Double Duty (auto Racing)
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Double Duty (also referred to as the Indy-Charlotte Double or Memorial Day Double) is an American
auto racing Auto racing (also known as car racing, motor racing, or automobile racing) is a motorsport involving the racing of automobiles for competition. In North America, the term is commonly used to describe all forms of automobile sport including non ...
term used to describe one of the most difficult feats in
motorsport Motorsport or motor sport are sporting events, competitions and related activities that primarily involve the use of Car, automobiles, motorcycles, motorboats and Aircraft, powered aircraft. For each of these vehicle types, the more specific term ...
: in a single day, competing in both the
Indianapolis 500 The Indianapolis 500, formally known as the Indianapolis 500-Mile Race, and commonly shortened to Indy 500, is an annual automobile race held at the Indianapolis Motor Speedway in Speedway, Indiana, United States, an enclave suburb of Indian ...
IndyCar Series The IndyCar Series, officially known as the NTT IndyCar Series for sponsorship reasons, is the highest class of American open-wheel car racing in the United States, which has been conducted under the auspices of various sanctioning bodies sinc ...
race at
Indianapolis Motor Speedway The Indianapolis Motor Speedway is a motor racing circuit located in Speedway, Indiana, United States, an enclave suburb of Indianapolis, Indiana. It is the home of the Indianapolis 500 and the Brickyard 400, and and formerly the home of the U ...
and the
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 firs ...
NASCAR Cup Series The NASCAR Cup Series is the top racing series of the NASCAR, National Association for Stock Car Auto Racing (NASCAR), the most prestigious stock car racing series in the United States. The series began in 1949 as the Strictly Stock Division, ...
race at
Charlotte Motor Speedway Charlotte Motor Speedway (known as Lowe's Motor Speedway from 1999 to 2009 due to sponsorship reasons) is a quad-oval Oval track racing#Intermediate, intermediate speedway in Concord, North Carolina. It has hosted various major races since it ...
. The Indianapolis 500 is the most prestigious
IndyCar IndyCar, LLC (stylized as INDYCAR), is an auto racing sanctioning body for American open-wheel car racing headquartered in Indianapolis, Indiana. The organization sanctions two racing series: the premier IndyCar Series with the Indianapolis ...
race, while the Coca-Cola 600, the longest event on the NASCAR Cup Series schedule, has for years been considered one of NASCAR's most important races. Both races are run on the same day on
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 died while serving in the United States Armed Forces. It is observed on the last Monday of May. It i ...
weekend: the Indianapolis 500 run in the early afternoon and the Coca-Cola 600 in the evening. A driver who pulls off the “Double” competes at Indianapolis first, then boards an airplane after the race and flies to Charlotte to complete the feat. Double Duty is physically demanding and mentally draining; a driver must be in a race car for most of the day, racing for more than 1,000 miles with little or no rest. It is similar in concept to the established discipline of endurance racing, but without the help of a relief driver, and the driver withstanding the very different physical demands of an IndyCar, which is has been historically run with an open cockpit but since 2020 has been run with a semi-enclosed cockpit with the introduction of the aeroscreen, and a
stock car Stock car racing is a form of automobile racing run on oval tracks and road courses. It originally used production-model cars, hence the name "stock car", but is now run using cars specifically built for racing. It originated in the southe ...
, in which the driver is enclosed. Five drivers have attempted the feat, starting with
John Andretti John Andrew Andretti (March 12, 1963January 30, 2020) was an American professional race car driver. He won individual races in CART, IMSA GTP, Rolex Sports Car Series, and NASCAR during his career. A member of the Andretti racing family, he was ...
on May 29, 1994. In 2001,
Tony Stewart Anthony Wayne Stewart (born May 20, 1971), nicknamed "Smoke", is an American semi-retired professional auto racing driver, and former NASCAR team co-owner of Stewart-Haas Racing. He currently competes in the NHRA Top Fuel class. He is a four-t ...
became the first and only driver to date to complete all 1,100 miles of both races in the same day.
Robby Gordon Robert Wesley Gordon (born January 2, 1969) is an American semi-retired auto racing driver. He has raced in NASCAR, Championship Auto Racing Teams, CART, the IndyCar Series, the Trans-Am Series, International Motor Sports Association, IMSA, Inter ...
has tried five times, Stewart and
Kyle Larson Kyle Miyata Larson (born July 31, 1992) is an American professional racing driver. He competes full-time in the NASCAR Cup Series, driving the No. 5 Chevrolet ZL1 for Hendrick Motorsports, part-time in the NASCAR Xfinity Series, driving the No. ...
twice, and
Kurt Busch Kurt Thomas Busch (born August 4, 1978) is an American auto racing driver. He is best known for competing in the NASCAR Cup Series from 2000–2022, last driving the No. 45 Toyota Camry TRD for 23XI Racing. Busch is the 2004 NASCAR Cup Series ch ...
once. No driver has won either race while attempting the feat. Stewart's 2001 effort stands as the best combined result: sixth at
Indianapolis Indianapolis ( ), colloquially known as Indy, is the List of capitals in the United States, capital and List of municipalities in Indiana, most populous city of the U.S. state of Indiana and the county seat of Marion County, Indiana, Marion ...
and third at Charlotte. Larson made the most recent attempt, in 2025: he finished twenty-seventh at rain-delayed Indianapolis and thirty-seventh at the Coca Cola 600. Some drivers in the 1960s and 1970s, included
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 br ...
, attempted a "crossover": running both events when they were scheduled on consecutive days.


