What exposed strip of bricks marks the Indianapolis Motor Speedway start-finish line?

The exposed strip of bricks marking the Indianapolis Motor Speedway start-finish line is called the Yard of Bricks.

The Indianapolis Motor Speedway was originally paved almost entirely with bricks in 1909. The surface required millions of bricks and gave the facility its enduring nickname, “The Brickyard.” Asphalt later replaced most of the racing surface, but a one-yard section of the original bricks was preserved at the start-finish line.

The Yard of Bricks is more than a landmark. It is the setting for the popular “Kiss the Bricks” tradition. Dale Jarrett and crew chief Todd Parrott began that ritual after winning the 1996 Brickyard 400, and Indianapolis 500 winners later adopted it as well.

The name can cause confusion because the strip is only about three feet wide, not a full yard of bricks in every direction. “Yard” refers to its length across the racing surface. The surviving bricks preserve a visible link to the speedway’s earliest days.