The Indianapolis Motor Speedway is one of the world's most famous
sporting venues. The Speedway was built in 1909, and seats over
250,000.
Located a few miles west of downtown Indianapolis, in Speedway, IMS
has been known as "The Brickyard" ever since its original surface was
replaced with over 3 million bricks. A strip of the original
bricks remains at the finish line.
Indianapolis Motor Speedway has hosted the Indy 500 every Memorial Day
weekend since 1911. NASCAR's Brickyard 400 has been a fixture
since 1994, and more recently the US Grand Prix has brought Formula 1
racing to IMS although the race is at least temporarily discontinued. See our
NASCAR Nextel Cup,
Indy Racing League, and
Formula 1 schedules for race
dates.
The track's oval is 2.5 miles long, with the Formula 1 course
measuring 2.606 miles. The oval is actually a rounded rectangle,
requiring drivers to make four distinct turns to complete a lap.
The infield at IMS houses the
Indianapolis Motor Speedway Hall of Fame Museum, as well as three
holes of a local
golf course.
For tickets to Indianapolis Motor Speedway events, call 317-492-6700.