out on lap 2, but claimed it was not due to fatigue. As the race continued, Stewart climbed up the standings, and finished third, on the lead lap. He became the first, and to date, only driver to complete all 1,100 miles of both races in the same day.

2002

Robby Gordon attempted "Double Duty" for the third time, and for the first time, rain did not interfere with his effort. At Indy, he finished 8th on the lead lap. At Charlotte, he started last (due to missing the drivers' meeting), but worked his way up to the top five. He started suffering from handling problems, and cramps in his leg, and he fell two laps down. He made up one lap, and finished 16th. At the end of the day, he was one lap short of completing the entire 1,100 miles.

2003

Robby Gordon attempted "Double Duty" for the fourth time. He qualified on the front row at Indy, but dropped out with gearbox trouble (22nd place). Due to his early retirement, and with adequate time, Gordon received a police escort by car to the airport instead of a helicopter ride. At Charlotte, Gordon was running 17th when the race was called for rain on lap 276 of 400 (414 miles). A week after race day,

ESPN ESPN (originally an initialism for Entertainment and Sports Programming Network) is an American international basic cable sports channel owned by ESPN Inc., owned jointly by The Walt Disney Company (80%) and Hearst Communications (20%). The ...

aired a one-hour documentary profiling the effort.

2004

For the third year in a row and fifth time overall,

attempted "Double Duty." On race day, rain delayed the start of the Indy 500 by two hours. Gordon started the race as planned. On lap 27, the red flag came out for rain, and the race was halted. It appeared that the rest of the day would likely be a washout, so Gordon departed for Charlotte. After another two hours, the track dried, and the race resumed.

Jaques Lazier Jaques Lazier (born January 25, 1971) is an American former race car driver. He is the younger brother of 1996 Indianapolis 500 champion Buddy Lazier and son of former Indy racer Bob Lazier. Racing career The younger Lazier ran in U.S. Formula ...

was standing by, and climbed in Gordon's car to drive relief. He worked his way up the standings, but dropped out on lap 88 with a broken axle. Meanwhile, at Charlotte, Robby Gordon finished 20th, three laps down. On Bump Day (May 23),

created a stir when he made an unexpected visit to the Speedway. After finishing third the previous night in the

NEXTEL All-Star Challenge The NASCAR All-Star Race, formerly known as The Winston from 1985 to 2003, the Nextel All-Star Challenge from 2004 to 2007, the Sprint All-Star Race from 2008 to 2016, and the Monster Energy NASCAR All-Star Race from 2017 to 2019, is an annual NAS ...

, Stewart was seen in the Foyt garages climbing into a car and at one point even donned a driver's suit. The car was wheeled to the pits and it appeared Stewart was preparing to take practice laps. Members of the media converged, and rumors began buzzing around the track about a possible "Double Duty" attempt. Stewart awaited permission from his sponsors to drive the car, but no deal could be arranged.

and Stewart were given the dubious "Jigger Award" for pumping life into an otherwise uneventful day.

2005–2012

In 2005, the start time for the Indy 500 was moved to 12 p.m. EST (1 p.m. EDT), which significantly reduced the amount of time available for travel between the events. From 2005 to 2010, the time frame was deemed insufficient, and despite various rumors of possible attempts over the years, the opportunity to perform "Double Duty" was effectively on hiatus. During this period, while no drivers attempted to compete in both races, some drivers and owners attended both races in whole or in part. In 2006, Penske Racing's

was in attendance at Indianapolis the morning of the race and watched the start of the 500 as a guest of Team Penske. Shortly after, he flew to Charlotte to arrive in time for the drivers meeting, and raced in the 600. In 2007, Richard Petty watched the start of the Indy 500, along with Robbie Loomis and Dale Inman. They then flew to Charlotte to attend the 600. Car owner Chip Ganassi was also scheduled to attend both races, but due to a mid-race rain delay, remained at Indy. In 2010, Ganassi won at Indy with driver

Dario Franchitti George Dario Marino Franchitti, MBE (born 19 May 1973) is a British former racing driver and current motorsport commentator from Scotland. He is a four time IndyCar Series champion ( 2007, 2009, 2010, 2011), a three-time winner of the Indiana ...

