Have a FaceBook, Twitter, or other social networking account?

Link them to your fanatic account!

Add An Account

TAKE ME TO...
NASCAR Sprint-Cup Series
CUP: Where Does McMurray’s Win Rank?
Brickyard 400 victory was one of the biggest and most emotion-charged in NASCAR’s 17-year run at Indy.
Mike Hembree  |  Posted July 26, 2010   Indianapolis, IN
They can simply open the gates at Indianapolis Motor Speedway and there’s drama.

The place is drenched with it. From the names – Foyt, Andretti, Earnhardt, Mears, Gordon, Schumacher – that have raced and won here to the history that hovers in every corner, IMS is one of international sports’ cathedrals, a place now celebrating its centennial.

That doesn’t mean that every race on the old rectangle is going to hold magic, however. Because of its flat surface, it is a particularly difficult for NASCAR racers to battle side by side over the 2.5 miles, and the sport’s typical manic runs to the finish line on the last lap haven’t produced close finishes at IMS.

The emotions at Indy, then, come from the moment. And Sunday’s moment – Jamie McMurray winning the Brickyard 400 after teammate Juan Pablo Montoya’s heartbreaking failure and putting car owner Chip Ganassi atop his sport for another day – was one of the biggest in the 17-year history of NASCAR’s run at Indy.

Sunday’s race can be ranked third, behind only two other big NASCAR days at IMS – Jeff Gordon’s win in the inaugural race in 1994 and Tony Stewart’s long-awaited triumph in the 2005 race.

The first race, held Aug. 6, 1994, in front of a packed sellout crowd of more than 250,000, ended long years of Indy tradition, adding a second event to the track’s calendar for the first time. There was edgy anticipation as the heavy stock cars rumbled out of the fourth turn and into the grandstand “canyon” for the first time.

Gordon and Ernie Irvan wrestled for the lead over the closing laps, but a tire problem took Irvan out of the picture, and Gordon outran Brett Bodine, now NASCAR’s pace car driver, by .53 of a second for the win. The final new laps featured lightning in a bottle, as Gordon rolled on his way to the win with fans in the sweeping grandstands standing and cheering on the former Indiana resident.

Indiana native Stewart has been vocal about his love for the Brickyard and his thirst for winning there. He hasn’t been able to accomplish his dream of winning the Indianapolis 500, but he drove to the Brickyard 400 victory lane in 2005, setting off a wild celebration.

In victory (he edged Kasey Kahne for the win), Stewart climbed the IMS fence – not once but twice. It was one of the most popular wins in the speedway’s long history.

McMurray, Ganassi and their Earnhardt-Ganassi Racing teammates stepped into their spot on the track’s list of champions Sunday. The circumstances of the day – McMurray winning after Montoya’s sad collapse, McMurray doubling up by taking both the 400 and the Daytona 500 in the same year, and Ganassi putting the 400, the Daytona 500 and the Indy 500 in his pocket in the same season – made their day one of the biggest.

Mike Hembree is NASCAR Editor for SPEED.com and has been covering motorsports for 28 years. He has written several books on NASCAR, including "NASCAR: The Definitive History of America's Sport" and "Then Tony Said To Junior: The Best NASCAR Stories Ever Told". He is a six-time winner of the National Motorsports Press Association Writer of the Year Award.

Play! SPEED Fantasy Racing and Super 7 Sweep
mike.hembree's avatar

ABOUT THE AUTHOR

Mike Hembree

MORE BY THIS AUTHOR
Advertising | Jobs | Feedback | FAQ | Terms of Use | NEW Privacy Policy | Ad Choices | Site Map
Fox Sports | FUEL TV | FX Network | National Geographic | IGN | AskMen
The Motor Sports Authority, SPEED and associated logos are registered trademarks of Speed Channel Inc.
All Rights Reserved © Speed Channel, Inc. 2012

All external links will open in a new browser window. SPEED.com does not endorse external sites.