The Californian driver certified fifth for the Indy 500 in his debut earlier than flying to the observe session for the Coca-Cola 600, the place he completed fourth. He’s the primary driver in a decade to try the feat, following within the footsteps of only a handful of drivers since Cale Yarborough in 1967, when the problem ran over a number of days and was referred to as ‘The Cross-over’.
What’s ‘The Double’?
The Double is arguably one of the vital tough challenges in motorsport, and sees a driver participating in each the Indianapolis 500 and Coca-Cola 600, which occur over the identical weekend. The problem has a bunch of various names, together with ‘Double Responsibility’, ‘Indy-Charlotte Double’ and ‘Memorial Day Double’ – the latter of which stems from the races normally happening over Memorial Day weekend in the US.
Each occasions normally run on the identical day, with the Indy 500 working within the afternoon and the Coca-Cola 600 happening within the night. To achieve success at ‘The Double’ a driver should end the Indy 500 on the Indianapolis Motor Speedway after which fly roughly 430 miles to the Coca-Cola 600 on the Charlotte Motor Speedway later within the day.
If there are not any delays to the Indy 500, then there’s a small window for a driver to get between the circuits to then participate within the Coca-Cola 600. Through the flight, the driving force might be checked by a health care provider and given IV fluids to make sure they’re in a match state to tackle the subsequent race.
The Double is bodily demanding on any driver who undertakes the problem, with a mixed complete of 600 laps throughout the 2 races. The five hundred miles of the IndyCar race and the 600 of the NASCAR Cup race, added to the journey of getting between the 2 tracks, will end in a driver participating in ‘The Double’ travelling over 1,100 miles in sooner or later.
Kyle Larson, Arrow McLaren/Rick Hendrick Chevrolet
Photograph by: Michael L. Levitt / Motorsport Images
The Double wasn’t attainable till 1993 when the Coca-Cola 600 was moved to now not overlap with the Indy 500. Regardless of adjusting the time, it was nonetheless not possible for a driver to compete in each races till the time for the Coca-Cola 600 was moved again additional the next yr to permit for makes an attempt of The Double.
What’s Kyle Larson’s Indy 500 and Coca-Cola 600 schedule?
Larson has confronted an extremely busy month, with observe periods and qualifying being held for each the Indy 500 and the Coca-Cola 600. He beforehand missed final weekend’s NASCAR All-Star race on the North Wilkesboro Speedway to participate within the qualifying periods for the IndyCar race.
It isn’t but recognized whether or not the Hendricks Motorsport driver will take part in each races this weekend till he takes half in Saturday’s Coca-Cola 600 qualifying.
If he can take part in each races, Larson’s weekend schedule might be as follows:
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Friday, 24 Could: Indy 500 Carb Day Apply
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Saturday, 25 Could: Coca-Cola 600 Qualifying
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Sunday, 26 Could: Indy 500 (12.45 pm ET begin time), flight to Charlotte Motor Speedway & Coca-Cola 600 (6 pm ET begin time)
Drivers who’ve tried ‘The Double’
Solely 4 drivers have efficiently tried ‘The Double’ and competed in each the Indy 500 and Coca-Cola 600 on the identical day.
Kurt Busch – 2014
Former NASCAR driver Kurt Busch was the final driver to try ‘The Double’, taking over the feat in 2014. Busch had beforehand gained the Coca-Cola 600 in 2010 for Penske Racing, after main 252 laps in a race that noticed 34 chief modifications.
Kurt Busch, Stewart-Haas Racing Chevrolet
Photograph by: Motion Sports activities Images
He hoped to turn out to be the second driver to finish the 1,100-mile feat however sadly his plans have been scuppered 194 miles earlier than the top of the NASCAR race when his engine blew on lap 271. He began the Coca-Cola 600 from the again of the grid – regardless of qualifying seventh – after crashing his major automotive throughout the ultimate observe session. He was in a position to make his method as much as fifteenth earlier than having to retire from the race with 121 laps to go.
Robby Gordon – 1997, 2000, 2002, 2003 & 2004
Robby Gordon is the one driver to have tried ‘The Double’ 5 instances.
His first Indy 500 and Coca-Cola 600 try got here in 1997 when he competed in each with the SABCO racing group.
Rain delayed the beginning of the Indy 500, shifting the race from Sunday to Monday and ultimately into Tuesday as a result of heavy rain. Gordon flew to Charlotte on Sunday to compete within the Coca-Cola 600, which was additionally delayed as a result of rain and he ultimately crashed out on lap 186 of a decreased 333 lap race. He began the Indy 500 on the Monday in twelfth place and after making up many locations, was pressured to retire after simply 19 laps on account of a water leak.
Robby Gordon
Gordon’s second try got here in 2000 when he fell simply 11 laps wanting finishing the problem after a rain delay on the Indy 500 noticed him arrive late to the Coca-Cola 600. Racing for Workforce Menard in each races, he efficiently completed in Indianapolis in sixth place, earlier than crossing the road in Charlotte in thirty fifth. P.J. Jones began the Coca-Cola 600 for Gordon till he made it to the monitor and was formally credited within the ultimate standings.
