116-Year-Old Track Uncovered At Indianapolis Motor Speedway
The folks at the Indianapolis Motor Speedway have been digging into the past … literally.
A small section of the legendary oval’s Turn 2 is undergoing a repaving project, which has revealed several old layers of the racing surface. One of which hasn’t seen the light of day since 1909.
THE BEGINNING
Before it became “The Brickyard” the 2.5-mile oval was paved in crushed limestone and tar. The first event held on Saturday, Aug. 14, 1909 was for motorcycles, but it was cut short after it became clear the surface wasn’t suitable for bikes. Cars followed the next week, but two crashes resulted in five competitor and spectator fatalities and AAA refused to sanction any more racing until a solution could be found.
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THE BRICKS
Track co-owner and president Carl Fisher ordered 3.2 million bricks from the Wabash Clay Company and had the track paved in just 63 days, which allowed racing to resume in December of 1909, when cars reached speeds of more than 110 mph.
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THE BLOCKS
A specific type of brick used for the track was known as the Culver Block, which is the name stamped into each of them. They are 9 inches long, four inches tall, four inches wide ad weigh 9.5 pounds.
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THE BRICKYARD
The brick surface would remain fully intact into the 1930s, when patches in the corner and the backstretch were paved over in asphalt. The entire track wouldn’t be paved in blacktop until 1961, when the famous Yard of Bricks at the start/finish line was left uncovered.
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The track has since seen major repaving projects in 1976, 1988, 1995, and 2004.