, then later flew to Charlotte to take in the second half of the 600. His driver

Jamie McMurray James Christopher McMurray (born June 3, 1976), nicknamed Jamie Mac, is an American former professional stock car racing driver and currently an analyst for ''Fox NASCAR''. He raced in the NASCAR Cup Series on a full-time basis from 2003 to 2018 b ...

finished second in the 600. For 2011, the start time for the Indy 500 was moved back to 12 noon EDT, which effectively re-opened the travel window and made it possible to attempt "Double Duty" once again. Rumors began to surface that drivers (namely

) were interested in making the attempt. NASCAR regulars

Jimmie Johnson Jimmie Kenneth Johnson (born September 17, 1975) is an American professional auto racing driver. A seven-time NASCAR Cup Series champion, he competes part-time in the series driving for Petty GMS Motorsports. Johnson's seven Cup championships, ...

and

Kasey Kahne Kasey Kenneth Kahne (; born April 10, 1980) is an American dirt track racing driver and former professional stock car racing driver. He last competed in the Monster Energy NASCAR Cup Series in 2018, driving the No. 95 Dumont Jets/Procore, Procore ...

also reportedly expressed interest, and a rumor of a $20 million award for winning both races circulated. No plans ever materialized. A year later, despite some rumors about possibly doing the double in 2012,

Danica Patrick Danica Sue Patrick (; born March 25, 1982) is an American former professional racing driver. She is the most successful woman in the history of American open-wheel car racing—her victory in the 2008 Indy Japan 300 is the only win by a woman ...

also nixed plans to compete in both races.

2013

Kurt Busch 54 2012 Road America Sargento 200

In early May 2013,

2004 2004 was designated as an International Year of Rice by the United Nations, and the International Year to Commemorate the Struggle Against Slavery and its Abolition (by UNESCO). Events January * January 3 – Flash Airlines Flight 6 ...

Nextel Cup Series The NASCAR Cup Series is the top racing series of the National Association for Stock Car Auto Racing (NASCAR). The series began in 1949 as the Strictly Stock Division, and from 1950 to 1970 it was known as the Grand National Division. In 1971 ...

champion

tested for

Andretti Autosport Andretti Autosport is an auto racing team that competes in the IndyCar Series, Indy Lights, Indy Pro 2000, and Formula E. The team also has a 37.5% ownership stake in the Australian Supercars Championship touring car team, Walkinshaw Andretti ...

at Indianapolis, opening up the possibility of a "Double Duty" attempt in 2014. During the private test, Busch reached a top lap of 218 mph. Busch successfully passed his initial rookie test for the Indianapolis 500.

2014

On March 4, 2014, it was announced that

would attempt "Double Duty" with

. The effort was done in-part to help raise awareness for military veterans with

PTSD Post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD) is a mental and behavioral disorder that can develop because of exposure to a traumatic event, such as sexual assault, warfare, traffic collisions, child abuse, domestic violence, or other threats on a ...

and TBI. Busch took part in a refresher test on April 29, and a week later participated in the annual Rookie Orientation Program. Busch led the speed chart on Rookie Orientation day, then posted the second-fastest speed on May 13. On May 17, the first day of time trials, Busch made two qualifying attempts, and posted the 10th-fastest speed, just missing the Fast Nine Shootout. Just moments after his second attempt, he boarded a helicopter and then flew to Charlotte to compete in the

NASCAR Sprint All-Star Race The NASCAR All-Star Race, formerly known as The Winston from 1985 to 2003, the Nextel All-Star Challenge from 2004 to 2007, the Sprint All-Star Race from 2008 to 2016, and the Monster Energy NASCAR All-Star Race from 2017 to 2019, is an annual NAS ...

