‘Behind the Bricks’ Special To Air Dec. 8-11
Indianapolis Motor Speedway captivated the racing world on social media Sept. 23 with a series of viral posts highlighting a historic repave project that uncovered the Speedway’s iconic brick racing surface and the original crushed stone-and-tar track surface.
Now, IMS is releasing a four-part miniseries documenting the project as part of its flagship “Behind the Bricks” program beginning Monday, Dec. 8. A new episode will be released daily through Thursday, Dec. 11. A full-length documentary with additional interviews and footage will be released Friday, Dec. 12. Each episode can be seen on IMS social media channels, including Facebook, Instagram, Threads, TikTok, X and YouTube. Fittingly, the release coincides with the time when the original brick paving project was completed in 1909.
A trailer teasing the upcoming series was released today on IMS social media channels.
The series features stunning footage not just of the repave project but the uncovering of the brick racing surface and the jaw-dropping discovery of the crushed stone-and-tar surface that takes fans back to the beginning of the Racing Capital of the World in 1909. It includes interviews with project experts and former IMS Historian Donald Davidson.
“It’s not often that we get to really see the full history of the Indianapolis Motor Speedway in front of our eyes,” Indianapolis Motor Speedway and INDYCAR President J. Douglas Boles said. “What started as a project to fix a bump in Turn 2 turned into a historic, and at times, overwhelming exploration that uncovered aspects of his racetrack that have not seen the light of day, literally, in over 116 years. I can’t wait for our fans to see it all unfold on ‘Behind the Bricks.’”
IMS was originally paved in spring 1909 with a surface consisting of crushed stone and tar. Track conditions proved to be treacherous that summer, and in fall 1909 the surface was paved with 3.2 million bricks, giving it the nickname “The Brickyard.” The paving project was completed in early December, and the track surface was dedicated by future United States Vice President, then-Indiana Gov. Thomas Marshall on Dec. 17.
One of the endearing traits of IMS has been the brick surface tucked underneath the modern-day asphalt racing surface. In 1937, all four turns of the 2.5-mile oval were paved before that year’s Indianapolis 500, officially covering the bricks that were uncovered in 2025. Additional track paving projects took place in 1938, 1939, 1961, 1976, 1988, 1995 and 2004, placing the brick surface approximately 7 inches below the current racing surface.
However, the freeze and thaw of Indiana winters allowed the bricks below the surface to move and expand, presenting as bumps in the current racing surface at the exit of Turn 2. IMS grinded the bumps to keep the track surface smooth for years, but a lasting solution was needed. So, in September, IMS milled the racing surface and removed bricks in the areas that were creating the problem. IMS will keep the excavated bricks for preservation. A block of crushed stone and tar removed during the process is on display at the Indianapolis Motor Speedway Museum.
As “Behind the Bricks” documents, a new layer of asphalt was placed in the 100-foot section of racing surface that spans the width of the track and was diamond-grinded to match the existing track surface texture. Defending Indianapolis 500 presented by Gainbridge winner Alex Palou and two-time race winner Takuma Sato tested the repaved surface Oct. 21. Both drivers gave the new surface positive reviews.
“It’s a little bit smoother, which I think is going to be a huge gain for the race, especially when we’re following cars,” Palou, the four-time NTT INDYCAR SERIES champion said. “It’s great. I cannot wait to go racing.”
Tickets for the 110th Running of the Indianapolis 500 presented by Gainbridge and all Month of May events at Indianapolis Motor Speedway are on sale now at IMS.com.
