Fisher and colleagues knew something had to change. After track tests showed that bricks were more tensile than gravel and more durable than concrete, the men decided to turn the Indianapolis Motor Speedway into a brick-laden track. Local Indiana businesses supplied the men with more than three million bricks for paving. The expressway reopened in December 1909 and was immediately named “Tablework”.
Matt Sullivan/RiverThe Indianapolis Motor Speedway retained its brick track until 1938, when the entire racetrack received a new and fresh layer of asphalt. However, a 36-inch layer of the original brick road remains at the start/finish line.
Known as the Brickyard, there is a tradition between NASCAR and Indy 500 winners to kneel in front of the Brickyard and plant a kiss on the surface as a tribute to the speedway’s illustrious history. The first kiss was by NASCAR champion Dale Jarrett in 1996, and the tradition has continued ever since.