Logistics

The
Indianapolis 500 The Indianapolis 500, formally known as the Indianapolis 500-Mile Race, and commonly shortened to Indy 500, is an annual automobile race held at the Indianapolis Motor Speedway in Speedway, Indiana, United States, an enclave suburb of Indian ...
is part of the
NTT IndyCar Series The IndyCar Series, officially known as the NTT IndyCar Series for sponsorship reasons, is the highest class of American open-wheel car racing in the United States, which has been conducted under the auspices of various sanctioning bodies sinc ...
, and the
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 firs ...
is part of the
NASCAR Cup Series The NASCAR Cup Series is the top racing series of the NASCAR, National Association for Stock Car Auto Racing (NASCAR), the most prestigious stock car racing series in the United States. The series began in 1949 as the Strictly Stock Division, ...
. 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 died while serving in the United States Armed Forces. It is observed on the last Monday of May. It i ...
weekend. The Indy 500 at the
Indianapolis Motor Speedway The Indianapolis Motor Speedway is a motor racing circuit located in Speedway, Indiana, United States, an enclave suburb of Indianapolis, Indiana. It is the home of the Indianapolis 500 and the Brickyard 400, and and formerly the home of the U ...
is traditionally scheduled in the afternoon, while the Coca-Cola 600 at
Charlotte Motor Speedway Charlotte Motor Speedway (known as Lowe's Motor Speedway from 1999 to 2009 due to sponsorship reasons) is a quad-oval Oval track racing#Intermediate, intermediate speedway in Concord, North Carolina. It has hosted various major races since it ...
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 nutr ...
, and are checked out by a physician. If rain delays one of the races, particularly Indianapolis, it can complicate or prevent the attempt. Through 2020, NASCAR rules required drivers to attend the pre-race drivers' meeting, generally held about two hours before the race, under penalty of starting from the last position on the grid. Since "Double Duty" attempts start in Indianapolis, drivers attempting the feat have all been required to start at the back of the grid for the Coca-Cola 600. Officials long resisted attempts over the years to lobby for changes, including garage-area petitions, and use of a video-conference device. However, since the
COVID-19 pandemic The COVID-19 pandemic (also known as the coronavirus pandemic and COVID pandemic), caused by severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2), began with an disease outbreak, outbreak of COVID-19 in Wuhan, China, in December ...
, NASCAR has replaced in-person drivers' meetings with a briefing e-mailed to drivers the day or two before the race and is now willing to excuse drivers from the meeting which is largely ceremonial along with driver introductions, allowing the driver to retain their 600 starting position.


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 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 (TT) 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 set ...
for the Indy 500 are held on Saturday and Sunday one week before the race. This can create conflicts with the
NASCAR All-Star Race All-star game, All-Star events are annually held in the NASCAR Cup Series at North Wilkesboro Speedway in North Wilkesboro, North Carolina. Beginning in 2008, NASCAR began the practice of using Roman numerals to identify each race, but ended one ...
. Depending on which events are prioritized, at Indianapolis drivers may have to sacrifice Fast Friday track time, additional attempts on Day 1 of qualifying, or participation on Day 2 of qualifying. For the All-Star Race, currently held at North Wilkesboro, drivers may have to sacrifice practice, qualifying, and/or heat race participation forcing them to start at the rear of the field. 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 relieving 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 if the driver potentially drops out of the race), he immediately travels from the
Speedway Speedway may refer to: Racing Race tracks *Daytona International Speedway, a race track in Daytona Beach, Florida. *Edmonton International Speedway, also known as Speedway Park, a former motor raceway in Edmonton, Alberta. *Indianapolis Motor Spe ...
(via
helicopter A helicopter is a type of rotorcraft in which Lift (force), lift and thrust are supplied by horizontally spinning Helicopter rotor, rotors. This allows the helicopter to VTOL, take off and land vertically, to hover (helicopter), hover, and ...
or
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 moto ...
) to a nearby airport – Eagle Creek, Indianapolis International, or another in the vicinity. The flight from Indianapolis to Concord Regional Airport aboard a
private jet A business jet, private jet, or bizjet is a jet aircraft designed for transporting small groups of people, typically business executives and high-ranking associates. Business jets are generally designed for faster air travel and more personal ...
takes about 55 minutes. From there, the driver will board a helicopter to
Charlotte Motor Speedway Charlotte Motor Speedway (known as Lowe's Motor Speedway from 1999 to 2009 due to sponsorship reasons) is a quad-oval Oval track racing#Intermediate, intermediate speedway in Concord, North Carolina. It has hosted various major races since it ...
and land in the infield. Upon arriving at the
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 firs ...
, the driver is escorted to his 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. For 2025, this was 4:07 p.m. Eastern Time, with a "wheels up" (the time needed for the plane to Charlotte to take off) 23 minutes later at 4:30 p.m. According to NASCAR rules, the driver who ''starts'' the race in the car receives full championship points for that entry. (IndyCar was formerly the same way, but presently does not allow for relief drivers meaning if the driver has to leave the car is immediately retired from the race.) 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. NASCAR awards prize money directly to teams based on a complicated charter system regardless of driver. Formerly if multiple drivers drive a single car at Indy, prize money was split based on the distance each driver completed but at present driver changes are not allowed, meaning the car would be immediately retired if a driver left. In 2001,
Tony Stewart Anthony Wayne Stewart (born May 20, 1971), nicknamed "Smoke", is an American semi-retired professional auto racing driver, and former NASCAR team co-owner of Stewart-Haas Racing. He currently competes in the NHRA Top Fuel class. He is a four-t ...
'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 Richard Edward 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 D ...
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
private jet A business jet, private jet, or bizjet is a jet aircraft designed for transporting small groups of people, typically business executives and high-ranking associates. Business jets are generally designed for faster air travel and more personal ...
. Stewart is administered two liters of IV fluids. *5:03 p.m. EDT: Plane lands at Concord Regional Airport. *5:10 p.m. EDT: Stewart changes clothes and boards helicopter to travel to
Charlotte Motor Speedway Charlotte Motor Speedway (known as Lowe's Motor Speedway from 1999 to 2009 due to sponsorship reasons) is a quad-oval Oval track racing#Intermediate, intermediate speedway in Concord, North Carolina. It has hosted various major races since it ...
. *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 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
Indianapolis 500 The Indianapolis 500, formally known as the Indianapolis 500-Mile Race, and commonly shortened to Indy 500, is an annual automobile race held at the Indianapolis Motor Speedway in Speedway, Indiana, United States, an enclave suburb of Indian ...
debuted in
1911 Events January * January 1 – A decade after federation, the Northern Territory and the Australian Capital Territory are added to the Commonwealth of Australia. * January 3 ** 1911 Kebin earthquake: An earthquake of 7.7 m ...
, and from its onset, was scheduled in conjunction with
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 died while serving in the United States Armed Forces. It is observed on the last Monday of May. It i ...
. In 1960,
Charlotte Motor Speedway Charlotte Motor Speedway (known as Lowe's Motor Speedway from 1999 to 2009 due to sponsorship reasons) is a quad-oval Oval track racing#Intermediate, intermediate speedway in Concord, North Carolina. It has hosted various major races since it ...
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 in NASCAR, 1960, was a ...
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. It is considered to be one of the top ranked motorsports organizations in ...
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 permanently moved two federal holidays in the United States to a Monday, being Washington's Birthday and Memorial Day, and further made Columbus Day a federal holiday, also perman ...
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 Crown jewels are the objects of metalwork and jewellery in the regalia of a current or former monarchy. They are often used for the coronation of a monarch and a few other ceremonial occasions. A monarch may often be shown wearing them in portra ...
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 corporation founded in 1892. It manufactures, sells and markets soft drinks including Coca-Cola, other non-alcoholic beverage concentrates and syrups, and alcoholic beverages. Its stock is lis ...
, 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 professional stock car racing driver, engineer, and team owner as well as an entrepreneur. He won 50 NASCAR races in his career befor ...
entered at Indy, but did not qualify.
Curtis Turner Curtis Morton Turner (April 12, 1924 – October 4, 1970) was an American stock car racer who won 17 NASCAR Grand National Division races and 38 NASCAR Convertible Division races. Throughout his life, he developed a reputation for drinking and ...
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 (4 March 1936 – 7 April 1968) was a British racing driver from Scotland, who competed in Formula One from to . Clark won two Formula One World Drivers' Championship titles with Lotus, and—at the time of his death—held the ...
and
Bobby Johns Robert James Johns (May 22, 1932 – March 7, 2016) was an American race car driver and pit road reporter. 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 fin ...
. Bobby Johns was a NASCAR semi-regular, and he skipped Charlotte to concentrate on Indy.