. Busch finished 11th in the All-Star Race, then flew back to Indianapolis for the second day of time trials. On May 18, Busch qualified for the 12th starting position for the Indy 500. On Monday, Busch participated in the post-qualifying practice session at Indy. About an hour and a half into the session, he suffered a hard crash in the exit of turn two. He was uninjured but forced to switch to a backup car for Carb Day and race day. On race day at Indianapolis, Busch started 12th, and fell back to as low as 20th. Although he was not a factor for the win, he finished on the lead lap in 6th and was the highest-finishing rookie. He tied with Robby Gordon and Tony Stewart as the three drivers to finish 6th, the best Indianapolis finish for Double Duty drivers. Busch arrived in

with time to spare, but was still required to start at the rear of the field due to missing the mandatory pre-race driver's meeting. He ran as high as the top 15, but ultimately failed to finish with a mid-race engine failure. He completed a total of of racing. Busch was named the Indy 500 Rookie of the Year. Busch's effort was documented on the

NBCSN NBCSN was an American sports television television channel, channel owned by the NBC Sports Group division of NBCUniversal, a subsidiary of Comcast. It originally launched on July 1, 1995, as the Outdoor Life Network (OLN), which was dedicated t ...

series '' 36''.

2015–present

Indiana native

Jeff Gordon Jeffery Michael Gordon (born August 4, 1971) is an American former professional stock car racing driver, who is the Vice Chairman for Hendrick Motorsports. He raced full-time from 1993 to 2015, driving the No. 24 Chevrolet for Hendrick M ...

, during his last Cup Series season, drove the pace car at the start of the

2015 Indianapolis 500 The 2015 Indianapolis 500 was held at the Indianapolis Motor Speedway in Speedway, Indiana on Sunday May 24, 2015. It was the premier event of the 2015 season of the Verizon IndyCar Series. Juan Pablo Montoya won his second Indianapolis 500, f ...

before flying to Charlotte for the

. He has never competed in the Indy 500, although he did win the

Brickyard 400 The Brickyard 400 was an annual NASCAR Cup Series points race held at Indianapolis Motor Speedway in Speedway, Indiana. The inaugural race was held in 1994 and was the first race other than the Indianapolis 500 to be held at the Indianapolis Moto ...

five times. In 2015, Doug Rice, the anchor of the

Performance Racing Network The Performance Racing Network (PRN) is a radio syndication network controlled by Speedway Motorsports (SMI) founded in 1981. PRN airs NASCAR Cup Series and Xfinity Series events held at Speedway Motorsports and Penske Corporation-owned and manag ...

, as well as the anchor for the Brickyard 400 on the

IMS Radio Network The Indianapolis Motor Speedway Radio Network (known typically as the IMS Radio Network or the INDYCAR Radio Network), is an in-house radio syndication arrangement which broadcasts the Indianapolis 500, the NTT IndyCar Series, and Indy Lights to ...

, joined the broadcast crew as a pit reporter for the Indy 500. Rice performed broadcasting "double duty", working the pits for the Indy 500, then flying to

to call the

later that evening. He is believed to be the first broadcaster to cover both races in-person on the same day. For

2016 File:2016 Events Collage.png, From top left, clockwise: Bombed-out buildings in Ankara following the 2016 Turkish coup d'état attempt; the impeachment trial of Brazilian President Dilma Rousseff; Damaged houses during the 2016 Nagorno-Karabakh ...

2017 File:2017 Events Collage V2.png, From top left, clockwise: The War Against ISIS at the Battle of Mosul (2016-2017); aftermath of the Manchester Arena bombing; The Solar eclipse of August 21, 2017 ("Great American Eclipse"); North Korea tests a ser ...

2018 File:2018 Events Collage.png, From top left, clockwise: The 2018 Winter Olympics opening ceremony in PyeongChang, South Korea; Protests erupt following the Assassination of Jamal Khashoggi; March for Our Lives protests take place across the United ...

and

2019 File:2019 collage v1.png, From top left, clockwise: Hong Kong protests turn to widespread riots and civil disobedience; House of Representatives votes to adopt articles of impeachment against Donald Trump; CRISPR gene editing first used to experim ...

, despite some very early rumors, no drivers attempted double duty at Indy and Charlotte. In 2020, the

caused the

to be moved from May to August while the

remained on its scheduled date. While it was consequently possible for a driver to compete in both races, the rescheduled Indy 500 date fell on the same day as a Cup race at

Dover International Speedway Dover Motor Speedway (formerly Dover Downs International Speedway and later Dover International Speedway) is a race track in Dover, Delaware. The track has hosted at least one NASCAR Cup Series race each year since 1969, including two per yea ...

, making it impossible to run both races.

