Our first priority when we arrived in Indiana was to visit the Indianapolis Speedway. Both Steve and I love to watch car races and Indy is considered the racing capital of the world!
Welcome to the Indianapolis Speedway!
The Racing Capital of the World
I fell in love with Formula 1 racing back in 1966, when I saw the James Garner film Grand Prix. The cars were so fast and sexy. From then on I was hooked. And Steve and I were lucky enough to be in Monte Carlo in 1977 for the Monaco Grand Prix, which sealed the deal for both of us.
Indianapolis Speedway Indiana
The entrance to Indianapolis Speedway Indiana
So being able to visit the “Brickyard” was a thrill for sure!
A glimpse of the grandstands at the Indy Speedway
It was a glorious day near the end of July when we went out to explore the city. There was actually an event going on at the Speedway. We might have attended had we been smart enough to buy tickets. So we did not get to actually get to tour the track, just the perimeter grandstands.
Welcome Race Fans
But there was no chance of not knowing where we were. As you approach the Speedway there is one mural after another welcoming you back to Indy. Along this same row that houses the Indianapolis Motor Speedway Museum, you’ll also find the Foyt Wine Vault and AJ Foyt Racing Headquarters.
Welcome Back Home Again
Indy has a very long history. Coming up this Memorial weekend will be the 107th Indy 500!
History
Indy’s Arts Council mural welcoming all back home
Workers placed the last of the 3.2 million 10-pound bricks on the track on December 14, 1909. But the origins of Indy go a bit further back to 1908. Auto headlight mogul and race promoter Carl Fisher decided to build a 5 mile track to give carmakers a safe place to test their vehicles, as well as show them off. The original plan was for a 3 mile outer loop and a 2 mile course through the infield. Unfortunately the 320 acre parcel it was to be build on was not big enough for that, unless they eliminated the grandstands on the straightaway. Not wanting to have less seating, a compromise was reached and they built a 2.5 mile banked oval with grandstands on all sides.
Another mural with barbells welcomes us back to Indy
The surface of that first track was covered with a unique sticky amalgam of gravel, limestone, tar and 220,000 gallons of asphaltum oil. It took months for the 500 works and 300 mules to lay layer after layer of this gooey mixture on the Speedway loop and pull steamrollers across the surface, pressing it into a solid mass.
Back Home Again mural with Indy cars
The first race was held there on August 13, 1909, but it was a total disaster. The new track’s surface was so abrasive that it popped all of the tires. It took workers a few days to sand down the surface enough to continue the race.
Mural with a group of colorful wheels
The woes didn’t end there. Drivers were quickly covered with dirt, oil and tar as the track surface disintegrated in the turns. Flying gravel shattered goggles and bloodied cheeks. It was said that driving at Indy was like flying through a meteor shower.
Indianapolis Motor Speedway Museum
It became obvious that a safer surface was necessary. After much testing they decided on the bricks because they were less slippery than gravel and sturdier than concrete. The bricks remained as the surface of the track for almost 50 years.
Our Jeep’s reflection in the window of AJ Foyt’s Wine Vault
Today, most of that brick has been paved over with asphalt. But one yard of the brick remains exposed at the start-finish line. Kissing those bricks after a successful race remains a tradition among Indy drivers to this day.
Some fun facts
Headquarters of AJ Foyt Racing
The Brickyard” is the largest capacity sports venue in the world with permanent seating for 257,325 fans.
Indianapolis Statehouse
Since Indy car engines are optimized for performance they average about 4 miles/gallon. Indy Cars can exceed speeds of 240 mph!!! During the Indy 500, for example, they will consume right around 125 gallons if they complete the race. And I thought we got poor gas mileage in the RV. I won’t complain again about only getting 7 miles per gallon!
Entrance to the Capitol building in Indianapolis
Janet Guthrie became the first woman to race in the Indianapolis 500 in 1977. No women have won the race, so far.
Love the beautifully carved doors of the Capitol!
A.J. Foyt is the winningest Indy car driver of all time. He has 67 Indy Car wins. But he also has won the 24 hours of LeMans, the Daytona 500 and many many other races. He is considered by many as the greatest race driver in America.
Indiana State Soldiers and Sailors Monument
Lastly, you may wonder why the winners of the Indy 500 drink milk. Well here’s the scoop: that tradition began in 1936. It seems that the winner, Louis Meyer, drank buttermilk in Victory Lane because his mother told him it would refresh him on a hot day.