1966

NASCAR driver
Cale Yarborough William Caleb Yarborough (March 27, 1939 – December 31, 2023) was an American NASCAR Winston Cup Series driver and owner, businessman, farmer, and rancher. He was the first driver in NASCAR history to win three consecutive championships, winn ...
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, engineer and motorsport executive, who competed in Formula One from to . Widely regarded as one of the most influential figures in the history of motorspo ...
), 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 racing, stock car racer. His best season was 1969 when he won seven races, had 21 finishes in the top-ten and earned $193,211 ($ when adjusted for infl ...
skips Charlotte and races at Indy. He finishes 27th, having been involved in three separate spins.
Cale Yarborough William Caleb Yarborough (March 27, 1939 – December 31, 2023) was an American NASCAR Winston Cup Series driver and owner, businessman, farmer, and rancher. He was the first driver in NASCAR history to win three consecutive championships, winn ...
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, w ...
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 won the race at Charlotte and finished 23rd at Indy.
Charlie Glotzbach Charles Lee Glotzbach (June 19, 1938 – April 23, 2021) was an American 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 recor ...
, 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
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 br ...
won the race at Charlotte, and finished 4th at Indy. To date, it is the best combined performance for both races. Lee Roy Yarbrough 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 Cook Out 400 is an annual NASCAR Cup Series stock car race held at the Martinsville Speedway in Ridgeway, Virginia. It is the first of two Cup Series races at the track, the other one being the Xfinity 500 in the NASCAR playoffs. The race ...
. He dropped out and finished 26th. For the second year in a row,
Charlie Glotzbach Charles Lee Glotzbach (June 19, 1938 – April 23, 2021) was an American 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 recor ...
(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
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 br ...
finished 6th at Indy on Saturday, and finished 2nd at the race at Charlotte.
Cale Yarborough William Caleb Yarborough (March 27, 1939 – December 31, 2023) was an American NASCAR Winston Cup Series driver and owner, businessman, farmer, and rancher. He was the first driver in NASCAR history to win three consecutive championships, winn ...
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.
Cale Yarborough William Caleb Yarborough (March 27, 1939 – December 31, 2023) was an American NASCAR Winston Cup Series driver and owner, businessman, farmer, and rancher. He was the first driver in NASCAR history to win three consecutive championships, winn ...
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 (December 3, 1937 – November 9, 2024) was an 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 ...
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

Bobby Allison Robert Arthur Allison (December 3, 1937 – November 9, 2024) was an 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 ...
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 an American former racing driver. She is the first female to qualify and race in either the Indianapolis 500, or the Daytona 500, both of which she competed in during 1977. She had first attempted to enter th ...
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 Wheeler Jr. (born October 23, 1938), nicknamed Humpy Wheeler, is an American motorsports executive and businessman. He is best known as the former general manager of Charlotte Motor Speedway, a banked racetrack in Concord, Nort ...
consummated a deal for Guthrie to acquire a car from
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. It is considered to be one of the top ranked motorsports organizations in ...
owner
Ralph Moody Ralph Moody may refer to: * Ralph Moody (racing driver) (1917–2004), American racing driver and team owner *Ralph Moody (actor) Ralph Moody (November 5, 1886 – September 6, 1971 ) was an American actor with over 50 movie and over 100 televi ...
, and within 48 hours, flew her to Charlotte to qualify instead for the
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 in NASCAR, 1960, was a ...
. 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 a ...
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
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. It is considered to be one of the top ranked motorsports organizations in ...
star
Tim Richmond Timothy Lee Richmond (June 7, 1955 – August 13, 1989) was an American race car driver from Ashland, Ohio. He competed in American Championship Car Racing, IndyCar racing before transferring to NASCAR's Winston Cup Series. Richmond was one o ...
, who started his professional driving career in
Indy cars American open-wheel car racing, generally and commonly known as Indy car racing, is a category of professional automobile racing in the United States. As of 2025 IndyCar Series, 2025, the top-level American open-wheel racing championship is sa ...
, won the
Rookie of the Year Award A Rookie of the Year award or ROY is given by a number of sports leagues to the top-performing athlete in his or her first season within the league. Athletes competing for the first time in any given league are also known as "rookies". Principal ...
at Indianapolis.


1983

Future
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. It is considered to be one of the top ranked motorsports organizations in ...
driver
Ken Schrader Kenneth William 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 Motor ...
entered at Indy. He crashed during practice and failed to qualify.


