200 Miles From Glory - Kurt Busch' 2014 Double

As The Greatest Day In Racing is fast approaching, and with it Kyle Larson's second attempt at the Double, I decided it would be fun to look back at the closest attempt to run all 1,100 miles in recent years. The 2014 run by Kurt Busch.

1: Background

The Double is one of the most prestigious events in racing. Completing both the historical Indianapolis 500 and the crushingly long Coca-Cola 600 is one hell of an achievement that every driver wants. By 2014 it had only been completed once, by Tony Stewart in 2001. That doesn't mean no one tried however. 5 drivers had tried their luck since the concept as we know it was invented in 1994. The closest someone had come that wasn't Stewart was Robby Gordon in 2002, who completed the Indy 500 but fell off the lead lap very late in the 600 and was 1.5 miles off that coveted 1,100 miles mark, completing 399 out of 400 laps. The last attempt would be in 2004, also by Robby. He would complete only 88 laps of the Indy 500 due to bailing on the car because of a rain delay and would finish 3 laps down in the Coca-Cola 600, so nothing to write home about. That was until 2014

2: Kurt Busch

When it was announced Kurt Busch would be running an attempt at the Double, it seemed somewhat confusing. Kurt had never really been associated with IndyCar, but after doing a rookie test in 2013 sparks had seemingly flown and his desire to do the Double was set. With his team owner being Tony Stewart, the only guy to have ever completed it, his blessing was quickly received and soon Kurt was ready to race 2 of the greatest races on earth. He would be the first one to attempt both races with cars capable of winning, starting the Indy 500 in the Andretti Autosport 26 car and of course starting the Coca-Cola 600 in his trusty SHR 41. Everything was set for an amazing weekend in motorsports.

3: The Indianapolis 500

Busch would qualify P12 for the 500. Definitely not bad for someone who had very little IndyCar experience (though he did luckily have quite some Brickyard experience in NASCAR). His run was fairly uneventful, but that was exactly what he needed. All throughout the race he stayed out of trouble, drove fast and kept up with some of the best drivers IndyCar had to offer, including guys who had qualified a lot better than him like Will Power. As Ryan Hunter-Reay beat out Hélio Castroneves in the second closest Indy 500 finish ever, Kurt Busch brought his 26 car home a very good 6th. For someone with so little IndyCar experience that was insane. He'd win Indy 500 ROTY honors, but there was no time for celebrations. Busch was quickly airlifted out of Indianapolis and to Concord, North Carolina, where he arrived just in time to get in his eager Number 41 Chevy SS.

4: The Coca-Cola 600

Kurt would start from the rear due to missing the driver's meeting but that was luckily no issue for him. This would basically be the home stretch for him. Indy was the challenge. This was his home turf. With the race being long and fast he would slice his way through the field over the first 200 or so laps. He would run as high as 5th but mainly stuck around the mid-top 15 places. It was clear he had a fast car, and although he was not beating Jimmie Johnson or Kevin Harvick who were duking it out for the lead, he might have a very good shot at a good finish here. He stayed on the lead lap and competed with his fellow drivers without any sign of fatigue. This was it. He could be the second driver ever to complete all 1,100 miles of the Indy 500 and Coca-Cola 600.

Than it started happening

Cylinders dropping.

The engine felt like it was eating itself.

And then, with just under 200 miles to go. Just under 200 miles to get that place in history.

It happened.

The Stewart-Haas Racing 41 Chevy's engine went up in smoke.

From having a real shot at being the first in a decade to complete the Double to out of the race entirely. Over the radio, Kurt had been complaining about losing cylinders. When the engine finally blew, all he could muster was a single, sarcastic.

Kurt Busch (41): I think we just dropped another one.

But it was clear this one stung. His chance was gone, and as history would show, he never attempted the Double again. Of the 1,100 miles in total had completed an insane 900, but that final stretch was what took him out. One backstretch away from history. He brought the car down pit road and retired it, placing 40th at the end. His shot at the Double was over.

5: The Future

Kurt would never attempt the Double again, and it would take an entire decade for someone to do so. That would be Kyle Larson, who would in 2025 try to compete in both races with Arrow McLaren and his own Hendrick Motorsports. Kurt would actually train him to get ready for both the type of driving the Indy 500 requires and the mental exhaustion of running 1,100 miles at full speed for that long. Kyle would run the Indy 500, finishing a solid if unexciting 18th on the lead lap, but due to weather delaying the Indy 500 he would not make it on time to Charlotte Motor Speedway, where Justin Allgaier drove his car until the rain suspension. Even if they had gone green again Kyle wouldn't have completed the Double. This year he's attempting again with the same teams. With both being competitive cars he has a very good shot at completing this, especially with Kurt's help, because although his run ended in tragedy, you can't exactly blame him for it.

6: Conclusion

Although it was heartbreaking, it was eventually just a small setback in Kurt's late-career resurgence. 2014 would also see his first win since 2011 and after this he would never finish outside the Top 15 in points again, also winning at least 1 race every year from this point. Although his career was cut short due to a terrible crash at Pocono, he has a lot to look back on, even if this one shot at history didn't work out. His recent induction into the NASCAR Hall Of Fame only confirms that.

Now I want to hand it to you. What do you think of Kurt's Double attempt? Should he have tried again? Do you think he would've made it on the lead lap had his engine not exploded? Let me know in the comments! Thanks for reading!