Indianapolis Motor Speedway
Encyclopedia
The Indianapolis Motor Speedway, located in Speedway, Indiana
(an enclave suburb
of Indianapolis
) in the United States
, is the home of the Indianapolis 500-Mile Race and the Brickyard 400.
It has existed since 1909, and is the original Speedway, the first racing facility so named. With a permanent seating capacity
for more than 257,000 people and infield seating that raises capacity to approximately 400,000, it is the highest-capacity stadium-type facility in the world.
Considered relatively flat by American standards, the track is a two-and-a-half-mile, nearly rectangular oval with dimensions that have remained essentially unchanged since its inception: four 1/4-mile turns, two 5/8-mile long straightaways between the fourth and first and second and third turns, and two 1/8-mile short straightaways, termed "short chutes," between the first and second, and third and fourth turns.
A modern infield road course was constructed between 1998 and 2000, incorporating the western and southern portions of the oval (including the southwest turn) to create a
2.605 miles (4.2 km) track. In 2008, the road course was modified to replace the southwest turn with an additional infield section, for motorcycle use, resulting in a 2.621 miles (4.2 km) course. Altogether, the current grounds have expanded from an original 320 acres (1.3 km²) on which the Speedway was first built to cover an area of over 559 acres (2.3 km²). Placed on the National Register of Historic Places
in 1975 and designated a National Historic Landmark
in 1987, it currently remains the only such landmark to be affiliated with automotive racing history.
In addition to the Indianapolis 500
, the speedway also hosts NASCAR
's Brickyard 400. From 2000 to 2007 the speedway also hosted the United States Grand Prix
for Formula One
. The inaugural USGP race drew an estimated 250,000 spectators, setting a Formula One
attendance record. In 2008, the Speedway added the Indianapolis motorcycle Grand Prix
, a Grand Prix motorcycle racing
event.
Since August 19, 1909, 248 automobile races have taken place, with 137 separate drivers winning. After winning his fifth United States Grand Prix at Indianapolis in 2006
, Formula One
driver Michael Schumacher
holds the record for most victories between the three major events (Indianapolis 500
, Brickyard 400 and the F1 USGP
), with all taking place on the Formula One version of the road course. A.J. Foyt, Al Unser
and Rick Mears
each won the Indianapolis 500 four times on the traditional oval, and Jeff Gordon
has also won four times on the oval in the Brickyard 400. No driver to date has won any combination of the three major events, with only one driver, (Juan Pablo Montoya
), having competed in all three, winning the Indy 500, finishing fourth in the US Grand Prix, and placing second in the Brickyard 400. Johnny Aitken
holds the record for total wins at the track, with 15 victories (all on the oval), during the 1909, 1910 and 1916 seasons.
On the grounds of the Speedway is the Indianapolis Motor Speedway Hall of Fame Museum
, which opened in 1956, and the Brickyard Crossing Golf Resort, which originally opened as the Speedway Golf Course in 1929. The Speedway was also the venue of the opening ceremonies for the 1987 Pan American Games
.
Indianapolis businessman Carl G. Fisher
first envisioned building the speedway in 1905 after assisting friends racing in France
and seeing that Europe held the upper hand in automobile design and craftsmanship. Fisher began thinking of a better means of testing cars before delivering them to consumers. At the time, racing was just getting started on horse tracks and public roads. Fisher noticed how dangerous and ill-suited the make-shift courses were for racing or testing. He also argued that spectators didn't get their money's worth, as they were only able to get a brief glimpse of cars speeding down a linear road.
Fisher proposed building a circular track three to five miles (8 km) long with smooth 100-150 ft wide surfaces. Such a track would give manufacturers a chance to test cars at sustained speeds and give drivers a chance to learn their limits. Fisher predicted speeds could reach up to 120 mph (53.6 m/s) on a five-mile (8 km) course. He visited the Brooklands
circuit outside of London in 1907, and after viewing the banked layout, it solidified his determination to build the speedway. With dozens of car makers and suppliers in Indiana, Fisher proclaimed "Indianapolis is going to be the world's greatest center of horseless carriage manufacturer, what could be more logical than building the world's greatest racetrack right here?".
Fisher began looking around the Indianapolis area for a site to build his track, he rejected two potential sites before finding level farmland, Pressley Farm, totaling 328 acres just five miles (8 km) outside of Indianapolis. In December 1908 he convinced three partners; James Allison, Arthur Newby and Frank Wheeler, to join in purchasing the property for $72,000. The group incorporated Indianapolis Motor Speedway company on March 20, 1909 with a capitalization of $250,000, with Fisher and James Allison in for $75,000 apiece and Frank Wheeler and Arthur Newby on-board for $50,000 each.
Construction of the track started in March 1909. Fisher had to quickly downsize his planned three-mile (5 km) oval with a two mile (3 km) road course to a 2.5 miles (4 km) oval to leave room for the grandstands. Reshaping of the land for the speedway took 500 laborers, 300 mule
s and a fleet of steam-powered machinery. The track surface consisted of graded and packed soil covered by two inches of gravel, two inches of limestone
covered with taroid (a solution of tar and oil), one to two inches of crushed stone chips that were also drenched with taroid, and a final topping of crushed stone. Workers also constructed dozens of buildings, several bridges, grandstands with 12,000 seats, and an eight-foot perimeter fence with a white-with-green-trim paint scheme used throughout the property.
The first event ever held at the speedway was a helium gas-filled balloon competition on Saturday, June 5, 1909, more than two months before the oval was completed. The event drew a reported 40,000 people. Nine balloons lifted off "racing" for trophies, a balloon by the name of Universal City won the race, landing 382 miles (614.8 km) away in Alabama
after spending more than a day aloft. The first motorsports event at the track consisted of 7 motorcycle races, sanctioned by the Federation of American Motorcyclists (FAM) on August 14, 1909. This was originally planned as a two-day, 15-race program, but ended before the first day was completed, due to concerns over suitability of the track surface for motorcycle use. These early events were largely planned by one the top names in early auto racing promotion, Ernest Moross
, who earned fame for his bold and sometimes outlandish barnstorming events at fairgrounds tracks with racing star Barney Oldfield
.
On August 19, 1909, fifteen carmakers' teams arrived at the track for practice. The track surface again became a concern with drivers being covered in dirt, oil, and tar and with ruts and chuckholes beginning to form in the turns. Speedway workers oiled and rolled the track prior to the gates opening to the public. Fifteen to twenty thousand spectators showed up, paying at the most $1 for a ticket. Halfway through the first 250 miles (402.3 km) event, race leader Louis Chevrolet was temporarily blinded when a stone smashed his goggles. Wilfred Bourque, driving in a Knox, suffered a suspected rear-axle failure resulting in his car flipping end over end on the front stretch before crashing into a fence post. Both he and his mechanic, Harry Halcomb, died at the scene.
The first day of car racing resulted in four finishes and two land speed records, but concerns over safety led AAA officials to consider canceling the remaining events. Fisher promised the track would be repaired by the next day and convinced officials that the show would go on. The second day saw 20,000 spectators, no major incidents and additional speed records broken.
On the third day of racing, 35,000 spectators showed up to watch the grand finale 300 miles (482.8 km) race. At 175 miles (281.6 km) into the race, the right front tire blew on Charlie Merz's car. His car mowed down five fence posts and toppled dozens of spectators. Two spectators and his mechanic, Claude Kellum, were killed in the crash. Ten laps later, driver Bruce Keen struck a pothole and crashed into a bridge support. The race was then halted and the remaining drivers given engraved certificates instead of trophies. The race resulted in the AAA boycotting any future events at the speedway unless significant improvements were made.
Fisher and his partners began looking into the idea of paving the track with bricks or concrete. Paving in 1909 was still relatively new with only a few miles of public roads paved, leaving little knowledge of what would work best. Traction tests were conducted on bricks, proving they could hold up. Only less than a month after the first car races, the repaving project began. Five Indiana manufacturers supplied 3.2 million ten-pound bricks to the track. Each was hand laid over a two inch cushion of sand, then leveled and gaps filled with mortar. At the same time, a 33-inch-high concrete wall was constructed in front of the main grandstand and around all four corners to protect spectators. The final brick added to the track was made of gold and laid in a special ceremony by Governor
Thomas R. Marshall
. Today, 3 foot (0.9144 m), or one yard, of original bricks remain at the start/finish line, giving the track its nickname "The Brickyard".
In December 1909, eleven drivers and a few motorcyclists returned for speed trials. Drivers soon reached speeds of up to 112 mph (50.1 m/s) on the new surface. Racing returned in 1910, with a total of 66 automobile races held during three holiday weekends (Memorial Day, Fourth of July and Labor Day). Each weekend featured two or three races of 100 miles (160.9 km) to 200 miles (321.9 km) distance, with several shorter contests. Each race stood on its own and earned its own trophy. All races were sanctioned by the AAA (as were the Indianapolis 500 races up through 1955). 1910 also saw the speedway host the National Aviation Meet, featuring Wilbur and Orville Wright and highlighted by Walter Brookins setting a then world record by taking a plane up to 4938 feet (1,505.1 m).
A change in marketing focus led to only one race per year beginning in 1911. An estimated 80,000 spectators attended the first
500 miles (804.7 km) race on Memorial Day
May 30, 1911. 40 cars competed with Ray Harroun
winning at the brisk average speed of 74.602 miles per hour (33.4 m/s). "The Greatest Spectacle in Racing" was born.
A classic race followed in 1912
when Ralph DePalma
lost a five lap lead with five laps to go when his car broke down. As DePalma pushed his car around the circuit, Joe Dawson
made up the deficit to win. Three of the next four winners were European, with DePalma being the exception as an American national, though originally Italian born. These races gave Indy a worldwide reputation and international drivers began to enter. The 1916 race was shortened to 120 laps, for a number reasons including a lack of entries from Europe (there were so few entries the Speedway itself entered several cars), a lack of oil, and out of respect for the war in Europe
.
On September 9, 1916, the Speedway hosted a day of short racing events termed the Harvest Classic
, composed of three races held at 20, 50 and 100 miles (160.9 km) distances. Johnny Aitken
, in a Peugeot
, in the end triumphed in all three events, his final victories at the facility. The Harvest Classic contests were the last races other than the Indianapolis 500 to be held on the grounds for seventy-eight years.
Racing was interrupted in 1917–1918 by World War I
, when the facility served as a military aviation repair and refueling depot. When racing resumed, speeds quickly increased.
In 1921, Speedway co-founder Wheeler committed suicide.
At the 1925 event, Pete DePaolo
became the first to average 100 mph (160 km/h) for the race, with a speed of 101.13 mph (162.8 km/h).
In 1926, Fisher and Allison "were offered a fortune" for the Speedway site by a local real estate developer. They refused, selling instead to former racing driver (and World War One fighter ace
) Edward V. Rickenbacker
in 1927. (How much he paid was not revealed.) Rickenbacker built a golf course
in the infield. The next year, Allison died from pneumonia
.
hitting the nation, the purse dropped from a winners share of $50,000 and a total of $98,250 in 1930 to $18,000 and $54,450 respectively. It's a common misconception the rules were "dumbed down" to what was called the "junkyard formula" to allow more entries during the depression. The rules were indeed changed, but it was due to an effort by the Speedway to get more car manufacturers involved in the race by discouraging the entry of specialized racing machines which dominated the 500 during the mid- to late-'20s. The rule changes in fact were already being laid out before the market crash.
In 1931, Dave Evans
performed a remarkable feat when his Cummins
Diesel
Special completed the entire 500 miles without a pit stop
. It was also the first diesel entrant. A record of 42 cars started the 1933 500. With one exception between 1934 until 1979, 33 drivers started the 500; 1947 saw 30 cars start due to a strike by certain teams affiliated with the ASPAR drivers, owners and sponsors association.
For 1934, a maximum fuel consumption limit was imposed, 45 US gal (37.5 imp gal; 170.3 l). It became 42.5 US gal (35.4 imp gal; 160.9 l) in 1935 and 37.5 US gal (31.2 imp gal; 142 l) in 1936. When the limits saw "several top competitors running out of fuel in the closing stages", the limits were abandoned, though use of pump gasoline was still mandatory.
By the early 1930s, however, the increasing speeds began to make the track increasingly dangerous, and in the period 1931–1935 there were 15 fatalities. This forced another repavement, with tarmac
replacing the bricks in parts of the track. In addition, during the '35–'36 seasons the inside wall was removed in the corners, the angle of the outside wall in relation to the track was changed to keep cars from launching over, hard crash helmets became mandatory, and the first yellow light system was devised around the track. The danger of the track during this period, however, didn't stop Louis Meyer
or Wilbur Shaw
from becoming the first two three-time winners, with Shaw also being the first back-to-back winner in 1939 and 1940.
At the beginning of the 1940s, the track required further improvement. In 1941, half of "Gasoline Alley," the garage area, burned down before the race. With US involvement in World War II
, the 1942 500-Mile race
was cancelled in December, 1941. Late in 1942, a ban on all auto racing
led to the canceling of the 500-Mile Race for the rest of the war for a total of four years (1942–1945). The track was more or less abandoned during the war and was in bad shape.
