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SPENCER: Jimmy Says So… “No Place Like Indy”
Written by: Jimmy Spencer   
Charlotte, NC
 
Jimmy Spencer loves Indianapolis, whether he is on track, or in the broadcast booth. (Photo: Jamie Squire, Getty Images) ยป More Photos

I thoroughly enjoyed the off weekend, as I’m sure all the teams did, but I’ve been waiting all year for this weekend’s Brickyard 400 at Indianapolis.

When NASCAR was invited to Indianapolis Motor Speedway in 1994 for the inaugural Brickyard 400, the opportunity truly was an honor for the sport. But now it seems some consider the Brickyard just another Cup race. It’s not just another race and never will be. The Brickyard and the Daytona 500 are really the only two races each year. Not to discount other venues because we have several great races each season, such as Bristol, Vegas and Chicago, but they just aren’t The Brickyard.

Finally landing a race at Indy was the biggest stride NASCAR had made in probably 25 years. Look at the legendary drivers who’ve won there – Foyt, Unser, Andrett and Mears are the first ones who come to mind.

Dale Earnhardt Sr. said it best when
he called Indianapolis Motor Speedway ‘hallowed ground,’ and his 1995 Brickyard victory was his biggest next to the Daytona 500. The history the track holds and the legends who have raced there are just astounding.

I’ll never forget the first time I walked down Gasoline Alley as a competitor. Setting foot on track property, the second-oldest surviving automobile race track and the largest sports facility in the world, was very humbling. I was in total awe of the speedway but it’s hard to describe the thoughts that rushed through my head while walking through the garage the first few minutes – Indy cars, drivers who had raced there, the overall history of the track and the George family. I’m a racing history buff and I thought about David Pearson and Cale Yarborough and all the NASCAR legends who never got to drive the big cars there. Yarborough and Allison all raced at Indy but never in a Cup car.

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