Front Straight: 5/8 mile
Back Straight: 5/8 mile
Four turns, each banked at nine
degrees and 12 minutes and measuring exactly 440 yards from entrance
to exit, were linked together by a pair of long straights and, at the
north and south ends of the property, by a pair of short straights to
form a rectangular-shaped 2½-mile track as dictated by the confines of
the available land.
With the original surface of crushed
rock and tar proving to be disastrous at the opening motorcycle and
automobile racing events in August 1909, 3.2 million paving bricks
were imported by rail from the western part of the state in the fall.
The bricks were laid on their sides in a bed of sand and fixed with
mortar, thus inspiring the nickname "The Brickyard."
Poor attendance at a trio of
three-day meets on the revamped surface in 1910 caused the owners to
rethink their plans and focus instead on a single event for 1911. They
envisioned it as an event of gigantic proportions offering a huge
purse. On May 30 - Memorial Day - a grueling 500-mile race paying
$14,250 to win took place, enjoying instant success and attracting
universal recognition ... and making history as the inaugural
Indianapolis 500.
With the exception of an additional
program of racing on a single day in September 1916, no race other
than the Indianapolis 500 was took place at the Speedway until a
tremendously successful NASCAR stock car event, the Brickyard 400,
debuted in 1994. The "500" was suspended during America’s involvement
in the two world wars, 1917-1918 and 1942-1945, but held in all other
years. In 1999, the "500" will be presented for the 83rd time.
Asphalt was first applied to the
rougher portions of the track in 1936, and by 1941 all but the greater
part of the mainstraight had become blacktop. The remainder of the
bricks were finally covered over in fall 1961. Most of the original
paving bricks are still in place underneath the modern asphalt
surface, with only the famous "yard of bricks" still exposed at the
start/finish line as a nostalgic reminder of the past.
The track has changed ownership only
twice. With Carl Fisher heavily involved in the development of Miami
Beach and Jim Allison’s nearby engineering company growing rapidly,
the original owner foursome sold IMS in 1927 to a group headed up by
WWI flying ace Eddie Rickenbacker. Rickenbacker had actually driven in
several "500s" before he ever knew how to fly. One of Rickenbacker’s
first actions was to install an 18-hole golf course on the grounds in
1929, now known as Brickyard Crossing Golf Resort and Inn and home of
an annual SENIOR PGA TOUR golf tournament, the Comfort Classic at the
Brickyard in September.
Allowed to fall into a terrible state
of disrepair as a result of four years of neglect during World War II,
the Speedway was purchased in 1945 by Terre Haute, Ind., businessman
Anton "Tony" Hulman Jr. He immediately embarked on a phenomenal
rejuvenation program that began the transformation of the facility
into what it is today. Hulman passed away in October 1977, but to this
day members of his family perpetuate the traditions of the Speedway -
now encompassing 559 acres - while continuing to transform it beyond
the wildest imaginations of its founders.
Another chapter was added to the
Speedway’s glorious history in December 1997 when President Anton H.
"Tony" George, Hulman’s grandson, announced that the United States
Grand Prix Formula One race would take place annually on a new road
course at the Speedway starting in 2000. Construction began
immediately on a 2.55-mile, FIA-approved road course that incorporates
Turns One and the main straightaway of the existing oval.
Indianapolis 500 Information.
Indianapolis 500 Tickets |
Indianapolis 500 Track Map
Use the link above to check pricing for Indianapolis 500 Tickets.
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