The Speedway was built in 1909 to serve as a year-round testing facility for Indiana's burgeoning car industry. The original track surface of crushed rock and tar was disastrous; the 3.2 million bricks that formed the new track inspired the name "The Brickyard." Those bricks remain today, underneath the modern asphalt surface, with only the famous "Yard of Bricks" exposed at the start/finish line.
With a capacity of more than 250,000, the Speedway is the world's largest sporting facility, as well as its most well-known racetrack. The Radisson Hotel Indianapolis Airport is just six miles from the Speedway. You can take a tour and explore the Speedway Hall of Fame Museum, which hosts over a million visitors annually.
Even if your visit here is a race in itself, you can enjoy the variety of memorabilia in the lobby and throughout the hotel.