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NASCAR returns to the Brickyard: History of Cup Series at Indianapolis Motor Speedway oval

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NASCAR returns to the Brickyard: History of Cup Series at Indianapolis Motor Speedway oval


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The NASCAR Cup Series is back on the oval at the Indianapolis Motor Speedway for Sunday’s Brickyard 400 after a three-season hiatus.

There has been good and bad throughout the 27 Cup Series races at the IMS oval, and those experiences have helped tell the story of why oval-reliant NASCAR shifted to the road course at the world’s most recognizable oval in 2021 and back again.

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Here’s a quick run through the history of NASCAR at the Indianapolis Motor Speedway:

NASCAR debut at Indianapolis in 1994

NASCAR first approached the idea of running a race at the Indianapolis Motor Speedway in 1992 with a tire test. A year later, IMS and NASCAR announced the race date for the first weekend in August 1994.

Think of IMS and the Indianapolis 500 at that time as the motorsports version of Augusta National and the Masters in terms of exclusivity and exposure. The Masters takes place in early April, and that was the lone major golf tournament at Augusta National year-round. The Indianapolis 500 took place throughout a few weeks in May, and that’s all race fans around the country saw of IMS until the next year’s race.

The inaugural Brickyard 400 was a true spectacle in the modern history of NASCAR. Eighty-six cars entered the race for 43 spots. Among other drivers, 59-year-old A.J. Foyt made the field while Charlie Glotzbach failed to qualify in his final career Cup Series race attempt.

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Jeff Gordon, who moved from California to Indiana as a kid to jumpstart his young racing career, won the inaugural race after a late-race duel with Ernie Irvan. The Charlotte Observer’s Tom Higgins wrote in the next day’s edition that “there are predictions (the Brickyard 400) will widen the popularity of Winston Cup racing.”

The 400 almost instantly became one of the crown jewel events on Cup schedule, and the popularity of NASCAR did increase through the 1990s and 2000s. Until it stopped.

Kissing the bricks is Indy tradition, born from the Brickyard 400 and Dale Jarrett in 1996

The Brickyard 400 has had a long-term impact on the Indianapolis Motor Speedway and the Indy 500 in at least one aspect.

After wining the 400 in 1996, Dale Jarrett and crew chief Todd Parrott led their Robert Yates Racing team to the brick-laid start-finish line to kiss the bricks at the Brickyard.

The late Scott Brayton did kiss the bricks after winning the pole for the 1995 Indy 500, but Jarrett, Parrott and the entire No. 88 Robert Yates Racing team sealed the tradition with a postrace kiss of the bricks.

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Kissing the bricks is now synonymous with winning at the Indianapolis Motor Speedway, much like drinking milk in victory lane.

Tire issues in 2008 was lowpoint of the Brickyard 400

NASCAR and Goodyear have never missed the mark so badly as they did with the tire they brought to the Indianapolis Motor Speedway in 2008.

The track failed to take on rubber throughout the weekend, leading to major tire degradation during the 400. Several cars suffered cut tires and major damage because of it during the race, forcing NASCAR to stagger competition cautions and use extra tire sets to get through the full 160 laps. NASCAR president Mike Helton even joined the ESPN broadcast booth to assuage concerns.

The race, won by Jimmie Johnson, contained six competition cautions for tire wear, with the longest green-flag run at 13 laps. By the end, race pace had notably slowed as drivers shifted into survival mode.

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“You don’t need me to tell you what happened on Sunday was a joke,” The Charlotte Observer’s David Poole said to lead off his race-day observations in the July 28, 2008, edition of the paper.

“The lamest spectacle in racing,” read one headline in the July 28, 2008, edition of the Indianapolis Star.

Race shifts to IMS road course in 2021

Attendance at Indianapolis Motor Speedway sagged significantly in the 2010s, and the quality of racing waned.

Still, it was notable in the fall of 2020 when NASCAR announced the IMS race date would take place on the road course in 2021. The Cup and Xfinity Series ran races on the IMS road course from 2021-2023, and both the track and the racing wasn’t a clear step up. For one, the inaugural Cup road course race featured an issue with curbing through turns 5 and 6, which caused multiple issues and many wrecked race cars for simply trying to race through the corners.

