After multiple wrecks killed five on the opening weekend of auto racing at the Indianapolis Motor Speedway, the 300-mile featured Wheeler-Schebler Trophy race was stopped after 235 miles. Threatened with no more racing at the track by the American Automobile Association, the partners had to decide whether to abandon their investment or to upgrade the track surface from crushed stone and asphaltum. After comparing the benefits of a concrete or brick to repave the track, they decided upon brick.
Carl Fisher was seemingly always in a hurry and the repaving of the track was no exception. Working throughout the fall and into the winter, 3.2 million bricks were laid in 63 days. Reopening of the track was on a bitterly cold December day with festivities including motorcycle and auto races and Indiana Governor Thomas Marshall laying a gold brick at the start/finish line. The brick was displayed in the window of an Indianapolis department store before being moved to the Speedway offices which were in downtown. The special brick has subsequently been lost. The brick wasn’t actually gold. It was made of brass by the Wheeler-Schebler Carburetor Company.
As part of the 50th anniversary celebration of the Indianapolis 500, Tony Hulman had a “golden” brick manufactured. He was joined by Ray Harroun, the winner of the first Indianapolis 500 in 1911, and Louis Schweitzer, the winner of the first five-mile race in 1909, at the track where on November 6, 1961, they laid the brick in the remaining three-foot-wide section of track. Over the years, the track had been paved with the final segment being completed in October 1961. After the race, the brick was removed for display in the IMS Museum.
In celebration of the 100th anniversary of the first Indianapolis 500 in 2011, a special 18-pound “golden” brick was cast and laid by A. J. Foyt, the first four-time winner of the race, IMS chairperson Mari Hulman-George and IMS president Jeff Belskus in the track on a temporary basis on May 24. The special brick was removed after the 100th running of the Indianapolis 500. The brick says, “Indianapolis 500 Mile Race, 100th anniversary, 2011.” Foyt, also drove the pace car.
Subsequently, the Speedway has crafted bricks for the four-time winners of the Indianapolis 500. The first was for A. J. Foyt which was laid in April 2019. The brick has Foyt’s name with the years of his victories (1961, 1964, 1967 and 1977). The golden brick was created of liquid silicon bronze in the IMS welding shop by Bud Tucker and poured into a mold which was made from a Culver brick with which the track was originally laid.
At the time the “golden” brick honoring Foyt was laid, IMS already had a plan to honor the other two Indianapolis 500 winners, Al Unser, Sr. and Rick Mears. In each instance, a second brick was crafted for the honoree. Unser was presented his golden brick on race day in 2021 and Mears received his brick at the Brickyard 400 event in August. Castroneves helped in the pouring of his golden brick in July 2021. Speedway president Boles called Tucker the night after Castroneves won the race.
Beginning on January 1, 2023, the Speedway had a special project to permanently memorialize not only the Indianapolis 500 but also the four four-time winners. Since the track is heavily used between March and October, the only time available was during the winter months. Beginning January 1, the Speedway’s most famous yard of bricks was shielded from the elements by a tent complete with a wooden board roof and was temperature controlled. The temperature being regulated kept the area from freezing and thawing, protecting the integrity of the track. The Speedway dug up the 576 bricks, cleaned and inspected each. They were then re-laid on February 10. The center brick is at the center of the yard of bricks. The four bricks saluting Foyt, Unser, Mears and Castroneves are set in a rectangle pattern four rows up or down from the edge and four bricks over from the center brick. The placement represents Foyt in Turn 1, Unser in Turn 2, Mears in Turn 3 and Castroneves in Turn 4.