- Although IMS has been around since early in the 20th Century, the first NASCAR race took part in 1994. A test session at Indy after the first Michigan race in 1992 was the main catalyst behind NASCAR coming to the Brickyard.
- The first Brickyard 400 was run on August 6, 1994. Although Rick Mast won the pole, it was Jeff Gordon that etched his name into the history books as the first Brickyard 400 winner.
- The late, great Dale Earnhardt won in the gloaming in 1995 for his only Brickyard 400 win.
- Along with Gordon, Dale Jarrett, Tony Stewart, and Jimmie Johnson are the only other multiple winners (each driver has won twice).
- Kevin Harvick was the first driver to win from the pole. He did it in 2003 in a dominant performance, easily outdistancing Matt Kenseth.
- Thinking of you: Mario Andretti, A.J. Foyt, and Rick Mears.
- Drivers to watch for: Johnson, Stewart, Jeff Gordon, Carl Edwards, Kyle Busch, Denny Hamlin, and my darkhorse, Marcos Ambrose.
- You definitely want to start within the first five rows: 9 of the 14 winners have started within the first five rows. Harvick and Johnson (last year) have won from the pole, Johnson barely holding off Carl Edwards.
- Amazingly, there has never been someone that has won this race in consecutive years. Could it change this year? Which brings me to my predicted race winner.
Predicted Race Winner: Jimmie Johnson. He makes Brickyard history by becoming the first driver to win in consecutive years, and makes it three wins in four years. I'll even give my predicted top 5: 1) Johnson; 2) Stewart; 3) Ambrose; 4)Edwards; 5; Jeff Gordon.
10 comments:
Jon.....My man, Dale Jarrett started the "kissing of the bricks" at Indianapolis after he won in 2003. ESPN Classic had the '95 race on this week.
Nice Jon -- I like Marcos in this race as well, Sam too. Given how well Kurt gets around Pocono and how everyone says Indy is like Pocono, then I have to go with Kurt.
Shockers I know.
JJ, JG, MM - 3/4s of team Hendrick will be stout. Fingers crossed on Junior.
oooooo, Ambrose as the dark horse, brave man as I'd have gone with Sorenson for some odd reason....someone hit me and get some sense back, lol
Jon, I'm going with anyone from RCR. Does that narrow it down?LOL
My top 3- Stewart, J Gordon, Montoya.
Also thinking of Danny Sullivan- who could ever forget the spin and win?
Nice insights as always, Jon.
I am going to pick Tony Stewart to win. If you notice the pattern, he wins it every other year (2005, 2007,...).
Top three Gordon, JJ, and Smoke. In any order. There will be tire problems, and these three will have the right tire setups.
Unfortunately, those tire probs will bite Hornish, Montoya, Ambrose, and Vickers. Notice how it's always the same teams that have tire issues?
Jon great gas and go. The one thing I remember the most about Jeff Gordon's first Brickyard, was Ernie Irvan having a tire issue with just five laps to go while he was leading. That was a heartbreaker for this fan.
Jon -
Johnson is a nice pick. But I'd go with Stewart, Kahne, Kurt Busch and Kevin Harvick. Ryan Newman as a dark horse - he'd love to win at his "home" track. All tend to do well at Indy.
Hi Beverly--Jarrett actually won before that--Harvick won in 2003. I want to say he won in 1996 and 1999. But you're right, he started the kissing the bricks tradition.
Kristen, thanks. It was hard for me to exclude Kurt from a top 5. I'd say he'll be a solid top 10. You're right--3/4 of HMS will be stout. I think Junior will have a solid run as well.
Tez, I just have a gut instinct that Ambrose will do well at Indy. Sorenson to do well? Are you CRAZY? LOL!
Volfan, I think Harvick will do the best of the RCR cars and get his third top 10 of the season. He's always done well at Indy.
SB, it wouldn't surprise me to see Stewart win. But there is a method to my madness in picking JJ to win.
Gonger, thanks. I like your insight into Stewart's patterns of winning every odd year. If this holds true, he's kissing the bricks.
Gene, I've noticed that. Hopefully the tires will pass muster and it won't be a glorified tire test like last year.
Tsfan, thanks. It was a battle of NoCals that day. (Gordon from Vallejo and Irvan from Salinas.) It was a heartbreaker for a LOT of fans that day that were pulling for Ernie.
Iowa-Girl, thanks. There is a method to my madness in picking JJ. But it wouldn't surprise me to see Stewart or even Harvick kissing the bricks.
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