The world of racing has been blessed with many great races people only wish they could attend live, mostly because they are scattered all over the globe. The United States is luckily for the people living there, full of amazing car races which you can watch live and on broadcast TV and even online streams.
Whether NASCAR or Indy racing, the US has a bit for everyone. This time, the Brickyard 400 is on the menu, a race which dates back to 1994 and has had a very interesting record for its relatively young age.
The Origins of the Brickyard 400
The Brickyard 400 started its journey in 1994, as a 400 mile race. The race was and is held at the Indianapolis Motor Speedway in Speedway, Indiana. The Motor Speedway was not originally planned for NASCAR races, but it has since its first years been remade to first the Brickyard 400.
Its inaugural race was held on August 6 1994. This race and the ones in the following years had plenty of visitors and a large following, mainly because it was a NASCAR race. During the first few races, there were requests for at least triple the seats and places the officials could provide for live spectating. The race did have a few changes in the years to come.
The Middle Years of the Brickyard 400
The race was fairly popular in its early years, during the 90s. In the 2000s, however, views dropped because live broadcasting was shifted to a centralized network in 2001. This meant that TV channels other than the local one could not broadcast the Brickyard 400, until 2001. This in turn led to a popularity drop, as well as very hot summers and poor seating for the spectators. What didn’t help was the fact that the track was not the best one for stock car racing, so fans would choose different races.
The Recent Years of Brickyard 400
In recent years, Brickyard 400 became Brickyard 200, the race being shortened to 200 miles in 2021, and the track will change to a combined road track. The race regained popularity in the 2010s, becoming once more an interesting choice for NASCAR fans. 2020 did not help, because the race was held without spectators, due to a global pandemic, but all in all, with its reorganization, it is headed in the right direction in terms of popularity and growth.
Over the years, it had plenty of sponsors, so its name changed a bit, depending on who the sponsor was and what they thought the best marketing strategy would be. The name 400 will most likely remain as it is iconic, but the race will be twice as short.
The Brickyard 400 race is an amazing NASCAR event which used to take place every August, but has in recent years been moved to July, but then back again to August. It takes place on the Indianapolis Motor Speedway and has since 1994. If you are in the area in August and you like NASCAR, you might want to visit.
