Latest news with #RobbyGordon
Yahoo
21-05-2025
- Automotive
- Yahoo
The Double: After 2024 failure, Kyle Larson hopes to finally join exclusive group
Attempting to complete 1,100 miles in a single day of racing is quite the challenge (unless you're an endurance racing driver), but it's even more daunting when you're doing it in two wildly different race cars and at two race tracks that are multiple states apart. That is what it means when a driver like Kyle Larson says they are attempting 'The Double.' They start their day at Indianapolis Motor Speedway for the Indy 500 around 12:45pm EST, and then end their day around 11pm EST at Charlotte Motor Speedway when NASCAR's longest race -- the Coca-Cola 600 -- reaches its conclusion. Advertisement Only four drivers have run both races on the same and only one -- three-time NASCAR Cup Series champion Tony Stewart -- has actually managed to complete all 1,100 miles. Kyle Larson, Arrow McLaren Kyle Larson, Arrow McLaren Penske Entertainment Penske Entertainment Larson tried to join this group in 2024, but Mother Nature had other plans. Rain delayed the start of the Indy 500 and that same storm ended up following Larson to North Carolina, ending the Coke 600 before he could take over from Justin Allgaier mid-race. Larson will have a second chance on Sunday, starting 19th in the Indy 500. Should he complete the Double, he will join John Andretti, Robby Gordon, Kurt Busch, and Stewart as the only drivers to have run both races on the same day. And if you're wondering how that went for them, then you have come to the right place. John Andretti -- The very first driver to accomplish 'The Double' John Andretti (Photo from early 2000s, not during 1994 'Double' attempt) John Andretti (Photo from early 2000s, not during 1994 'Double' attempt) Richard Sloop Richard Sloop Advertisement Before Andretti, several NASCAR drivers ventured to Indianapolis and simply chose to skip the Charlotte race. Some other 'Double' hopefuls failed to qualify or Mother Nature ruined their plans, too. So, it wasn't until 1994 when a driver finally managed to run both races on the same day, giving John the honor of being the very first. He was a full-time NASCAR driver at the time, but he did have open-wheel experience and finished a solid tenth in the Indy 500. He made it to Charlotte just in time for the start, but was forced to begin the race from the rear of the field. He crashed early in the 600, but soldiered on until the car finally gave up after 220 of 400 laps. Robby Gordon -- The driver with more attempts than anyone else Robby Gordon Robby Gordon Advertisement Robby made five runs at the Indy-Charlotte Double, which is more than any other driver. His first attempt came in 1997, but inclement weather pushed the Indy 500 to Monday and Tuesday. He tried again in 2000, but missed the start of the 600 due to weather. P.J. Jones started the event and got credit for the result, but Gordon did take over in the middle of the race. His first successful attempt came in 2002, finishing eighth in the Indy 500 and 16th in the Coke 600. He finished one lap down at Charlotte, coming 1.5 miles shy of completing the full 1,100 miles of racing. He successfully ran the Double again in 2003, even though rain ended the 600 early. His final attempt came in 2004, but weather interfered once again. He had to leave mid-race in order to make the start of the 600. Jaques Lazier finished the 500 for Gordon, but since he started the race, he was credited with the result. Tony Stewart -- The only driver to complete every lap in both events Tony Stewart Tony Stewart photo by Ron McQueeney photo by Ron McQueeney Advertisement The most successful 'Double' attempt belongs to Stewart. He ran both events in 1999 and 2001. In his first attempt, Stewart finished ninth in the Indy 500 and fourth in the Coke 600. He was four laps down in the 500, which prevented him from completing all 1,100 miles. 2001 was the final time 'Smoke' ran the Indy 500, again aiming to finally complete all 1,100 miles between Indianapolis and Charlotte. Driving for Chip Ganassi Racing at Indianapolis, he finished sixth and then went on to finish third with Joe Gibbs Racing at Charlotte. It remains the best showing by any driver who has run these iconic races on the same day. In doing so, Stewart is the only driver to complete all 600 laps and 1,100 miles of competition. Kurt Busch -- The last driver to successfully run both races on the same day Kurt Busch arrives in Charlotte Kurt Busch arrives in Charlotte Walter G. Arce, Sr. KBI/ Walter G. Arce, Sr. KBI/ Advertisement The Double hasn't been successfully done since 2014 with Kurt Busch came over from NASCAR. After a crash in practice, the newly announced NASCAR Hall of Famer rebounded in a big way. He finished sixth in the Indy 500, earning Rookie of the Year honors. Unfortunately, the 600 did not go as well as a massive engine failure forced him out of the race after 271 of 400 laps. Since then, several drivers have expressed interest in attempting the Double, including Kurt's brother Kyle, who came close to securing rides in both the 2017 and 2024 Indy 500s. Seven-time NASCAR Cup Series champion Jimmie Johnson ran the 2022 Indy 500 but he did not attempt the 2022 Coke 600. To read more articles visit our website.