Double Duty history (1994–2025)

In 1992,
Musco Lighting Musco Lighting, often referred to as Musco, is a privately-held company that specializes designs and manufactures sports lighting, transportation and infrastructure lighting, automated sports broadcasting, and modular sports venue products. The com ...
Company installed lights at
Charlotte Motor Speedway Charlotte Motor Speedway (known as Lowe's Motor Speedway from 1999 to 2009 due to sponsorship reasons) is a quad-oval Oval track racing#Intermediate, intermediate speedway in Concord, North Carolina. It has hosted various major races since it ...
, becoming the first "speedway" to allow for night racing. For 1992,
The Winston All-Star events are annually held in the NASCAR Cup Series at North Wilkesboro Speedway in North Wilkesboro, North Carolina. Beginning in 2008, NASCAR began the practice of using Roman numerals to identify each race, but ended one year later. Hi ...
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
John Andretti John Andrew Andretti (March 12, 1963January 30, 2020) was an American professional race car driver. He won individual races in CART, IMSA GTP, Rolex Sports Car Series, and NASCAR during his career. A member of the Andretti racing family, he was ...
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 former racing driver who competed in numerous disciplines of motorsport. He is best known for his open wheel racing career, and for becoming the first four-time winner of the India ...
, and
Geoff Brabham __NOTOC__ Geoffrey John 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 ...
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 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 their wheels below the body or inside fend ...
"split" was the focus of the month at Indy.


1997

IndyCar veteran
Robby Gordon Robert Wesley Gordon (born January 2, 1969) is an American semi-retired auto racing driver. He has raced in NASCAR, Championship Auto Racing Teams, CART, the IndyCar Series, the Trans-Am Series, International Motor Sports Association, IMSA, Inter ...
switched full-time to NASCAR for 1997. Driving for the
Felix Sabates Feliciano Sergio "Félix" Sabates Jr. (born September 9, 1945) is a Cuban-born former entrepreneur, and philanthropist living in the United States of America. He is a partner in Chip Ganassi Racing teams, which formerly fielded teams in the NASCA ...
SABCO Racing The NASCAR operation of Chip Ganassi Racing was established in 1989 by Cuban-American businessman Felix Sabates. The team was known as SABCO Racing, formed after Sabates purchased an R&D team from Hendrick Motorsports. The team was renamed Team ...
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 (; April 29, 1951February 18, 2001) was an American professional Stock car racing, stock car driver and racing team owner, who raced from 1975 to 2001 in the former NASCAR Winston Cup Series (now called the NASCAR Cup Serie ...
's gasman Danny "Chocolate" Myers 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 champion ...
's car at A.J. Foyt Racing.


1999

Tony Stewart Anthony Wayne Stewart (born May 20, 1971), nicknamed "Smoke", is an American semi-retired professional auto racing driver, and former NASCAR team co-owner of Stewart-Haas Racing. He currently competes in the NHRA Top Fuel class. He is a four-t ...
, an IRL regular from 1996 to 1998, switched to the NASCAR Winston Cup Series for the 1999 season. He arranged to attempt "Double Duty" for the first time in
1999 1999 was designated as the International Year of Older Persons. Events January * January 1 – The euro currency is established and the European Central Bank assumes its full powers. * January 3 – The Mars Polar Lander is launc ...
. On pole day at Indy, Stewart had to make his qualifying attempt, then quickly fly to Charlotte in order to participate in the
Winston Open All-Star events are annually held in the NASCAR Cup Series at North Wilkesboro Speedway in North Wilkesboro, North Carolina. Beginning in 2008, NASCAR began the practice of using Roman numerals to identify each race, but ended one year later. Hi ...
. He was forced to take a fairly slow speed in time trials, and ended up qualifying 24th at Indy. That evening, Stewart won the Winston Open, and finished second in the main event,
The Winston All-Star events are annually held in the NASCAR Cup Series at North Wilkesboro Speedway in North Wilkesboro, North Carolina. Beginning in 2008, NASCAR began the practice of using Roman numerals to identify each race, but ended one year later. Hi ...
. On race day, Stewart finished 9th at the Indy 500, but was not much of a factor. At Charlotte, he led laps, and finished 4th.
Robby Gordon Robert Wesley Gordon (born January 2, 1969) is an American semi-retired auto racing driver. He has raced in NASCAR, Championship Auto Racing Teams, CART, the IndyCar Series, the Trans-Am Series, International Motor Sports Association, IMSA, Inter ...
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 draught animals such as horses, donkeys, mules and oxen, or even smaller animals such as goats or large dogs. A handcart ...
event and then at the Indianapolis 500 on consecutive days. The
Motorola 300 The Bommarito Automotive Group 500 presented by Axalta and Valvoline is an IndyCar Series race held at World Wide Technology Raceway in Madison, Illinois, United States. The event was first held as a CART series race from 1997 to 2000, initially o ...
at Gateway was held on Saturday May 29. Moreno finished 4th, and Gordon crashed and finished 27th. On Sunday May 30, Gordon and Moreno both returned to Indy. Gordon nearly won, running out of fuel just shy of the white flag. He ended up 4th. Moreno dropped out and finished 20th.


2000

Robby Gordon Robert Wesley Gordon (born January 2, 1969) is an American semi-retired auto racing driver. He has raced in NASCAR, Championship Auto Racing Teams, CART, the IndyCar Series, the Trans-Am Series, International Motor Sports Association, IMSA, Inter ...
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 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 20 September 1975) is a Colombian racing driver, who competed in Formula One from to , IndyCar between 1999 and 2022, and the NASCAR Cup Series between 2006 and 2024. Montoya won seven Formula One Grand ...
and
Jimmy Vasser James "Jimmy" Vasser Jr. (born November 20, 1965) is an American former racing driver who competed primarily in the Championship Auto Racing Teams, CART series and Champ Car World Series, Champ Car. Vasser won ten CART series races and won the ...
participated in the
CART A cart or dray (Australia and New Zealand) is a vehicle designed for transport, using two wheels and normally pulled by draught animals such as horses, donkeys, mules and oxen, or even smaller animals such as goats or large dogs. A handcart ...
Bosch Spark Plug Grand Prix The Firestone Indy 225 was an IndyCar racing event held at Nazareth Speedway from 1987–2004. From 1987–2001, the event was sanctioned by CART. In 2002, the race switched to the Indy Racing League. From 1987–1996, the race was sc ...
at
Nazareth Speedway Nazareth Speedway was an auto racing facility in Lower Nazareth Township, Pennsylvania, Lower Nazareth Township in the Lehigh Valley region of eastern Pennsylvania, which operated from 1910 to 2004. The racing facility operated in two distinct co ...
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 primari ...
traveled to Charlotte to participate in the
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. It is considered to be one of the top ranked motorsports organizations in ...
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 BetMGM 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. History The race's origins trac ...
. Leffler finished 21st at Charlotte. All three were back to Indy on Sunday.


