The Sunday of Memorial Day weekend — also known as Christmas for motorsport fans. Formula 1’s Monaco Grand Prix, IndyCar’s Indianapolis 500 and NASCAR’s Coca-Cola 600, all in one day.
This year’s Memorial Day weekend will generate fanfare across both sides of the aisle, as Kyle Larson will become the first driver since Kurt Busch in 2014 to compete in both the Indy 500 and the Coke 600 on the same day.
Larson will be the fifth driver to compete Double Duty and the sixth driver to attempt it since the first successful Double by John Andretti in 1994. In addition to seeking wins in both races, Larson will also aim to become the second driver to complete all 1,100 miles in one day, joining Tony Stewart in 2001.
While Andretti was the first to compete in both races on the same day, he was not the first to compete in both races during the same calendar year. The inaugural 600 was run in 1960, and in the 1960s and early 70s the races weren’t always held on the same day.
Competing in Both Events the Same Year
The 600 was held on a Sunday in late May throughout the ’60s, while the Indy 500 was always run on May 30 or May 31 (in the event that that May 30 fell on a Sunday). Prior to 1971, May 30 was the permanent date for Memorial Day. From 1971 onward, Memorial Day has been held on the last Monday of May.
With the 500 and the 600 held on different days in that time period, Cale Yarborough became the first driver to successfully compete the Double in 1967, as he finished 41st in Charlotte and 17th in Indianapolis.
All in all, four drivers completed The Double on six occasions in the late 60s and early 70s. Donnie Allison and LeeRoy Yarbrough accomplished it twice, while Allison had the best results with a win and an average finish of 3.3 between four starts. Jerry Grant was the only driver to crossover from the open wheel ranks to NASCAR, as 1968 proved to be his only start in the 600.
| Year | Driver | 600 Date | 600 Finish | Indy 500 Date | Indy 500 Finish |
| 1967 | Cale Yarborough | May 28 | 41st | May 30-31 | 17th |
| 1968 | Jerry Grant | May 26 | 12th | May 30 | 23rd |
| 1969 | LeeRoy Yarbrough | May 25 | 1st | May 30 | 23rd |
| 1970 | Donnie Allison | May 24 | 1st | May 30 | 4th |
| 1970 | LeeRoy Yarbrough | May 24 | 29th | May 30 | 19th |
| 1971 | Donnie Allison | May 30 | 6th | May 29 | 2nd |
Charlie Glotzbach also attempted both races in 1969 and 1970 but failed to qualify for the 500 on both occasions.
It wasn’t until 1974 that both races were scheduled on the Sunday of Memorial Day weekend — a date where they’ve been ever…
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