But it also was the preeminent oval-racing series in the world running a road course at the preeminent oval track in the world.

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That has changed in 2024, and the Brickyard 400 is back.

NASCAR Indianapolis: Brickyard 400 previous winners

  • 2020: Kevin Harvick
  • 2019: Kevin Harvick
  • 2018: Brad Keselowski
  • 2017: Kasey Kahne
  • 2016: Kyle Busch
  • 2015: Kyle Busch
  • 2014: Jeff Gordon
  • 2013: Ryan Newman
  • 2012: Jimmie Johnson
  • 2011: Paul Menard
  • 2010: Jamie McMurray
  • 2009: Jimmie Johnson
  • 2008: Jimmie Johnson
  • 2007: Tony Stewart
  • 2006: Jimmie Johnson
  • 2005: Tony Stewart
  • 2004: Jeff Gordon
  • 2003: Kevin Harvick
  • 2002: Bill Elliott
  • 2001: Jeff Gordon
  • 2000: Bobby Labonte
  • 1999: Dale Jarrett
  • 1998: Jeff Gordon
  • 1997: Ricky Rudd
  • 1996: Dale Jarrett
  • 1995: Dale Earnhardt
  • 1994: Jeff Gordon

NASCAR Cup Series Indianapolis race TV schedule, start time

  • Green Flag Time:  Approx. 1:30 p.m. CT on Sunday, July 21
  • TV coverage: NBC (watch FREE on Fubo)
  • Radio:  IMS Radio Network (102.5 FM in Nashville)
  • Streaming: FUBO (free trial available); NBC Sports app (subscription required); NASCAR.com and SiriusXM for audio (subscription required).

The Brickyard 400 will be broadcast nationally on NBC. Streaming options for the race include the NBC Sports app and FUBO, which offers a free trial to potential subscribers.

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Indianapolis, IN

Neighbors share concerns after young male dies in shooting on Indy’s northeast side

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Neighbors share concerns after young male dies in shooting on Indy’s northeast side


INDIANAPOLIS — A young man has died following a shooting on the northeast side of Indianapolis on Saturday night.

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Neighbors share concerns after young male dies in shooting on northeast side

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IMPD said it happened near the 3900 block of Rue Rabelais, which is an apartment complex off Binford Boulevard and 56th Street.

WRTV was in the surrounding neighborhood speaking with residents on Sunday, many of whom told us they were left saddened and worried following the incident.

“It just brings tears to my eyes,” Sheri Harley shared.

Harley has lived on Circle Boulevard, which is one street over from the complex, for more than 20 years.

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“We’re a very close-knit neighborhood,” Harley said. “I know everybody that lives here.”

That’s how she learned about what happened just down the road from her home on Saturday night.

“When I saw that there was police activity at the apartment complex, I contacted one of my neighbors, who lives across the fence,” Harley explained. “They didn’t really hear anything, but there were two young gentlemen who walked through their yard [that they got on camera].”

According to police, IMPD North District officers were dispatched to the 3900 block of Rue Rabelais around 7:19 p.m. Saturday on the report of a person shot. When officers arrived, they located a juvenile male near a playground suffering from injuries consistent with a gunshot wound.

The victim was taken to Riley Hospital in critical condition. IMPD confirmed the victim was pronounced deceased in the hospital.

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“There is no known danger to the public at this time,” IMPD Night Watch Captain Richard Ray said during a media briefing. “It appears by the basic, limited information that we have at this time that this was a targeted incident.”

It’s the latest incident involving juveniles to concern Indianapolis residents.

“I was raised where you respect one another,” Harley said. “You don’t always have to get along, but now they’re just pulling guns on one another and shooting.”

For neighbors like Harley, they just hope it doesn’t continue.

“Parents, please take care of your kids. Watch them… It’s very disheartening,” she stated.

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While we were out on Sunday, IMPD officers were going around asking neighbors to share any information they had about the incident.

“We’re asking any individual that might have been filming, that might have any doorbell cameras or anything like that to come forward and provide as much information as possible,” Ray said.