Indianapolis Star
15-05-2025
- Automotive
- Indianapolis Star
The Indy 500 and Indiana Pacers on the same day in 2025? It's happened before
Having the Indianapolis 500 and an Indiana Pacers playoff game (the Eastern Conference Finals, no less) seems like a busy day for the area, right? That would be correct, but it isn't unprecedented. Before this year, when the Pacers will play on Sunday, May 25, in the conference finals, it has happened on three occasions. Kenny Brack won the 1999 Indy 500 by chasing down Robby Gordon, who skipped a late chance to take on extra fuel. Brack earned A.J. Foyt Racing its third 500 victory. For the third time, a driver attempted the Double: racing the Indy 500 and Coca-Cola 600 at the Charlotte Motor Speedway in North Carolina on the same day. Tony Stewart, a Columbus, Indiana native who switched from full-time IndyCar to NASCAR in 1999, finished ninth in Indianapolis and fourth at Charlotte. The race was completed just before the Pacers took on the New York Knicks in Game 1 of the Eastern Conference Finals at Market Square Arena. The Knicks would win a tight contest, 93-90. Reggie Miller led the way with 19 points. New York won the series in six games. Before the game, Bob Arnold, who had tickets to both events, was interviewed for a May 30 IndyStar story. He sold the Pacers tickets. "I go to Pacer games all the time," Arnold said. "The race only happens once a year." But Bob Bader, a Pacers season-ticket holder, was determined to see both with his wife. "It should be a wild and exhausting day, and we're looking forward to it," Bader said. Buddy Rice won the 2004 Indy 500 for Rahal Letterman Racing after 450 miles due to the rain. Rice's victory lane celebration was moved indoors due to severe weather in the area. According to a May 31, 2024, IndyStar story, a storm hit Indianapolis just as the race was ending. One person was killed during the storms, which caused significant damage. A tornado also severely damaged a nursing home on Indy's southside. Like in 1999, a driver attempted the Double. Robby Gordon, who tried to race in both the 500 and the Coca-Cola 600 on five occasions, stepped out of Indy during a rain delay in favor of Jaques Lazier and finished 20th at Charlotte. Later that night, the Detroit Pistons beat the Pacers, 83-65, to take a 3-2 lead in the Eastern Conference Finals at Conseco Fieldhouse. Game 5 of Pacers-Pistons was much more popular than the 500 for ticket brokers, according to the Star. Detroit won the series, 4-2. Tony Kanaan was considered one of the best drivers to never win the Indianapolis 500, but that changed in 2013 when Kanaan finally stood in victory lane. It was Kanaan's 12th attempt. The Pacers played the LeBron James-led Miami Heat in Game 3 at Bankers Life Fieldhouse. Miami won, 114-96, to take a 2-1 series lead in the Eastern Conference Finals. The Heat would win the series in seven games.
Yahoo
09-02-2025
- Automotive
- Yahoo
You Won't Believe What Just Won King of the Hammers!
They say racing improves the breed. Well then, get ready for a whole new breed. For the first time in the 18-year history of the event, a SxS has won King of the Hammers. Kyle Chaney's Can-Am not only won the massive, day-long suffer- and dirt-fest out in the Mojave Desert's Johnson Valley, he beat the next-closest guy by a full half hour, and the guy after that, off-road and NASCAR racing great Robby Gordon, by over two hours. The race wasn't without its unique challenges. Navigation was a problem, for instance. Just knowing where you are in all the dust and trackless desert was Chaney's biggest challenge. 'The course was crazy, we didn't even know where we were going as there was just nothing there. We had to pick where we were going. There is definitely a lot of luck involved in this, but we picked some good lines. Terry (Madden) was an awesome navigator, and the car stayed together. We just took care of the car all day. Guys were passing us and I just let them go because we had to keep the car together.' Previous KoH winner JP Gomez, of the Gomez racing family that has won KoH before, finished second this year. 'Oh man, this is part of racing right,' said Gomez at the finish. 'You go fast, you get flats. You go slow, you get passed by Josh Blyler.' But Blyer wasn't on the podium. That went to a famous name. Robby Gordon rolled into Hammertown two hours and 22 minutes behind Chaney, Gordon was a last-minute entry in the race and drove one of the Gomez family's pre-runners. 'Thank you to all of you fans who come out and support us,' Gordon said to the crowd. 'Mike Jams (ceo of Hammerkings Productions, the company that runs the King of the Hammers), thank you, and Dave Cole (co-founder of the race), thank you for having this crazy dream and building King of the Hammers. It is insane. Everybody comes out here and has a great time.' King of the Hammers is surely the hardest single-day beat-down in racing. It started 18 years ago by a group of friends who used to drive their 4x4s up and down the crazed, boulder-strewn madness carved into the hills around Johnson Valley, Calif., a dystopian hellscape in a land that appreciates dystopian hellscapes. The runs went up seemingly impossible canyons with boulders the size of washing machines and Volkswagons, some the size of single-car garages. These pre-running pioneers from two decades ago named each canyon trail: Jackhammer, Sledgehammer, Clawhammer… They were all Hammers. Then one of the wheelers made the audacious claim that he could run all of the Hammers in a single day. 'No way,' the bros said. 'Way,' he replied. Or words to that effect. Thus, The King of the Hammers was born. Now, close to 100,000 spectators gather each year in a temporary fiberglass paradise of motorhomes and fifth-wheels called Hammertown, eating dust and cheering on the maniacs who come to race. KoH now stretches over two weeks, motorcycle races first, followed by four-wheeled competitions. The biggest and most prestigious of them all is The King of the Hammers. Until now, it had always been won by purpose-built, vaguely Jeep-looking contraptions with four-wheel drive and tremendous jounce and rebound that could not only crawl over big boulders but bomb flat out across the hardened desert in between the Hammers. Your rig has to be able to do both to win. And this year, to everyone's surprise, it was a Can-Am UTV that won it.