Many of the locals conceded that the Speedway would be sold after the war and become a housing development. With the end of the war in sight, on November 29, 1944, three-time 500 winner Wilbur Shaw
came back to do a 500 miles (804.7 km) tire test approved by the government for Firestone. Shaw was shocked at the state of the Speedway and contacted owner Eddie Rickenbacker
, only to discover that it was for sale. Shaw then sent out letters to the automobile industry to try to find a buyer. All the responses indicated that the Speedway would be turned into a private facility for the buyer. Shaw then looked around for someone to buy the Speedway, who would reopen the racetrack as a public venue. He found Terre Haute, Indiana businessman Tony Hulman
. Meetings were set up and the Speedway was purchased on November 14, 1945. Though not officially acknowledged, the purchase price for the Speedway was reported by the Indianapolis Star and News
to be $750,000. Major renovations and repairs were made at a quick pace to the frail Speedway, in time for the 1946 race. Since then the Speedway has continued to grow. Stands have been built and remodeled many times over, suites and museums were added, and many other additions helped bring back Indy's reputation as a great track.
, or "Offy", engines. The crowd favorite Novi
, with its unique sound and look, was the most powerful car of the decade that dominated time trials. However, they would never make the full 500 miles (804.7 km) in first place, often breaking down before the end or having to make too many pit stops because of the massive engine's thirst for fuel and the weight that went with the extra fuel.
The track’s reputation improved so much the 500-Mile Race became part of the Formula One
World Championship for 11 years (1950–1960), even though none of the Indy drivers raced in Formula One and only Ferrari's
Alberto Ascari
of the F1 drivers at the time raced in the 500. Five time World Champion Juan Fangio practiced at the Speedway in 1958, but ultimately decided against it. The 1950s were also the most dangerous era of American racing. Of the 33 drivers to qualify for the 1953 race, nearly half, 16, were to eventually die in racing accidents.
In October 1961, the final remaining brick sections of the track were paved over with asphalt, with the exception of a distinct three-foot-wide line of bricks at the start/finish line. The "Brickyard" thus became known for its "Yard of Bricks". Ironically, a wave of F1 drivers went to the Speedway in the 1960s, and the mid-engine revolution that was started in F1 by the Cooper
team changed the face of the 500 as well; since Jim Clark
's win in 1965, every winner has driven a rear-engined car. Graham Hill
won the following year in his first attempt, eventually to become the only driver to date to achieve auto racing's "Triple Crown of Motorsport
" of winning the Monaco Grand Prix
, Indianapolis 500, and Le Mans 24 Hours. There were enough Americans to compete with them, with A.J. Foyt, Mario Andretti
, and Bobby
and Al Unser
leading the charge in the 1960s and 1970s, of whom Foyt and Al Unser would eventually become, respectively, the first two of three drivers, to date, to win four times each.
From 1970 to 1981, Indianapolis had a twin in the city of Ontario, California
by the name of the Ontario Motor Speedway
. This track was known as the "Indianapolis of the West" and the home of the California 500 but was a financial failure due to bad management and not holding enough races on the racetrack.
The 1980s brought a new generation of speedsters, led by four-time race winner Rick Mears
who also broke the 220 mph (355 km/h) speed mark in qualifying (1989
) and won six pole positions. Other stars of the decade included Danny Sullivan
, Bobby Rahal
, and F1 veteran Emerson Fittipaldi
. The 1989 race came down to a final ten-lap, thrilling duel between Fittipaldi and Al Unser, Jr.
, culminating in Unser crashing in the third turn of the 199th lap after making contact with Fittpaldi's right front tire.
The early 1990s witnessed Arie Luyendyk
winning in the fastest 500 to date
, with an average speed 185.981 mph (83.1 m/s). Mears becoming the third four-time winner after a late-race duel with Michael Andretti
in 1991
, and Al Unser, Jr. finally securing victory by defeating last-place-starting driver Scott Goodyear
by 0.043 of a second in 1992
, the closest finish in race history to date. The 500 got a new look in 1996 when it became an Indy Racing League event, formed as a rival to CART
.
(Hulman's grandson) inherited the track, he brought more racing to the Speedway, with NASCAR
in 1994 (the Brickyard 400, known from 2005 to 2009 as the Allstate 400 at The Brickyard
), and an International Race of Champions
(IROC) event in 1998.
The Brickyard 400 currently has no official support races. From 1998–2003, an IROC event was held as a support race. Since 1982, nearby Indianapolis Raceway Park has held a NASCAR Nationwide Series event which, since the Brickyard 400 in 1994, has been held the night prior to the IMS event. Since 1995, a Camping World Truck Series race has also been held at IRP.
series begin to cross over to compete at the Indianapolis 500. In the 2000 Indianapolis 500
, multi-time CART champion team Chip Ganassi Racing
brought his drivers Juan Pablo Montoya
and Jimmy Vasser
to Indianapolis. Montoya qualified on the pole and won the race going away, becoming the seventh Indy 500 rookie to win the race. The very next year
, Team Penske made its return to the Indianapolis 500 after a five year absence and was joined by Ganassi and Walker Racing
. For the second straight year an Indy rookie won the race as Hélio Castroneves
took the checkered flag. Roger Penske then elected to move his entire operation over to the IRL beginning in 2002, taking Castroneves and teammate Gil de Ferran
with him. After fielding one car in 2002, Ganassi Racing followed Penske to the IRL full time for the 2003 season. Michael Andretti
, who had left his long-time ride at Newman-Haas Racing because he wanted to run the Indianapolis 500 again (something they weren't willing to do), bought a majority interest in CART's Team Green, who returned to Indianapolis in 2002 with Dario Franchitti
and Paul Tracy
, and moved it to the IRL that same year as Andretti Green Racing, and in 2004 former CART champion Bobby Rahal
's operation moved to the IRL as Rahal Letterman Racing
. Castroneves repeated his Indianapolis 500 win in 2002 despite controversial circumstances involving a late race caution and a pass made by Tracy, and his teammate de Ferran won in 2003.
In 2003, the Firestone Indy Lights Series, a minor league series to the IndyCar Series
, made history with the first May race at the track since 1910, other than the 500. The Freedom 100
, first held during the final qualifying weekend, has been moved to Carburetion Day on the Friday before the 500. From 2005-2007, the Firestone Indy Lights Series became the first racing series since 1916 to run at the famous race course twice in one year. The first event being the Freedom 100, held on the oval track as part of the Indianapolis 500 weekend, and the second event, the Liberty Challenge
during the United States Grand Prix weekend, competing on the Grand Prix road course.
Buddy Rice
became the first American driver since 1998 to win the race in the rain-shortened 2004 Indianapolis 500
. At the time, Rice drove for the team co-owned by 1986 Indianapolis 500
winner Bobby Rahal
and the Indiana native television talk show host and comedian David Letterman
. In 2005, Danica Patrick
became the first female driver to lead the race at Indianapolis, first when acquiring it for a lap near the 125-mile (201 km) mark while cycling through pit stops, and late in the race when she stayed out one lap longer than her rivals during a set of green-flag pit stops. Dan Wheldon
would go on to win the 2005 Indianapolis 500
.
Sam Hornish Jr. became the first driver to ever overtake for the lead on the race's final lap, ultimately winning the 2006 Indianapolis 500
in the last 450 feet (137.2 m) by a 0.0635-second margin over rookie Marco Andretti
. Dario Franchitti
became the first native of Scotland
since Jim Clark
's victory in 1965, to win the rain-shortened 2007 Indianapolis 500
.
In mid February, 2008, Champ Car filed for bankruptcy. In late February, an agreement was reached for Champ Car to be merged with the IRL, and the first IRL IndyCar Series
season since the unification took place in 2008. Scott Dixon
, driving for Chip Ganassi Racing, became the first native of New Zealand
to win the 2008 Indianapolis 500
.
In the 100th anniversary year of the construction of the Indianapolis Motor Speedway, Hélio Castroneves became the sixth three-time winner of the 500 Mile Race in the 2009 Indianapolis 500
. Danica Patrick also had her best finish ever (third place) in the race, also the best finish ever by a woman in the history of the Indianapolis 500.
In 1998, Tony George arranged for Formula One
to return to the US for the first time since 1991. Two years of renovation and new construction for an Indy-based road course led to the first United States Grand Prix
there in 2000, a race which was a great success. The 2001 event's success (185,000 fans were reported in attendance) was even more important with the race, then originally held in September, being the largest international sporting event held in the United States after September 11, 2001 terrorist attacks
.
The Grand Prix road course, unlike the oval, is raced in a clockwise direction. This follows the general practice of Formula One, in which the vast majority of circuits (excepting Interlagos
, Imola
, Istanbul Park
, Singapore, Yeongam
and Abu Dhabi) run clockwise.
The short history of the event is littered with controversies. The 2002 United States Grand Prix
was marred by a bizarre ending, in which Michael Schumacher
, having already clinched the championship, seemingly tried to stage a dead heat with team-mate Rubens Barrichello
. The official timings showed Barrichello ahead by 0.011 seconds at the line, leading fans and media to dub the event a farce. The 2002 race was also the 1st ever Formula One race that used SAFER Barriers.
The 2005 United States Grand Prix
turned out to be one of the most controversial races in motorsport history. New rules meant cars had to use the same tires throughout the event. A crash during practice on the banked corner (the only banked corner on the F1 calendar) led to Michelin realizing their tires were ill-equipped for the banking, and could complete no more than a fraction of the race before failing. The Michelin teams were unable to find a solution, and while debates raged until the second, the Michelin teams pulled into the pits at the end of the parade lap, leaving only the 3 Bridgestone teams to contest the race. As two of these teams were backmarkers under normal circumstances, this led to Ferrari winning the race, accepting the trophies from a presentation party hastily assembled after Speedway boss Tony George
refused to take part.
The perceived outrage of this event put the future of Formula One at Indianapolis in doubt. However, the event was held on July 2, 2006, on the American Fourth of July
weekend, with American Scott Speed
driving for the new Scuderia Toro Rosso
team. Speed had become the first American in Formula One since Michael Andretti
drove for McLaren in 1993
. In this race, Speed became the first American to compete in a United States Grand Prix since Eddie Cheever
in 1989
.
During the 2006 United States Grand Prix
, Formula One boss Bernie Ecclestone
said that it did not matter to him whether or not there was a Grand Prix in America, but also said he would be happy to discuss a new contract for the race. There was also a rumor going around that in future seasons, there would be two Grands Prix
held in the United States. Even with Ecclestone's statements, the 2007
calendar was confirmed on October 31, 2006, following an extension of the race contract into 2007.
On July 12, 2007, it was announced that Formula One would not return to the IMS for , although a continuation of USGP at the IMS has not been completely ruled out for the future. Tony George stated difficulties in meeting the demands of Ecclestone to continue to host the event. George and Ecclestone were in talks to revive the race for , but no deal was made for a future race in Indianapolis. In a statement on April 10, 2008, Indianapolis chairman Joie Chitwood
said that the "door is open" for Formula One to return to the circuit. However, on May 25, 2010 it was announced that Formula One would return to the United States in 2012
at a new purpose–built track
in Austin
, Texas
.
beginning in 2008. The race was held for the first time on September 14, 2008, backed by Red Bull
and known as the Red Bull Indianapolis GP
. This marked the first motorcycle racing event at the facility since its first month of operation, in August 1909.
Modifications approved by the FIA
and FIM
were made to the former Formula One circuit, bringing the new track to a total of 16 turns. The motorcycle course runs counter-clockwise, in the same direction as the oval events at the Speedway, and completely bypass the banking of the oval with a new infield section inside Turn 1 ("Snake Pit complex"). Also, the double-hairpin at the Hulman Straight was replaced with traditional esses. This construction was completed before the opening day of the 92nd Indianapolis 500
in May, 2008. The layout can be run clockwise (car use, without the Snake Pit complex) or anticlockwise (for motorcycle use, with the Snake Pit complex).
The first Moto GP event was heavily affected by the arrival of the remnants of Hurricane Ike
. On race day, the weather was overcast and cold, with a 100% chance of rain during the event. The 125cc class started on a dry track, and went on until rain began to fall, with 7 laps to go. Since two-thirds of the scheduled distance had been run, the race was declared over and full points were given. Rain intensity then led the organizers to postpone the 250cc race until after the MotoGP race, hoping the winds and rain would stop. The MotoGP race was started at the scheduled time, with a very wet track but little rain. It ran until the 21st lap, when strong winds again began to blow. Fearing for the safety of the riders, the stewards red-flagged the race, which was declared completed, and full World Championship points were given. The winds did not stop after the race, and safety concerns ultimately led to the cancellation of the 250cc race.
On July 06, 2011 at a press conference held at the start-finish line, officials with the speedway, NASCAR
, and the Grand American Road Racing Association
announced the new Super Weekend at the Brickyard taking place July 26-29, 2012. The NASCAR Nationwide Series will move from Lucas Oil Raceway at Indianapolis to the Brickyard to run a Saturday race while both the Rolex Sports Car Series
and the Continental Tire Sports Car Challenge will run races on Friday. It will be the first time in speedway history that races will take place on the 2.5-mile oval and 2.534-mile Grand Prix road course during the same weekend. The move has been done to counter declining attendance during the Brickyard 400. Race lengths were not announced. Many Sprint Cup drivers are expected to make an appearance in the Rolex Sports Car Series race in preparation for the Sprint Cup race at Watkins Glen two weeks later. The NASCAR Camping World Truck Series race at Lucas Oil Raceway will also be discontinued.
The move of the Nationwide race from Lucas Oil Raceway to the Brickyard has come with much criticism. Lucas Oil Raceway sold out every race in the 28 years it held a Nationwide race while offering exciting short track racing on the track, while many fans consider racing at the Brickyard "boring."
Since 1977, the city of Indianapolis
has hosted a half marathon
, which includes one lap around the Speedway. Known as the OneAmerica 500 Festival Mini-Marathon
, this event usually starts the official events that occur prior to the Indy 500.
