Memorial Day weekend is a sacred tradition in American motorsport, highlighted by the 600-mile endurance test of the Coca-Cola 600 and the Indianapolis 500. In 2025, the Coke 600 averaged 2.72 million viewers on Amazon Prime Video. This shift to streaming garnered a younger audience, with an average age of 55.8 years, over six years younger than the traditional TV NASCAR audience. Despite this, the event experienced a 12.34% decline in viewership compared to previous years.
Meanwhile, the clash between F1 and NASCAR schedules has also sparked debates among fans and officials. For instance, in 2012, the U.S. Grand Prix in Austin coincided with NASCAR’s season finale in Florida, leading to concerns about fan attendance and viewership. Such instances highlighted the complexities of scheduling in motorsport and the challenges of balancing the interests of different racing series. And now, it’s finally time for fans to enjoy the triple motorsport header without any overlaps.
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Motorsport Christmas arrives in North America
The 2026 motorsports calendar is set to deliver an unprecedented spectacle on May 24, with the Canadian Grand Prix, Indianapolis 500, and Coca-Cola 600 all scheduled on the same day. This alignment offers fans a rare opportunity to experience a full day of high-speed action across three major racing disciplines. The Canadian Grand Prix, traditionally held in June, has been moved to May 24 to better align with Formula 1’s regional calendar groupings. The race is now confirmed to start at 4:00 p.m. ET in Montreal, ensuring it doesn’t overlap with the Indy 500, which begins at 12:45 p.m. ET in Indianapolis, and the Coca-Cola 600 at 6:15 p.m. ET at Charlotte Motor Speedway.
Originally, concerns arose when the Canadian GP was slated for a typical early afternoon start, potentially overlapping with Indianapolis Motor Speedway‘s Memorial Day weekend centerpiece. But now, the issue seems resolved. The Indianapolis 500, often dubbed “The Greatest Spectacle in Racing,” commands enormous viewership, particularly in its final thirty minutes, known colloquially as “Money Time.” In recent years, weather delays have shifted start times, with the 2024 race beginning at 4:45 p.m. due to rain and the 2025 edition starting at 1:20 p.m., emphasizing how unpredictable conditions can complicate coordination with other events.
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In 2025, the Canadian GP, broadcast live on ABC on Sunday, June 15, attracted an average of 1.9 million viewers for the race-only portion from 2:00 to 3:45 p.m. ET. This marked a 5.6% increase from the previous year’s viewership of 1.8 million. Additionally, the race attracted an average of 854,000 viewers in the key 18-49 demographic. Meanwhile, the 2025 Indianapolis 500, televised live by FOX Sports on Sunday, May 25, garnered 7.05 million viewers, marking the highest viewership for the race in 17 years. This represented a 40% increase from the 2024 Indy 500, which averaged 5.024 million viewers. The race’s viewership peaked at 8.4 million during the 4:15 to 4:40 p.m. ET window, coinciding with Alex Palou’s victory.
Adding to the spectacle, NASCAR’s Coca-Cola 600 is traditionally a grueling endurance test spanning 600 miles and stretching well into the evening. The Charlotte race has historically provided a dramatic conclusion to Memorial Day weekend, with the challenge of nighttime racing and the toll of such a long event on drivers and teams. While some drivers like Tony Stewart and Kyle Larson go on to attempt the Indy 500 and Coke 600 double, the fan excitement doubles, too. Now, with the Canadian GP wedged between Indianapolis and Charlotte, fans can follow a virtually continuous streak of high-level racing, from the open-wheel speed of IndyCar to the technical finesse of Formula 1, and the stamina-testing NASCAR marathon.
The combined schedule transforms Memorial Day Sunday into a motorsport festival unlike any other, with nearly 12 hours of nonstop racing and action. It redefines the concept of “Crown Jewel Sunday” in motorsport, shifting from the traditional Monaco-Indy-Charlotte sequence to a North American-focused triple-header, and fans can’t seem to get enough of it already.
Fans weigh in on the historic triple-header
One fan wrote on X, “Still qualifies as Motorsports Christmas…nice!!” This unique racing marathon has been a cherished tradition for fans, offering a full day of premier motorsport events. Another fan sarcastically added, “Triple time for Connor,” alluding to the ambitious challenge of competing in three major motorsport events on the same day, a feat that fans want to see Connor Zilisch attempt in 2026 or soon. His inclusion in the Cup Series for the 2026 season alongside Ross Chastain and Shane van Gisbergen in Trackhouse Racing underscores his prominence in the sport.
Another fan opined realistically, “All on the same continent too. Need some military aviation technology to pull off the trippe.” Only a select few drivers have attempted the Double. In 2001, Tony Stewart became the first and only driver to complete all 1,100 miles in a single day, finishing 6th in the Indy 500 and 3rd in the Coke 600. Kyle Larson attempted the Double in both 2024 and 2025, but weather delays and crashes have thwarted his efforts. So, the fan’s suggestion might indeed be very important for anyone trying to complete a Triple.
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Some sarcastically wrote, “Rare common sense from F1.” Historically, F1 has often been criticized for overlooking the broader motorsport calendar. For example, the 2024 Monaco Grand Prix’s early start time conflicted with the Indy 500, leading to a fragmented viewing experience. One fan suggested, “Why would it clash with the 500? This is all being done by Zak Brown so he can put someone in for a double. I’ve posted about this before and how Zak’s and Tony’s management of Larson last year clued me in,” replying to another tweet, saying, “I saw Tony Kanaan sabotaging Kyle Larson’s Indy500 for two weeks straight and I knew something was up.”
These comments underscore how team strategy and management decisions can shape not just individual races, but the broader spectacle of motorsport