There really is a long-standing love affair between humans and speed. And if you’re the type who constantly craves it, there are race tracks and drag strips across the country that allow you to roll up with your vehicle of choice and get your fix. But none can match the historical significance of one specific facility in Indiana. We’re not talking about the Indianapolis Motor Speedway (IMS), though: instead, we’re talking about Indy’s other track, Lucas Oil Indianapolis Raceway Park (IRP), which is historically significant in its own right and is only 7 miles from the IMS in nearby Brownsburg.
The IRP was constructed in 1958 to get hot-blooded racers off city streets and into a safe venue where speeding wasn’t just legal, but encouraged. That heritage lives on in its Wild Wednesdays, which take place several times a year. On those Wednesdays, the track is open to the public, allowing you to bring your favorite car, truck, or motorcycle and roar down its famous quarter-mile drag strip.
Anyone with a valid driver’s license can roll out on the track (after a vehicle inspection) and find out if they have what it takes. Licensed speed demons under 18 are allowed, too, but must have both parents sign a notarized waiver. There are additional rules and regulations that drivers and vehicles must follow, like wearing shirts with sleeves. Shorts, however, are never allowed, nor is carrying passengers during a run. If your vehicle can run quicker than 9.99 seconds, you’ll need to hold an NHRA license. Said vehicle must also have at least one working taillight and operational door handles (inside and out).
More about Lucas Oil Indianapolis Raceway Park
In 1958, fifteen business and racing professionals from the Indianapolis area each chipped in $5,000 to buy a 267-acre farm and subsequently build the historic multipurpose racing facility. A handshake agreement was made in 1961 between IRP’s owners and the NHRA to host the next three U.S. Nationals, a legacy that continues today. The NHRA assumed full ownership of IRP in 1979 and has been running it ever since.
Today, IRP hosts over 160 days of events annually, including the NHRA U.S. Nationals, which take place over the Labor Day weekend, and the NASCAR Craftsman Truck Series. It’s home to not one but three different tracks, including a .686-mile paved oval, a quarter-mile drag strip, and a 2.5-mile road course complete with 15 turns. Virtually anybody who races professionally has raced there, including legends like A.J. Foyt, who won the first race on the oval in 1961 (when it was a dirt track), and Mario Andretti, who won his first IndyCar race on the road course. Then there’s the king of nitromethane-powered Top Fuel dragsters himself, “Big Daddy” Don Garlits, who set a 263-mph speed record at IRP in 1985.
