Analysis: 'The Double' is hard because it's supposed to be hard

Yahoo

06-06-2025

Since rain wrecked the well-laid and meticulously constructed plans of Kyle Larson for the second consecutive year, there's been an outcry of how to make 'The Double' logistically easier.
Earlier and later start times! Greater collaboration between IndyCar and NASCAR leadership! Souped up planes, helicopters and golf karts!
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All this misses the point of the most Herculean quest in motorsports: Racing the Indianapolis 500 and Coca-Cola 600 on the same day is supposed to be extremely hard to accomplish.
Its demanding appeal stems from overcoming an inherent nightmare of logistics. Making a 600-mile commute between the Midwest and Southeast enough times to earn Admirals Club access. While also turning thousands of laps in practicing and racing two wildly different cars at top speeds over 235 mph.
RELATED: Larson's 'Double' fallout; fresh playoff contenders emerge
'The Double' is underpinned by its degree of difficulty — starting with the fact it was a literal impossibility for decades.
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The Coke 600 didn't exist until 1960 (49 years after the inaugural Indy 500). For its first 14 years, NASCAR's longest race ran once on the same day as the Indy 500, which was annually held on May 30 until 1974 (when Memorial Day permanently moved to Monday).
For the next 20 years, the signature races were held on the same day but often concurrently and with no window that allowed for racing in both.
Until Charlotte Motor Speedway added lights and moved the 600 to a nighttime finish in 1993.
In the second year that 'The Double' as we know it was possible (there were four drivers who ran the Indy 500 and Coke 600 on separate days in the same year from 1967-71), John Andretti made it a reality in 1994 (and with much less buffer than Larson was scheduled to have with no delays).
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It's been a hit-or-miss opportunity that four more have tried since. From 2005-11, the race shifted to a 1 p.m. EDT start that essentially made completing 'The Double' impossible.
In the 14 years since moving to a noon EDT start in 2012, there have been three attempts — Kurt Busch in 2014 and Larson in 2024-25. Those are two NASCAR Cup Series champions who had a legitimate shot to win one or even both races.
That's a select list. This isn't open to anyone, nor is it an annual guarantee. Again, 'The Double' is hard because it should be.
After Larson's meteorological misfortune the past two years, it's logical to address how to minimize a 45-minute rain delay negating months of careful coordination and preparation.
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There might be wiggle room on the start times of both races.
RELATED: Delaying start of Coca-Cola 600 was considered for Larson
Until 2005, the Indy 500 started at 11 a.m. during an era when the Indianapolis area didn't observe Daylight Savings Time as it does now. Surely it's possible to get the same crowds of 300,000-plus through the gates before noon now with modern technology.
Until Larson crashed Sunday on Lap 91 of the Indy 500, NASCAR was considering a delay of the Coke 600 from its 6:27 p.m. ET start.
But there are natural limits to how much 'easier' it can be to attempt 'The Double' — which is good.
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As Trackhouse Racing co-owner Justin Marks alluded to after Ross Chastain's Coke 600 victory, there's an aspirational side to watching a versatile superstar such as Larson take on a challenge that can inspire the general populace to do the unthinkable.
Who's building Hoover Dam, digging out the Panama Canal or laying the Transatlantic cable anymore? When the country made an 11-figure investment in space exploration in the 1960s, it was as much about getting the youth of America interested in math and science as putting a man on the moon.
That's the limitless value of 'The Double.' If Larson somehow were to win both races, imagine trying to attach a price tag to the resultant exposure and sponsor interest that likely would follow for IndyCar and NASCAR.
People want to see the seemingly improbable happen, which is why 'The Double' needs to remain very hard to do — even if that compromises the frequency with which it occurs.
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Greatness is harder to witness if it happens every year.
Nate Ryan has written about NASCAR since 1996 while working at the San Bernardino Sun, Richmond Times-Dispatch, USA TODAY and for the past 10 years at NBC Sports Digital. He is a contributor to the 'Hauler Talk' show on the NASCAR Podcast Network. He also has covered various other motorsports, including the IndyCar and IMSA series.