Indianapolis Motor Speedway
The most famous racetrack in the world is located in the Indy suburb of Speedway, Indiana. The facility was opened in 1909 as a hot air balloon launching pad. The track was paved with bricks from the brickyard in Veedersburg, located in central Fountain County.
The first Indianapolis 500 was held in 1911 at the famed oval. Ray Harroun won the first 500 in the "Marmon Wasp". In 1994, the NASCAR Winston Cup Series (now the Sprint Cup) decided to run an annual race at the track. The Race was originally called the Brickyard 400. Jeff Gordon won the inaugural 400 in the number 24 DuPont Chevrolet Monte Carlo, as a rookie!the race has been called the Allstate 400 at the Brickyard (2008-2011) and the Crown Royal 400 (2012-present). In 2013, the NASCAR Nationwide Series ran their first race at the speedway, leaving O'Reilley Raceway Park in Clermont. Kyle Busch won the race. The Red Bull Moto GP series now races at the Road Course, although it does not draw in a big crowd. The 2014 race is the last race at the Brickyard for the GP series. It is defiantly worth a trip to the most famous track in the world! |