2001

For the second time,
Tony Stewart Anthony Wayne Stewart (born May 20, 1971), nicknamed "Smoke", is an American semi-retired professional auto racing driver, and former NASCAR team co-owner of Stewart-Haas Racing. He currently competes in the NHRA Top Fuel class. He is a four-t ...
decided to attempt "Double Duty." Still part of
Joe Gibbs Racing Joe Gibbs Racing (JGR) is an American professional stock car racing organization founded by Pro Football Hall of Fame coach Joe Gibbs. His son, J. D. Gibbs, ran the team with him until his death in 2019. Founded in Huntersville, North Carolina, ...
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 competing in the NTT IndyCar Series. They have formerly competed in the NASCAR Cup and Xfinity Series, Global Rally ...
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 (an initialism of their original name, which was the Entertainment and Sports Programming Network) is an American international basic cable sports channel owned by the Walt Disney Company (80% and operational control) and Hearst Commu ...
aired a one-hour documentary profiling the effort.


2004

For the third year in a row and fifth time overall,
Robby Gordon Robert Wesley Gordon (born January 2, 1969) is an American semi-retired auto racing driver. He has raced in NASCAR, Championship Auto Racing Teams, CART, the IndyCar Series, the Trans-Am Series, International Motor Sports Association, IMSA, Inter ...
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, Gordon finished 20th, three laps down. On Bump Day (May 23),
Tony Stewart Anthony Wayne Stewart (born May 20, 1971), nicknamed "Smoke", is an American semi-retired professional auto racing driver, and former NASCAR team co-owner of Stewart-Haas Racing. He currently competes in the NHRA Top Fuel class. He is a four-t ...
created a stir when he made an unexpected visit to the Speedway. After finishing third the previous night in the
NEXTEL All-Star Challenge All-star game, All-Star events are annually held in the NASCAR Cup Series at North Wilkesboro Speedway in North Wilkesboro, North Carolina. Beginning in 2008, NASCAR began the practice of using Roman numerals to identify each race, but ended one ...
, 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.
A. J. Foyt Anthony Joseph Foyt Jr. (born January 16, 1935) is an American former racing driver who competed in numerous disciplines of motorsport. He is best known for his open wheel racing career, and for becoming the first four-time winner of the India ...
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
Kurt Busch Kurt Thomas Busch (born August 4, 1978) is an American auto racing driver. He is best known for competing in the NASCAR Cup Series from 2000–2022, last driving the No. 45 Toyota Camry TRD for 23XI Racing. Busch is the 2004 NASCAR Cup Series ch ...
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 (born 19 May 1973) is a British motorsport commentator and retired motor racing driver from Scotland. Franchitti won the IndyCar Series Drivers' Championship in 2007, 2009, 2010 and 2011; the Indianapolis 500 in ...
, 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'' and CW. He raced in the NASCAR Cup Series on a full-time basis from 2003 ...
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
Robby Gordon Robert Wesley Gordon (born January 2, 1969) is an American semi-retired auto racing driver. He has raced in NASCAR, Championship Auto Racing Teams, CART, the IndyCar Series, the Trans-Am Series, International Motor Sports Association, IMSA, Inter ...
) were interested in making the attempt. NASCAR regulars
Jimmie Johnson Jimmie Kenneth Johnson (born September 17, 1975) is an American professional auto racing driver. He currently competes part-time in the NASCAR Cup Series, driving the No. 84 Toyota Camry XSE for Legacy Motor Club. Johnson has won seven Cup ch ...
and
Kasey Kahne Kasey Kenneth Kahne (; born April 10, 1980) is an American professional dirt track racing and stock car racing driver. He competes part-time in the NASCAR Xfinity Series, driving the No. 33 Chevrolet SS for Richard Childress Racing. Currently, K ...
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 and model. 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 ...
also nixed plans to compete in both races.


2013

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 60 ...
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. It is considered to be one of the top ranked motorsports organizations in ...
Nextel Cup Series The NASCAR Cup Series is the top racing series of the NASCAR, National Association for Stock Car Auto Racing (NASCAR), the most prestigious stock car racing series in the United States. The series began in 1949 as the Strictly Stock Division, ...
champion
Kurt Busch Kurt Thomas Busch (born August 4, 1978) is an American auto racing driver. He is best known for competing in the NASCAR Cup Series from 2000–2022, last driving the No. 45 Toyota Camry TRD for 23XI Racing. Busch is the 2004 NASCAR Cup Series ch ...
tested for
Andretti Autosport Andretti Global is an American motorsports organization with teams competing in the IndyCar Series, Indy NXT, Formula E, and joint entries in IMSA and the Australian Supercars Championship. Starting in 2026, Andretti will also operate the Cad ...
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
Kurt Busch Kurt Thomas Busch (born August 4, 1978) is an American auto racing driver. He is best known for competing in the NASCAR Cup Series from 2000–2022, last driving the No. 45 Toyota Camry TRD for 23XI Racing. Busch is the 2004 NASCAR Cup Series ch ...
would attempt "Double Duty" with
Andretti Autosport Andretti Global is an American motorsports organization with teams competing in the IndyCar Series, Indy NXT, Formula E, and joint entries in IMSA and the Australian Supercars Championship. Starting in 2026, Andretti will also operate the Cad ...
. The effort was done in-part to help raise awareness for military veterans with
PTSD Post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD) is a mental disorder that develops from experiencing a traumatic event, such as sexual assault, domestic violence, child abuse, warfare and its associated traumas, natural disaster, traffic collision, ...
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 All-Star events are annually held in the NASCAR Cup Series at North Wilkesboro Speedway in North Wilkesboro, North Carolina. Beginning in 2008, NASCAR began the practice of using Roman numerals to identify each race, but ended one year later. ...
. 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 Charlotte 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 (also known as NBC Sports Network) 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 Lif ...
series '' 36''.