From 1960 to 1968, the Speedway Golf Course, originally built in 1929, hosted a PGA Tour
event, the 500 Festival Open Invitation
, in conjunction with Indy 500 race week. In 1968, it also held an LPGA
event. From 1991 to 1993, the course was demolished and changed from a 27-hole layout (18 holes outside, 9 in the infield) to an 18-hole championship course designed by legendary golf architect Pete Dye
. The new course, renamed the Brickyard Crossing Golf Resort features 14 holes outside, and 4 holes in the infield, along with an infield lake. A Champions Tour
event, Brickyard Crossing Championship, was hosted there from 1994–1999.
At the 1987 Pan American Games
, the speedway hosted opening ceremonies and the speed roller skating
competition.
During the three-year Centennial Era, announced on May 23, 2008, special festivities which will include a balloon festival to commemorate the first event, will be held at two of the major races at the speedway, the Indianapolis 500 and the Brickyard 400. In February 2012, the facility will be used to host events during Super Bowl XLVI
that will be held in Indianapolis.
Since 2009, the Speedway has hosted United States Auto Club quarter midget racing on an infield oval, called the "Battle at the Brickyard".
Indianapolis 500
United States Grand Prix
Red Bull Indianapolis GP
Source:
Speedway, Indiana
Speedway is a town in Wayne Township, Marion County, Indiana, United States. The population was 12,881 at the 2000 census. Speedway is the home of the Indianapolis Motor Speedway, from which the town derives its name, and is a complete enclave of Indianapolis....
(an enclave suburb
Suburb
The word suburb mostly refers to a residential area, either existing as part of a city or as a separate residential community within commuting distance of a city . Some suburbs have a degree of administrative autonomy, and most have lower population density than inner city neighborhoods...
of Indianapolis
Indianapolis
Indianapolis is the capital of the U.S. state of Indiana, and the county seat of Marion County, Indiana. As of the 2010 United States Census, the city's population is 839,489. It is by far Indiana's largest city and, as of the 2010 U.S...
) in the United States
United States
The United States of America is a federal constitutional republic comprising fifty states and a federal district...
, is the home of the Indianapolis 500-Mile Race and the Brickyard 400.
It has existed since 1909, and is the original Speedway, the first racing facility so named. With a permanent seating capacity
Seating capacity
Seating capacity refers to the number of people who can be seated in a specific space, both in terms of the physical space available, and in terms of limitations set by law. Seating capacity can be used in the description of anything ranging from an automobile that seats two to a stadium that seats...
for more than 257,000 people and infield seating that raises capacity to approximately 400,000, it is the highest-capacity stadium-type facility in the world.
Considered relatively flat by American standards, the track is a two-and-a-half-mile, nearly rectangular oval with dimensions that have remained essentially unchanged since its inception: four 1/4-mile turns, two 5/8-mile long straightaways between the fourth and first and second and third turns, and two 1/8-mile short straightaways, termed "short chutes," between the first and second, and third and fourth turns.
A modern infield road course was constructed between 1998 and 2000, incorporating the western and southern portions of the oval (including the southwest turn) to create a
2.605 miles (4.2 km) track. In 2008, the road course was modified to replace the southwest turn with an additional infield section, for motorcycle use, resulting in a 2.621 miles (4.2 km) course. Altogether, the current grounds have expanded from an original 320 acres (1.3 km²) on which the Speedway was first built to cover an area of over 559 acres (2.3 km²). Placed on the National Register of Historic Places
National Register of Historic Places
The National Register of Historic Places is the United States government's official list of districts, sites, buildings, structures, and objects deemed worthy of preservation...
in 1975 and designated a National Historic Landmark
National Historic Landmark
A National Historic Landmark is a building, site, structure, object, or district, that is officially recognized by the United States government for its historical significance...
in 1987, it currently remains the only such landmark to be affiliated with automotive racing history.
In addition to the Indianapolis 500
Indianapolis 500
The Indianapolis 500-Mile Race, also known as the Indianapolis 500, the 500 Miles at Indianapolis, the Indy 500 or The 500, is an American automobile race, held annually, typically on the last weekend in May at the Indianapolis Motor Speedway in Speedway, Indiana...
, the speedway also hosts NASCAR
NASCAR
The National Association for Stock Car Auto Racing is a family-owned and -operated business venture that sanctions and governs multiple auto racing sports events. It was founded by Bill France Sr. in 1947–48. As of 2009, the CEO for the company is Brian France, grandson of the late Bill France Sr...
's Brickyard 400. From 2000 to 2007 the speedway also hosted the United States Grand Prix
United States Grand Prix
The United States Grand Prix is a motor race which has been run on and off since 1908, when it was known as the American Grand Prize. The race later became part of the Formula One World Championship. Over 41 editions, the race has been held at nine locations, most recently in 2007 at the...
for Formula One
Formula One
Formula One, also known as Formula 1 or F1 and referred to officially as the FIA Formula One World Championship, is the highest class of single seater auto racing sanctioned by the Fédération Internationale de l'Automobile . The "formula" designation in the name refers to a set of rules with which...
. The inaugural USGP race drew an estimated 250,000 spectators, setting a Formula One
Formula One
Formula One, also known as Formula 1 or F1 and referred to officially as the FIA Formula One World Championship, is the highest class of single seater auto racing sanctioned by the Fédération Internationale de l'Automobile . The "formula" designation in the name refers to a set of rules with which...
attendance record. In 2008, the Speedway added the Indianapolis motorcycle Grand Prix
Indianapolis motorcycle Grand Prix
The Indianapolis Grand Prix is a motorcycling event held at the Indianapolis Motor Speedway in Speedway, Indiana, United States as part of the Grand Prix motorcycle racing season. Its first edition took place on September 14, 2008 and was sponsored by Red Bull. The race was held again on August 30,...
, a Grand Prix motorcycle racing
Grand Prix motorcycle racing
Road Racing World Championship Grand Prix is the premier championship of motorcycle road racing currently divided into three distinct classes: 125cc, Moto2 and MotoGP. The 125cc class uses a two-stroke engine while Moto2 and MotoGP use four-stroke engines. In 2010 the 250cc two-stroke was replaced...
event.
Since August 19, 1909, 248 automobile races have taken place, with 137 separate drivers winning. After winning his fifth United States Grand Prix at Indianapolis in 2006
2006 United States Grand Prix
The 2006 United States Grand Prix was a Formula One motor race held at the Indianapolis Motor Speedway in Indiana, USA on July 2, 2006 . The race, which was the tenth round of the 2006 Formula One season, was won by Ferrari driver Michael Schumacher....
, Formula One
Formula One
Formula One, also known as Formula 1 or F1 and referred to officially as the FIA Formula One World Championship, is the highest class of single seater auto racing sanctioned by the Fédération Internationale de l'Automobile . The "formula" designation in the name refers to a set of rules with which...
driver Michael Schumacher
Michael Schumacher
Michael Schumacher is a German Formula One racing driver for the Mercedes GP team. Famous for his eleven-year spell with Ferrari, Schumacher is a seven-time World Champion and is widely regarded as the greatest F1 driver of all time...
holds the record for most victories between the three major events (Indianapolis 500
Indianapolis 500
The Indianapolis 500-Mile Race, also known as the Indianapolis 500, the 500 Miles at Indianapolis, the Indy 500 or The 500, is an American automobile race, held annually, typically on the last weekend in May at the Indianapolis Motor Speedway in Speedway, Indiana...
, Brickyard 400 and the F1 USGP
United States Grand Prix
The United States Grand Prix is a motor race which has been run on and off since 1908, when it was known as the American Grand Prize. The race later became part of the Formula One World Championship. Over 41 editions, the race has been held at nine locations, most recently in 2007 at the...
), with all taking place on the Formula One version of the road course. A.J. Foyt, Al Unser
Al Unser
Alfred "Al" Unser is a former American automobile racing driver, the younger brother of fellow racing drivers Jerry and Bobby Unser, and father of Al Unser, Jr....
and Rick Mears
Rick Mears
Rick Ravon Mears is a retired American race car driver. He is one of three men to have won the Indianapolis 500-Mile Race four times , and the current record-holder for pole positions in the race with six...
each won the Indianapolis 500 four times on the traditional oval, and Jeff Gordon
Jeff Gordon
Jeffery Michael "Jeff" Gordon is a professional NASCAR driver. He is the driver of the #24 Drive to End Hunger/DuPont/Pepsi Chevrolet Impala. He is a four-time Sprint Cup Series champion and a three-time Daytona 500 winner. He is third on the all-time wins list, with 85 career wins, and has the...
has also won four times on the oval in the Brickyard 400. No driver to date has won any combination of the three major events, with only one driver, (Juan Pablo Montoya
Juan Pablo Montoya
Juan Pablo Montoya Roldán is a Colombian race car driver known internationally for participating and winning in Formula One and CART race competitions. He has enjoyed great success. Currently, he competes in NASCAR, driving the #42 Target Chevrolet Impala for Earnhardt Ganassi Racing in the Sprint...
), having competed in all three, winning the Indy 500, finishing fourth in the US Grand Prix, and placing second in the Brickyard 400. Johnny Aitken
Johnny Aitken
Johnny Aitken was a racecar driver from Indianapolis, who was active in the years prior to World War I.Aitken competed in the Indianapolis 500 three times. He started the race twice, in 1911 and 1916. He led the first lap of the first race . Aitken captured the pole position in 1916, but ended...
holds the record for total wins at the track, with 15 victories (all on the oval), during the 1909, 1910 and 1916 seasons.
On the grounds of the Speedway is the Indianapolis Motor Speedway Hall of Fame Museum
Indianapolis Motor Speedway Hall of Fame Museum
The Indianapolis Motor Speedway Hall of Fame Museum is an automotive museum on the grounds of the Indianapolis Motor Speedway in Speedway, Indiana, which houses the Auto Racing Hall of Fame. It is intrinsically linked to the Indianapolis 500, but it also includes exhibits reflecting other forms of...
, which opened in 1956, and the Brickyard Crossing Golf Resort, which originally opened as the Speedway Golf Course in 1929. The Speedway was also the venue of the opening ceremonies for the 1987 Pan American Games
1987 Pan American Games
The 1987 Pan American Games, officially known as the X Pan American Games, was a major international multi-sport event which was celebrated in Indianapolis, Indiana, United States, from 7 August to 23 August 1987. Over 4,300 athletes from 38 countries in the Americas competed in 30 sports earning...
.
Early history
Carl G. Fisher
Carl Graham Fisher was an American entrepreneur. Despite having severe astigmatism, he became a seemingly tireless pioneer and promoter of the automotive, auto racing, and real estate development industries...
first envisioned building the speedway in 1905 after assisting friends racing in France
France
The French Republic , The French Republic , The French Republic , (commonly known as France , is a unitary semi-presidential republic in Western Europe with several overseas territories and islands located on other continents and in the Indian, Pacific, and Atlantic oceans. Metropolitan France...
and seeing that Europe held the upper hand in automobile design and craftsmanship. Fisher began thinking of a better means of testing cars before delivering them to consumers. At the time, racing was just getting started on horse tracks and public roads. Fisher noticed how dangerous and ill-suited the make-shift courses were for racing or testing. He also argued that spectators didn't get their money's worth, as they were only able to get a brief glimpse of cars speeding down a linear road.
Fisher proposed building a circular track three to five miles (8 km) long with smooth 100-150 ft wide surfaces. Such a track would give manufacturers a chance to test cars at sustained speeds and give drivers a chance to learn their limits. Fisher predicted speeds could reach up to 120 mph (53.6 m/s) on a five-mile (8 km) course. He visited the Brooklands
Brooklands
Brooklands was a motor racing circuit and aerodrome built near Weybridge in Surrey, England. It opened in 1907, and was the world's first purpose-built motorsport venue, as well as one of Britain's first airfields...
circuit outside of London in 1907, and after viewing the banked layout, it solidified his determination to build the speedway. With dozens of car makers and suppliers in Indiana, Fisher proclaimed "Indianapolis is going to be the world's greatest center of horseless carriage manufacturer, what could be more logical than building the world's greatest racetrack right here?".
Fisher began looking around the Indianapolis area for a site to build his track, he rejected two potential sites before finding level farmland, Pressley Farm, totaling 328 acres just five miles (8 km) outside of Indianapolis. In December 1908 he convinced three partners; James Allison, Arthur Newby and Frank Wheeler, to join in purchasing the property for $72,000. The group incorporated Indianapolis Motor Speedway company on March 20, 1909 with a capitalization of $250,000, with Fisher and James Allison in for $75,000 apiece and Frank Wheeler and Arthur Newby on-board for $50,000 each.
Construction of the track started in March 1909. Fisher had to quickly downsize his planned three-mile (5 km) oval with a two mile (3 km) road course to a 2.5 miles (4 km) oval to leave room for the grandstands. Reshaping of the land for the speedway took 500 laborers, 300 mule
Mule
A mule is the offspring of a male donkey and a female horse. Horses and donkeys are different species, with different numbers of chromosomes. Of the two F1 hybrids between these two species, a mule is easier to obtain than a hinny...
s and a fleet of steam-powered machinery. The track surface consisted of graded and packed soil covered by two inches of gravel, two inches of limestone
Limestone
Limestone is a sedimentary rock composed largely of the minerals calcite and aragonite, which are different crystal forms of calcium carbonate . Many limestones are composed from skeletal fragments of marine organisms such as coral or foraminifera....
covered with taroid (a solution of tar and oil), one to two inches of crushed stone chips that were also drenched with taroid, and a final topping of crushed stone. Workers also constructed dozens of buildings, several bridges, grandstands with 12,000 seats, and an eight-foot perimeter fence with a white-with-green-trim paint scheme used throughout the property.