His third profitable try got here in 2002 when he began the Indy 500 in eleventh. On lap 81, the Workforce Menard/RCR automotive he was racing suffered a big fireplace and explosion within the pit lane. Remarkably Gordon was unhurt, and the automotive was in a position to nonetheless full the 200 laps, the place he completed in eighth place. He then flew to the Coca-Cola 600 the place he labored up from twelfth place into the highest 5 earlier than he suffered leg cramps and dropped again to sixteenth, ending one lap wanting finishing the total 600 laps.
Gordon changed Dario Franchitti for Andretti-Inexperienced racing in 2003 and introduced one other try at ‘The Double’. He began the race in third and on the entrance row of the grid, however on lap 172 stopped on monitor after a gearbox failure. Gordon instantly flew to the Coca-Cola 600, the place he completed in seventeenth on lap 275 of a shortened 276-lap race as a result of rain.
Tony Stewart – 1999 & 2001
Tony Stewart is the one driver to efficiently end all 1,100 miles of ‘The Double’, finishing the try in 2001. The NASCAR Cup Collection and IndyCar Collection champion made two makes an attempt on the two-race feat, falling simply 4 laps brief on his first try in 1999.
Stewart had simply moved from IndyCar to NASCAR full-time for the 1999 season however was supported by his new group – Joe Gibbs Racing – in his try and be the primary driver to finish the total 1,100-mile problem. Beginning the Indy 500 in twenty fourth, Stewart was in a position to end 4 laps down in ninth earlier than flying to the Coca-Cola 600, the place he began twentieth and was unlucky to only miss out on a podium end when he crossed the road in fourth place.
His profitable try got here in 2001 when Stewart accomplished the total 200 laps of the Indy 500 and the 400 laps of the Coca-Cola 600 and even collected a podium end. He certified seventh in Indianapolis and regardless of a strict schedule, which required him to be out of the automotive by 4pm, he was nonetheless in a position to end in sixth place.
The Tony Stewart 1100: double responsibility Indy and Charlotte
Photograph by: tonystewart.com
Stewart’s try virtually seemed prefer it was ending early after he visited first assist for a leg cramp throughout a pink flag on the IndyCar race. Chip Ganassi’s aid driver Richie Hearn was prepared to complete the race for the group, however the Indiana-born driver was in a position to get again into the automotive and end the total 200 laps.
Stewart then began the Coca-Cola 600 on the very again of the grid after being penalised for lacking the drivers’ briefing. He spun simply two laps into the race however was in a position to climb up by the grid and take a third-place end.
Stewart is the one driver to have ever accomplished each races efficiently.
John Andretti – 1994
John Andretti was the primary driver to try ‘The Double’ in 1994 when each the Indy 500 and Coca-Cola 600 have been scheduled to run with a spot in between the races. Andretti had beforehand spent a number of years competing in IndyCar earlier than shifting to NASCAR full-time in 1994.
He began at Indianapolis in tenth, simply behind his uncle Mario Andretti who was competing in his ultimate Indy 500. Andretti was in a position to attain a top-three place throughout the race however dropped again into tenth when he crossed the end line.
He then flew to the Charlotte Motor Speedway the place he had certified ninth within the Coca-Cola 600 however needed to begin in the back of the grid after lacking the drivers’ assembly. The race didn’t go properly for Andretti with a spin on lap 90, earlier than breaking his crankshaft and having to retire the automotive later within the race at lap 220.
Different drivers to have tried ‘The Double’
Three additional drivers had tried ‘The Double’ when it was beforehand referred to as ‘The Cross-Over’. Earlier than 1983 the Indy 500 and the Coca-Cola 600 would happen on separate days giving drivers a greater alternative to try each races.
Cale Yarborough was the primary driver to try ‘The Cross-Over’ in 1967 when he took on each races inside the identical yr. The Coca-Cola 600 was beforehand named The World 600 and came about two days earlier than the Indy 500, with Yarborough qualifying for each occasions.
The try appeared eventful for the South Carolina-born driver, together with his automotive being retired on the 600 with damaged steering, earlier than spinning as soon as and crashing later within the Indy 500 race.
Jerry Grant then tried the feat the next yr the place he completed sixteenth in The World 600, earlier than taking over the Indy 500 4 days later, the place his automotive was then retired after 50 laps on account of an oil leak.
Donnie Allison was the ultimate driver to try ‘The Cross-Over’ in each 1970 and 1971. The Floridian’s first try noticed a six-day break between the races. Allison took house the Charlotte victory, earlier than ending fourth on the Indy 500.
He took on the problem once more the next yr, with races sooner or later after the opposite. Allison completed sixth in Indianapolis on the Sunday, earlier than taking second place in Charlotte on the Monday.