Last Lap: Hitting the bricks

NASCAR's transition into mainstream culture has been highlighted by several landmark events during the past decade. These include a multibillion-dollar network television deal, significant penetration into previously apathetic media markets and enough Fortune 500 sponsorships to make Dick Grasso envious.

But few such milestones signal the sport's legitimacy more than a sold-out Brickyard 400. It used to be that open-wheelers scoffed at stock car racing. Now they envy it.

	Marty Smith

Like it or not, the 400 has eclipsed the Indianapolis 500 as the premiere annual sporting event on Indiana asphalt. And not just for fans.

In the race for importance on the Winston Cup schedule, the Daytona 500 has a rearview mirror full of Brickyard 400.

When asked to disclose dates of significance on their personal calendars, drivers all have specific favorites. But all include Daytona and Indianapolis -- and not only because they happen to pay out the most cash on the circuit.

It's about prestige. If winning at Daytona is reaching the sport's pinnacle, then winning at Indianapolis is confirmation of a driver's place in history. Chumps don't win the Brickyard 400.

Of the six Winston Cup drivers that have won at Indy, all but one have claimed at least one championship, and the other, Ricky Rudd, is NASCAR's Iron Man. Dale Earnhardt, Bobby Labonte and Bill Elliott are all former winners, while Dale Jarrett and Jeff Gordon have each kissed the bricks on multiple occasions.

Where do you think the Brickyard 400 ranks in terms of prestige on the Winston Cup circuit?

Contact Marty  Don't like his opinions? Like his opinions? Got a suggestion for a future Last Lap topic? Drop Marty an email!

My feeling is simple. Only race day at Daytona and race evening at Bristol rival race day at Indy.

The electricity is palpable. I was mesmerized the first time I experienced the grandstands on both sides of theindianapolis Motor Speedway frontstretch. Forty-three cars pour down the front straightaway into a frenzied funnel of humanity, soon to quench the collective thirst of 300,000 speed-starved fanatics.

But those at home are parched. Many folks feel the Brickyard 400, from the vantage point of a television viewer, leaves the fan thirsting for more. Take this guy, for example:

TruckFan: It's hard not to like a racetrack that has part of a golf course in the infield. And the yard of bricks seem to hold a sort of Mecca-like attraction for race fans. So, I'd say the brick "yard" ranks near the top for me, but the other 13,197 feet of the track are very average.

Or this guy:

modor: Sure the race is at the Brickyard; and it pays well; but the racing itself is horrendous. I'd place it below the two Daytona races, the Southern 500, the spring race at Talladega and the night races at Bristol and Richmond.

Or this guy:

matty: I think that the indy ranks just above the rest of the new races on the circuit because of the prestige of the track. It definitely ranks below the Daytonas and other tracks that have been here for a while. It may be a crown jewel race but I don't really find the race that interesting from a fan standpoint.

You get the point. If you haven't experienced it, you can't possibly appreciate it. And in some rare cases, it seems you can't appreciate it at all.

classic: The race part of the Brickyard is awful. The track is so flat and the trees from the golf course block any view of turn two. I had season tickets for five years and dumped them for Michigan and Kentucky tickets. The Brickyard is all about atmosphere not "watching" the race! I go to the track to see a race not to impress someone! Give me a fan friendly track any day.

Do a million people flock to Times Square on New Year's Eve in subzero temperatures because the view is good? No. Is it better on TV? Certainly. (If you can tolerate Dick Clark.) It's about the atmosphere and tradition. Same deal at Indy.

Is the competition at the Brickyard the best on the circuit? Not even close. Does the aura of its history and prestige of its standing outweigh the lack of passing? You bet your remote control.

MJONES: I believe that the Brickyard belongs in the same league as all the other "signature" races in NASCAR. The Coca-Cola 600, the Daytona 500, Talladega, and The Brickyard. Almost every single great driver has passed through the gates at Indy, from F-1, to Indy car, to NASCAR. One of the things that I love about racing is the tradition, and I'll be darned if I don't get goosebumps every time I drive past the famed 2.5 mile oval at Indianapolis. The Brickyard most assuredly belongs among the great races of the NASCAR season, and the winner gets his name etched in history forever. You certainly can't say that about some of the other "cookie-cutter" tracks.

Counting Crows must have been singing about Last Lap, because "Mr. Jones and me" share an identical perspective on this issue. The first time I drove into the IMS tunnel back in 1999, every last hair on my body was on-end. You know you're entering hallowed ground.

And it's not a one-time deal. I get the same feeling every year when I first enter the track grounds. I was there just last month for the Gordon/Montoya car-swap, and guess what? The reaction is precisely the same four years later. I anticipate it will be much the same three days from now.

	Bill Elliott kissed the bricks in 2002. Credit: Autostock

Somehow, Vegas doesn't have the same effect on me.