James Davison James D. Davison (born 28 August 1986) is an Australian professional racing driver who drives an Aston Martin Vantage GT3 in the Blancpain GT World Challenge America. He has also competed in the NTT IndyCar Series, NASCAR Cup Series, and NASCAR ...

skipped the practice session at Indy following the Fast 9 Shootout to compete in that day's

Go Bowling 235 The O'Reilly Auto Parts 253 was a NASCAR Cup Series race on the Daytona International Speedway infield road course in Daytona Beach, Florida. Originally created in 2020 as a temporary event in response to races canceled by the COVID-19 pandemic, t ...

Cup race at the Daytona Road Course. Complications from the pandemic extended into 2021 as the

qualifying clashed with the Cup Series'

Texas Grand Prix The Texas Grand Prix, known as the EchoPark Grand Prix, for sponsorship reasons, is a NASCAR Cup Series stock car race at Circuit of the Americas in Austin, Texas. Introduced in 2021, the race is one of seven road course dates on the Cup Series s ...

. In order to compete at both COTA and the Indy 500, NASCAR drivers would have had to sacrifice practice time at both events. In addition, the race at COTA started almost immediately after the Fast 9 Shootout at Indy, ruling out a pole run. Davison and Cup teammate

Cody Ware Cody Shane Ware (born November 7, 1995) is an American professional auto racing driver. A third-generation driver with experience in stock car, sports car, and open-wheel racing, he is the son of NASCAR team owner Rick Ware.extenuating circumstances In criminal law, a mitigating factor, also known as an extenuating circumstance, is any information or evidence presented to the court regarding the defendant or the circumstances of the crime that might result in reduced charges or a lesser sente ...

following the close of time trials. *2000:

started the race and was officially credited with the race points *2004:

took over during a rain delay and drove the final 61 laps Source
RacingReference.info

IndianapolisMotorSpeedway.com
/small>

Statistics / Records

*Best combined results for both races **6th at Indianapolis & 3rd at Charlotte, Tony Stewart (2001) *Most combined laps/miles completed for both races: 600 laps / 1,100 miles (Tony Stewart, 2001) *Best individual Indianapolis 500 result **6th: Robby Gordon (2000) **6th: Tony Stewart (2001) **6th: Kurt Busch (2014) *Best individual Coca-Cola 600 result **3rd: Tony Stewart (2001)

Other uses of the term

Indianapolis 500 and Grand Prix of Monaco

During the 1960s and 1970s, a handful of drivers raced at the Indianapolis 500 while maintaining a full-time schedule in

Formula One Formula One (also known as Formula 1 or F1) is the highest class of international racing for open-wheel single-seater formula racing cars sanctioned by the Fédération Internationale de l'Automobile (FIA). The World Drivers' Championship, ...

. This would require them to travel between Indianapolis and Europe during the month of May, usually between Indy and the

Monaco Grand Prix The Monaco Grand Prix (french: Grand Prix de Monaco) is a Formula One motor racing event held annually on the Circuit de Monaco, in late May or early June. Run since 1929, it is widely considered to be one of the most important and prestigiou ...

Monte Carlo Monte Carlo (; ; french: Monte-Carlo , or colloquially ''Monte-Carl'' ; lij, Munte Carlu ; ) is officially an administrative area of the Principality of Monaco, specifically the ward of Monte Carlo/Spélugues, where the Monte Carlo Casino is ...

, two of the three components of the

Triple Crown of Motorsport The Triple Crown of Motorsport is an unofficial motorsport achievement, often regarded as winning three of the most prestigious motor races in the world in one's career: * the Indianapolis 500 (first held in 1911 Indianapolis 500, 1911) * the 24 H ...

. For many years, Indy and Monaco were not held on the same day. Furthermore, prior to 1971, the Indy 500 was held on May 30 regardless of the day of the week (unless it fell on a Sunday, in which case it was scheduled for Monday May 31). With the Indy 500 often falling on a weekday, and Monaco usually held on a Sunday a week or two prior, travel burdens were relatively workable. Racing at both Indy and Monaco in the same year became mostly impossible after Indy was moved to race on Sunday starting in 1974, and Monaco likewise was eventually moved to the last Sunday in May (same day as Indy), ending just a couple hours before the green flag dropped at Indianapolis. In 2021, Monaco ran the weekend before the Indianapolis 500. Some questioned if

Fernando Alonso Fernando Alonso Díaz (; born 29 July 1981) is a Spanish racing driver currently competing for Alpine in Formula One. He won the series' World Drivers' Championship in and with Renault, and has also driven for McLaren, Ferrari, and Mi ...

