Countdown: Indiana

The Hoosier State is like one giant farm with Indianapolis at its center. Known for its corn and soybean production, Indiana's native sons have been decidely more high-tech. Astronauts Gus Grissom and Frank Borman were Hoosiers, while Neil Armstrong's Purdue class ring went from the Earth to the Moon and back.

	ACCELERATION 2006 There's more to the new season than just driver changes. Read more about what to watch for as we rev toward Daytona.  •   Testing archive,  click here •   Complete coverage, click here

Speaking of going back, you can be back home again in Indiana, on the banks of the Wabash, or take the Wabash Cannonball with Roy Acuff. And don't forget R. Dean Taylor's one-hit wonder, "Indiana Wants Me."

All roads in Indiana lead to the Circle City, where cars have been king since Carl Fisher put his new patented headlights on them around the turn of the century. Studebakers, Stutzes and Dusenbergs rolled off Indiana assembly lines.

But Indiana's primary connection with motorsports is perhaps the most famous racetrack in the world, where drivers and equipment alike have been challenging a 2.5-mile rectangle of brick and asphalt for nearly a century. Even though NASCAR has been visiting the Indianapolis Motor Speedway only since 1994, its roots in Indiana go back more than five decades.

Best behind the wheel

• Tony Stewart, Columbus

At an early age, Tony Stewart learned that settling for second-best meant that he hadn't given his all.

With father Nelson serving as crew chief and car owner, Stewart's go-kart career started at age 7. A year later, Stewart earned his first title -- four-cycle rookie junior class championship at the Columbus Fairgrounds. In 1983, Stewart won the International Karting Federation Grand national championship and followed that with the 1987 World Karting Association national championship.

By 1989, Stewart began the transition from go-karts to front-engine, open-wheel racing, starting with three-quarter midgets before moving into the USAC midget ranks in 1991, when he was named rookie of the year. Five wins in 22 starts in 1994 earned him a USAC national midget championship.

	Inside the Numbers Tony Stewart's Cup stats Year Starts W T5 T10 1999 34 3 12 24 2000 34 6 12 23 2001 36 3 15 22 2002 36 3 15 21 2003 36 2 12 18 2004 36 2 10 19 2005 36 5 17 25 Totals 248 24 93 149

He made even more history the following season, when he became the first driver to hold national midget, sprint car and Silver Crown titles in the same year -- a distinction that earned him a ride in the Indy Racing League in 1996.

He won rookie of the year and qualified second next to teammate Scott Brayton for the 1996 Indianapolis 500. When Brayton was killed in a practice crash, Stewart brought the field to the green flag and led the first 31 laps before engine problems sidelined him.

Stewart won the IRL championship in 1997, then looked toward a future in stock-car racing. A 22-race Busch Series schedule in 1998 with Joe Gibbs Racing led to a full-time Cup ride the following year -- and another rookie of the year award.

Since then, Stewart has added two more championships -- including the 2005 Nextel Cup -- 24 victories -- including a victory in the 2005 Allstate at the Brickyard -- and seven consecutive top-10 finishes in the final standings.

Off the track, Tony Stewart owns World of Outlaws, stock car, sprint and midget car teams through Tony Stewart Racing, purchased the legendary Eldora Speedway in Ohio and formed the Tony Stewart Foundation, a charitable organization to help care for critically ill children, as well as to lend support to families of race car drivers who have been injured in motorsports.

Other noteworthy drivers from Indiana

• Ryan Newman, South Bend: 12 wins and four consecutive top-10 finishes in the points since 2002

• Darel Dieringer, Indianapolis: Seven wins over a 12-year career, including the 1966 Southern 500

• Charlie Glotzbach, Edwardsville: Three of his four wins came on superspeedways

• Earl Balmer, Floyds Knob: A last -lap pass earned him a win in a 1966 Daytona 500 qualifier

• Larry Frank, Indianapolis: Only Cup career victory in 103 starts was the 1962 Southern 500

• Dick Passwater, Indianapolis: Won on the Charlotte Speedway dirt track in 1953

We wish ...

Basketball legend Larry Bird had become a NASCAR driver.

The "Hick from French Lick" had a knack for playing his best in the biggest of games, leading Indiana State to the 1979 NCAA championship game, then winning three straight most valuable player awards with the Boston Celtics in the '80s.

Keeping it on the track

• Indianapolis Motor Speedway

Built in 1909 as an automobile proving ground, the speedway was built as a 2.5-mile rectangle by its four founders because that was the largest track that could be constructed on the land available.

The first event was a hot-air balloon race, followed by three days of racing in August of 1909. However, the crushed stone and tar track was so dangerous, work began immediately on repaving the entire surface with more than three million bricks.

The track hosted three separate race weekends in 1910, but poor attendance forced management to re-think its plans for 1911, choosing to run one large event instead.

TRACK PAGE •   Indianapolis Motor Speedway

The first 500-Mile International Sweepstakes was held on May 30, 1911 -- and with the exception of two world wars, remains a Memorial Day fixture.

Ray Harroun took nearly seven hours to complete the 500-mile distance in 1911, while Arie Luyendyk won the 1990 edition in a record two hours and 41 minutes.

The track and grounds deteriorated badly during World War II -- and plans were made to replace it with residential housing. But Terre Haute businessman Tony Hulman stepped in and purchased the speedway and began a series of improvements to the facility that continue to this day.

Several NASCAR teams were invited to a one-day test session at the speedway by track president Tony George in 1993 -- and the inaugural Brickyard 400 was held one year later. Jeff Gordon has won four of the 12 races held there.

Gone but not forgotten

• Winchester Speedway, Winchester

The legendary paved half-mile hosted the NASCAR stock car series just once, in 1950. Only 13 cars showed up to test Winchester's high-banked turns, as Lloyd Moore led 51 of the 200 laps to score his only NASCAR victory. Dick Linder, who won the pole, led three laps before giving way to Bucky Sager, who wound up second despite leading a race-high 146 laps. The winner averaged 63.875 mph.

Other tracks which have hosted NASCAR races

• Playland Park Speedway, South Bend: Tim Flock beat Lee Petty on this dirt half-mile

• Indianapolis Raceway Park, Indianapolis: The paved .686-mile near Crawfordsville has hosted the Busch Series every year since 1982

A word from our sponsor

• Jasper Engines & Transmissions, Jasper

Since its inception in 1942, Jasper has become the nation's largest remanufacturer of gas and diesel engines, transmissions, differentials, rear axle assemblies, marine engines, stern drives, performance engines and electric motors.