Indianapolis Motor Speedway bricked in 1909 ('The Brickyard')

The Indianapolis Motor Speedway was paved with approximately 3.2 million bricks in 1909 to replace an earlier crushed stone and tar surface that proved hazardous. That large-scale brick paving is the origin of the track's long-standing nickname, "The Brickyard." A single yard of those original bricks remains exposed at the start/finish line as a historic marker. The 1909 bricking is a documented early example of large-scale brick paving for a major automobile racing circuit.