Once Kicked Out of Indy, NASCAR Brings ‘Taxi Cabs’ to the Brickyard in ’94

For much of the 20th century the only race America cared about was the Indianapolis 500.

In truth, it was the only race America even thought about. By the time NASCAR’s Cup Series debuted in 1949, the annual Memorial Day Indy 500 had been contested 33 times and established a huge fanbase. (It stopped in 1917-1918 for World War I and 1942-1945 for World War II).

When racing resumed, stock cars remained an afterthought. The media’s attention each May was devoted to the 500-miler at the Indianapolis Motor Speedway, an event that enjoyed prestige similar to the Masters, the Rose Bowl, tennis at Forest Hills, legitimate prize fighting, and Major League Baseball. (The NFL was decades away from being relevant).

So it was that Indy-car racing dominated the Midwest and NASCAR lorded over the Southeast, even as its leaders looked for new worlds to invade.

It’s difficult to pinpoint when the suits in Daytona Beach and Indianapolis first envisioned “taxi cabs” at the speedway. NASCAR founder/president Bill France Sr. was escorted off its grounds during a visit in 1954, but insisted it wasn’t personal between himself and IMS owner Tony Hulman. Rather, their disagreement was professional, similar to corporations trying to one-up the each other in the American marketplace.

The possibility of NASCAR at Indy gained traction in 1990, when Tony George became IMS president. There had been idle rumors and encouraging speculation for years, but nothing solid until George, a closet NASCAR fan, took over. Once there, things moved quickly. Nine drivers did a Goodyear test in mid-1992.

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In April 1993, George and Bill France Jr. jointly announced a NASCAR race at Indy in 1994. Four months later, 32 teams headed home from Michigan were invited to stop by for an open test.

As time passed, it was clear who was in charge. Instead of any mention of Indianapolis, the race would carry the familiar Brickyard nickname; instead of 500 miles, it would be 400; instead of Sunday, it would be Saturday; instead of a three-wide start, it would be NASCAR’s traditional two-wide; instead of several weeks to prepare, teams had three days.

That first Brickyard 400—unlike recent ones—was a smashing success. Rick Mast won the pole (and told his cow story) and Jeff Gordon won the fairly entertaining race before 250,000 fans.

Suddenly, Indy-car racing wasn’t the only game in town.