2015–2023

Indiana native
Jeff Gordon Jeffery Michael Gordon (born August 4, 1971) is an American stock car racing executive and former professional stock car racing driver who currently serves as the vice chairman of Hendrick Motorsports. He raced full-time from 1993 to 2015, d ...
, during his last Cup Series season, drove the
pace car In motorsport, a safety car, or a pace car, is a car that limits the speed of competing cars or motorcycles on a racetrack in the case of a ''caution period,'' such as an obstruction on the track or bad weather. The safety car aims to enable th ...
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 IndyCar Series season, 2015 season of the IndyCar Series, Verizon IndyCar Series. Juan Pabl ...
before flying to Charlotte for the
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 firs ...
. He has never competed in the Indy 500, although he did win the
Brickyard 400 The Brickyard 400 is an annual NASCAR Cup Series points race held at the Indianapolis Motor Speedway in Speedway, Indiana, United States. The inaugural race was held in 1994 and was the first race other than the Indianapolis 500 to be held at the ...
five times. In 2015, Doug Rice, the anchor of the
Performance Racing Network The Performance Racing Network or PRN for short 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 owned tracks. PRN fi ...
, as well as the anchor for the Brickyard 400 on the IMS Radio Network, 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
Charlotte Motor Speedway Charlotte Motor Speedway (known as Lowe's Motor Speedway from 1999 to 2009 due to sponsorship reasons) is a quad-oval Oval track racing#Intermediate, intermediate speedway in Concord, North Carolina. It has hosted various major races since it ...
to call the
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 firs ...
later that evening. He is believed to be the first broadcaster to cover both races in-person on the same day. For
2016 2016 was designated as: * International Year of Pulses by the sixty-eighth session of the United Nations General Assembly. * International Year of Global Understanding (IYGU) by the International Council for Science (ICSU), the Internationa ...
,
2017 2017 was designated as the International Year of Sustainable Tourism for Development by the United Nations General Assembly. Events January * January 1 – Istanbul nightclub shooting: A gunman dressed as Santa Claus opens fire at the ...
,
2018 Events January * January 1 – Bulgaria takes over the Presidency of the Council of the European Union, after the Estonian presidency. * January 4 – SPLM-IO rebels loyal to Chan Garang Lual start a raid against Juba, capital of ...
and
2019 This was the year in which the first known human case of COVID-19 was documented, preceding COVID-19 pandemic, the pandemic which was declared by the World Health Organization the following year. Up to that point, 2019 had been described as ...
, despite some very early rumors, no drivers attempted double duty at Indy and Charlotte. In 2020, the
COVID-19 pandemic The COVID-19 pandemic (also known as the coronavirus pandemic and COVID pandemic), caused by severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2), began with an disease outbreak, outbreak of COVID-19 in Wuhan, China, in December ...
caused the
Indianapolis 500 The Indianapolis 500, formally known as the Indianapolis 500-Mile Race, and commonly shortened to Indy 500, is an annual automobile race held at the Indianapolis Motor Speedway in Speedway, Indiana, United States, an enclave suburb of Indian ...
to be moved from May to August while the
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 firs ...
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 known as the Dover International Speedway from 2002 to 2021 and as the Dover Downs International Speedway from 1969 to 2001) is a oval track in Dover, Delaware. The venue has hosted major events since its inaugu ...
, 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 Cup race at the Daytona Road Course. Complications from the pandemic extended into 2021 as the
Indianapolis 500 The Indianapolis 500, formally known as the Indianapolis 500-Mile Race, and commonly shortened to Indy 500, is an annual automobile race held at the Indianapolis Motor Speedway in Speedway, Indiana, United States, an enclave suburb of Indian ...
qualifying clashed with the Cup Series' Texas Grand Prix. 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. He competes full-time in the NASCAR Cup Series, driving the No. 51 and No. 15 Ford Mustang (seventh generation), Ford Mustang Dark Horses for Rick Ware Racing ...
initially entered the Indy 500 but opted to remain in NASCAR and run the 600, though the latter was due to a lack of sponsorship.


2024

Kyle Larson Kyle Miyata Larson (born July 31, 1992) is an American professional racing driver. He competes full-time in the NASCAR Cup Series, driving the No. 5 Chevrolet ZL1 for Hendrick Motorsports, part-time in the NASCAR Xfinity Series, driving the No. ...
attempted to do Double Duty on May 26, 2024, entering the
Indianapolis 500 The Indianapolis 500, formally known as the Indianapolis 500-Mile Race, and commonly shortened to Indy 500, is an annual automobile race held at the Indianapolis Motor Speedway in Speedway, Indiana, United States, an enclave suburb of Indian ...
for
Arrow McLaren The IndyCar Series operation of McLaren, competing as Arrow McLaren IndyCar Team due to sponsorship, is based in Indianapolis and was founded by former IndyCar driver Sam Schmidt in 2001 as Sam Schmidt Motorsports (SSM). The team operates the N ...
, and the 2024 Cola–Cola 600 for
Hendrick Motorsports Hendrick Motorsports is an American professional auto racing organization that competes in the NASCAR Cup Series. The team was founded in 1984 as All-Star Racing by Rick Hendrick. Hendrick Motorsports has won a NASCAR-record 316 Cup Series ra ...
. Because of the Indy 500's qualifying schedule, Larson missed the
NASCAR All-Star Race All-star game, All-Star events are annually held in the NASCAR Cup Series at North Wilkesboro Speedway in North Wilkesboro, North Carolina. Beginning in 2008, NASCAR began the practice of using Roman numerals to identify each race, but ended one ...
heat races on Saturday afternoon (May 18) at
North Wilkesboro Speedway North Wilkesboro Speedway is a paved oval Oval track racing#Short track, short track in North Wilkesboro, North Carolina. The track has hosted a variety of racing events since its inaugural season of racing in 1947; primarily races sanctioned by ...
. The recently retired
Kevin Harvick Kevin Michael Harvick (born December 8, 1975) is an American semi-retired professional stock car racing driver and commentator for '' NASCAR on Fox''. He last competed full-time in the NASCAR Cup Series, driving the No. 4 Ford Mustang for Stewa ...
filled in for Larson. (Harvick was still eligible for the All-Star race in his own right). Larson flew back to North Carolina from Indianapolis late Sunday afternoon after qualifying for fifth place on the Indy 500 starting grid, and got to North Wilkesboro in time for the All-Star race, after
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. It is considered to be one of the top ranked motorsports organizations in ...
adjusted the start time to accommodate him. During the days leading up to the 500, retired driver
Tony Kanaan Antoine Rizkallah "Tony" Kanaan Filho (born 31 December 1974), nicknamed "TK", is a Brazilian racing driver who is the team principal of Arrow McLaren. He is best known for racing in Championship Auto Racing Teams (CART) from 1998 to 2002, an ...
was rumored as a possible replacement driver for Larson at the "500" in case of weather issues.
Nolan Siegel Nolan Reid Siegel (born November 8, 2004) is an American racing driver. He competes in the IndyCar Series driving the No. 6 Chevrolet for Arrow McLaren. In 2024, Siegel won the 2024 24 Hours of Le Mans, 24 Hours of Le Mans in the LMP2 class on hi ...
was later announced as the stand-by driver (but he was not used). On race day, due to rain, the start of the Indianapolis 500 was delayed by four hours. Larson elected to stay in Indianapolis and drive the full race. He finished 18th, suffering a pit road speed limit penalty during the second half, which essentially took him out of contention.
Justin Allgaier Justin Myrl Allgaier (born June 6, 1986) is an American professional stock car racing driver. He competes full-time in the NASCAR Xfinity Series, driving the No. 7 Chevrolet Camaro (sixth generation), Chevrolet SS for JR Motorsports and part-time ...
was standing by as a relief driver in Charlotte and started the Coca-Cola 600 in Larson's car. Allgaier drove the first 249 laps (of 400) in his place. Larson arrived at Charlotte just as a weather delay (rain and lightning) halted the race on lap 249. Larson was preparing to take over the car if and when the race was resumed. However, the race was eventually called official by NASCAR due to difficulty of track drying from high humidity and the potential of racing late into the early hours of morning. Additionally,
Jimmie Johnson Jimmie Kenneth Johnson (born September 17, 1975) is an American professional auto racing driver. He currently competes part-time in the NASCAR Cup Series, driving the No. 84 Toyota Camry XSE for Legacy Motor Club. Johnson has won seven Cup ch ...
was scheduled to be part of the
NBC The National Broadcasting Company (NBC) is an American commercial broadcast television and radio network serving as the flagship property of the NBC Entertainment division of NBCUniversal, a subsidiary of Comcast. It is one of NBCUniversal's ...
broadcast team for the Indianapolis 500, and then was to fly to Charlotte to race in the Coca-Cola 600. However, he opted to only race in the 600 due to the weather in Indianapolis. He would have become the first person to announce one race and drive in the other on the same day.


