Double Duty
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.
Larson made the most recent attempt, in 2024: he finished eighteenth at rain-delayed Indianapolis but failed to make it to Charlotte for the start of the race.
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.
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.
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.
In 2001, Tony Stewart's "Double Duty" effort had the following published itinerary: The Indianapolis 500 debuted in 1911, and from its onset, was scheduled in conjunction with Memorial Day.
[citation needed] In 1971, the Uniform Monday Holiday Act took effect, and began to alter the respective schedules for the races.
The NASCAR Wood Brothers pit crew were invited to Indy to service the Lotus-Ford entries of Jim Clark and Bobby Johns.
Promoter Humpy Wheeler consummated a deal for Guthrie to acquire a car from NASCAR owner Ralph Moody, and within 48 hours, flew her to Charlotte to qualify instead for the World 600.
Future NASCAR star Tim Richmond, who started his professional driving career in Indy cars, won the Rookie of the Year Award at Indianapolis.
IndyCar veteran John Andretti switched full-time to the NASCAR Winston Cup Series starting in 1994, but desired to also compete in the Indy 500.
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.
Juan Pablo Montoya and Jimmy Vasser participated in the CART Bosch Spark Plug Grand Prix at Nazareth Speedway on Saturday, the day before the Indy 500.
Due to his early retirement, and with adequate time, Gordon received a police escort by car to the airport instead of a helicopter ride.
After finishing third the previous night in the NEXTEL All-Star Challenge, Stewart was seen in the Foyt garages climbing into a car and at one point even donned a driver's suit.
From 2005 to 2010, the time frame was deemed insufficient,[27] and despite various rumors of possible attempts over the years, the opportunity to perform "Double Duty" was effectively on hiatus.
Car owner Chip Ganassi was also scheduled to attend both races, but due to a mid-race rain delay, remained at Indy.
For 2011, the start time for the Indy 500 was moved back to 12 noon EDT,[28] which effectively re-opened the travel window and made it possible to attempt "Double Duty" once again.
NASCAR regulars Jimmie Johnson and Kasey Kahne also reportedly expressed interest, and a rumor of a $20 million award for winning both races circulated.
[30] In early May 2013, 2004 NASCAR Nextel Cup Series champion Kurt Busch tested for Andretti Autosport at Indianapolis, opening up the possibility of a "Double Duty" attempt in 2014.
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.
Indiana native Jeff Gordon, during his last Cup Series season, drove the pace car at the start of the 2015 Indianapolis 500 before flying to Charlotte for the Coca-Cola 600.
Rice performed broadcasting "double duty", working the pits for the Indy 500, then flying to Charlotte Motor Speedway to call the Coca-Cola 600 later that evening.
James Davison 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.
Davison and Cup teammate Cody Ware 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.
Additionally, Jimmie Johnson was scheduled to be part of the NBC broadcast team for the Indianapolis 500, and then was to fly to Charlotte to race in the Coca-Cola 600.
This would require them to travel between Indianapolis and Europe during the month of May, usually between Indy and the Monaco Grand Prix at Monte Carlo, two of the three components of the Triple Crown of Motorsport.
However, in addition to scheduling conflicts with Monaco and Indy 500 qualifying, Alonso's new contract with Renault (rebranded Alpine F1 Team after his signing) specifically forbids an Indianapolis 500 attempt due to safety concerns.
A few drivers, Geoff Brabham, Kevin Cogan, and Rocky Moran, competed at Indy on Sunday, and at Lime Rock on Monday.
[48][49] Stewart ended up not attempting any races, citing financial challenges and lack of fan attendance due to the pandemic.