UncleTom315: I think the Brickyard is one of the better races to watch on the circuit. It's a unique track with its flat, square turns, but it carries a fairly high amount of speed through the straights. It's not as big as Daytona since it's not a season opener, but winning at Indy says a lot about driving ability. Bring it on next week!

Beecher-Helton is back, and with an excellent point, I might add. Indianapolis is unlike any track on the circuit -- it essentially has four straightaways connected by four very tight corners -- and is extremely difficult to master. Moreover, stellar equipment is key. Engines must produce optimum horsepower to pull the car down the long straightaways, and precise handling is vital to keep the car on the bottom of the track.

Track position is everything on a track where passing is arduous, especially for bulky stock cars. So gaining positions on pit road will be more vital even than it usually is. Winning The Brickyard 400 is a true testament to the excellence of both team and driver.

Just look at the teams who have gone to Victory Lane there in the past nine years. The proof's in the brick pudding.

Donna Labonte offered excellent analysis of the requisites of achieving victory at Indy:

GoBobbyGo: Indianapolis Motor Speedway carries a lot more prestige and history than Daytona. In terms of racing history, Daytona pales in comparison. The two are at the top, but the racing at Indy has exponentially more variables than Daytona. Let's face it... Daytona is a mash-the-gas, horsepower-driven track since the induction of the restrictor plate, with racing (termed loosely) that is entirely a roll-of-the-dice. Miss a variable at Indy? Goodbye, top ten.

Ask Tony Stewart after last year. Miss a variable at a plate track? Hang on, because you can get pulled around to a decent finish. Heck, Biffle, Kenseth, Busch, Waltrip, and Stewart finished in the top-25 at Talladega with extensive damage and Junior won! Better miss that "big one", too...

The Brickyard 400 winners are a veritable "Who's Who" of NASCAR racing. Of the nine races, four winners have gone on to claim the Winston Cup Championship. In the last fifteen years, only Jeff Gordon has won both the 500 and the WC Championship. What other sport plays the Super Bowl at the start of their season, too?

Indy should be the most prestigious race of the season, but alas, is not to most. As for me, I'd rank winning the Southern 500 and the Coca-Cola 600 ahead of Daytona. They're tracks you actually need to RACE at...then again, I'm a Hoosier.

For a biased opinion, you have to give Donna credit. Her argument is quite legitimate. But as you'll see in a moment, my feeling is that in the grand scheme, as far as NASCAR is concerned, Indy still doesn't compare to Daytona.

maintain2420: Well racing wise I suppose its near the bottom. But lets be honest, there are quite a few races these days that are quite boring since they decided to make all the cars the same. From the standpoint of NASCAR prestige, its equal with Daytona and if you want to go even further which would you rather have on your shelf -- a trophy from the most famous and historic track in the world, the Brickyard, or a Daytona trophy? As a driver on a scale of recognition from the world, you would rather have your name in the Indy record book than the Daytona one. Go ask Tony Stewart, Jeff Gordon, Ryan Newman and some others which one they value winning more.

My guess is Gordon and Newman would say Daytona, while Stewart would choose Indy. Ninety-five percent of NASCAR's current stars grew up dreaming of winning the Daytona 500, so I think the Great American Race still carries more weight. And as far as sponsors are concerned, they want more than anything else to see their logo in victory circle at Daytona.

The Brickyard is important and teams spend much time and effort to perform well, but Daytona is still at the apex of Victory Lane food chain.

1Jeff24fan: The story behind Brickyard is historic. I mean, it's hard to find a track where the roots of racing are so deep. But... in an evolving NASCAR, history doesn't mean much. It seems that the only thing that matters is how many butts there are to fill the allotted amount of seats. Brickyard is an okay race. There's excitement, passing and I love to watch the winner kiss the bricks.

But personally, I'd rather watch a race at Bristol where history is there- plus hands down the best racing on the circuit. Or head back to North Wilkesboro, where the Southern Stock Car racing roots are. Those were great races too. My personal opinion is, keep the stock car races on the stock car tracks- Leave Brickyard for open wheel guys. That's their playground, I'll take Daytona.

Personally, I'd rather watch the night race at Bristol than eat when I'm hungry. It's better than any other sporting event, period. And considering the ho-hum fuel mileage events we've endured over the past month, has even more zeal than before. But that's a different discussion completely.

nascarchick: A race's importance is so much more than what goes on during the race. The history of the track, the tradition, the past winners, and the prestige of winning at the track makes it important and special. Sure, the race itself at the Brickyard can be a bit monotonous, but the victory celebration at The Brickyard is fantastic. Kissing the bricks...now that is tradition!

Speaking of tradition, my daily bowl of Raisin Bran beckons.

Anybody know where I can get a tall glass of milk?