2025

On September 10, 2024, it was announced that Kyle Larson will once again attempt the Indianapolis 500 with
Arrow McLaren The IndyCar Series operation of McLaren, competing as Arrow McLaren IndyCar Team due to sponsorship, is based in Indianapolis and was founded by former IndyCar driver Sam Schmidt in 2001 as Sam Schmidt Motorsports (SSM). The team operates the N ...
, and the Coca-Cola 600 with
Hendrick Motorsports Hendrick Motorsports is an American professional auto racing organization that competes in the NASCAR Cup Series. The team was founded in 1984 as All-Star Racing by Rick Hendrick. Hendrick Motorsports has won a NASCAR-record 316 Cup Series ra ...
, in 2025. Larson crashed out of the Indianapolis 500 on the 92nd lap. Had Larson not crashed, he would not have been able to complete the race and reach Charlotte in time for the Coca-Cola 600; the Indy race had been delayed by intermittent rain showers, pushing start time to 1:29 p.m, with eventual winner
Alex Palou Alex is a given name. Similar names are Alexander, Alexandra, Alexey or Alexis. People Multiple *Alex Brown (disambiguation), multiple people * Alex Cook (disambiguation), multiple people * Alex Forsyth (disambiguation), multiple people *Alexand ...
not crossing the finish line until 4:26 p.m., 19 minutes after Larson's hard limit time. Tony Kanaan served as stand-by driver. Larson pressed forward with plans to race in Charlotte that night. At the Coca-Cola 600, after recovering from a spinout on lap 42, Larson collided with Daniel Suarez's car on lap 245 and withdrew after the damage proved too much to repair, resulting in the first Double Duty DNF since Robby Gordon in 1997, and first to occur on the same day. After the race, Larson indicated that he would be interested in racing the Indianapolis 500 again but determined that Double Duty would be nearly impossible to pull off because of the time constraints, noting that exhaustion from the Indy race attempt affected his performance in Charlotte. Additionally, semi-retired driver
Jimmie Johnson Jimmie Kenneth Johnson (born September 17, 1975) is an American professional auto racing driver. He currently competes part-time in the NASCAR Cup Series, driving the No. 84 Toyota Camry XSE for Legacy Motor Club. Johnson has won seven Cup ch ...
drove retired NFL player
Tom Brady Thomas Edward Patrick Brady Jr. (born August 3, 1977) is an American former professional American football, football quarterback who played in the National Football League (NFL) for 23 seasons. He spent his first 20 seasons with the New Engla ...
one lap around Indianapolis Motor Speedway in a specially built two-seat IndyCar prior to the start of the 500, before flying to Charlotte to make his 700th career start in the
NASCAR Cup Series The NASCAR Cup Series is the top racing series of the NASCAR, National Association for Stock Car Auto Racing (NASCAR), the most prestigious stock car racing series in the United States. The series began in 1949 as the Strictly Stock Division, ...
.


