Global InformationDouble Duty information
Double Duty[1] (also referred to as the Indy-Charlotte Double[2] or Memorial Day Double[2]) is an American auto racing term used to describe one of the most difficult feats in motorsport. It centers around two races that are usually held on Memorial Day weekend – the annual Indianapolis 500 IndyCar Series race at Indianapolis Motor Speedway, and the annual Coca-Cola 600 NASCAR Cup Series race at Charlotte Motor Speedway. A driver is said to have done "Double Duty" when they compete in both races in the same weekend or on the same day.
These two events are regarded as significant events for their respective series, as the Indianapolis 500 is the most prestigious IndyCar race, while the Coca-Cola 600 has for years been considered one of NASCAR's most important races, as it is the longest event on the NASCAR Cup Series schedule. Both races are scheduled to be run on the same day, barring any postponements, with the Indianapolis 500 run in the early afternoon and the Coca-Cola 600 in the evening. For a driver to pull off the “Double”, they must compete at Indianapolis first, then board an airplane following the race and fly to Charlotte to complete the feat. By tradition, the Indianapolis 500 champion will not compete in the Coca Cola 600.
Double Duty is considered physically demanding and mentally draining, as a driver is required to be in a race car for most of the day, cover over one thousand miles in the course of the attempt, and do so with very little rest, if any at all. It is similar in concept to the established discipline of endurance racing, but without the help of a relief driver, and the driver withstanding the very different physical demands of an IndyCar, which is run with an open cockpit, and a stock car, in which the driver is enclosed.
John Andretti was the first driver to attempt the feat, on May 29, 1994.[3] In 2001, Tony Stewart became the first and only driver to date to successfully complete all 1,100 miles of both races in the same day. Four drivers (Andretti, Robby Gordon on five occasions, Stewart twice, and Kurt Busch) have attempted. Of these, Stewart's 2001 effort stands as the best combined result, finishing sixth at Indianapolis and third at Charlotte. Busch made the most recent attempt in 2014, finishing sixth at Indianapolis (where he was the fastest rookie) but dropping out of the Coca-Cola 600 with a blown engine after completing 906 total miles.
Some drivers in the 1960s and 1970s attempted "crossovers," or running both events when they were scheduled on consecutive days, with Donnie Allison competing in both events in the same year.
- ^ "Kurt Busch to try Indy 500-Coca Cola 600 double duty". Sports Illustrated. 2014-03-04. Archived from the original on 2014-04-19.
- ^ a b Pennell, Jay (2014-03-08). "Kurt Busch on Indy-Charlotte double: 'I'm driving for the military.'". Fox Sports. Archived from the original on 2014-03-16. Retrieved 2014-04-18.
- ^ "John Andretti – Indy's first 'Double Duty.'". Crash.net. 2001-07-27. Retrieved 2014-04-04.