TALLADEGA, Ala.– News that Kurt Busch is going to test an IndyCar May 9 at Indianapolis Motor Speedway raises the inevitable question: would Busch consider doing an Indianapolis 500/Coca-Cola 600 double if the logistics could be worked out?
Though it’s not a realistic possibility this year, given the time frame, Busch says he would be open to the possibility in the future.
The car he’s testing is owned by Andretti Autosport, and the opportunity came about through Busch’s association with owner Michael Andretti, who last year contemplated a move to Cup racing. The discussions included car maker Dodge and involved Busch as a possible driver.
Though Dodge ultimately decided to exit NASCAR racing at the end of the 2013 season, Andretti and Busch got to know each other through the negotiations. Busch sees the testing opportunity at Indy as a possible broadening of his career.
“It’s not every day that Michael Andretti is going to lend you a car to drive,” Busch told FoxSports.com on Friday. “If they can move time trials a little bit, and if this draws as much interest as I believe it’s going to draw from the sponsorship side, this could be a 13-month adventure.
“That’s what this opportunity is for — it’s to define my adventurism and turning that adventurism into a reality.”
Three drivers have done the Indy/Charlotte double–Tony Stewart, John Andretti and Robby Gordon.
Greg is the author of "The Nuts and Bolts of NASCAR: The Definitive Viewers' Guide to Big-Time Stock Car Auto Racing" and has been published in major publications across the country including the Los Angeles Times, the Cleveland Plain Dealer and the Atlanta Journal-Constitution. He was also a contributor to Chicken Soup for the NASCAR Soul, published in 2010, and the Christmas edition in 2016. He wrote as the NASCAR, Formula 1, Auto Reviews and National Veterans Affairs Examiner for Examiner.com and has appeared on Fox News. He holds a BS degree in communications, a Masters degree in psychology and is currently a PhD candidate majoring in psychology. He is currently the weekend Motorsports Editor for Autoweek.
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