, who had attempted to qualify for Indy in three of the past four runnings would attempt double duty. However, in addition to scheduling conflicts with Monaco and Indy 500 qualifying, Alonso's new contract with Renault (rebranded

Alpine F1 Team Alpine F1 Team, competing as BWT Alpine F1 Team, is a Formula One constructor which made its debut at the start of the 2021 Formula One World Championship. Formerly named Renault F1 Team and owned by the French automotive company Groupe Renault ...

after his signing) specifically forbids an Indianapolis 500 attempt due to safety concerns.

Same weekend races

There are other lesser, informal uses of the term "Double Duty" in context to motorsports. Namely instances where a driver competes in two major races on the same day or on successive days. This occurs in a fairly regular fashion in

, where a driver (often numerous drivers) compete in the

Xfinity Series The NASCAR Xfinity Series (NXS) is a stock car racing series organized by NASCAR. It is promoted as NASCAR's second-tier circuit to the organization's top level Cup Series. NXS events are frequently held as a support race on the day prior to a ...

and

Cup Series The NASCAR Cup Series is the top racing series of the NASCAR, National Association for Stock Car Auto Racing (NASCAR). The series began in 1949 as the Strictly Stock Division, and from 1950 to 1970 it was known as the Grand National Division. ...

events, or even

Gander Outdoors Truck Series The NASCAR Craftsman Truck Series is a pickup truck racing series owned and operated by the National Association for Stock Car Auto Racing, and is the only series in NASCAR to race production pickup truck based stock cars. The series is one of thr ...

races; this practice is widely known as "

Buschwhacking Buschwhacker (alternatively spelled Buschwacker) is a term for NASCAR drivers who are regulars in the top-level NASCAR Cup Series but who also compete on a regular basis in the second-tier Xfinity Series. The original coinage of the term "Buschw ...

" (in reference to the Xfinity Series' then-title sponsor

Busch beer Anheuser-Busch, a wholly owned subsidiary of Anheuser-Busch InBev SA/NV, is the largest brewing company in the United States, with a market share of 45 percent in 2016. The company operates 12 breweries in the United States and nearly 20 in othe ...

). However, in most cases, the multiple events take place at the same venue, diminishing the complexity of the feat. At times, some drivers even raced the entire NASCAR Cup and entire Xfinity schedule, which included some travel between cities for a handful of weekends where the two series were at different venues. On rare occasions, there have been situations in which an Xfinity Series race became rained out, and was rescheduled for the day of the NASCAR Cup race. This occurred the weekend of the 2007

Winn-Dixie 250 The Wawa 250 Powered By Coca-Cola is a NASCAR Xfinity Series race that is held at Daytona International Speedway. Scheduled as a race, it is held the night before the NASCAR Cup Series' Coke Zero Sugar 400, and was run on Independence Day weeken ...

and

Pepsi 400 The Coke Zero Sugar 400 is an annual NASCAR Cup Series stock car race at Daytona International Speedway. First held in 1959, the event consists of 160 laps, , and is the second of two major stock car events held at Daytona on the Cup Series ci ...

Daytona Daytona refers to the city of Daytona Beach, Florida, or things named after it. Daytona may also refer to: Locations * Daytona Beach Shores, Florida * South Daytona, Florida * The Daytona Beach metropolitan area * Halifax area, also known as Da ...

, and the 2010 spring weekend at Talladega, with the

Aaron's 312 The Ag-Pro 300 is a NASCAR Xfinity Series race held at Talladega Superspeedway, a 300-mile race. It is held annually before the NASCAR Cup Series race, the GEICO 500. From its inception in 1992 through 1996, the race was held in the summer, as ...

happening after the

Aaron's 499 The GEICO 500 is a NASCAR Cup Series stock car race held at the Talladega Superspeedway in Lincoln, Alabama. The race is usually held in April or May. The 1997 event stands as the fastest NASCAR race to date ever run with an average speed of ...

