Indianapolis Motor Speedway has made the reputation of racing greats: A.J. Foyt, Rick Mears, the Unser family.
It’s been a testing ground for safety features such as rearview mirrors and seat belts, well before they became commonplace in Americans’ everyday lives. It’s been a movie set, and the place where Janet Guthrie struck a blow for female athletes by becoming the first woman racer at the Indy 500 in 1977.
And, as of this year, Indy has been part of American driving and racing for a century.
“Not only is this the same joint, the (first) surface is still there … the crushed rock and tar is still there,†speedway historian Donald Davidson said.
The common perception that bricks were used first as the first track surface is …Â Details