USA: Indianapolis Track Facts

By Phil Huff
June 15 2007

Built in 1908, the Indianapolis Motor Speedway is the oldest motor racing circuit still in use today. The original surface was made up of over three million bricks giving the venue the nickname of the Brickyard. The IMS has played host to Formula One since 2000 following the construction of a brand new infield course.

The 4.192km circuit uses part of the fabled Indianapolis oval with the remainder of the lap snaking through the infield.

Tony George, head of the Speedway Corporation and a descendent of the Hulman family that has steered the fortunes of the historic American track, pulled out all the stops to create a world-class racing circuit that could provide a permanent home for the United States Grand Prix. In pursuit of that goal, he made radical changes to the original Speedway by demolishing buildings, erecting a new pit complex and grandstands, and building today’s challenging road course.

Overtaking is much easier at Indianapolis than at most tracks, with clear passing opportunities into turns one and eight, both second-gear corners proceeded by long straights. The slowest part of the track is the 40mph turn eight, the first part of an extremely tight S-bend, while the fastest is turn thirteen. This is the first corner of the oval and is taken flat-out at 185mph in an F1 car.

Honda-powered drivers dominated the United States Grand Prix from 1987 to 1991; Ayrton Senna victorious in 1987, 1988, 1990 and 1991 and Alain Prost took the chequered flag in 1989. Keke Rosberg won the US GP in a Williams Honda in 1984 and 1985. Honda won the IRL Indy 500 for the first time in 2005; Briton Dan Wheldon led a clean sweep at the Indianapolis Motor Speedway as Honda-powered drivers took the top four positions.

Last year's US Grand Prix saw Rubens and Jenson qualify fourth and seventh respectively, as the team started cranking some good pace from the car. Rubens dropped down to sixth by the end of the race, while Jenson retired with accident damage just seven laps in after contact from Juan Pablo Montoya.