For the first time in three years, no driver will attempt the Memorial Day Double on Sunday, May 24, 2026. After Kyle Larson's two consecutive failed attempts at the Indianapolis 500 and Coca-Cola 600 on the same day in 2024 and 2025, American motorsport's most ambitious feat is on pause for the first time since John Andretti pioneered the modern version of it in 1994.
Here's the story of why nobody is trying in 2026, why only one driver in history has ever completed the full 1,100 miles, and what it would actually take for the next attempt to succeed.
What the Double actually is
The Double, also called Double Duty or the Memorial Day Double, refers to a single driver attempting to compete in both the Indianapolis 500 (NTT IndyCar Series) and the Coca-Cola 600 (NASCAR Cup Series) on the same Sunday of Memorial Day weekend.
The two races sit roughly 430 miles apart. The Indy 500 starts in the early afternoon at Indianapolis Motor Speedway. The Coca-Cola 600 is a night race at Charlotte Motor Speedway, starting around 6:00 PM ET. Combined race distance: 1,100 miles. Combined race time: roughly seven hours of actual racing, plus a private jet flight in between.
For most of motorsport history, the two races weren't held on the same day at all. The Indy 500 ran on Memorial Day itself, a weekday until 1974, and the Coca-Cola 600 ran on Sunday. The two could be done by the same driver across the weekend without overlap.
The modern Double became possible only after Charlotte Motor Speedway installed lights in 1992, allowing the 600 to run as a night race after the Indy 500 finished in the afternoon. The combined-day attempt is barely 30 years old.
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A short history of the attempt
Five drivers have tried it in the modern era.
John Andretti, 1994. First modern attempt. Finished 10th at Indy in an A.J. Foyt entry, then made it to Charlotte but suffered an engine failure after 220 laps in the 600. Did not complete all 1,100 miles.
Robby Gordon, 1997, 2000, 2002, 2003, 2004.