Kyle Larson spent the past two years trying to attempt the ‘Double Duty’ weekend. Unfortunately for him, both of his outings ended in failure. The first time he tried attempting the Coca-Cola 600 and the Indy 500 in the same day, rain ended up washing his dreams in vain. The Indy 500 started with a delay, and he missed the Coca-Cola 600. In 2025, when he tried the same, he crashed his car in both races. It seems like this year, he has publicly given up on that dream.
Watch What’s Trending Now!
Kyle Larson accepts defeat in ‘Double Duty’ weekend
The Double Duty is not just for namesake. Drivers competing in the event have to handle 1100 laps of racing during the day. Moreover, it is a nightmare for the participants logistically and physically. Moving from Indianapolis to Charlotte without any rest takes a toll on the body. It is especially noticeable in a high-speed motorsports environment, where reaction timing is everything.
Speaking about his experience from his previous attempts at the Double Duty, Kyle Larson has no shame in admitting where he fell short. “I think my days of attempting the double are over. But, you know, I wouldn’t—you never say never about at least trying the Indy 500 again. But I don’t know; we will see. It’s tough to say it; it won’t come until after my full-time NASCAR career is over, and I don’t know when that will be.
“And at that point, I know there are a lot of drivers who’ve been successful there in their 40s or beyond. But, for me, it’s just like, I don’t know. I think that will be a lot to take on. I am thankful for the last few years of being able to attempt it and get to start the race and all of that. But yeah, to do it all over again would be tough to tackle.”
Nevertheless, Larson did set an example for other drivers in the NASCAR Cup Series and other disciplines to try to reach that level. After Tony Stewart, Larson was among the only drivers to take the double-duty weekend seriously and attempt it twice. While he couldn’t achieve what he set out to, he has inspired Katherine Legge to do the same.
Legge is going to attempt double duty this year as a part of her NASCAR Cup Series and IndyCar part-time schedules this year. She will be racing with AJ Foyt Racing at the Indy 500 race and Live Fast Motorsports in the NASCAR Coca-Cola 600 race. Larson was supportive of her for the same and actively encouraged her to become the first woman in motorsports to complete a Double Duty weekend.
For Larson, it was not about the medals or the fame. He just wanted to complete the Double Duty to prove himself as a driver. His attempts will be shown to the audience as part of a documentary by Amazon Prime. And for Larson, it is a unique experience he thinks will better connect him with his fans.
Kyle Larson eagerly awaits the release of his documentary
Amazon Prime Video’s ‘Kyle Larson vs. The Double‘ is set to be featured next week. And it gives Larson a unique sense of pride and nostalgia when he looks back at it.
“Also to show people my journey of my upbringing and my love for racing and all that, but also to showcase how difficult it was, the stress, the emotions, and everything that went along with trying to attempt to complete it and not being able to.
“I think it captured all the stuff that you need for a good film: the drama and emotion and everything else. It was honestly really cool for me to look back and see where my head was at in all of it. You forgot how stressed I was. So it was just good to relive that…”
His team has been equally supportive of him in this regard. Jeff Gordon actively understands the importance of trying to attempt a feat that only a handful of NASCAR drivers have ever tried before. Thus, even Rick Hendrick did not try to stop him at Hendrick Motorsports when Larson wanted to try to make history.
