FAA Snags Gordon’s Plan To Drive Two Races

Security concerns scuttled race-car driver Robby Gordon’s attempt to drive in two races on the same day last weekend. Gordon wanted to hop out of his Formula 1 car at the close of the Indianapolis 500 and get behind the wheel in time to start the NASCAR Coca-Cola 600 in Concord, N.C. Thanks to a two-hour gap between races and some pretty capable aircraft, supplied by co-sponsor Textron, he might have done it. But an FAA restriction on helicopter flights in and out of both racetracks ended Gordon’s attempt.

Security concerns scuttled race-car driver Robby Gordon's attempt to drive in two races on the same day last weekend. Gordon wanted to hop out of his Formula 1 car at the close of the Indianapolis 500 and get behind the wheel in time to start the NASCAR Coca-Cola 600 in Concord, N.C. Thanks to a two-hour gap between races and some pretty capable aircraft, supplied by co-sponsor Textron, he might have done it. But an FAA restriction on helicopter flights in and out of both racetracks ended Gordon's attempt. The original plan called for Gordon to board a Bell helicopter and depart from Indy's infield as the event wrapped up Monday afternoon about 2:30 CDT. He would have then flown to the Indianapolis airport, where a Cessna Citation X business jet would be waiting to fly him to North Carolina. At that point, another Bell helicopter would have taken him to the infield of Lowe's Motor Speedway, the site of the Coca-Cola 600. That race was slated to begin at 4:30 CDT. Since the FAA has banned helicopter flights in and out of Indy and Lowe's Motor Speedway for one hour before and one hour after the races Gordon was forced to drive a golf cart -- with a police escort -- out to his rental car, which he used to drive out to the Indy airport. Oh well, you can't win them all Robby.