IndyCar President pulls off unique double duty on Indy 500 quali day as son graduates from Purdue

This year's Indy 500 and Coca-Cola 600 double duty has been a coveted topic, and IndyCar and IMS President Doug Boles is seemingly having his own go at it. The 58-year-old will attend his son, Carter Boles' graduation at Purdue University before flying back to the IMS to catch the action on the final day of qualifying on May 18.

Boles has been the president of the Indianapolis Motor Speedway for over a decade, and his work was rewarded by Penske Corporation early this year. The Indiana native was found to be the ideal candidate to lead the championship and replaced Jay Frye ahead of the 2025 IndyCar season.

With the upcoming Indy 500 being his first one as the president of the series, his presence in the paddock would be of utmost importance. However, the final day of qualifications clashed with his son, Carter Boles' graduation day, who is passing out from Purdue University.

Doug Boles will take the help of a helicopter to cover the normal 60-plus mile journey within a few minutes to make it back to IMS on time for the Fast 12, as he shared about his double duty on X (formerly Twitter):

"Going to be a gorgeous day @IMS for final qualification day! Enlistment ceremony this morning was once again amazing. Shortly, I’m heading to @LifeAtPurdue for @IndyCarter4 graduation! Getting a little helicopter help so I can get there and then back by Fast 12."

May 25 will mark the 109th running of the Indianapolis 500, marking another milestone in its rich heritage.

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IndyCar President gets candid on how the Indy 500 "is about the fans" amid hectic weekend ahead

Doug Boles at the 103rd Indianapolis 500 - Source: Getty

Over a century back, the Indy 500 was an ordinary race to test the reliability of cars back then. However, the race grew in fame and started pulling hundreds of thousands of fans every year.

Moreover, IMS has the largest capacity of any event worldwide, which often gets sold out every year. This showcases the hype and the heritage of the fabled event.

Talking about how the Indy 500 is made possible, IndyCar President Doug Boles said (via ESPN):

"This really is about the fans, this event has the 109th running coming up because of the way fans have embraced it. It is a race, but it so much more than that. It's an event and I love hearing stories from our fans about what this race means to them, to their families, the generations of their families."

On the other hand, the Top 12 will go green at 4:05 PM ET, while the Fast Six will begin at 6:25 PM ET on May 18.