The History of The Brickyard

Indianapolis Motor Speedway. IMS. Indy. The Brickyard. Whatever you call it, IMS has the longest history of any track on the circuit. When the track opened in 1909 the surface wasn't built of bricks yet. Tar and crushed stone were put over layers of gravel; the result was hazardous, at best. The tar and crushed stone broke down quickly under traffic, developing pot holes, ruts, and flinging debris everywhere. The cars jumped around the track and blew tires frequently. The first auto race at Indy was just five miles, twice around the track. In that five miles a driver and his ride-along mechanic were flung from their car and killed. On day three of opening season two spectators and another mechanic were killed in on-track accidents. After the five fatalities in the IMS opening season the sanctioning body was threatening to close down the venue if something wasn't done about the surface. Paving was a new process and largely unheard of in the state; there was not a mile of paved road in Indiana in 1909. Concrete was deemed to be too expensive and thus, in December 1909 3.2 million bricks were laid over the tar and crushed stone to form the new racing surface.

The Indianapolis Motor Speedway was not created for Indy Cars. The first Indy Car race at the 2.5 mile oval was in 1911 but before that year there was Stock Car racing at the Brickyard. Carl Fisher opened the track in 1909 with the vision of showing the public races involving the cars that could be purchased from auto dealers. The cars had to be to standard specs. The only changes from one that a person could buy off the sales floor were that the race cars could have the headlamps and mudflaps removed, the back seat taken out, and a larger gas tank could be added. 1909 and 1910 saw Stock Car auto racing on the bricks but the leaders were frustrated with the sanctioning body, restrictions, and massive penalties that were handed down. The Stock Cars were strictly regulated and after the 1910 race the winning team was disqualified three weeks after the race because the car that team ran - the Marquette Buick - was not available to the public for purchase. A century ago saw the end of Stock Auto Racing at Indy when Fisher said that maybe the "specials", the cars built just to race, were the way to go since there were fewer restrictions to frustrate performance.

For the next 83 years Indy Car racing reigned at IMS. The 500 mile race began in 1911 in front of $80,000 spectators who paid one dollar each for admission to the track. As most know, Ray Harroun won that first Indianapolis 500 Mile Race at a speed of just over 74 mph. By the 1930s speeds had increased to a point that the surface was again causing danger to the drivers and their teams and Tarmac was laid down over some rougher sections of brick at the track in 1935. During 1935 and 1936 there were many other changes made to the Speedway. The inside walls were taken out of corners, outside wall angles were changed to help keep cars from launching into the stands during wrecks, helmets were made mandatory, and the first yellow-light system was introduced the the track and it's drivers.

With a fire claiming over half of Gasoline Alley in 1941 the 1940s saw many additional improvements at the track. In 1944, driver and three-time race winner Wilbur Shaw came to the track for a tire test. He was shocked at the state of disrepair he found. He contacted the owner Eddie Rickenbacker only to be told the track was for sale and Rickenbacker would be performing no further improvements. Shaw took it upon himself to attempt to find a buyer for the facility, afraid it would otherwise be closed and the area converted to housing. In 1945 the beginning of a new era dawned. Terre Haute business Tony Hulman had a conversation with Shaw and reportedly purchased the Indianapolis Motor Speedway fro $750,000, although that amount has never been confirmed. Hullman quickly arranged for needed repairs to be completed before the 1946 race and the Hulman Era began.

By the 1950's speeds had doubled from the speeds in that first Indianapolis 500 to a staggering 150 mph. Stands had been added, the surface of the track repaired time and time again. Roadsters arrived to race along with Formula One Cars. Drivers, however, were worried about the safety of the track surface; many international drivers refused to compete at the track. In 1961 that last of the bricks, other than the famed yard remaining at the start/finish line, were paved over. That last remaining yard of bricks caused that nickname The Brickyard to be born. The 1960s introduced the Indy drivers we all know: AJ Foyt, Al Unser, Mario Andretti and many others. From the 1960s to the 1990s speed increased until 1996 when Indy Car driver Arie Luyendyk set the records for speed still set today. His top practice speed was over 239 mph, one lap during qualifying he turned a 237.498 mph lap, and his four lap qualifying speed was 236.986.

1994 brought the first modern-era stock cars back to the track. The Brickyard 400 inaugural race was held in 1994 with relative newcomer Jeff Gordon holding the trophy at the end of the day. Formula One cars came back to the Speedway in 1998 and IROC racing was held at the Brickyard from 1998 to 2003. Firestone Indy Lights were introduced the the track in 2005, marking the first time since 1910 that a race other than the Indianapolis 500 was held at the track in the month of May. Grand Prix Motorcycle racing arrived in 2008.

How big is the Indianapolis Motor Speedway? Everyone knows the track is a  2.5 mile oval but how much space does that really take up? The IMS facility covers 1,025 acres on the west side of Indianapolis. In addition to combined infield and stand seating for 400,000 there is the garage area, the IMS Museum, gift shops, concession areas, four holes of the Pete Dye designed golf course inside the track with another 14

holes outside the track's fences, and parking for hundreds. If you start at turn four, I can tell you from experience it is going to take you at least a half hour to walk at a steady pace to the Pagoda behind the start/finish line. 101 years after being built the Indianapolis Motor Speedway is still the place to be, the place to race, and the place that every driver wants to win whether they are in an Indy Car, Indy Lights, IROC, Formula One, a Stock Car, on a Motorcycle, or on foot for the mini-marathon held as part of the Indianapolis 500 Celebration each month of May.

Photo Credits:

Photo 1: Getty Images: Cars -- stock cars -- line up for a 100-mile race in 1910.

Photo 2: Indy Club, Indymotorspeedway.com

Photo 3: indianapolismotorspeedway.com