. In the later case, the resulting distance was over 851 miles distance traveled, as both races were extended by green-white-checkered finishes. Ironically, in the latter,

Kevin Harvick Kevin Michael Harvick (born December 8, 1975) is an American professional stock car racing driver. He competes full-time in the NASCAR Cup Series, driving the No. 4 Ford Mustang for Stewart-Haas Racing. Harvick is the 2014 Cup Series champio ...

and

were the top two cars at the white flag for both races; Harvick won the Cup race by a bumper over McMurray, and McMurray started the big one as

Brad Keselowski Bradley Aaron Keselowski (; born February 12, 1984) is an American professional stock car racing driver, team owner, and entrepreneur. He competes full-time in the NASCAR Cup Series, driving the No. 6 Ford Mustang for RFK Racing, a team he also ...

snuck by Harvick for the win during the Xfinity Series race. Similarly, double duty has occurred in instances where a NASCAR driver also takes part in a support race (namely Grand Am), but seldom attempted when the races were at different tracks. This is more prevalent at road courses such as Watkins Glen or Sonoma. Another example of this is at Daytona, where the

Paul Revere 250 The WeatherTech 240, also previously known as the Paul Revere 250, was a sports car race held on the road course at Daytona International Speedway on or around Independence Day, the same weekend of the NASCAR Cup Series' Firecracker 400. It has ...

was held the same day as the

Firecracker 400 The Coke Zero Sugar 400 is an annual NASCAR Cup Series stock car race at Daytona International Speedway. First held in 1959, the event consists of 160 laps, , and is the second of two major stock car events held at Daytona on the Cup Series ci ...

numerous times, and several drivers competed in both. Another short-lived "double duty" occurred between the Indianapolis 500 and

IMSA The International Motor Sports Association (IMSA) is a North American sports car racing sanctioning body based in Daytona Beach, Florida under the jurisdiction of the ACCUS arm of the FIA. It was started by John Bishop, a former executive direc ...

. A few drivers,

Kevin Cogan John Kevin Cogan (born in Culver City, California on March 31, 1956) is a former race car driver who drove in Formula One from to . Driving a RAM Williams in the 1980 Canadian Grand Prix, he failed to qualify, suffering the same result driving ...

, and

Rocky Moran Rocky Moran, Sr. (born February 3, 1950 in Pasadena, California) is a retired American race car driver. Moran, Sr. started three Indianapolis races (1988, 1989, and 1990 Indianapolis 500) with a best finish of 14th in 1989. Moran also teamed ...

, competed at Indy on Sunday, and at Lime Rock on Monday. In 2020, due to scheduling changes resulting from the

, the IndyCar Series announced that it would hold its

GMR Grand Prix The IndyCar Series hosts two races a year on the combined road course at the Indianapolis Motor Speedway in Speedway, Indiana. The first, the GMR Grand Prix is held in early May with an inaugural running in 2014. The second race, the Gallagher G ...

road course race on July 4, as part of a double-header with the Xfinity Series

Pennzoil 150 The Pennzoil 150 is a NASCAR Xfinity Series auto race held at the Indianapolis Motor Speedway since 2012. It takes place the Saturday of Kroger Super Weekend. This race replaced the Kroger 200, which had been held at the nearby Lucas Oil Rac ...

(which, for the 2020 season, will be moved from the oval to the road course as well), a support race for the Cup Series

. A USAC dirt track event known as the Driven2SaveLives BC39 is also held during the Brickyard 400 week, leading Tony Stewart (who has occasionally participated in dirt track events) to envision the theoretical possibility of racing all four events. Stewart ended up not attempting any races, citing financial challenges and lack of fan attendance due to the pandemic. The dirt event was also subsequently cancelled.

Footnotes

Works cited

Indianapolis 500 History: Race & All-Time Stats
- Official Site *''1970 Indianapolis 500 Radio Broadcast'':

Indianapolis Motor Speedway Radio Network The Indianapolis Motor Speedway Radio Network (known typically as the IMS Radio Network or the INDYCAR Radio Network), is an in-house radio syndication arrangement which broadcasts the Indianapolis 500, the NTT IndyCar Series, and Indy Lights to ...

References

{{Coca-Cola 600 Indianapolis 500 Motorsport terminology NASCAR races at Charlotte Motor Speedway NASCAR Cup Series