Will Tony Stewart do the Indy 500-Coca-Cola 600 double?

• Team owner Roger Penske invited Tony Stewart to drive for him at the 2013 Indy 500
• Indianapolis Motor Speedway officials have jumped on the offer, starting an online campaign
• Broadcast partner ABC seemed amenable to moving up the start time of the Indy 500

INDIANAPOLIS — Indianapolis Motor Speedway officials are trying to encourage Tony Stewart to compete in next year's Indianapolis 500.

The online campaign is based on Roger Penske's public invitation to Stewart at last week's NASCAR awards ceremony in Las Vegas.

Penske said he has a car available to the Columbus, Ind., native who has won three NASCAR Sprint Cup Series championships.

Indianapolis Motor Speedway officials are willing to adjust the Indianapolis 500's schedule if Stewart -- or any other NASCAR high-profile driver -- is interested in participating in both Memorial Day weekend races.

Currently, the 500 is set for a few minutes after noon, which puts the checkered flag about 3 p.m., barely enough time to fly to North Carolina.

IMS CEO Jeff Belskus said there are many details to work through, but he'd support a change in the start time for the 500.

"It's a conversation we'd be willing to have," he said Tuesday. "We're willing to adjust if (Charlotte and NASCAR) are willing to adjust."

The burden of expanding the time frame to help drivers make both races appears to be with IMS and Indianapolis 500 broadcast partner ABC, not Fox, which carries the Coca-Cola 600.

"The Coca-Cola 600 is a primetime event. The time will remain unchanged," Fox spokesman Dan Bell told USA TODAY Sports on Tuesday when asked if a change was possible. Green flag for the 2013 event is set for 6:15 p.m.

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The 500 airs on ABC, an ESPN property. The Charlotte race is on Fox, but ESPN is a NASCAR partner.

Stewart attempted both races in 1999 and 2001. Juan Pablo Montoya also could be a candidate for the double. Stewart has competed in the 500 five times, but has never won.

"You're a car owner, you're a race driver, you're a track promoter," Penske said while accepting the honor of Sprint Cup champion with his driver, Brad Keselowski. "How about doing the double at Indy this year? Are you available?"

The question with Stewart has been one of willingness. Now a team owner of Stewart Haas Racing, he has said his focus has to be on that part of his professional life. And former IndyCar driver Danica Patrick will be part of his team full-time in Sprint Cup in 2013.

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That's where the IMS petition comes in. There were 400 supporters in the first hour Monday.

Should Stewart pass, drivers were using Twitter on Monday to inform Penske they wanted the seat. Among them were Chip Ganassi Racing development driver Kyle Larson; Conor Daly, who spent this year in Formula One support series GP3; and NASCAR driver Brian Vickers, who tried to put together an Indy 500 deal last May but was stymied by IndyCar's engine shortage.

"I'm serious about Indy. Would do it in a heartbeat, was not just tweeting to be funny," Vickers said Monday.

And broadcast partner ABC seemed amenable to discussions with IMS about moving up the start time of the 500 to accommodate Stewart (or Vickers or Casey Mears or AJ Allmendinger or Sam Hornish Jr. — because there's a list of NASCAR drivers with open-wheel experience who could theoretically now be thinking about trying to run both the IndyCar race and NASCAR's Coca-Cola 600).

"ABC/ESPN would enthusiastically support the opportunity for said driver(s) to participate in both the Indianapolis 500 and the Coca-Cola 600. We have strong partnerships with the league and speedway," said Julie Sobieski, ESPN vice president, programming & acquisitions.

Curt Cavin also writes for The Indianapolis Star

Contributing: Michael Hiestand, USA TODAY Sports;The Associated Press