Katherine Legge is on the verge of attempting something historic. She is set to become the first woman to attempt the demanding Memorial Day Double Duty, which only one person has ever completed on the lead lap.

The Double Duty is a rigorous 1,100-mile day when a driver attempts to complete the 500 miles of Indianapolis in an IndyCar, followed by the 600 miles of Charlotte for the NASCAR Cup Series race.

The aim is to finish both races on the lead lap. Beyond the racing, the logistics are crucial. If the travel timings aren’t reduced to the minimum duration possible, starting the Coca-Cola 600 becomes difficult.

But weather is often the driver’s biggest nemesis. A rain delay to the Indy 500 makes it nearly impossible to make the Charlotte race.

Tony Stewart remains the only driver to complete both races on the lead lap, with the Indiana native winning the 1997 Indy Series championship before making his Cup Series debut and first Double Duty attempt in 1999.

For a first attempt, he came remarkably close, finishing 1,090 of the 1,100 miles. Stewart drove the Tri Star Motorsports #22 to ninth, finishing four laps down.

In his first-ever Cup race at Charlotte, he failed to make the drivers' meetings, so he was forced to start from the back in his JGR Pontiac but managed a fourth-place finish.

The Historic 2001 Double Duty 

Tony Stewart made a more confident attempt in 2001. This time, Chip Ganassi would provide his IndyCar drive, while the #20 Joe Gibbs Racing Pontiac would remain his constant for the Charlotte race.

Stewart finished in a high sixth place at the Indianapolis 500, this time on the lead lap. With one box ticked, it was time to hop on a private jet to Charlotte and be choppered into the infield ahead of the start of the Cup race.

Having missed the meeting once again, he started the race at the back of the grid, and 600 miles later, he finished in third place. Stewart often recalls that he wasn’t prepared for the Double Duty and understood very quickly after the Indy 500 in 1999 how drained he was.

He said that for the attempt in 2001, it was Hall of Fame team owner Joe Gibbs who insisted Stewart have a trainer if he was going to attempt the Double Duty. It seems Coach Gibbs’ advice paid off for the driver.

While Stewart ended with a record three Cup Series trophies to add to his one Indy Series win, the Double Duty of 2001 will remain the summation of the career Stewart had.

You can read more on the Daytona Racing Digest!

Written by

Debrup Chaudhuri

Edited by

Pulkit Prabhav