TRACK
FACTS
Opened:
1909
Location:
First
NASCAR Cup Series Race: August 6, 1994 (Jeff Gordon, winner)
Qualifying
Record: Casey Mears, Dodge; 186.293 mph (48.311 seconds), August 7, 2004
Race
Record: Bobby Labonte, Pontiac; 155.912 mph (2:33:56), August 5, 2000
Distance:
2.5 miles
Front
Stretch: 3,330 feet
Back
Stretch: 3.300 feet
Banking
in Turns 1-4: 9 degrees
Banking
in Straights: 0 degrees
Miles/Laps:
400 miles/160 laps
Grandstand
Seats: 250,000
Tickets:
317-481-6700
Website:
www.brickyard400.com
Did
You Know? More than 46,000 gallons of soft drink products, bottled water and
canned beer was sold during the 2004 Allstate 400 at the Brickyard weekend -
enough to fill the gas tanks of all 43 NEXTEL Cup Series cars at ALL 36 races in 2005.
Last
Year: Tony Stewart
held off the challenge of Kasey Kahne
for a highly emotional win, which fulfilled a lifelong dream for the native
Hoosier. Kahne passed Stewart with just more than 25 laps to go and it
appeared for a bit that Stewart's day at Indy would once again end in
heartbreak. On Lap 149 Stewart took the lead for good. The win was
his fourth in the last six races and gave him the points lead for the first
time in '05. The monkey is off Stewart's back and he may be approaching
his home track much more relaxed than ever, which may help him run away with it
and win two in a row. While Jeff
Gordon has won four times at the famed speedway, no one has
claimed two in a row. Kahne gave Stewart the biggest challenge in the
closing laps last season, but the third place finisher Brian Vickers, could provide more
than a few surprises this year.
Who
To Watch: Jeff
Gordon has four wins and three poles at Indy - more than any
other driver. He's always in the hunt. In the 12 events held here,
Gordon has 10 top-10 finishes and seven top fives. Other drivers not
in the top 10 (below) to watch include Casey Mears, Kasey Kahne, and Jamie McMurray. Kyle Busch, Carl Edwards, and Jeff Burton deserve a look as
well. Rookies to watch are Martin
Truex Jr., Denny Hamlin, and Reed Sorenson.
Wreck
Watch: Coming off of Turn 4 and onto the front stretch has been a hot spot
here for spins and wrecks. The sheer speed carried off of Turn 4 is a
thrill in itself.
Track
Report: A fun, technical place to drive. Drivers have to hit their marks
perfect. If they hit all four marks, it's such a sweet lap.
If they're a foot off, their screwed. They are also boxed in.
There are grandstands on the left, so going into Turn 1, they can't see through
the corner.
TRACKING THE TOP 10
Best
active drivers at
Driver
Races Avg Fin Wins Top 5s Top
10s DNF Avg Start Poles
Tony
Stewart
7
8.4
1
3
4
0
14.3 1
Jeff
Gordon
12
8.8 4
7
10 1
12.2 3
Kevin
Harvick
5
8.8
1
2 3
0
13.0 1
Bill
Elliott
12
9.1
1 5
9
0
11.8 0
Dale
Jarrett 12 12.3
2 5
7
1
14.7 0
Bobby
Labonte 12
13.3
1
4
5 1
18.0 0
Matt
Kenseth
6
15.7 0
3
3 1
23.0 0
Mark
Martin
12
15.8
0
4
7 1
13.6 0
Kurt
Busch 5
16.2
0 1
3
1 26.0
0
Ken
Schrader
11
16.8
0
0
2
0
20.3 0