bob jennings' WORLD O' RACING
Observations from the 1997 "Brickyard 400"
(completed 05/07/98)
1997 "Brickyard 400"
Bob Jennings
Indianapolis Star columnist Robin Miller is fond of referring to the "Brickyard 400" as the biggest race at the Indianapolis Motor Speedway each year. Of course Robin is offering his opinion that the Indy Racing League era, at the "Indianapolis 500" has downgraded the status and popularity of the "500." The IRL combined with the huge popularity that NASCAR enjoys, at the expense of Indy car racing, in general, does mean that the "Brickyard 400," in just four years, has become one of the three most important races in the U.S.
Certainly, in 1997, with the three days it took to run the "500," the crowd at the Speedway, for the "Brickyard 400", was probably racing's largest. It was clearly approaching number one status as NASCAR's most important race, with its record purse and crowds, surpassing the "Daytona 500" by large margins in both categories. The France family paid $7 million for the the 40th "Daytona 500" and winner Dale Earnhardt earned more than $1 million, which reestablished Daytona's supremacy in the money department. The Speedway has more or less announced they don't intend to raise the 1998 "Brickyard 400" much beyond its 1997 prize totals of $4,960,000 (total) and $571,000 (winner) respectively. The estimated crowd of 320,000, for the 1997 "Brickyard 400" was probably twice as large as the "Daytona 500" crowd though, and that's a category that Indianapolis will always likely dominate.
I have attended all four runnings of the "Brickyard 400." Unlike the "Indianapolis 500," however, I approach the "Brickyard 400" in a casual manner. Only once, 1995, have I had my "Brickyard 400" ticket prior to getting in the vicinity of the Speedway for the race. Actually the only time I was in my seat for the start, came for the inaugural "Brickyard 400", in 1994. I think I was situated for the 1997 race about three laps into the event. Rather than being able to sprawl myself and my photo gear in the grass inside turn four, as I'm able to do in May, I have to join the customers in the grandstand seats. The fans are packed into these seats and it's crowded.
There was one advantage to sitting high in the South Vista, for the 1997 race. There were a number of spectacularly healthy young American women, scantily clad, sitting nearby and it made for a nice diversion from the race, when I could sneak looks without their boyfriends seeing me.
While trying to follow the race, with sweat stinging my eyes, under humid, hazy late summer central Indiana skies, I also tried to get some photos. The South Vista means having to shoot through the tall outside safety fencing, which makes things difficult. As a result, the type of shot, on this page, was about the only decent shots I could get.
Of the 12 cars I caught going through turn two, I can recognize the cars of Kenny Wallace, Rich Bickle, Rusty Wallace, Rick Mast, Bill Elliott and Bobby Hamilton. I can't recall if I had a my 200 mm lens or my 135 mm lens fitted on my camera. I wish I had the opportunity to get some better stuff than this, at the the "Brickyard 400."
One thing I was able to gain from "scrunching" into my seat was how devoted NASCAR fans are to their series. Scanners and large radio packs were common among the fans nearby. Many of the fans seemed to be strong on both the personality and background of the Winston Cup Series. They displayed their allegiance to their heroes with shirts and hats purchased at the large group of vendors assembled along 16th Street.
About an hour before the start of the 1997 "Brickyard 400," I decided to go to the Adams Mark Hotel, for breakfast, after I discovered "bumper-to-bumper" traffic at the entrance to Lynhurst Drive, from the Airport Expressway.
At that point, I began to ponder the question seriously of how popular the "Brickyard 400" had become.