The Double (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 Indianapolis, Indiana in the early afternoon, then take an airplane to Charlotte, North Carolina to race at Charlotte Motor Speedway in the evening. The feat is considered difficult on face, as well as physically draining and mentally demanding. Considerable media attention usually spotlights a driver who attempts the "Double Duty."
Three drivers (John Andretti, Robby Gordon, and Tony Stewart) have attempted the "Double Duty" feat. Donnie Allison competed in both events in a year in which they were held on successive days.
Read more about The Double (auto Racing): Logistics, Other Uses of The Term
Famous quotes containing the word double:
“American families, however, without exception, experience a double message in our society, one that claims a commitment to families and stresses the importance of raising bright, stable, productive citizens, yet remains so bound by an ideal of “rugged individualism” that parents receive little support in their task from the public or private sectors.”
—Bernice Weissbourd (20th century)