Indianapolis Motor Speedway

Indy 500 Rounding the Bend

A century ago today, the first race cars took off around the two-and-a-half mile oval track of the Indianapolis Motor Speedway. That first weekend of races was calamitous: because of the gravel and tar surface of the roadway, there were many accidents and five people died. It was decided to pave the track with bricks — 3.2 million of them — and the track received its nickname, "The Brickyard." It's now made of stone and asphalt, with three feet (a bit less than a meter) of bricks remaining at the start and finish line. In 1987, the speedway was named a National Historic Landmark. It seats more than 257,000 people (additional infield seating brings the number up to nearly 400,000), making it the world's largest and highest-capacity sporting facility. The Indy 500 has been held there annually since 1911. In the first Indy 500, winner Ray Harroun's Marmon racecar became the first known automobile to sport what would become known as a rear-view mirror.

Previous:	Impressionists
Next:	Indira Gandhi

From our Archives: Today's Highlights, August 19, 2009