The Brickyard At 15

By TONY FABRIZIO
Media General News Service
Published: July 25, 2008

INDIANAPOLIS — Although stock cars have been racing at Indianapolis Motor Speedway for a short time relative to the track’s 99-year history, Sunday’s Allstate 400 is already the 15th edition at “The Brickyard.” Here is a look at what has easily become NASCAR’s second-most prestigious race.

HOW IT BEGAN

COMPATIBILITY TEST: On June 22-23, 1992, nine NASCAR drivers conducted what was called a tire test at the speedway. It was the first official

NASCAR test at IMS, although not, as has been reported, the first time stock cars appeared on the track. Rusty Wallace and Dale Earnhardt raced each other to become the first on the track.

INAUGURAL BRICKYARD: Jeff Gordon, who spent some of his youth in Pittsboro, Ind., won the inaugural Brickyard 400 on Aug. 6, 1994. More than a quarter-million fans attended, the largest gathering for a NASCAR race. Gordon was 23 years and two days old and still holds the record as the youngest winner. Gordon celebrated with then-fiancée Brooke Sealy by ordering a pizza to their hotel room.

TRADITIONS

THE TROPHY: Made of gold, sterling silver and alloy, the stately Brickyard trophy was created by Nova Design of Pittsburgh. It is permanently housed in the speedway’s Hall of Fame museum, also home of the Borg-Warner Trophy for the Indy 500. The winning driver and car owner also are presented with trophies topped by a silver brick.

KISSING THE BRICKS: NASCAR’s version of the Indianapolis 500 winner drinking milk began in 1996 with Dale Jarrett and crew chief Todd Parrott. After taking a celebratory lap in the back of the pace car, Jarrett and Parrott spontaneously walked up to the bricks, knelt down and kissed them. Every Brickyard winner and team member since then have kissed the bricks. Sam Hornish Jr. even did it after winning the 2006 Indy 500.

BRICKYARD GREATS

Jeff Gordon is the race’s only four-time winner, capturing the silver brick in 1994, 1998, 2001 and 2004. Only four other drivers have won as many major races: four-time Indy 500 winners A.J. Foyt, Al Unser Sr. and Rick Mears, and five-time U.S. Grand Prix winner Michael Schumacher.

Dale Jarrett isn’t regarded at the same level historically as Dale Earnhardt, Richard Petty, David Pearson or Gordon, but he won NASCAR’s two biggest races multiple times. Along with his three Daytona 500 victories, Jarrett won the Brickyard in 1996 and 1999.

Indiana native Tony Stewart used to get so worked up about racing at his beloved home track that he was impossible to be around the week of the Brickyard. After several years of strong runs, he finally won in 2005. He claimed a second victory last year and sits second to Gordon in Brickyard laps led.

THE WINNERS

YEARWINNERCARRUNNER-UP1994Jeff GordonChevyBrett Bodine1995Dale EarnhardtChevyRusty Wallace1996Dale JarrettFordErnie Irvan1997Ricky RuddFordBobby Labonte1998Jeff GordonChevyMark Martin1999Dale JarrettFordBobby Labonte2000Bobby LabontePontiacRusty Wallace2001Jeff GordonChevySterling Marlin2002Bill ElliottDodgeRusty Wallace2003Kevin HarvickChevyMatt Kenseth2004Jeff GordonChevyDale Jarrett2005Tony StewartChevyKasey Kahne2006Jimmie JohnsonChevyMatt Kenseth2007Tony StewartChevyJuan Montoya

CHAMPIONSHIP INDICATOR

Unlike the Daytona 500, which is run with crash-inducing restrictor plates and doesn’t always produce the most deserving winner, the Brickyard is often indicative of who the best driver and team are in a given year. Case in point: The Brickyard winner has gone on to win the championship six times in the last 10 years.

TONY FABRIZIO is a staff writer for The Tampa Tribune