Tony Stewart is still waiting for someone to replicate his historic Double attempt, something that he successfully pulled off not once but twice. Many have tried after him, including Katherine Legge doing it live right now, but no one has succeeded.

Asked about who he thinks could potentially be successful at it or even go on to win one of the two Memorial Day races, the 1997 IndyCar champion said, “Unfortunately, it’s a guy that we lost three days ago.”

Naturally talking about the late Kyle Busch, Stewart felt Rowdy was the only driver who could attempt the Double while winning a race as well.

“That was the number one guy on my list. I knew that Kyle Busch one day would want to have that opportunity to do both. And he had the talent to be competitive and put good effort in both cars.”

Kyle Busch’s older brother, Kurt Busch, attempted Double Duty in 2014. Distance-wise, it is the fourth-best attempt, with Kurt finishing the Indy 500 in 6th, but a blown engine in Charlotte saw him finish only 271 laps off 400. Kurt Busch clocked 906.5 off the 1100 miles. 

As of now, Katherine Legge had been attempting the 1100-mile challenge, but her efforts fell short due to things out of her control. She crashed while trying to avoid a spinning Ryan Hunter-Reay. Legge is currently running the Coca-Cola 600, but her Double attempt remains unsuccessful. 

Before Legge, it was Kyle Larson who attempted the Memorial Day Double Duty, but he, too, failed on both his attempts in 2024 and 2025. 

Robby Gordon’s attempt in 2002 is the closest attempt apart from Stewart’s. Gordon finished 8th at the Indy 500 and 16th at Charlotte, but a lap down in the Cup race meant he managed to complete 1098.5 miles off 1100 miles. Agonizingly close. 

But though Smoke is the driver to win both an Indy Series and three Cup Series, his Double Duty success is his most revered. 

Stewart backs Hocevar for historic feat

Carson Hocevar has been the talk of the town for the large part of this season, with his fans thinking that he’s finally coming good in the Spire. Taking his first win, that too at Talladega, makes it feel like the shackles are off for Hocevar. 

Hocevar has been compared to Dale Earnhardt for his “Intimidator” driving style, driving a black Chili’s liveried car, similar to that of Earnhardt’s black #3 RCR car. 

Hocevar, who has previously expressed his wish to compete at the Indy 500,  will be pleased to hear that he has Tony Stewart backing him to complete the historic double. 

“I think we saw a guy hanging around this week here that was his(Kyle Busch) teammate with Spire that might have some aspirations. So Carson Hocevar, I feel like after seeing him hit the racetrack this week, I feel like that; that's somebody who would leap as well.”

Attempting the Double Duty isn’t easy, and if Hocevar asks Stewart for any advice, he would ask Hocevar to do the same thing, Joe Gibbs told him. Get a trainer and nutritionist and do it right. 

Stewart attempted the Double Duty in 1999 but fell 4 laps short at Indianapolis, and by the end of the Cup race, he was barely able to get himself out of his car. Stewart has often credited Joe Gibbs’ advice as what helped him achieve the Double Duty success.

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Written by

Debrup Chaudhuri

Edited by

Suyashdeep Sason