The Indianapolis 500 is a sacred tradition in the racing community. But so is the Coca Cola 600, NASCAR’s longest race. And both of these events just happen to fall on the same day. So when a brave driver decides to tackle all 1100 of these miles — a challenge affectionately known as the Memorial Day Double – the eyes of the race world fall on them. 

This year, NASCAR champion and IndyCar rookie of the year Kyle Larson took his shot, battling: the logistics; the tracks; and, most of all, Mother Nature. And our good friend Ryan McGee was there to chronicle the attempt.

So today, McGee shares the history of folks trying to tackle The Double, and explains how the people who dare to get behind the wheel are built differently from the rest of us.
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