Brickyard Moments: Hometown Boy Gordon Rings In Stock Cars at Indianapolis

Sunday afternoon, the Sprint Cup Series makes its 15th trip back to the place where they said stock cars will never race, the Indianapolis Motor Speedway. All this week, FanHouse will relive the best moments we've seen at the Brickyard.

The 1994 and inaugural running of the Brickyard 400 couldn't have ended in a more storybook manner for both IMS and NASCAR racing. Some would say the race was the first big step NASCAR took to becoming America's most-followed racing series as it started to shed its Southern roots and showcase a new golden boy driver.

Watch for yourself as the hometown kid tackles the last five laps of the 1994 Brickyard 400:

Ernie Irvan looked to be on his way to victory with just a handful of laps remaining ahead of sophomore Jeff Gordon until he lost a tire heading to turn one and finally cut it on the backstretch while leading the first-ever stock car race at track long known for the Indianapolis 500.

There to capitalize thanks to a tremendous run in his first visit to the track he had longed to race at while growing up just miles away in Pittsboro, Ind., the young Jeff Gordon grabbed the lead and and the hearts of the grandstands all the way around the sold-out 2.5 mile oval.

As Gordon flew to victory lane at the legendary speedway, he had cemented NASCAR's place in the mid-west and affirmed what then-NASCAR CEO Bill France Jr. had believed for a long time: stock cars could race at Indy, and people would take note.

The race was as big of a buck in tradition as the speedway had ever seen, but thanks to France working with the Hulman-George family (who owns IMS) and the best possible ending to its first then-Winston Cup race, taxi cab racing was in Indianapolis to stay.

Don't take my word for it though, just look at those stands as Gordon takes the white flag. To put it simply, they were roaring louder than the engines -- all 280,000+ -- as the young Gordon took the checkered flag and put in fast-forward an amazing NASCAR career.

Reader Comments (Page 1 of 1)

7-22-2008 @ 1:41AM

anna seitter said...

Umbelievable : the indyanapolis hometown boy blog has not got any comments yet and this blog has been here 3 days.
Maybe it is because JEFF GORDON of today's days is not the same JG of 1994 anymore. He got aged and slow. Today KYLE
BUSH is what jeff gordon used to be.
Geez, i should not sayed that maybe; somebody is going to give me hell.
MIKE; SAY SOMETHING TO SPARK THE FIRE. Where are you about our driver?.

7-22-2008 @ 11:46AM

DA24JG said...

Trust me on this one.........Jeff Gordon is 'not' washed up nor has he lost his 'speed.' This has just been a bad year so far for the DuPont team. Last year, Jeff was amazing and hyper kyle was not impressive at all. You can 'expect' to see JG and the 24 group back in rhythm for 'sure' in 2009. Hopefully, they can turn things around starting with this weekend's brickyard....

7-22-2008 @ 7:44PM

I swear as i was writing the above blog , i was thinking over and over about the millionaire man coming on to defend JG
2008 FIASCO. ........ and look there he did, but no fire was sparked. Sorry mike, i should asked emerson to light the fuse.
It's usually his job . works for me.
I don't know ; but jeff lately looks much more interested in INGRID and ELLA than the risky racing or maybe he is saving himself from another divorce. Whatever.....

7-23-2008 @ 7:31AM

Mike said...

Sorry, Anna, I must have fallen asleep. While I do admire other drivers there is only driver I want to see in the winners circle and that is Jeff Gordon. Last year he had a beautiful wife and a new child so I do not think that has anything to do with this years lack of being able to find the winners circle. Were it not for the wrecks he has had he would probably be in second or third place in points but he would still probably not have any wins. Any number of scenarios could be painted here for why that is but the truth is they would all be lame excuses offered up by a disappointed fan, me. The team is simply not getting it done. If I thought I had any real reason and the cure, I would call Rick Hendrick up and tell him what it is. I am sure when Rick was wooing JR last year he invisioned having a team that would continue to win as much as 50% of the races. Instead this year they have won but 10%.
There is no defense I have to offer for him. He has only looked good in one or two races this year and he was wrecked out of those. I am somewhat surprised more has not been made of the fact that Jeff has not had a win yet this season. Look how much was made of the fact that Jr went 2 whole seasons without a win. Jr is at best a good top ten driver over his career while Jeff has been almost unequaled as a driver during his. For a driver to not have a win when he averages 2 wins a year is really no big news. But when a driver that has averaged 5 wins per year over a 16 year career has no wins, that is news. It is sort of like watching the Dallas Cowboys go 1-15 several years ago. There is no defense of it. I am just in shock.
MBL

7-23-2008 @ 3:16PM

MIKE, the reason that JG NO wins has not made more news is probably because everybody is distracted on watching and bashing KYLE BUSH.Imagine, stewart has also been averaging 5 wins per year even if it is not as long as jeff did. Anyhoo, no news has been made for stewart 2008 fiasco also.
I SERIOUSLY TOUGHT DAYTONA few weeks ago was going to be his break through this year.NOPE wrong again , another wreck. Well, it's nazcar for jeff/tony,this year.
Works for KYLE...

7-23-2008 @ 3:51PM

Well actually Tony Stewart has a very respectable 32 wins in 9 full seasons of Sprint Cup. That does not count any of this year. And yes, he is another person you have to wonder why has he not won. Especially when all the talk of the extra 25 HP Toyota engines are supposed to have. The fact that TS has not done any better than he has is the one thing that places doubt in my mind that there is a HP advantage in Sprint Cup.
I guess it is hard for everybody to get their wins in when Kyle Busch is taking the checkered in half the races. That only leaves so many other wins out there for the rest. It just sucks when Jeff Gordon, Jimmie Johnson and Tony Stewart account for 8 Cup titles and 150 total Sprint Cup Victories they only have ONE win this year combined.
MBL

7-23-2008 @ 4:24PM