Who won the inaugural Brickyard 400 in 1994?

Jeff Gordon won the inaugural Brickyard 400 in 1994. The race was held on August 6, 1994, at Indianapolis Motor Speedway and marked NASCAR’s first stock-car event at the famous Indiana circuit.

Gordon was only 23 and in his second year of Winston Cup competition when he drove the No. 24 Hendrick Motorsports Chevrolet to victory. He led 93 of the 160 laps and took the decisive lead late in the race after Ernie Irvan suffered a right-front tire failure. Gordon held off Brett Bodine over the closing laps.

The victory was Gordon’s second career NASCAR Winston Cup win, but its importance was far greater than the number suggested. Indianapolis had long been associated with the Indianapolis 500, and NASCAR’s arrival created an enormous new event for both the track and stock-car racing.

The race also drew a record-sized NASCAR crowd at the time and carried a purse of more than $3.2 million. Gordon’s win helped establish him as one of the sport’s defining stars of the 1990s.