The unsatisfactory crushed rock surface of the original Indianapolis Motor Speedway was replaced in 1909 with over three million bricks, providing a state-of-the-art track for the first '500' of 1911. This history of the most famous motor race in the world reveals how 'the Brickyard' was built and developed and recalls the landmark moments of its premier event, from the pre-war daredevils and the British champions of the 1960s to the technical changes and political difficulties of recent decades.