Brickyard 400 presented by PPG 2026

The Indianapolis Motor Speedway was established in 1909 as a racing facility in the eponymous suburb of Speedway, Indiana, and is recognized as the first track to ever bear the name “Speedway.” Originally intended as a testing ground for the young American automobile industry, the facility quickly developed into one of the world’s most prestigious racing venues and is still referred to today as the “Racing Capital of the World.”

The Speedway is most closely associated with the Indianapolis 500, the crown jewel of American motorsports, which has been contested on the 2.5-mile oval for over a century. Beyond the IndyCar Series, the NASCAR Cup Series has also firmly established itself in the calendar since the 1990s with the Brickyard 400, making the track equally symbolic of open-wheel racing and stock cars while offering both disciplines their greatest traditional races.

The layout itself is characterized by its expansiveness: at 4.023 kilometers in length with only four turns, the Indianapolis Motor Speedway ranks among the simplest yet most demanding ovals on the NASCAR calendar, as high speeds and minimal margin for error converge. The massive grandstands offer a permanent capacity of approximately 257,325 spectators, and with infield areas included, total capacity reaches roughly 400,000 visitors, making it one of the largest sports arenas in the world.

In the recent history of the Brickyard 400, Corey Heim made headlines when he set the current track record in 2026 with a lap time of 0:49.554, demonstrating the enormous speeds now possible on the historic oval. Previously, Bubba Wallace claimed victory at the Brickyard 400 in 2025, adding another name to the long list of winners on the legendary asphalt of Indianapolis.

Thus the track continues to blend its more than century-old history with current records and changing champions, with each running of the Brickyard 400 once again connecting to the unique tradition of the Indianapolis Motor Speedway.