Double Duty (auto racing)

Double Duty also referred to as the Indy-Charlotte Double or Memorial Day Double, refers to an accomplishment in automobile racing in which a driver competes in the Indianapolis 500 and Coca-Cola 600 in the same day. The feat was first attempted by John Andretti on May 29, 1994. 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. The two races, organized by separate sanctioning bodies—IndyCar and NASCAR respectively—are held on Memorial Day weekend, and are considered two of the biggest annual events on the U.S. motorsports calendar.

The "Double Duty" calls for a driver to compete at the Indianapolis Motor Speedway in Speedway, Indiana in the early afternoon, then take an airplane to Concord, North Carolina to race at Charlotte Motor Speedway in the evening. The feat is considered difficult on face, as well as physically demanding and mentally draining. It is somewhat similar in concept to the established discipline of endurance racing, however, the driver is expected to drive both races in their entirety without the help of a relief driver. Considerable media attention usually spotlights a driver who attempts the "Double Duty." The concept dates back specifically to 1994, but as far back as the 1960s, drivers have attempted to compete in both events when they were held on different days of the week.

During the 1960s and 1970s, a handful of drivers raced at the Indianapolis 500 while maintaining a full-time schedule in Formula One. This would require them to travel between Indianapolis and Europe during the month of May, usually between Indy and Monaco, on an equally as demanding schedule. The last driver to do so was Teo Fabi in 1984, going from the Indy 500 to Monaco. Due to the scheduling of Monaco on the same day as Indy, in 2017, Fernando Alonso chose to skip Monaco to compete at the Indy 500.

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