The first event ever held at the speedway was a helium gas-filled balloon competition on Saturday, June 5, 1909, more than two months before the oval was completed. The event drew a reported 40,000 people. Nine balloons lifted off "racing" for trophies, a balloon by the name of Universal City won the race, landing 382 miles (614.8 km) away in Alabama
Alabama
Alabama is a state located in the southeastern region of the United States. It is bordered by Tennessee to the north, Georgia to the east, Florida and the Gulf of Mexico to the south, and Mississippi to the west. Alabama ranks 30th in total land area and ranks second in the size of its inland...
after spending more than a day aloft. The first motorsports event at the track consisted of 7 motorcycle races, sanctioned by the Federation of American Motorcyclists (FAM) on August 14, 1909. This was originally planned as a two-day, 15-race program, but ended before the first day was completed, due to concerns over suitability of the track surface for motorcycle use. These early events were largely planned by one the top names in early auto racing promotion, Ernest Moross
Ernest Moross
Ernest "Ernie" Moross was an early twentieth century press agent and promoter specializing in American motorsports. He was a longtime associate of the first American auto racing superstar, Barney Oldfield. Moross also obtained distinction as the first Contest Director for the Indianapolis Motor...
, who earned fame for his bold and sometimes outlandish barnstorming events at fairgrounds tracks with racing star Barney Oldfield
Barney Oldfield
Berna Eli "Barney" Oldfield was an automobile racer and pioneer. He was born on a farm on the outskirts of Wauseon, Ohio. He was the first man to drive a car at 60 miles per hour on an oval...
.
On August 19, 1909, fifteen carmakers' teams arrived at the track for practice. The track surface again became a concern with drivers being covered in dirt, oil, and tar and with ruts and chuckholes beginning to form in the turns. Speedway workers oiled and rolled the track prior to the gates opening to the public. Fifteen to twenty thousand spectators showed up, paying at the most $1 for a ticket. Halfway through the first 250 miles (402.3 km) event, race leader Louis Chevrolet was temporarily blinded when a stone smashed his goggles. Wilfred Bourque, driving in a Knox, suffered a suspected rear-axle failure resulting in his car flipping end over end on the front stretch before crashing into a fence post. Both he and his mechanic, Harry Halcomb, died at the scene.
The first day of car racing resulted in four finishes and two land speed records, but concerns over safety led AAA officials to consider canceling the remaining events. Fisher promised the track would be repaired by the next day and convinced officials that the show would go on. The second day saw 20,000 spectators, no major incidents and additional speed records broken.
On the third day of racing, 35,000 spectators showed up to watch the grand finale 300 miles (482.8 km) race. At 175 miles (281.6 km) into the race, the right front tire blew on Charlie Merz's car. His car mowed down five fence posts and toppled dozens of spectators. Two spectators and his mechanic, Claude Kellum, were killed in the crash. Ten laps later, driver Bruce Keen struck a pothole and crashed into a bridge support. The race was then halted and the remaining drivers given engraved certificates instead of trophies. The race resulted in the AAA boycotting any future events at the speedway unless significant improvements were made.
Fisher and his partners began looking into the idea of paving the track with bricks or concrete. Paving in 1909 was still relatively new with only a few miles of public roads paved, leaving little knowledge of what would work best. Traction tests were conducted on bricks, proving they could hold up. Only less than a month after the first car races, the repaving project began. Five Indiana manufacturers supplied 3.2 million ten-pound bricks to the track. Each was hand laid over a two inch cushion of sand, then leveled and gaps filled with mortar. At the same time, a 33-inch-high concrete wall was constructed in front of the main grandstand and around all four corners to protect spectators. The final brick added to the track was made of gold and laid in a special ceremony by Governor
Governor of Indiana
The Governor of Indiana is the chief executive of the state of Indiana. The governor is elected to a four-year term, and responsible for overseeing the day-to-day management of the functions of many agencies of the Indiana state government. The governor also shares power with other statewide...
Thomas R. Marshall
Thomas R. Marshall
Thomas Riley Marshall was an American Democratic politician who served as the 28th Vice President of the United States under Woodrow Wilson...
. Today, 3 foot (0.9144 m), or one yard, of original bricks remain at the start/finish line, giving the track its nickname "The Brickyard".
In December 1909, eleven drivers and a few motorcyclists returned for speed trials. Drivers soon reached speeds of up to 112 mph (50.1 m/s) on the new surface. Racing returned in 1910, with a total of 66 automobile races held during three holiday weekends (Memorial Day, Fourth of July and Labor Day). Each weekend featured two or three races of 100 miles (160.9 km) to 200 miles (321.9 km) distance, with several shorter contests. Each race stood on its own and earned its own trophy. All races were sanctioned by the AAA (as were the Indianapolis 500 races up through 1955). 1910 also saw the speedway host the National Aviation Meet, featuring Wilbur and Orville Wright and highlighted by Walter Brookins setting a then world record by taking a plane up to 4938 feet (1,505.1 m).
A change in marketing focus led to only one race per year beginning in 1911. An estimated 80,000 spectators attended the first
1911 Indianapolis 500
The 1911 Indianapolis 500-Mile Race, or International 500-Mile Sweepstakes Race was held at the Indianapolis Motor Speedway on Tuesday, May 30, 1911...
500 miles (804.7 km) race on Memorial Day
Memorial Day
Memorial Day is a United States federal holiday observed on the last Monday of May. Formerly known as Decoration Day, it originated after the American Civil War to commemorate the fallen Union soldiers of the Civil War...
May 30, 1911. 40 cars competed with Ray Harroun
Ray Harroun
Ray Harroun was an American racecar driver, born in Spartansburg, Pennsylvania.-Early driving:As noted in the Columbia Car webpages, Harroun participated in the original setting of the record from Chicago to New York in 1903, and the re-taking of that record in 1904...
winning at the brisk average speed of 74.602 miles per hour (33.4 m/s). "The Greatest Spectacle in Racing" was born.
1912–1929: The Golden Age
1912 Indianapolis 500
The 1912 Indianapolis 500-Mile Race, or International 500-Mile Sweepstakes Race, the second such race in history, was held at the Indianapolis Motor Speedway on Thursday, May 30, 1912....
when Ralph DePalma
Ralph DePalma
Ralph De Palma was an Italian-American racecar driving champion, most notably winner of the 1915 Indianapolis 500. His entry at the International Motorsports Hall of Fame estimates that he won about 2000 races...
lost a five lap lead with five laps to go when his car broke down. As DePalma pushed his car around the circuit, Joe Dawson
Joe Dawson (racecar driver)
Joe Dawson was an American race car driver.-Biography:Born in Odon, Indiana, Dawson competed in the Indianapolis 500 race three times, beginning in 1911 when he drove a Marmon to a fifth place finish. The following year, Dawson won after Ralph DePalma, who had led for 196 laps of the 200 lap race,...
made up the deficit to win. Three of the next four winners were European, with DePalma being the exception as an American national, though originally Italian born. These races gave Indy a worldwide reputation and international drivers began to enter. The 1916 race was shortened to 120 laps, for a number reasons including a lack of entries from Europe (there were so few entries the Speedway itself entered several cars), a lack of oil, and out of respect for the war in Europe
World War I
World War I , which was predominantly called the World War or the Great War from its occurrence until 1939, and the First World War or World War I thereafter, was a major war centred in Europe that began on 28 July 1914 and lasted until 11 November 1918...
.
On September 9, 1916, the Speedway hosted a day of short racing events termed the Harvest Classic
Harvest Auto Racing Classic
The Harvest Auto Racing Classic was a series of three automobile races, held at the Indianapolis Motor Speedway on one day in 1916.-Race history:...
, composed of three races held at 20, 50 and 100 miles (160.9 km) distances. Johnny Aitken
Johnny Aitken
Johnny Aitken was a racecar driver from Indianapolis, who was active in the years prior to World War I.Aitken competed in the Indianapolis 500 three times. He started the race twice, in 1911 and 1916. He led the first lap of the first race . Aitken captured the pole position in 1916, but ended...
, in a Peugeot
Peugeot
Peugeot is a major French car brand, part of PSA Peugeot Citroën, the second largest carmaker based in Europe.The family business that precedes the current Peugeot company was founded in 1810, and manufactured coffee mills and bicycles. On 20 November 1858, Emile Peugeot applied for the lion...
, in the end triumphed in all three events, his final victories at the facility. The Harvest Classic contests were the last races other than the Indianapolis 500 to be held on the grounds for seventy-eight years.
Racing was interrupted in 1917–1918 by World War I
World War I
World War I , which was predominantly called the World War or the Great War from its occurrence until 1939, and the First World War or World War I thereafter, was a major war centred in Europe that began on 28 July 1914 and lasted until 11 November 1918...
, when the facility served as a military aviation repair and refueling depot. When racing resumed, speeds quickly increased.
In 1921, Speedway co-founder Wheeler committed suicide.
At the 1925 event, Pete DePaolo
Pete DePaolo
Pete DePaolo was an American race car driver. He won the 1925 Indianapolis 500.-Racing career:...
became the first to average 100 mph (160 km/h) for the race, with a speed of 101.13 mph (162.8 km/h).
In 1926, Fisher and Allison "were offered a fortune" for the Speedway site by a local real estate developer. They refused, selling instead to former racing driver (and World War One fighter ace
Flying ace
A flying ace or fighter ace is a military aviator credited with shooting down several enemy aircraft during aerial combat. The actual number of aerial victories required to officially qualify as an "ace" has varied, but is usually considered to be five or more...
) Edward V. Rickenbacker
Eddie Rickenbacker
Edward Vernon Rickenbacker was an American fighter ace in World War I and Medal of Honor recipient. He was also a race car driver and automotive designer, a government consultant in military matters and a pioneer in air transportation, particularly as the longtime head of Eastern Air Lines.-Early...
in 1927. (How much he paid was not revealed.) Rickenbacker built a golf course
Golf course
A golf course comprises a series of holes, each consisting of a teeing ground, fairway, rough and other hazards, and a green with a flagstick and cup, all designed for the game of golf. A standard round of golf consists of playing 18 holes, thus most golf courses have this number of holes...
in the infield. The next year, Allison died from pneumonia
Pneumonia
Pneumonia is an inflammatory condition of the lung—especially affecting the microscopic air sacs —associated with fever, chest symptoms, and a lack of air space on a chest X-ray. Pneumonia is typically caused by an infection but there are a number of other causes...
.
1930s: The Junkyard Formula
With the Great DepressionGreat Depression
The Great Depression was a severe worldwide economic depression in the decade preceding World War II. The timing of the Great Depression varied across nations, but in most countries it started in about 1929 and lasted until the late 1930s or early 1940s...
hitting the nation, the purse dropped from a winners share of $50,000 and a total of $98,250 in 1930 to $18,000 and $54,450 respectively. It's a common misconception the rules were "dumbed down" to what was called the "junkyard formula" to allow more entries during the depression. The rules were indeed changed, but it was due to an effort by the Speedway to get more car manufacturers involved in the race by discouraging the entry of specialized racing machines which dominated the 500 during the mid- to late-'20s. The rule changes in fact were already being laid out before the market crash.
In 1931, Dave Evans
Dave Evans (driver)
Dave Evans was an American racecar driver. In 1931, he performed a remarkable feat when his Cummins Diesel Special completed the entire Indy 500 without a pit stop....
performed a remarkable feat when his Cummins
Cummins
Cummins Inc. is a Fortune 500 corporation that designs, manufactures, distributes and services engines and related technologies, including fuel systems, controls, air handling, filtration, emission control and electrical power generation systems...
Diesel
Diesel engine
A diesel engine is an internal combustion engine that uses the heat of compression to initiate ignition to burn the fuel, which is injected into the combustion chamber...
Special completed the entire 500 miles without a pit stop
Pit stop
In motorsports, a pit stop is where a racing vehicle stops in the pits during a race for refuelling, new tires, repairs, mechanical adjustments, a driver change, or any combination of the above...
. It was also the first diesel entrant. A record of 42 cars started the 1933 500. With one exception between 1934 until 1979, 33 drivers started the 500; 1947 saw 30 cars start due to a strike by certain teams affiliated with the ASPAR drivers, owners and sponsors association.
For 1934, a maximum fuel consumption limit was imposed, 45 US gal (37.5 imp gal; 170.3 l). It became 42.5 US gal (35.4 imp gal; 160.9 l) in 1935 and 37.5 US gal (31.2 imp gal; 142 l) in 1936. When the limits saw "several top competitors running out of fuel in the closing stages", the limits were abandoned, though use of pump gasoline was still mandatory.
By the early 1930s, however, the increasing speeds began to make the track increasingly dangerous, and in the period 1931–1935 there were 15 fatalities. This forced another repavement, with tarmac
Tarmac
Tarmac is a type of road surface. Tarmac refers to a material patented by Edgar Purnell Hooley in 1901...
replacing the bricks in parts of the track. In addition, during the '35–'36 seasons the inside wall was removed in the corners, the angle of the outside wall in relation to the track was changed to keep cars from launching over, hard crash helmets became mandatory, and the first yellow light system was devised around the track. The danger of the track during this period, however, didn't stop Louis Meyer
Louis Meyer
Louis Meyer was an American Hall of Fame race car driver best known as the first three-time winner of the Indianapolis 500....
or Wilbur Shaw
Wilbur Shaw
Warren Wilbur Shaw was a noted American racing driver and president of the Indianapolis Motor Speedway from 1945 until his death. Shaw was the automotive test evaluator for Popular Science magazine...
from becoming the first two three-time winners, with Shaw also being the first back-to-back winner in 1939 and 1940.
