From the moment the checkered flag waves at the Indianapolis Motor Speedway, a powerful ritual unfolds, one that blends reverence, history, and spectacle. The winning driver, along with their crew and team, exits Victory Lane and kneels before the iconic “Yard of Bricks,” a one‑yard strip of the original 3.2 million paving bricks that once covered the entire speedway. With a ceremonious gesture, they plant a passionate kiss upon these bricks, honoring both their victory and the track’s century‑old legacy. Though it’s become one of the most recognized images in NASCAR’s Brickyard 400, this tradition is surprisingly modern.
Indy 500 winner Gil de Ferran in 2003 is often credited as the first to begin the ritual at the famed start/finish line. Since then, every race winner at IMS follows suit, joining generations of champions in laying the ultimate tribute to the storied track, blending nostalgia, respect, and photo‑worthy drama in one unforgettable moment. However, the tradition was ignited a few years before that at the Brickyard 400 race in the NASCAR Cup Series.
How did the tradition of “Kissing the Bricks” begin at Indianapolis?
When Dale Jarrett crossed the finish line under caution at the 1996 Brickyard 400 race, few could have predicted that what followed would spark one of NASCAR’s most beloved traditions. The race had already written its name in the books. Jarrett not only clinched his first-ever win at Indianapolis Motor Speedway but also delivered the first Brickyard victory for Ford. Behind him, the chaos of a late crash involving Robert Pressley froze the field on lap 159, handing Jarrett a triumph that came after a tense back-and-forth with teammate Ernie Irvan and a strategic climb past pole-sitter Jeff Gordon, who had earlier bowed out with a blown right-front tire.
via NASCAR
But it wasn’t just the racing that made history that August afternoon; it was what happened after the checkered flag fell. Jarrett and his crew chief, Todd Parrott, still buzzing from their earlier season wins at Daytona and the Coca-Cola 600, had been scheming. Knowing they couldn’t duplicate the Indy 500’s milk-chugging ritual, they wanted a signature moment that was all their own. “Let’s go out to the yard of bricks,” Parrott had suggested. Jarrett shot back, half-joking, “Let’s kiss the bricks.”
After the trophy was hoisted, they slipped away from the crowd, kneeled on the gritty one-yard-wide strip of exposed bricks at the start-finish line, and kissed it. No champagne, no speeches, just a quiet moment that would ripple through the sport. “We told no one else,” Jarrett later said. “The Yates family didn’t even know.” What began as a spur-of-the-moment move by two men looking to stamp their win with something unforgettable has since become a rite of passage. Every Brickyard winner since NASCAR or IndyCar has kneeled in the same spot, lips to brick, following the path Jarrett paved that day with grit, confidence, and a mouthful of Indy grit he later joked “didn’t taste too good.”
Do drivers today continue the “Kissing the Bricks” tradition? Why?
There’s no question! Yes, drivers still kneel and kiss those bricks after victory, and for reasons that go far beyond habit. When 7-time NASCAR Cup Champion Jimmie Johnson grabbed his fourth Brickyard 400 race victory in 2012, he made a point to underscore how meaningful the ritual had become. Johnson reflected: “There’s something so special about this racetrack. It doesn’t matter how many times you’ve raced here… when you come back and you see the bricks, it’s such a cool experience.” That sentiment captures the essence: kissing the bricks is a pilgrimage.
Jeff Gordon with his crew and family, ‘kissing the brick’ via NASCAR
When Jeff Gordon celebrated his final Brickyard 400 win in 2014, tying the record with Hendrick Motorsports teammate Jimmie Johnson with five victories at Indianapolis, his response in Victory Lane was deeply emotional. Gordon said, “If you can do it here, you can do it anywhere.” He praised the race’s significance and made it clear: kissing the bricks is validation that you’ve conquered one of NASCAR’s most revered arenas.
Why do the bricks at Indianapolis Motor Speedway occupy a hallowed position?
When the Speedway opened in 1909, its surface of crushed stone and tar proved unsafe. In a historic decision, founders Carl Fisher and James Allison commissioned the laying of more than 3.2 million bricks across the 2.5-mile diamond, solidifying the track’s identity as “The Brickyard.” Over the decades, the majority of that surface was repaved in asphalt, yet a vibrant one-yard strip of the original bricks was deliberately preserved at the start-finish line. Track historians note that while most bricks now lie buried beneath modern pavement, that solitary exposed stretch serves as a living link to motorsport’s earliest era.
Indianapolis Motor Speedway officials have made preserving that brick strip a deliberate act of reverence. When the track underwent repaving in the mid-2000s, then-IMS Director of Engineering Kevin Forbes explained, “We have the most modern racetrack surface that science can help us develop, and the ‘Yard of Bricks’ simply represents where this racetrack came from.” Later, IMS President Doug Boles, reflecting on track core samples, said that unearthing bricks installed more than a century ago was “very powerful,” a tangible reminder that “it’s not just history you read about…it’s history that’s still in the racetrack.”
How has the “Kissing the Bricks” tradition influenced other racing celebrations?
Before the famous brick-kissing became a post-race staple, victory celebrations in motorsport often followed long-standing customs. The Polish victory lap, a backward lap of honor started by Alan Kulwicki in 1992, was a symbol of personal flair. The milk-drinking tradition at the Indy 500 dates back to the 1930s, and NASCAR drivers frequently celebrated with burnouts, donuts, or climbing the fence, like Tony Stewart once did. Each routine reflected the culture of the series it belonged to, but few rituals had the cross-series resonance that “Kissing the Bricks” eventually achieved.
The brick-kissing, once unique to NASCAR’s Brickyard 400 race, quickly became a shared expression of reverence at Indianapolis across formats from IndyCar to IMSA and even Formula 1 exhibitions. Over time, drivers added their personal touches, turning victories into statements of individuality. In 2024, Kyle Larson, driving for Hendrick Motorsports, sealed his win at IMS with the same kiss, joining a lineage of champions who’ve paid tribute at the famed Yard of Bricks.
Indianapolis Motor Speedway blends rich history with modern racing glory, and “Kissing the Bricks” perfectly symbolizes that union. What began as a nod to the past became one of motorsport’s most iconic traditions. From Dale Jarrett to Kyle Larson, every victor at Indy shares a moment that transcends the race itself. Across NASCAR, IndyCar, and beyond, kissing the bricks after a race win has become a symbol of respect, emotion, and belonging.
The post Why Do Winning Drivers Kiss the Bricks at Indianapolis Motor Speedway? American Motorsport Tradition Explored appeared first on EssentiallySports.