"The look on Chip Ganassi's face was panic" - When Tony Stewart recalled his Indy 500 and Coca-Cola 600 double attempt

NASCAR and IndyCar legend and former team owner Tony Stewart once recalled the tale of competing his iconic "double". Stewart was the first and remains the only driver to complete both the Indy 500 and Coca-Cola 600 races.

The “double” is one of the most challenging feats in motorsports: racing 1,100 miles across two of the most prestigious events, the Indy 500 and the Coca-Cola 600, within 24 hours. Despite attempts by high-profile drivers, Stewart remains the only one to complete both races in one day.

Stewart first attempted the double in 1999, finishing ninth in the Indy 500 and later racing in the Coca-Cola 600 at Charlotte Motor Speedway. However, it was his second attempt in 2001 that cemented his name in the history books.

Driving for Chip Ganassi Racing in the Indy 500 and Joe Gibbs Racing in the Coca-Cola 600, Tony Stewart finished the race at Indianapolis before securing third place in Charlotte — all on the lead lap.

In an interview in June year with NBC, he reflected on the high-pressure moment when rain delays threatened his schedule. Stewart recalled the look of panic on Chip Ganassi’s face during a weather delay:

"I remember leading before the rain came. We had a legitimate shot to win the race, and then the rain came. We had a cut-off time of, 'at this point I have to leaving the racetrack'. And the look on Chip's face when Chip got to me was panic." (1:12)

"We got off in a room. We had enough time during the delay to go off. And I remember Chip getting the door closed, and he's like, 'what are you gonna do?'"

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How did Tony Stewart fare in his "dream" Indy 500 race?

For Tony Stewart, the decision was clear. He revealed in the aforementioned interview about his Indy 500 experience that year (1:54):

"I'm like, 'I'm not leaving this race. I'm not leaving here leading the Indy 500. I'm not leaving because of a drop-dead time.' I said, 'I'll deal with the repercussions when I get there but this has always been my dream, and I'm leading the race, with a quarter of the race to go. I'm not leaving.'"

Fortunately for Tony Stewart, the rain subsided, allowing the race to resume. Stewart delivered a strong performance, eventually finishing sixth on the lead lap.

More recently, Kyle Larson of Hendrick Motorsports partnered with Arrow McLaren for the Indy 500. While Larson finished the 500-mile race in Indianapolis, he was unable to compete in the Coca-Cola 600