1940s: Start of the Hulman Era
World War II
World War II, or the Second World War , was a global conflict lasting from 1939 to 1945, involving most of the world's nations—including all of the great powers—eventually forming two opposing military alliances: the Allies and the Axis...
, the 1942 500-Mile race
1942 Indianapolis 500
The 1942 Indianapolis 500 was scheduled for Saturday May 30, 1942 at the Indianapolis Motor Speedway. It was to be the 30th annual running of the famous automobile race....
was cancelled in December, 1941. Late in 1942, a ban on all auto racing
Auto racing
Auto racing is a motorsport involving the racing of cars for competition. It is one of the world's most watched televised sports.-The beginning of racing:...
led to the canceling of the 500-Mile Race for the rest of the war for a total of four years (1942–1945). The track was more or less abandoned during the war and was in bad shape.
Many of the locals conceded that the Speedway would be sold after the war and become a housing development. With the end of the war in sight, on November 29, 1944, three-time 500 winner Wilbur Shaw
Wilbur Shaw
Warren Wilbur Shaw was a noted American racing driver and president of the Indianapolis Motor Speedway from 1945 until his death. Shaw was the automotive test evaluator for Popular Science magazine...
came back to do a 500 miles (804.7 km) tire test approved by the government for Firestone. Shaw was shocked at the state of the Speedway and contacted owner Eddie Rickenbacker
Eddie Rickenbacker
Edward Vernon Rickenbacker was an American fighter ace in World War I and Medal of Honor recipient. He was also a race car driver and automotive designer, a government consultant in military matters and a pioneer in air transportation, particularly as the longtime head of Eastern Air Lines.-Early...
, only to discover that it was for sale. Shaw then sent out letters to the automobile industry to try to find a buyer. All the responses indicated that the Speedway would be turned into a private facility for the buyer. Shaw then looked around for someone to buy the Speedway, who would reopen the racetrack as a public venue. He found Terre Haute, Indiana businessman Tony Hulman
Tony Hulman
Anton "Tony" Hulman, Jr. was a businessman from Terre Haute, Indiana who rescued the Indianapolis Motor Speedway in 1945 and made the Indianapolis 500 popular....
. Meetings were set up and the Speedway was purchased on November 14, 1945. Though not officially acknowledged, the purchase price for the Speedway was reported by the Indianapolis Star and News
Indianapolis News
The Indianapolis News was an evening newspaper published for 130 years, beginning December 7, 1869, and ending on October 1, 1999. At one time it had the largest circulation in the state of Indiana, and was the oldest Indianapolis newspaper in existence....
to be $750,000. Major renovations and repairs were made at a quick pace to the frail Speedway, in time for the 1946 race. Since then the Speedway has continued to grow. Stands have been built and remodeled many times over, suites and museums were added, and many other additions helped bring back Indy's reputation as a great track.
1950s: The Fabulous Roadsters
In the 1950s, cars were topping out at 150 mph (67.1 m/s), helping to draw more and more fans. The low-slung, sleek cars were known as roadsters and the Kurtis, Kuzma, and Watson chassis dominated the field. Nearly all were powered by the OffenhauserOffenhauser
Offenhauser was an American racing engine manufacturer that operated from 1933 to 1983.The Offenhauser engine, familiarly known as the "Offy", was developed by Fred Offenhauser and his employer Harry Arminius Miller, after maintaining and repairing a 1913 Peugeot Grand Prix car of the type which...
, or "Offy", engines. The crowd favorite Novi
Novi engine
The Novi engine was a dual overhead cam supercharged V8 engine used in the Indianapolis 500. It was designed by Bud Winfield and Leo Goossen and built by Fred Offenhauser.-Early years:...
, with its unique sound and look, was the most powerful car of the decade that dominated time trials. However, they would never make the full 500 miles (804.7 km) in first place, often breaking down before the end or having to make too many pit stops because of the massive engine's thirst for fuel and the weight that went with the extra fuel.
The track’s reputation improved so much the 500-Mile Race became part of the Formula One
Formula One
Formula One, also known as Formula 1 or F1 and referred to officially as the FIA Formula One World Championship, is the highest class of single seater auto racing sanctioned by the Fédération Internationale de l'Automobile . The "formula" designation in the name refers to a set of rules with which...
World Championship for 11 years (1950–1960), even though none of the Indy drivers raced in Formula One and only Ferrari's
Scuderia Ferrari
Scuderia Ferrari is the racing team division of the Ferrari automobile marque. The team currently only races in Formula One but has competed in numerous classes of motorsport since its formation in 1929, including sportscar racing....
Alberto Ascari
Alberto Ascari
Alberto Ascari was an Italian racing driver and twice Formula One World Champion. He is one of only two Italian Formula One World Champions in the history of the sport, and the only one winning his two championships in a Ferrari....
of the F1 drivers at the time raced in the 500. Five time World Champion Juan Fangio practiced at the Speedway in 1958, but ultimately decided against it. The 1950s were also the most dangerous era of American racing. Of the 33 drivers to qualify for the 1953 race, nearly half, 16, were to eventually die in racing accidents.
1960s: Rear Engine Revolution
Cooper Car Company
The Cooper Car Company was founded in 1946 by Charles Cooper and his son John Cooper. Together with John's boyhood friend, Eric Brandon, they began by building racing cars in Charles' small garage in Surbiton, Surrey, England in 1946...
team changed the face of the 500 as well; since Jim Clark
Jim Clark
James "Jim" Clark, Jr OBE was a British Formula One racing driver from Scotland, who won two World Championships, in 1963 and 1965....
's win in 1965, every winner has driven a rear-engined car. Graham Hill
Graham Hill
Norman Graham Hill was a British racing driver and two-time Formula One World Champion. He is the only driver to win the Triple Crown of Motorsport — the 24 Hours of Le Mans, Indianapolis 500 and Formula One World Championship.Graham Hill and his son Damon are the only father and son pair both to...
won the following year in his first attempt, eventually to become the only driver to date to achieve auto racing's "Triple Crown of Motorsport
Triple Crown of Motorsport
The Triple Crown of Motorsport is an unofficial motorsport achievement, often regarded as winning three of the most prestigious races in the world in one's career:* the Monaco Grand Prix* the 24 Hours of Le Mans* the Indianapolis 500...
" of winning the Monaco Grand Prix
Monaco Grand Prix
The Monaco Grand Prix is a Formula One race held each year on the Circuit de Monaco. Run since 1929, it is widely considered to be one of the most important and prestigious automobile races in the world, alongside the Daytona 500, Indianapolis 500, and the 24 Hours of Le Mans...
, Indianapolis 500, and Le Mans 24 Hours. There were enough Americans to compete with them, with A.J. Foyt, Mario Andretti
Mario Andretti
Mario Gabriele Andretti is a retired Italian American world champion racing driver, one of the most successful Americans in the history of the sport. He is one of only two drivers to win races in Formula One, IndyCar, World Sportscar Championship and NASCAR...
, and Bobby
Bobby Unser
Robert William "Bobby" Unser is a retired U.S. automobile racer. He is the brother of Al Unser, Jerry Unser and Louie Unser, the father of Robby Unser, and the uncle of Al Unser, Jr. and Johnny Unser...
and Al Unser
Al Unser
Alfred "Al" Unser is a former American automobile racing driver, the younger brother of fellow racing drivers Jerry and Bobby Unser, and father of Al Unser, Jr....
leading the charge in the 1960s and 1970s, of whom Foyt and Al Unser would eventually become, respectively, the first two of three drivers, to date, to win four times each.
From 1970 to 1981, Indianapolis had a twin in the city of Ontario, California
Ontario, California
Ontario is a city located in San Bernardino County, California, United States, 35 miles east of downtown Los Angeles. Located in the western part of the Inland Empire region, it lies just east of the Los Angeles county line and is part of the Greater Los Angeles Area...
by the name of the Ontario Motor Speedway
Ontario Motor Speedway
The Ontario Motor Speedway, located in Ontario, California, east of Los Angeles, was the first and only automobile racing facility built to accommodate major races sanctioned by all of the four dominant racing sanctioning bodies: IndyCar Series and USAC for open-wheel oval car races; NASCAR for a ...
. This track was known as the "Indianapolis of the West" and the home of the California 500 but was a financial failure due to bad management and not holding enough races on the racetrack.
The 1980s brought a new generation of speedsters, led by four-time race winner Rick Mears
Rick Mears
Rick Ravon Mears is a retired American race car driver. He is one of three men to have won the Indianapolis 500-Mile Race four times , and the current record-holder for pole positions in the race with six...
who also broke the 220 mph (355 km/h) speed mark in qualifying (1989
1989 Indianapolis 500
The 73rd Indianapolis 500 was held at the Indianapolis Motor Speedway on Sunday, May 28, 1989. Emerson Fittipaldi became the first foreign winner of the race since 1966. Though Fittipaldi dominated most of the race, he dropped to second in the waning laps. On the 199th lap, Al Unser, Jr. was...
) and won six pole positions. Other stars of the decade included Danny Sullivan
Danny Sullivan
Daniel John "Danny" Sullivan III is a former racing driver from the United States. He is best known for winning the 1985 Indianapolis 500.-Before racing:...
, Bobby Rahal
Bobby Rahal
Robert "Bobby" Woodward Rahal is an American auto racing driver and team owner. As a driver, he won three championships and 24 races in the CART open-wheel series, including the 1986 Indianapolis 500...
, and F1 veteran Emerson Fittipaldi
Emerson Fittipaldi
Emerson Fittipaldi |São Paulo]], Brazil) is a Brazilian automobile racing driver who throughout a long and successful career won the Indianapolis 500 twice and championships in both Formula One and CART.-Early and personal life:...
. The 1989 race came down to a final ten-lap, thrilling duel between Fittipaldi and Al Unser, Jr.
Al Unser, Jr.
Alfred Unser, Jr. , nicknamed "Little Al", "Al Junior" or simply "Junior" is a retired American race car driver and two-time Indianapolis 500 winner.-History:...
, culminating in Unser crashing in the third turn of the 199th lap after making contact with Fittpaldi's right front tire.
The early 1990s witnessed Arie Luyendyk
Arie Luyendyk
Arie Luyendyk, originally Arie Luijendijk is a Dutch auto racing driver, twice winner of the Indianapolis 500....
winning in the fastest 500 to date
1990 Indianapolis 500
The 74th Indianapolis 500 was held at Indianapolis on Sunday, May 27, 1990. Arie Luyendyk took the lead with 32 laps to go, and earned his first-ever victory in championship-level competition...
, with an average speed 185.981 mph (83.1 m/s). Mears becoming the third four-time winner after a late-race duel with Michael Andretti
Michael Andretti
Michael Mario Andretti is a retired American CART and Formula One driver and owner of the Andretti Autosport team in the IndyCar Series. Andretti is the son of Mario Andretti. His son is Marco Andretti.-Early career:...
in 1991
1991 Indianapolis 500
The 75th Indianapolis 500 was held at the Indianapolis Motor Speedway on Sunday, May 26, 1991. Rick Mears won from the pole position, becoming the third four-time winner of the Indy 500, joining A. J. Foyt and Al Unser....
, and Al Unser, Jr. finally securing victory by defeating last-place-starting driver Scott Goodyear
Scott Goodyear
Scott Goodyear is a former race car driver from Newmarket, Ontario, Canada. Goodyear ran the IRL and Champ Car series during his career from 1987, winning the Michigan 500 in 1992 and 1994...
by 0.043 of a second in 1992
1992 Indianapolis 500
The 76th Indianapolis 500 was held at the Indianapolis Motor Speedway on Sunday, May 24, 1992. The race is famous for the fierce battle in the closing laps, as race winner Al Unser, Jr...
, the closest finish in race history to date. The 500 got a new look in 1996 when it became an Indy Racing League event, formed as a rival to CART
Champ Car
Champ Car was the name for a class and specification of open wheel cars used in American Championship Car Racing for many decades, primarily for use in the Indianapolis 500 auto race...
.
NASCAR and IROC at Indy
From 1919 to 1993, the 500 was the only race run at the Brickyard. When Tony GeorgeTony George
Anton Hulman "Tony" George was the former President and CEO of the Indianapolis Motor Speedway and Hulman & Company, serving from 1989 to 2009. He was also formerly on the Board of Directors of both entities. He founded the Indy Racing League and co-owns Vision Racing...
(Hulman's grandson) inherited the track, he brought more racing to the Speedway, with NASCAR
NASCAR
The National Association for Stock Car Auto Racing is a family-owned and -operated business venture that sanctions and governs multiple auto racing sports events. It was founded by Bill France Sr. in 1947–48. As of 2009, the CEO for the company is Brian France, grandson of the late Bill France Sr...
in 1994 (the Brickyard 400, known from 2005 to 2009 as the Allstate 400 at The Brickyard
Allstate 400 at the Brickyard
The Brickyard 400 is an annual 400-mile NASCAR Sprint Cup points race held at the Indianapolis Motor Speedway in Speedway, Indiana. The event, when first held in 1994, marked the first race other than the Indianapolis 500 to be held at the Indianapolis Motor Speedway since 1916...
), and an International Race of Champions
International Race of Champions
International Race of Champions, better known as IROC, was a North American auto racing competition, promoted as an equivalent of an American All-Star Game or The Masters...
(IROC) event in 1998.
