Big Muddy
07-30-2019, 03:52 PM
10832
That’s a lot of asphalt! This core sample from the Indianapolis Motor Speedway shows just how much resurfacing has taken place since the track was built in 1909. According to this core sample, the racetrack first began as creek gravel and limestone course back when it first opened. After that, a layer of bricks was put down, giving the track its iconic nickname. In fact, some of that brick remains in the form of a one-yard wide strip at the start/finish line when the entire surface was transitioned into asphalt in 1961. We all know that the Indianapolis Motor Speedway is home to the Indianapolis 500, but did you know the famed racetrack isn’t really in Indianapolis? It is technically in the adjacent town of Speedway, Indiana.
That’s a lot of asphalt! This core sample from the Indianapolis Motor Speedway shows just how much resurfacing has taken place since the track was built in 1909. According to this core sample, the racetrack first began as creek gravel and limestone course back when it first opened. After that, a layer of bricks was put down, giving the track its iconic nickname. In fact, some of that brick remains in the form of a one-yard wide strip at the start/finish line when the entire surface was transitioned into asphalt in 1961. We all know that the Indianapolis Motor Speedway is home to the Indianapolis 500, but did you know the famed racetrack isn’t really in Indianapolis? It is technically in the adjacent town of Speedway, Indiana.