Race results

The Indianapolis 500 is scheduled for 200 laps (500 miles) with 33 starting drivers (the lone post-1994 exception was
1997 Events January * January 1 – The Emergency Alert System is introduced in the United States. * January 11 – Turkey threatens Cyprus on account of a deal to buy Russian S-300 missiles, prompting the Cypriot Missile Crisis. * January 1 ...
). The Coca-Cola 600 is scheduled for 400 laps (600 miles) and 43 (1994 to 2015) or 36 to 41 (2016-present) starting drivers. Rain delays: *1997: The Indianapolis 500, which had been postponed to Monday due to rain, was suspended on lap 15 because of rain, before resuming the following day. Coca-Cola 600 suspended by rain on Lap 194, and curtailed by curfew after 333 laps. *2000: The Indianapolis 500 start was delayed 3:09 by rain. At the Coca-Cola 600, P. J. Jones started and drove until the suspension of race on Lap 254 for weather, officially credited with race points. Robby Gordon drove without official credit upon resumption of the race. *2004: The Indianapolis 500, whose start had been delayed by two hours because of rain, was suspended on Lap 29 for 1:47 by rain. During the suspension,
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 ...
took over during a rain delay and drove the final 61 laps, before the race was curtailed after 180 laps due to a
tornado A tornado is a violently rotating column of air that is in contact with the surface of Earth and a cumulonimbus cloud or, in rare cases, the base of a cumulus cloud. It is often referred to as a twister, whirlwind or cyclone, although the ...
in the area. By series rule, Robby Gordon is credited with participation. *2024: The Indianapolis 500 start was delayed 3:59 by rain. At the Coca-Cola 600,
Justin Allgaier Justin Myrl Allgaier (born June 6, 1986) is an American professional stock car racing driver. He competes full-time in the NASCAR Xfinity Series, driving the No. 7 Chevrolet Camaro (sixth generation), Chevrolet SS for JR Motorsports and part-time ...
started and drove until the suspension on Lap 249 for weather. The race did not resume because of track drying issues and the late hour. No driver was credited with race points, as Allgaier, who drove the entire race, is ineligible for Cup Series points. However, Allgaier's performance officially scored the No. 5 team with 13th place owner's points. *2025: The Indianapolis 500 start was delayed 45 minutes after the end of the pre-race ceremonies because of light rain showers. 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 (F1) is the highest class of worldwide racing for open-wheel single-seater formula Auto racing, racing cars sanctioned by the Fédération Internationale de l'Automobile (FIA). The FIA Formula One World Championship has been one ...
. 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 () 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 prestigious automobile races in the wo ...
at
Monte Carlo Monte Carlo ( ; ; or colloquially ; , ; ) is an official administrative area of Monaco, specifically the Ward (country subdivision), ward of Monte Carlo/Spélugues, where the Monte Carlo Casino is located. Informally, the name also refers to ...
, two of the three components of the
Triple Crown of Motorsport The Triple Crown of Motorsport is an unofficial motorsport achievement, often regarded as associated with the three most important achievements of a driver in motorsport, inspired by the triple crown of thoroughbred racing. The earliest version ...
. 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 who competes in Formula One for Aston Martin in Formula One, Aston Martin. Alonso has won two Formula One World Drivers' Championship titles, which he won in and with ...
, 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, currently racing as BWT Alpine F1 Team for sponsorship reasons, is the name under which the Enstone-based Formula One team has been competing since the start of the 2021 Formula One World Championship. Formerly named Renault F1 ...
after his signing) specifically forbids an Indianapolis 500 attempt due to safety concerns. Beginning in 2026, the Monaco Grand Prix will move from its May date to the first full weekend in June.


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
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. It is considered to be one of the top ranked motorsports organizations 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 most prestigious stock car racing series in the United States. The series began in 1949 as the Strictly Stock Division, ...
events, or even
Craftsman Truck Series The NASCAR Craftsman Truck Series is a pickup truck racing series owned and operated by the NASCAR, National Association for Stock Car Auto Racing (NASCAR), and is the only series in NASCAR to race production pickup truck-based stock car racing, s ...
races; this practice is widely known as " Buschwhacking" (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 oth ...
). 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 ...
at
Daytona Daytona may refer to: Locations * Daytona Beach, Florida * Daytona Beach Shores, Florida * South Daytona, Florida * The Daytona Beach metropolitan area * Halifax area, also known as Daytona, the region around Daytona Beach Motor racing * Dayto ...
, and the 2010 spring weekend at Talladega, with the
Aaron's 312 Stock car racing events in the NASCAR Xfinity Series have been held at Talladega Superspeedway, in Lincoln, Alabama during numerous seasons and times of year since 1992. Spring race The Ag-Pro 300 is a NASCAR Xfinity Series race at Talladega ...
happening after the
Aaron's 499 The Jack Link's 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 s ...
. In the later case, the resulting distance was over 851 miles distance traveled, as both races were extended by green-white-checkered finishes. In the latter,
Kevin Harvick Kevin Michael Harvick (born December 8, 1975) is an American semi-retired professional stock car racing driver and commentator for '' NASCAR on Fox''. He last competed full-time in the NASCAR Cup Series, driving the No. 4 Ford Mustang for Stewa ...
and
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'' and CW. He raced in the NASCAR Cup Series on a full-time basis from 2003 ...
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 Dark Horse for RFK Racing, a te ...
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 b ...
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 Automobile Competition Committee for the United States, ACCUS arm of the Féd ...
. A few drivers,
Geoff Brabham __NOTOC__ Geoffrey John 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 ...
,
Kevin Cogan John Kevin Cogan (born March 31, 1956) is an American 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 for Tyrrell at the ...
, and
Rocky Moran Rocky Moran Sr. (February 3, 1950 – September 21, 2024) was an American race car driver. He started three Indianapolis races (1988, 1989, and 1990 Indianapolis 500) with a best finish of 14th in 1989. Moran also teamed with P. J. Jones and M ...
, competed at Indy on Sunday, and at Lime Rock on Monday. In 2020, due to scheduling changes resulting from the
COVID-19 pandemic The COVID-19 pandemic (also known as the coronavirus pandemic and COVID pandemic), caused by severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2), began with an disease outbreak, outbreak of COVID-19 in Wuhan, China, in December ...
, the IndyCar Series announced that it would hold its
GMR Grand Prix Events in the NTT IndyCar Series have been held annually at the Indianapolis Motor Speedway, Indianapolis Motor Speedway Road Course in Speedway, Indiana since 2014. Events are known as the IndyCar Grand Prix and the Grand Prix of Indianapolis. ...
road course race on July 4, as part of a double-header with the Xfinity Series
Pennzoil 150 The Pennzoil 150 was a NASCAR Xfinity Series auto race held at the Indianapolis Motor Speedway road course from 2020 to 2023. The race was held on the Saturday before the NASCAR Cup Series' Brickyard 400 in 2020 and Verizon 200 at the Brickyard ...
(which, for the 2020 season, will be moved from the oval to the road course as well), a support race for the Cup Series
Brickyard 400 The Brickyard 400 is an annual NASCAR Cup Series points race held at the Indianapolis Motor Speedway in Speedway, Indiana, United States. The inaugural race was held in 1994 and was the first race other than the Indianapolis 500 to be held at the ...
. 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 NXT to ra ...


References

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