2000s: Unification
The early 2000s saw drivers from the rival CARTChamp Car
Champ Car was the name for a class and specification of open wheel cars used in American Championship Car Racing for many decades, primarily for use in the Indianapolis 500 auto race...
series begin to cross over to compete at the Indianapolis 500. In the 2000 Indianapolis 500
2000 Indianapolis 500
The 2000 Indianapolis 500 was held at Indianapolis Motor Speedway on Sunday, May 28, 2000.-Recap:Chip Ganassi Racing became the first regular CART series team to break ranks and compete at Indianapolis since the CART/IRL split in 1996, entering 1996 CART series champion Jimmy Vasser and reigning...
, multi-time CART champion team Chip Ganassi Racing
Chip Ganassi Racing
Chip Ganassi Racing with Felix Sabates is an automotive racing organization with teams competing in the IZOD IndyCar Series and the Rolex Sports Car Series. It is owned by businessmen Chip Ganassi and Felix Sabates. They have won 4 Champ Car, 3 Indy Racing League and 1 Grand-Am championships...
brought his drivers Juan Pablo Montoya
Juan Pablo Montoya
Juan Pablo Montoya Roldán is a Colombian race car driver known internationally for participating and winning in Formula One and CART race competitions. He has enjoyed great success. Currently, he competes in NASCAR, driving the #42 Target Chevrolet Impala for Earnhardt Ganassi Racing in the Sprint...
and Jimmy Vasser
Jimmy Vasser
Jimmy Vasser is a retired American racing driver and current co-owner of KV Racing Technology. Vasser won the 1996 IndyCar season championship with Chip Ganassi Racing, and scored ten victories in the series...
to Indianapolis. Montoya qualified on the pole and won the race going away, becoming the seventh Indy 500 rookie to win the race. The very next year
2001 Indianapolis 500
The 85th Indianapolis 500 was held at Indianapolis on Sunday, May 27, 2001. Race rookie Hélio Castroneves led the final 52 laps and won his first Indy 500.-Changes for 2001:...
, Team Penske made its return to the Indianapolis 500 after a five year absence and was joined by Ganassi and Walker Racing
Walker Racing
Walker Racing is a racing team founded by Derrick Walker in 1991 racing originally in the CART Championship Car series. Presently the team competes in the Firestone Indy Lights series.-Early success:...
. For the second straight year an Indy rookie won the race as Hélio Castroneves
Hélio Castroneves
Hélio Castroneves is a Brazilian auto racing driver currently competing in the North American IndyCar Series. In IndyCar competition, Castroneves has 14 wins and 28 poles, and has never placed lower than sixth in the standings in a complete season of racing...
took the checkered flag. Roger Penske then elected to move his entire operation over to the IRL beginning in 2002, taking Castroneves and teammate Gil de Ferran
Gil de Ferran
Gil de Ferran , is a professional racing driver and team owner. De Ferran was the 2000 and 2001 Champ Car champion driving for the Penske Honda Team and the winner of the 2003 Indianapolis 500.Inspired by the success of fellow Brazilian Emerson Fittipaldi, de Ferran began his career in kart racing...
with him. After fielding one car in 2002, Ganassi Racing followed Penske to the IRL full time for the 2003 season. Michael Andretti
Michael Andretti
Michael Mario Andretti is a retired American CART and Formula One driver and owner of the Andretti Autosport team in the IndyCar Series. Andretti is the son of Mario Andretti. His son is Marco Andretti.-Early career:...
, who had left his long-time ride at Newman-Haas Racing because he wanted to run the Indianapolis 500 again (something they weren't willing to do), bought a majority interest in CART's Team Green, who returned to Indianapolis in 2002 with Dario Franchitti
Dario Franchitti
George Dario Marino Franchitti is a Scottish racing driver. He formerly competed in the CART series before switching to the IndyCar Series where he was 2007 champion, and won the rain-shortened 2007 Indianapolis 500. Franchitti is also a former NASCAR driver for Chip Ganassi Racing, competing...
and Paul Tracy
Paul Tracy
Paul Tracy is a professional automobile racer who has competed in CART, the ChampCar World Series and the IndyCar Series...
, and moved it to the IRL that same year as Andretti Green Racing, and in 2004 former CART champion Bobby Rahal
Bobby Rahal
Robert "Bobby" Woodward Rahal is an American auto racing driver and team owner. As a driver, he won three championships and 24 races in the CART open-wheel series, including the 1986 Indianapolis 500...
's operation moved to the IRL as Rahal Letterman Racing
Rahal Letterman Racing
Rahal Letterman Lanigan Racing is an auto racing team that currently races in the American Le Mans Series and part–time in the IndyCar Series. Based in Hilliard, Ohio, it is co–owned by 1986 Indianapolis 500 winner Bobby Rahal, television talk show host David Letterman, and businessman Mike...
. Castroneves repeated his Indianapolis 500 win in 2002 despite controversial circumstances involving a late race caution and a pass made by Tracy, and his teammate de Ferran won in 2003.
In 2003, the Firestone Indy Lights Series, a minor league series to the IndyCar Series
IndyCar Series
The IZOD IndyCar Series is the premier level of American open wheel racing. The current championship, founded by Indianapolis Motor Speedway owner Tony George, began in 1996 as a competitor to CART known as the Indy Racing League . Citing CART's increasing reliance on expensive machinery and...
, made history with the first May race at the track since 1910, other than the 500. The Freedom 100
Freedom 100
The Firestone Freedom 100 is a Firestone Indy Lights Series auto race at the Indianapolis Motor Speedway. It is currently held the Friday before the Indianapolis 500...
, first held during the final qualifying weekend, has been moved to Carburetion Day on the Friday before the 500. From 2005-2007, the Firestone Indy Lights Series became the first racing series since 1916 to run at the famous race course twice in one year. The first event being the Freedom 100, held on the oval track as part of the Indianapolis 500 weekend, and the second event, the Liberty Challenge
Liberty Challenge
The Liberty Challenge was a race in the Indy Pro Series , held on the road course at the Indianapolis Motor Speedway in 2005, 2006 and 2007.-Race History:...
during the United States Grand Prix weekend, competing on the Grand Prix road course.
Buddy Rice
Buddy Rice
Buddy Rice is an American racecar driver. He is best known for winning the 2004 Indianapolis 500 while driving for Rahal Letterman Racing, and the 2009 24 Hours of Daytona for Brumos Racing.-Early career:...
became the first American driver since 1998 to win the race in the rain-shortened 2004 Indianapolis 500
2004 Indianapolis 500
The 2004 Indianapolis 500 was held at the Indianapolis on Sunday, May 30, 2004. It was part of the 2004 IndyCar Series season and the ninth Indy 500 sanctioned by the Indy Racing League. Pole winner Buddy Rice led the most laps and won the race for team owners Bobby Rahal and David Letterman.After...
. At the time, Rice drove for the team co-owned by 1986 Indianapolis 500
1986 Indianapolis 500
The 70th Indianapolis 500 was held at Indianapolis on Saturday, May 31, 1986. After being rained out on May 25–26, the race was rescheduled for the following weekend...
winner Bobby Rahal
Bobby Rahal
Robert "Bobby" Woodward Rahal is an American auto racing driver and team owner. As a driver, he won three championships and 24 races in the CART open-wheel series, including the 1986 Indianapolis 500...
and the Indiana native television talk show host and comedian David Letterman
David Letterman
David Michael Letterman is an American television host and comedian. He hosts the late night television talk show, Late Show with David Letterman, broadcast on CBS. Letterman has been a fixture on late night television since the 1982 debut of Late Night with David Letterman on NBC...
. In 2005, Danica Patrick
Danica Patrick
Danica Sue Patrick is an American auto racing driver, model and advertising spokeswoman. She is the most successful woman in the history of American open-wheel racing, being the only woman to win in the IndyCar Series as well as holding the highest finish by a woman at the Indianapolis 500 of 3rd...
became the first female driver to lead the race at Indianapolis, first when acquiring it for a lap near the 125-mile (201 km) mark while cycling through pit stops, and late in the race when she stayed out one lap longer than her rivals during a set of green-flag pit stops. Dan Wheldon
Dan Wheldon
Daniel Clive "Dan" Wheldon was a British racing driver from England. He was the 2005 Indy Racing League IndyCar Series champion, and winner of the Indianapolis 500 in both 2005 and 2011...
would go on to win the 2005 Indianapolis 500
2005 Indianapolis 500
The 89th Indianapolis 500 was held at the Indianapolis Motor Speedway on Sunday, May 29, 2005. It was the premier event of the 2005 IndyCar Series season, and the tenth Indy 500 sanctioned by the Indy Racing League. Dan Wheldon won the race under a yellow flag...
.
Sam Hornish Jr. became the first driver to ever overtake for the lead on the race's final lap, ultimately winning the 2006 Indianapolis 500
2006 Indianapolis 500
The 90th Indianapolis 500 was held on Sunday, May 28, 2006. Sam Hornish, Jr. won the race by passing rookie Marco Andretti on the final straightaway, about 450 feet from the finish line...
in the last 450 feet (137.2 m) by a 0.0635-second margin over rookie Marco Andretti
Marco Andretti
Marco Michael Andretti is an Italian American auto racing driver who drives the #26 car for Andretti Autosport in the IndyCar Series. He is the son of 1991 IndyCar World Series champion Michael Andretti and the grandson of racing legend Mario Andretti...
. Dario Franchitti
Dario Franchitti
George Dario Marino Franchitti is a Scottish racing driver. He formerly competed in the CART series before switching to the IndyCar Series where he was 2007 champion, and won the rain-shortened 2007 Indianapolis 500. Franchitti is also a former NASCAR driver for Chip Ganassi Racing, competing...
became the first native of Scotland
Scotland
Scotland is a country that is part of the United Kingdom. Occupying the northern third of the island of Great Britain, it shares a border with England to the south and is bounded by the North Sea to the east, the Atlantic Ocean to the north and west, and the North Channel and Irish Sea to the...
since Jim Clark
Jim Clark
James "Jim" Clark, Jr OBE was a British Formula One racing driver from Scotland, who won two World Championships, in 1963 and 1965....
's victory in 1965, to win the rain-shortened 2007 Indianapolis 500
2007 Indianapolis 500
The 91st Indianapolis 500 ran on Sunday, May 27, 2007 at the Indianapolis Motor Speedway. It was the 12th Indy 500 sanctioned by the Indy Racing League, and marked the fifth race of the 2007 IndyCar Series season just after the 2007 Kansas Lottery Indy 300 and just before the 2007 ABC Supply...
.
In mid February, 2008, Champ Car filed for bankruptcy. In late February, an agreement was reached for Champ Car to be merged with the IRL, and the first IRL IndyCar Series
IndyCar Series
The IZOD IndyCar Series is the premier level of American open wheel racing. The current championship, founded by Indianapolis Motor Speedway owner Tony George, began in 1996 as a competitor to CART known as the Indy Racing League . Citing CART's increasing reliance on expensive machinery and...
season since the unification took place in 2008. Scott Dixon
Scott Dixon
Scott Ronald Dixon, MNZM is a New Zealand motor racer who became the most successful all-time driver in the Indy Racing League championship in the United States when he won the Honda Indy 200 at Mid-Ohio in August 2009. This took his total to 21 wins...
, driving for Chip Ganassi Racing, became the first native of New Zealand
New Zealand
New Zealand is an island country in the south-western Pacific Ocean comprising two main landmasses and numerous smaller islands. The country is situated some east of Australia across the Tasman Sea, and roughly south of the Pacific island nations of New Caledonia, Fiji, and Tonga...
to win the 2008 Indianapolis 500
2008 Indianapolis 500
The 92nd Indianapolis 500-Mile Race was run on Sunday May 25, 2008 at the Indianapolis Motor Speedway in Speedway, Indiana, USA. Scott Dixon of New Zealand won the race from the pole position. It was the thirteenth Indy 500 sanctioned by the Indy Racing League, and served as the showcase event of...
.
In the 100th anniversary year of the construction of the Indianapolis Motor Speedway, Hélio Castroneves became the sixth three-time winner of the 500 Mile Race in the 2009 Indianapolis 500
2009 Indianapolis 500
The 93rd Indianapolis 500 was held on Sunday May 24, 2009, at the Indianapolis Motor Speedway in Speedway, Indiana. It was the 14th Indy 500 sanctioned by the Indy Racing League, and the premier event of the 2009 IndyCar Series season....
. Danica Patrick also had her best finish ever (third place) in the race, also the best finish ever by a woman in the history of the Indianapolis 500.
Formula One and road course racing
Formula One
Formula One, also known as Formula 1 or F1 and referred to officially as the FIA Formula One World Championship, is the highest class of single seater auto racing sanctioned by the Fédération Internationale de l'Automobile . The "formula" designation in the name refers to a set of rules with which...
to return to the US for the first time since 1991. Two years of renovation and new construction for an Indy-based road course led to the first United States Grand Prix
United States Grand Prix
The United States Grand Prix is a motor race which has been run on and off since 1908, when it was known as the American Grand Prize. The race later became part of the Formula One World Championship. Over 41 editions, the race has been held at nine locations, most recently in 2007 at the...
there in 2000, a race which was a great success. The 2001 event's success (185,000 fans were reported in attendance) was even more important with the race, then originally held in September, being the largest international sporting event held in the United States after September 11, 2001 terrorist attacks
September 11, 2001 attacks
The September 11 attacks The September 11 attacks The September 11 attacks (also referred to as September 11, September 11th or 9/119/11 is pronounced "nine eleven". The slash is not part of the pronunciation...
