So why do they call the track at indy the brickyard?

Question

i'm sure i could find out by lookin online but thought it would be fun if someone can tell me here .. michael?

Answer 1

The track was at one time made of over 3 million bricks.  Today there is a small path of bricks to commemorate the old "brickyard".

AM

Answer 2

ther are bricks there  lol

Answer 3

here's a better question:

why is this in the formula 1 section?

Answer 4

The track was at one time made of bricks, 3.2 million of them. There is still a 3 foot wide path of bricks there today to commemorate the old "brickyard".

Answer 5

Since IMS is officially a National Historical Landmark, the US National Park Service is responsible for keeping that history.  According to them:

Indianapolis Motor Speedway is the home of the Indianapolis 500, the best known auto race in the world, and the site of numerous automotive breakthroughs. In 1908, Indianapolis auto industrialists Carl Fisher, James Allison, Arthur Newby, and Frank Wheeler decided that American auto makers needed a proving ground for their new machines. They bought 320 acres of farmland, just across 16th Street from Fisher’s and Allison’s Prest-O-Lite auto headlight plant. The group also collaborated in platting out the Town of Speedway at this time. In 1909, they laid out the 2.5 mile oval track in its present configuration, but with a macadamized surface. Racing began that year.

By the next year, the owners decided to pave the track in sturdier paving bricks, now the trademark of the Indianapolis Motor Speedway. One yard of exposed brick remains at the start-finish line; the millions of others are under asphalt that is periodically resurfaced. The basic course configuration with its two and one half mile curved track, grandstand and pit layouts, and garage arrangement is very similar to the way it was in 1909.

Answer 6

1 yard wide strip of brick on the start, finish line

Answer 7

The Whole track used to be made of of Bricks

but When it was turned into pavement there was only one strip of briks left, representing the Start/Finish Line