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The Indy 500, Coca-Cola 600 Double Put New Spotlight on Memorial Day Weekend

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Jerry Bonkowski
·5 min read
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NASCAR 75: #20 The Indy 500, Coca-Cola 600 DoubleBrian E. Cleary - Getty Images

  • John Andretti was the first driver to ever attempt “The Double” in 1994.

  • In 2001, Tony Stewart became the first and only driver to date to successfully complete all 600 combined laps and finish both ends of “The Double.”

  • The best overall combined finish of both races—but NOT held on the same day—occurred in 1970 when Donnie Allison pulled off the feat, but on consecutive weekends.

There are a number of endurance-like events in auto racing, including the Baja 1000, the 24 Hours of Le Mans, and the longest race of all, the Dakar Rally, which typically takes nearly two weeks to complete.

But there is nothing anywhere in the world like “The Double,” which is actually two races held on the same day: IndyCar’s Indianapolis 500, which starts in the late morning and finishes mid-afternoon, followed by NASCAR’s longest race of the year, the Coca-Cola 600, which starts late in the afternoon and finishes under the lights roughly 4-5 hours later.

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All told, “The Double” is 1,100 miles in length—not including the potential for overtime in either event—500 miles (200 laps around the 2.5-mile Indianapolis Motor Speedway) and 600 miles (400 laps around the 1.5-mile Charlotte Motor Speedway), both races held on the Sunday of the annual Memorial Day holiday weekend in late May.

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John Andretti was the first to tackle the double in 1994.Robert Laberge - Getty Images

John Andretti was the first driver to ever attempt “The Double” in 1994. He finished 10th at Indy, completing 196 of the 200 laps contested. Andretti then hopped a plane for the roughly two-hour flight to Concord (N.C.) Airport, then helicoptered to Charlotte Motor Speedway, where he completed only 220 of the 400 laps before bowing out due to a failed crankshaft, finishing a disappointing 36th.

Since Andretti’s trailblazing effort, several other drivers have attempted “The Double.” Among the top highlights:

• In 2001, Tony Stewart became the first and only driver to date to successfully complete all 600 combined laps and finish both ends of “The Double,” winding up sixth in the Indy 500 and followed that up with a third-place encore showing in the Coca-Cola 600. Stewart also attempted both races in 1999, finishing ninth at Indianapolis (but completed just 196 of the 200 scheduled laps) and was fourth at Charlotte.

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Robby Gordon gets ready to race in the Coca-Cola 600 at Charlotte after racing in the Indianapolis 500 earlier in the day in 2002.Jeff Gross - Getty Images

• Robby Gordon has made the highest number of attempts at “The Double”: five times—in 1997, 2000, 2002, 2003 and 2004. Of note, Gordon finished eighth at Indianapolis and 16th at Charlotte, ending up just one lap short of completing the combined 1,100 miles.

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Donnie Allison’s "double" in 1970 deserves an asterisk.The Enthusiast Network - Getty Images

• The best overall combined finish of both races—but NOT held on the same day—occurred in 1970 when Donnie Allison won the then-World 600 and finished fourth at Indianapolis. However, those races were not held on the same day: the 600 was held on Sunday, May 24, while the 500 was held on Saturday, May 30. Allison came back the following year and finished sixth at Indianapolis on Saturday, May 29, and wound up runner-up at Charlotte the next day.

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Kurt Busch checks out the bricks on qualifying day for the Indianapolis 500 in 2014.Jonathan Ferrey - Getty Images

• NASCAR driver Kurt Busch was the most recent driver to attempt “The Double” in 2014. He finished an impressive sixth in the 500, earning top rookie honors as well, but ended up with a disappointing 40th place finish in the 600 when his engine blew up 271 laps into the 400-lap event.

Kurt Busch’s younger brother, Kyle, has long dreamed about taking part in “The Double,” and that dream may finally come true in 2023 now that he’s with Richard Childress Racing. His previous team, Joe Gibbs Racing, refused to grant Busch permission to attempt “The Double.” But his new boss, Childress, appears more willing to give Busch the go-ahead to do so, realizing the great publicity and marketing opportunities that could result. Time will tell if the younger Busch goes forward or not in 2023 or any other subsequent year to come.

Future Candidates?

Other drivers have been mentioned as possible contenders for “The Double,” as well, including NASCAR Cup drivers Kevin Harvick, Ross Chastain, Ryan Newman, Ryne Blaney, Brad Keselowski, Chase Elliott, Jacques Villeneuve, Kyle Larson, as well as Josef Newgarden and Marco Andretti from the IndyCar world.

There is also one other name that potentially could attempt “The Double” in 2023: seven-time Cup champion Jimmie Johnson, who, like Kyle Busch, has long dreamed of taking part in the day/night doubleheader.

Given that he has semi-retired from full-time racing on the IndyCar circuit, the 47-year-old Johnson would be in a good position to attempt “The Double” in what potentially could be his final year of driving in any racing series.

And what a way to end such an illustrious racing career if he did indeed attempt it.

Follow Autoweek correspondent Jerry Bonkowski on Twitter @JerryBonkowski