.
Autódromo José Carlos Pace
Autódromo José Carlos Pace, also known by its former name Interlagos, is a motor racing circuit located in the city of São Paulo, and named after Carlos Pace, a Brazilian Formula One driver, who had died prior to its naming...
, Imola
Autodromo Enzo e Dino Ferrari
The Autodromo Internazionale Enzo e Dino Ferrari is an auto racing circuit near the Italian town of Imola, east of Bologna and east of the Ferrari factory in Maranello....
, Istanbul Park
Istanbul Park
Istanbul Park , also known as the Istanbul Racing Circuit or initially Istanbul Otodrom, is a motor sports race track in Akfırat County east of Istanbul, Turkey. It was inaugurated on 21 August 2005...
, Singapore, Yeongam
Korean International Circuit
The Korea International Circuit is a motorsport circuit located in Yeongam, South Jeolla, South Korea, 400 kilometres south of Seoul and near the port city of Mokpo...
and Abu Dhabi) run clockwise.
The short history of the event is littered with controversies. The 2002 United States Grand Prix
2002 United States Grand Prix
The 2002 United States Grand Prix was a Formula One race held on September 29, 2002 at Indianapolis Motor Speedway in Indianapolis, Indiana.-Summary:...
was marred by a bizarre ending, in which Michael Schumacher
Michael Schumacher
Michael Schumacher is a German Formula One racing driver for the Mercedes GP team. Famous for his eleven-year spell with Ferrari, Schumacher is a seven-time World Champion and is widely regarded as the greatest F1 driver of all time...
, having already clinched the championship, seemingly tried to stage a dead heat with team-mate Rubens Barrichello
Rubens Barrichello
Rubens Gonçalves "Rubinho" Barrichello is a Brazilian Formula One racing driver. He is currently racing for Williams F1.Barrichello has scored the seventh highest points total in Formula One history. Barrichello drove for Ferrari from to , as Michael Schumacher's teammate, enjoying considerable...
. The official timings showed Barrichello ahead by 0.011 seconds at the line, leading fans and media to dub the event a farce. The 2002 race was also the 1st ever Formula One race that used SAFER Barriers.
The 2005 United States Grand Prix
2005 United States Grand Prix
The 2005 United States Grand Prix was one of the most controversial Formula One motor races in modern history. It was held on June 19, 2005 at the Indianapolis Motor Speedway. It was the ninth race of the 2005 Formula One season. Out of 20 cars entered for the race, only the six cars from the teams...
turned out to be one of the most controversial races in motorsport history. New rules meant cars had to use the same tires throughout the event. A crash during practice on the banked corner (the only banked corner on the F1 calendar) led to Michelin realizing their tires were ill-equipped for the banking, and could complete no more than a fraction of the race before failing. The Michelin teams were unable to find a solution, and while debates raged until the second, the Michelin teams pulled into the pits at the end of the parade lap, leaving only the 3 Bridgestone teams to contest the race. As two of these teams were backmarkers under normal circumstances, this led to Ferrari winning the race, accepting the trophies from a presentation party hastily assembled after Speedway boss Tony George
Tony George
Anton Hulman "Tony" George was the former President and CEO of the Indianapolis Motor Speedway and Hulman & Company, serving from 1989 to 2009. He was also formerly on the Board of Directors of both entities. He founded the Indy Racing League and co-owns Vision Racing...
refused to take part.
The perceived outrage of this event put the future of Formula One at Indianapolis in doubt. However, the event was held on July 2, 2006, on the American Fourth of July
Independence Day (United States)
Independence Day, commonly known as the Fourth of July, is a federal holiday in the United States commemorating the adoption of the Declaration of Independence on July 4, 1776, declaring independence from the Kingdom of Great Britain...
weekend, with American Scott Speed
Scott Speed
Scott Andrew Speed is an American race car driver. Formerly a driver for the Scuderia Toro Rosso F1 team, he made his Formula One race debut at the 2006 Bahrain Grand Prix; becoming the first American to race in F1 since Michael Andretti in 1993...
driving for the new Scuderia Toro Rosso
Scuderia Toro Rosso
Scuderia Toro Rosso , also known simply as Toro Rosso or by its abbreviation STR, is an Italian Formula One racing team...
team. Speed had become the first American in Formula One since Michael Andretti
Michael Andretti
Michael Mario Andretti is a retired American CART and Formula One driver and owner of the Andretti Autosport team in the IndyCar Series. Andretti is the son of Mario Andretti. His son is Marco Andretti.-Early career:...
drove for McLaren in 1993
1993 Formula One season
The 1993 Formula One season was the 44th season of FIA Formula One motor racing. It featured the 1993 FIA Formula One World Championship, which commenced on March 14, 1993 and ended on November 7 after sixteen races...
. In this race, Speed became the first American to compete in a United States Grand Prix since Eddie Cheever
Eddie Cheever
Edward "Eddie" McKay Cheever, Jr. is an American racing driver who raced for almost thirty years in Formula One, Sports cars, CART and the Indy Racing League. Cheever participated in 143 World Championship Formula One races and started 132, more than any other American, driving for nine different...
in 1989
1989 Formula One season
The 1989 Formula One season was the 40th season of FIA Formula One motor racing. It featured the 1989 FIA Formula One World Championship, which commenced on March 26, 1989 and ended on November 5 after sixteen races...
.
During the 2006 United States Grand Prix
2006 United States Grand Prix
The 2006 United States Grand Prix was a Formula One motor race held at the Indianapolis Motor Speedway in Indiana, USA on July 2, 2006 . The race, which was the tenth round of the 2006 Formula One season, was won by Ferrari driver Michael Schumacher....
, Formula One boss Bernie Ecclestone
Bernie Ecclestone
Bernard Charles "Bernie" Ecclestone is an English business magnate, as president and CEO of Formula One Management and Formula One Administration and through his part-ownership of Alpha Prema, the parent company of the Formula One Group of companies. As such, he is generally considered the primary...
said that it did not matter to him whether or not there was a Grand Prix in America, but also said he would be happy to discuss a new contract for the race. There was also a rumor going around that in future seasons, there would be two Grands Prix
United States Grand Prix
The United States Grand Prix is a motor race which has been run on and off since 1908, when it was known as the American Grand Prize. The race later became part of the Formula One World Championship. Over 41 editions, the race has been held at nine locations, most recently in 2007 at the...
held in the United States. Even with Ecclestone's statements, the 2007
2007 Formula One season
The 2007 Formula One season was the 58th season of FIA Formula One motor racing. It featured the 2007 FIA Formula One World Championship, which began on 18 March and ended on 21 October after seventeen events. The Drivers' Championship was won by Ferrari driver Kimi Räikkönen by one point at the...
calendar was confirmed on October 31, 2006, following an extension of the race contract into 2007.
On July 12, 2007, it was announced that Formula One would not return to the IMS for , although a continuation of USGP at the IMS has not been completely ruled out for the future. Tony George stated difficulties in meeting the demands of Ecclestone to continue to host the event. George and Ecclestone were in talks to revive the race for , but no deal was made for a future race in Indianapolis. In a statement on April 10, 2008, Indianapolis chairman Joie Chitwood
Joie Chitwood III
Joie Chitwood III serves as president of International Speedway Corporation’s flagship motorsports facility -- Daytona International Speedway . As president of DIS, Chitwood oversees all speedway activities including event entertainment, fan amenities and ticket sales...
said that the "door is open" for Formula One to return to the circuit. However, on May 25, 2010 it was announced that Formula One would return to the United States in 2012
2012 Formula One season
The 2012 Formula One season will be the 63rd FIA Formula One season. 2012 will be the penultimate year of the current 2.4 litre V8 engine configuration, before being replaced by more environmentally friendly 1.6 litre V6 turbo engines in 2014...
at a new purpose–built track
Austin Formula One circuit
The Circuit of the Americas is a motor racing circuit in Travis County, Texas, near Austin, currently under construction and due for completion in 2012. It is due to hold the Formula One United States Grand Prix on November 18, , the penultimate round of the 2012 season. Plans have been unveiled...
in Austin
Austin, Texas
Austin is the capital city of the U.S. state of :Texas and the seat of Travis County. Located in Central Texas on the eastern edge of the American Southwest, it is the fourth-largest city in Texas and the 14th most populous city in the United States. It was the third-fastest-growing large city in...
, Texas
Texas
Texas is the second largest U.S. state by both area and population, and the largest state by area in the contiguous United States.The name, based on the Caddo word "Tejas" meaning "friends" or "allies", was applied by the Spanish to the Caddo themselves and to the region of their settlement in...
.
Motorcycle racing and a new road course
On July 16, 2007, the Speedway announced that it would host a round of Grand Prix motorcycle racingGrand Prix motorcycle racing
Road Racing World Championship Grand Prix is the premier championship of motorcycle road racing currently divided into three distinct classes: 125cc, Moto2 and MotoGP. The 125cc class uses a two-stroke engine while Moto2 and MotoGP use four-stroke engines. In 2010 the 250cc two-stroke was replaced...
beginning in 2008. The race was held for the first time on September 14, 2008, backed by Red Bull
Red Bull
Red Bull is an energy drink sold by the Austrian Red Bull GmbH, created in 1987 by the Austrian entrepreneur Dietrich Mateschitz. In terms of market share, Red Bull is the most popular energy drink in the world, with 3 billion cans sold each year. Dietrich Mateschitz was inspired by an already...
and known as the Red Bull Indianapolis GP
Indianapolis motorcycle Grand Prix
The Indianapolis Grand Prix is a motorcycling event held at the Indianapolis Motor Speedway in Speedway, Indiana, United States as part of the Grand Prix motorcycle racing season. Its first edition took place on September 14, 2008 and was sponsored by Red Bull. The race was held again on August 30,...
. This marked the first motorcycle racing event at the facility since its first month of operation, in August 1909.
Modifications approved by the FIA
Fédération Internationale de l'Automobile
The Fédération Internationale de l'Automobile is a non-profit association established as the Association Internationale des Automobile Clubs Reconnus on 20 June 1904 to represent the interests of motoring organisations and motor car users...
and FIM
Fédération Internationale de Motocyclisme
The Fédération Internationale de Motocyclisme is the governing body of motorcycle racing. It represents 103 national motorcycle federations that are divided into six regional continental unions....
were made to the former Formula One circuit, bringing the new track to a total of 16 turns. The motorcycle course runs counter-clockwise, in the same direction as the oval events at the Speedway, and completely bypass the banking of the oval with a new infield section inside Turn 1 ("Snake Pit complex"). Also, the double-hairpin at the Hulman Straight was replaced with traditional esses. This construction was completed before the opening day of the 92nd Indianapolis 500
2008 Indianapolis 500
The 92nd Indianapolis 500-Mile Race was run on Sunday May 25, 2008 at the Indianapolis Motor Speedway in Speedway, Indiana, USA. Scott Dixon of New Zealand won the race from the pole position. It was the thirteenth Indy 500 sanctioned by the Indy Racing League, and served as the showcase event of...
in May, 2008. The layout can be run clockwise (car use, without the Snake Pit complex) or anticlockwise (for motorcycle use, with the Snake Pit complex).
The first Moto GP event was heavily affected by the arrival of the remnants of Hurricane Ike
Hurricane Ike
Hurricane Ike was the second-costliest hurricane ever to make landfall in the United States, the costliest hurricane ever to impact Cuba and the second most active hurricane to reach the Canadian mainland in the Great Lakes Region after Hurricane Hazel in 1954...
. On race day, the weather was overcast and cold, with a 100% chance of rain during the event. The 125cc class started on a dry track, and went on until rain began to fall, with 7 laps to go. Since two-thirds of the scheduled distance had been run, the race was declared over and full points were given. Rain intensity then led the organizers to postpone the 250cc race until after the MotoGP race, hoping the winds and rain would stop. The MotoGP race was started at the scheduled time, with a very wet track but little rain. It ran until the 21st lap, when strong winds again began to blow. Fearing for the safety of the riders, the stewards red-flagged the race, which was declared completed, and full World Championship points were given. The winds did not stop after the race, and safety concerns ultimately led to the cancellation of the 250cc race.
Super Weekend at the Brickyard
On September 3, 2009, Grand-Am tested IMS as a potential future venue. A total of nine cars, representing both the Daytona Prototype and GT classes, participated. Laps were run in a clockwise direction (like Formula 1 at this track, and unlike MotoGP). For most of the test, the southwest turn of the oval was used (as it had been with Formula 1). A brief period in the middle of the day (approximately 20 minutes) was spent turning laps that included the southwest MotoGP road course section.On July 06, 2011 at a press conference held at the start-finish line, officials with the speedway, NASCAR
NASCAR
The National Association for Stock Car Auto Racing is a family-owned and -operated business venture that sanctions and governs multiple auto racing sports events. It was founded by Bill France Sr. in 1947–48. As of 2009, the CEO for the company is Brian France, grandson of the late Bill France Sr...
, and the Grand American Road Racing Association
Grand American Road Racing Association
GRAND-AM Road Racing or GRAND-AM is an auto racing sanctioning body that was established in 1999 to organize road racing competitions in North America...
announced the new Super Weekend at the Brickyard taking place July 26-29, 2012. The NASCAR Nationwide Series will move from Lucas Oil Raceway at Indianapolis to the Brickyard to run a Saturday race while both the Rolex Sports Car Series
Rolex Sports Car Series
The Rolex Sports Car Series is the premier series run by the Grand American Road Racing Association. It is a North American-based sports car series that was founded in 2000 under the name Grand American Road Racing Championship to replace the failed United States Road Racing Championship...
and the Continental Tire Sports Car Challenge will run races on Friday. It will be the first time in speedway history that races will take place on the 2.5-mile oval and 2.534-mile Grand Prix road course during the same weekend. The move has been done to counter declining attendance during the Brickyard 400. Race lengths were not announced. Many Sprint Cup drivers are expected to make an appearance in the Rolex Sports Car Series race in preparation for the Sprint Cup race at Watkins Glen two weeks later. The NASCAR Camping World Truck Series race at Lucas Oil Raceway will also be discontinued.
