Two monumental events, the Indianapolis 500 and the Coca-Cola 600, highlight Memorial Day weekend. The list of drivers who have attempted to complete these races is quite short, making it an extremely exclusive club. Among the elite few to ever attempt this formidable 1100-mile feat in NASCAR is Kyle Larson. In 2025, Larson set out to complete both races in a single day, a motorsports feat of endurance known as ‘The Double.’
After qualifying 19th in IndyCar and an impressive second at the Coca-Cola 600 qualifying, Larson’s double duty was off to a promising start. The stakes were sky high, the spotlight unrelenting, and Larson embraced it all. “My first goal is to finish all the laps in both races; there’s only been one other guy,” Larson said just days before the race. But as race day unfolded, his bold attempt began to unravel. Larson’s ambitious endeavor faced immediate setbacks.
Before we take a look at how the 2021 Cup Series Champion’s ‘double duty’ unfolded, let’s dive into the past legends who have attempted this grueling drive.
Where it all started: From John Andretti to Kyle Larson
The Pursuit of racing both the Indy 500 and the Coca-Cola 600 on the same day is rare and demanding. Over the years, several drivers who attempted his feat faced numerous obstacles and varying degrees of success. It all started with John Andretti, who was the 1st to attempt it in 1994. He completed the Indy 500, finishing 10th, but mechanical issues in the Coca-Cola 600 dropped him to a 36th-place finish. While he didn’t complete the 1100-mile slugfest, he proved that it was possible, and this only motivated other drivers to try their hand.
Two-time Super Trucks Champion Robby Gordon made multiple attempts between 1997 and 2005. His best performance had come in 2001, when he finished 6th in the Indy 500 and 16th in the Coca-Cola 600, narrowly missing the full 1100 miles because of time constraints. However, one driver achieved the seemingly impossible.
Tony Stewart‘s 2001 effort remains the most successful. He completed both races, finishing 6th at Indy and 3rd at Charlotte, becoming the first and only driver to achieve the full 1100 miles in a single day, and finished top-10 in both races! However, his road to this achievement was not easy. In 1999, his attempt fell short by 4 laps at Indianapolis, and while he finished the race at Charlotte, his body was a mess.
Stewart reflected on his 1999 attempt, saying, “The first year it was terrible. It was a terrible experience. I had no idea what I needed to do, nutrition-wise.” Stewart just drank loads of water to stay hydrated, but did not eat enough food to sustain him for the 1100 miles. “The first year, we were so worried about dehydration that I drank and I drank and I drank and I drank. I just never ate enough solid, nutritious food the night before,” Stewart added. Despite the initial setback, Stewart made history in 2001, and this motivated the next generation to attempt to match his legacy.
Moving on to the mid-2000s. 2026 NASCAR Hall of Fame inductee Kurt Busch attempted the double in 2014. He finished sixth in the Indy 500 and 35th in the Coca-Cola 600 because of an engine failure, yet again falling short of Stewart’s greatness. However, Busch was not in his prime, having been a Cup Series Champion 10 years earlier in 2004. Now we come to Kyle Larson‘s attempt.
The Hendrick Motorsports driver is in his prime and attempted the double for the first time in 2024. Rain marred the race at Indy, as it started late, and Larson chose to stay and attempt to complete it. While he started sixth and finished 18th after a speeding penalty, by the time he got to Charlotte, the rain followed him, and the race was ended prematurely, without him turning a single lap. This motivated Larson and Hendrick Motorsports to try once again in 2025, however, this time it was much worse than 2024. Let’s just say Larson might not be attempting the Double again.
Larson’s fall from grace
Kyle Larson’s run on Memorial Day weekend was supposed to be historic. But instead of triumph, it became a painful lesson in how brutally unpredictable The Double can be. Larson’s Indy 500 debut ended prematurely on lap 92. Just after a restart, a missed downshift caused him to lose control and spin out, as he collected 8 Kyffin Simpson. It was a sudden, crushing end to a month of preparation where Larson had shown genuine pace. His shot at completing what he wanted to do for two years all vanished after one bad restart.
Larson told the media in Indianapolis after his race ended, “Just, it was a bit crazy there at the start… I haven’t seen a replay—I got loose and just kind of got all over the place… Just hate that I got a little too eager there on that restart and caused that crash. Hate it for everybody that also got caught up in it. Yeah, just bummed out. Try to get over this quickly, and get on to Charlotte. Just forget about it, and try to win the next one.” Well, Charlotte didn’t turn out too well either for the #5 Hendrick Motorsports driver.
Kyle Larson explains what happened after crashing out of the #Indy500 on FOX. pic.twitter.com/wv2GqSzrpZ
— INDYCAR on FOX (@IndyCarOnFOX) May 25, 2025
He started 2nd and even went on to lead the race as it looked like he had put his troubled day at Indianapolis behind him. However, a spin in Turn 4 led to him losing his lead, and a broken toe-link put him a lap down. Agony for Larson. He still made it back to the race and even got a pass to unlap himself under caution. However, on Lap 245, he got caught up in a wreck, which eventually ended his day.
When asked if he would ever attempt the Double again, Larson was an emotional mess. He told journalist Dustin Long, “I don’t know. It’s so fresh right now, I don’t really have a good answer for you. The double is just a tough undertaking. The window of time is too tight. Even if I didn’t wreck, I don’t think I would have made it here on time and probably would have had to end that race short anyway. So I don’t really think it’s worth it. But I would love to run the Indy 500 again. Just doing the double, I think, is just logistically too tough.”
It is disheartening to see Kyle Larson’s second failed attempt at the double. But his mettle as a driver can never be questioned; his unwavering grit and determination are something no one can take away from him. He still has a Cup Series Championship to chase, but the sting of a failed attempt going this wrong could linger on his mind. Do you think Kyle Larson can bounce back after this horror show on Sunday? Let us know in the comments
The post Which Drivers Have Run the Indy 500 and Coca-Cola 600? appeared first on EssentiallySports.