They have not yet identified any suspects in the case.

The Marion County Coroner’s Office (MCCO) will be assisting and will determine the exact manner and cause of death. The MCCO will release the decedent’s name once a proper next-of-kin notification has been made.

An investigation into this incident is underway. Anyone with information or doorbell footage is asked to reach out to IMPD Detective Christopher Williams at the IMPD Homicide Office at 317.327.3475 or e-mail the detective at Christopher.Williams4@indy.gov. Alternatively, they can call Crime Stoppers of Central Indiana at 317.262.8477 or (TIPS) to remain anonymous.

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Casey Zanowic is the In Your Community reporter for North Side Indy. She joined WRTV in July of 2025. Casey has a passion for storytelling and is ready to showcase impactful stories that make a difference in her community. Share your story ideas and important issues with Casey by emailing her at casey.zanowic@wrtv.com.





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HBCU ALL-STAR Game Experience

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HBCU ALL-STAR Game Experience


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HBCU ALL-STAR Game Experience

INDIANAPOLIS — At the 5th Annual HBCU All-Star Game Experience, organizers are bringing together student-athletes, civic leaders, and community advocates for a social justice-focused event in downtown Indianapolis.

The Social Justice & Civil Rights Luncheon and Panel Discussion is scheduled for Saturday, April 4, from 11:30 a.m. to 2 p.m. at the Madam Walker Legacy Center on Indiana Avenue.

The event will focus on the intersection of sports, equity, and social change, with organizers aiming to inspire civic engagement and community leadership among attendees. Participants will include HBCU student-athletes, coaches, and local leaders.

Two panel discussions are planned. The first will center on civic engagement, public safety, and police accountability, examining how voting, public policy, and community involvement shape law enforcement practices and justice systems. The second panel will focus on youth, education, and workforce development, highlighting ways to expand opportunities and strengthen career pathways for the next generation.

Organizers say the luncheon is designed to go beyond conversation and encourage action, using the influence of HBCUs to promote leadership and long-term community impact.

In addition to the discussions, Indianapolis teen DJ Reese Rayford will provide live entertainment. She has performed at several prominent venues across the city and is also scheduled to appear during other HBCU All-Star Game weekend events.

The luncheon is free and open to the public, though registration is encouraged. The event is part of a broader series of activities tied to the HBCU All-Star Game, which takes place during college basketball’s championship weekend and highlights talent from Historically Black Colleges and Universities while promoting education, economic empowerment, and social impact.
The event will focus on the intersection of sports, equity, and social change, with organizers aiming to inspire civic engagement and community leadership among attendees. Participants will include HBCU student-athletes, coaches, and local leaders.

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Two panel discussions are planned. The first will center on civic engagement, public safety, and police accountability, examining how voting, public policy, and community involvement shape law enforcement practices and justice systems. The second panel will focus on youth, education, and workforce development, highlighting ways to expand opportunities and strengthen career pathways for the next generation.

Organizers say the luncheon is designed to go beyond conversation and encourage action, using the influence of HBCUs to promote leadership and long-term community impact.

In addition to the discussions, Indianapolis teen DJ Reese Rayford will provide live entertainment. She has performed at several prominent venues across the city and is also scheduled to appear during other HBCU All-Star Game weekend events.

The luncheon is free and open to the public, though registration is encouraged. The event is part of a broader series of activities tied to the HBCU All-Star Game, which takes place during college basketball’s championship weekend and highlights talent from Historically Black Colleges and Universities while promoting education, economic empowerment, and social impact.



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Mt. Vernon boys basketball wins program’s first state title

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Mt. Vernon boys basketball wins program’s first state title


INDIANAPOLIS (WISH) — The Mt. Vernon High School boys basketball team has accomplished something it hasn’t done before – win a state championship.

The Marauders beat Crown Point 52-50 on Saturday night in the IHSAA 4A State Championship Game inside Gainbridge Fieldhouse. It’s the program’s first-ever state title.

Mt. Vernon senior guard Luke Ertel, the favorite to win Indiana Mr. Basketball, finished with a game-high 26 points. He also finished with 10 rebounds.

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