The move of the Nationwide race from Lucas Oil Raceway to the Brickyard has come with much criticism. Lucas Oil Raceway sold out every race in the 28 years it held a Nationwide race while offering exciting short track racing on the track, while many fans consider racing at the Brickyard "boring."
Other sporting events held at the Indianapolis Motor Speedway
Indianapolis
Indianapolis is the capital of the U.S. state of Indiana, and the county seat of Marion County, Indiana. As of the 2010 United States Census, the city's population is 839,489. It is by far Indiana's largest city and, as of the 2010 U.S...
has hosted a half marathon
Half marathon
A half marathon is a road running event of . It is half the distance of a marathon and usually run on roads. Participation in half marathons has grown steadily recently. One of the main reasons for this is that it is a challenging distance, but does not require the same level of training that a...
, which includes one lap around the Speedway. Known as the OneAmerica 500 Festival Mini-Marathon
OneAmerica 500 Festival Mini-Marathon
The OneAmerica 500 Festival Mini-Marathon, which takes place in Indianapolis, Indiana, is the largest half-marathon in the United States, and the seventh-largest running event in America. As of the 35th running in 2011, it had sold out the entire running field of 35,000 for nine consecutive years...
, this event usually starts the official events that occur prior to the Indy 500.
From 1960 to 1968, the Speedway Golf Course, originally built in 1929, hosted a PGA Tour
PGA Tour
The PGA Tour is the organizer of the main men's professional golf tours in the United States and North America...
event, the 500 Festival Open Invitation
500 Festival Open Invitation
The 500 Festival Open Invitation was a PGA Tour event in Indianapolis, Indiana played in the 1960s. It was sponsored by The 500 Festival, a not-for-profit volunteer organization that was created in 1957 to organize civic events to promote the Indianapolis 500...
, in conjunction with Indy 500 race week. In 1968, it also held an LPGA
LPGA
The LPGA, in full the Ladies Professional Golf Association, is an American organization for female professional golfers. The organization, whose headquarters is in Daytona Beach, Florida, is best known for running the LPGA Tour, a series of weekly golf tournaments for elite female golfers from...
event. From 1991 to 1993, the course was demolished and changed from a 27-hole layout (18 holes outside, 9 in the infield) to an 18-hole championship course designed by legendary golf architect Pete Dye
Pete Dye
Paul B. "Pete" Dye is a world-renowned golf course designer and a member of a famous family of course designers. He is married to fellow designer and former amateur champion Alice Dye.-Early life:Pete Dye was born in Urbana, Ohio...
. The new course, renamed the Brickyard Crossing Golf Resort features 14 holes outside, and 4 holes in the infield, along with an infield lake. A Champions Tour
Champions Tour
The Champions Tour, a golf tour run by the PGA Tour, hosts a series of events annually in the United States and the United Kingdom for golfers 50 years of age and older. Many of the PGA Tour's most successful golfers have gone on to play on the Champions Tour.The Senior PGA Championship, founded in...
event, Brickyard Crossing Championship, was hosted there from 1994–1999.
At the 1987 Pan American Games
1987 Pan American Games
The 1987 Pan American Games, officially known as the X Pan American Games, was a major international multi-sport event which was celebrated in Indianapolis, Indiana, United States, from 7 August to 23 August 1987. Over 4,300 athletes from 38 countries in the Americas competed in 30 sports earning...
, the speedway hosted opening ceremonies and the speed roller skating
Roller skating
Roller skating is the traveling on smooth surfaces with roller skates. It is a form of recreation as well as a sport, and can also be a form of transportation. Skates generally come in two basic varieties: quad roller skates and inline skates or blades, though some have experimented with a...
competition.
During the three-year Centennial Era, announced on May 23, 2008, special festivities which will include a balloon festival to commemorate the first event, will be held at two of the major races at the speedway, the Indianapolis 500 and the Brickyard 400. In February 2012, the facility will be used to host events during Super Bowl XLVI
Super Bowl XLVI
Super Bowl XLVI will be the 46th annual edition of the Super Bowl in American football, and the 42nd annual championship game of the modern-era National Football League . It will be held on February 5, 2012 at Lucas Oil Stadium in Indianapolis, Indiana. This will be the first Super Bowl to be...
that will be held in Indianapolis.
Since 2009, the Speedway has hosted United States Auto Club quarter midget racing on an infield oval, called the "Battle at the Brickyard".
Indianapolis 500Indianapolis 500The Indianapolis 500-Mile Race, also known as the Indianapolis 500, the 500 Miles at Indianapolis, the Indy 500 or The 500, is an American automobile race, held annually, typically on the last weekend in May at the Indianapolis Motor Speedway in Speedway, Indiana...
| Type | Distance | Date | Driver | Time | Average speed |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Practice* (1 lap) |
2.5 miles (4 km) | May 10, 1996 |  Arie LuyendykArie Luyendyk Arie Luyendyk, originally Arie Luijendijk is a Dutch auto racing driver, twice winner of the Indianapolis 500.... |
0:00:37.616 | 239.26 mi/h |
| Qualifying** (1 lap) |
2.5 miles (4 km) | May 12, 1996 | Arie Luyendyk Arie Luyendyk Arie Luyendyk, originally Arie Luijendijk is a Dutch auto racing driver, twice winner of the Indianapolis 500.... |
0:00:37.895 | 237.498 mi/h |
| Qualifying** (4 laps) |
10 miles (16.1 km) | May 12, 1996 | Arie Luyendyk Arie Luyendyk Arie Luyendyk, originally Arie Luijendijk is a Dutch auto racing driver, twice winner of the Indianapolis 500.... |
0:02:31.908 | 236.986 mi/h |
| Race (1 lap) |
2.5 miles (4 km) | May 26, 1996 |  Eddie CheeverEddie Cheever Edward "Eddie" McKay Cheever, Jr. is an American racing driver who raced for almost thirty years in Formula One, Sports cars, CART and the Indy Racing League. Cheever participated in 143 World Championship Formula One races and started 132, more than any other American, driving for nine different... |
0:00:38.119 | 236.103 mi/h |
| Race (200 laps) |
500 miles (804.7 km) | May 27, 1990 | Arie Luyendyk Arie Luyendyk Arie Luyendyk, originally Arie Luijendijk is a Dutch auto racing driver, twice winner of the Indianapolis 500.... |
2:41:18.404 | 185.981 mi/h |
| |
|||||
Brickyard 400
| Type | Distance | Date | Driver | Time | Average speed |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Qualifying (1 lap) |
2.5 miles (4 km) | August 7, 2004 | Casey Mears Casey Mears Casey James Mears is the driver of the #13 GEICO Toyota for Germain Racing in the Sprint Cup Series. He is a former winner of the Coca-Cola 600.... |
0:00:48.311 | 186.293 mi/h |
| Race (1 lap) |
2.5 miles (4 km) | August 7, 2005 | Tony Stewart Tony Stewart Anthony Wayne "Tony" Stewart is an American auto racing driver and owner. Throughout his racing career, Stewart has won titles in Indy cars and stock cars as well as midget, sprint and USAC Silver Crown cars, giving him the recognition of "one of the finest racers of his generation."Stewart... |
0:00:50.099 | 179.641 mi/h |
| Race (160 laps) * |
400 miles (643.7 km)* | August 5, 2000 | Bobby Labonte Bobby Labonte Robert Alan "Bobby" Labonte is an American race car driver in the NASCAR Sprint Cup Series. He currently drives the #47 Kroger/Clorox/Kimberly-Clark/Kingsford/Reese Towpower Hitches Toyota Camry for JTG Daugherty Racing. He currently resides in Trinity, North Carolina. He is married to his wife... |
2:33:55.979 | 155.912 mi/h |
due to NASCAR's green-white-checker Green-white-checker finish The green-white-checker finish is a rule implemented into many levels of automobile racing in the United States. When the race would otherwise end during a yellow-flag caution condition , this rule gives the field an attempt to finish the race under a green-flag, racing condition... rule. |
|||||
United States Grand PrixUnited States Grand PrixThe United States Grand Prix is a motor race which has been run on and off since 1908, when it was known as the American Grand Prize. The race later became part of the Formula One World Championship. Over 41 editions, the race has been held at nine locations, most recently in 2007 at the...
| Type | Distance | Date | Driver | Time | Average speed |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Practice* (1 lap) |
2.605 miles (4.2 km) | June 19, 2004 |  Rubens BarrichelloRubens Barrichello Rubens Gonçalves "Rubinho" Barrichello is a Brazilian Formula One racing driver. He is currently racing for Williams F1.Barrichello has scored the seventh highest points total in Formula One history. Barrichello drove for Ferrari from to , as Michael Schumacher's teammate, enjoying considerable... |
0:01:09.454 | 135.025 mi/h |
| Qualifying (1 lap) |
2.605 miles (4.2 km) | June 19, 2004 | Rubens Barrichello Rubens Barrichello Rubens Gonçalves "Rubinho" Barrichello is a Brazilian Formula One racing driver. He is currently racing for Williams F1.Barrichello has scored the seventh highest points total in Formula One history. Barrichello drove for Ferrari from to , as Michael Schumacher's teammate, enjoying considerable... |
0:01:10.223 | 133.546 mi/h |
| Race (1 lap) |
2.605 miles (4.2 km) | June 20, 2004 | Rubens Barrichello Rubens Barrichello Rubens Gonçalves "Rubinho" Barrichello is a Brazilian Formula One racing driver. He is currently racing for Williams F1.Barrichello has scored the seventh highest points total in Formula One history. Barrichello drove for Ferrari from to , as Michael Schumacher's teammate, enjoying considerable... |
0:01:10.399 | 133.207 mi/h |
| Race (73 laps) |
190.165 miles (306 km) | June 19, 2005 |  Michael SchumacherMichael Schumacher Michael Schumacher is a German Formula One racing driver for the Mercedes GP team. Famous for his eleven-year spell with Ferrari, Schumacher is a seven-time World Champion and is widely regarded as the greatest F1 driver of all time... |
1:29:43.181 | 127.173 mi/h |
Red Bull Indianapolis GPIndianapolis motorcycle Grand PrixThe Indianapolis Grand Prix is a motorcycling event held at the Indianapolis Motor Speedway in Speedway, Indiana, United States as part of the Grand Prix motorcycle racing season. Its first edition took place on September 14, 2008 and was sponsored by Red Bull. The race was held again on August 30,...
| Type | Distance | Date | Rider | Time | Average speed |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Practice (1 lap) |
2.621 miles (4.2 km) | August 29, 2009 |  Dani PedrosaDani Pedrosa Daniel "Dani" Pedrosa Ramal is a Grand Prix motorcycle racer. Pedrosa grew up in a village near Sabadell called Castellar del Vallès. He is the youngest world champion in 250cc Grands Prix... |
0:01:40.271 | 94.101 mi/h |
| Qualifying* (1 lap) |
2.621 miles (4.2 km) | August 27, 2011 |  Casey StonerCasey Stoner Casey Stoner is an Australian professional motorcycle racer. Born in Kurri Kurri, New South Wales, Australia and raised in Southport, Queensland, Stoner raced from a young age and moved to the United Kingdom to pursue a racing career... |
0:01:38.850 | 95.454 mi/h |
| Race (1 lap) |
2.621 miles (4.2 km) | August 28, 2011 (Lap 20) |
Casey Stoner Casey Stoner Casey Stoner is an Australian professional motorcycle racer. Born in Kurri Kurri, New South Wales, Australia and raised in Southport, Queensland, Stoner raced from a young age and moved to the United Kingdom to pursue a racing career... |
0:01:39.807 | 94.538 mi/h |
| Race (28 laps) |
73.388 miles (118.1 km) | August 28, 2011 | Casey Stoner Casey Stoner Casey Stoner is an Australian professional motorcycle racer. Born in Kurri Kurri, New South Wales, Australia and raised in Southport, Queensland, Stoner raced from a young age and moved to the United Kingdom to pursue a racing career... |
0:46:52.786 | 93.927 mi/h |
Source:
Oval dimensions
| Region | Number | Distance | Width | Banking |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Long straightaways | 2 | 0.625 miles (1 km) | 50 feet (15.2 m) | 0° |
| Short straightaways | 2 | 0.125 mile (0.2011675 km) | 50 feet (15.2 m) | 0° |
| Turns | 4 | 0.25 mile (0.402335 km) | 60 feet (18.3 m) | 9°12' |
| Total/Average | 2.5 miles (4 km) | 54 feet (16.5 m) | 3°3' |
See also
- Carl G. FisherCarl G. FisherCarl Graham Fisher was an American entrepreneur. Despite having severe astigmatism, he became a seemingly tireless pioneer and promoter of the automotive, auto racing, and real estate development industries...
- Donald Davidson
External links
- Indianapolis Motor Speedway – Official website
- BBC's circuit guide
- Indianapolis Motor Speedway Page on NASCAR.com
- Indianapolis Motor Speedway from Indianapolis, a National Park Service Discover Our Shared Heritage Travel Itinerary