The Brickyard 400 has long been considered one of the biggest races in NASCAR, widely recognized as one of the crown jewels of the sport. However, Kyle Petty has a different opinion when it comes to that. 

Speaking on The Gluckcast ahead of the race weekend at Indianapolis Motor Speedway, Petty argued that there are only three true crown jewels in the sport, and that the Brickyard 400 cannot be placed among them, no matter how much the IMS invests in it to make it significant. 

“There are three crown jewels. Okay. There's Daytona, Darlington, and the Coca-Cola 600. You can't buy a crown jewel. And that was my argument. If you go back and read the stuff, I don't give a rat's rear end whether Indy paid $20 million. You're not gonna buy your way to a crown jewel.”

In the same Gluckcast episode, Petty further highlighted that the prestige of a crown jewel is earned exclusively through the history and tradition established since NASCAR's inception in the South. Because of this, he feels that races established decades later should not be placed on the same pedestal. 

“It's the history and the tradition of the place. And for us in stock car racing, starting in 1949 in the South, that's Daytona. That's Darlington. That's the Coca-Cola 600. You don't come along in the 90s and become a crown jewel. You know what I mean?”

However, he also acknowledged that the Brickyard 400 has regained its significance since NASCAR returned to the IMS in 2024. Even then, he argues that the Brickyard 400 isn’t on the level of the Daytona 500. 

Petty’s comments come at a time when much of NASCAR is celebrating the 30th anniversary of the ‘Kissing Bricks’ celebration, which began with Dale Jarrett in 1996 after his win, as a result of wanting to create NASCAR’s own unique celebration, in a similar manner to how Indy 500 winners drink milk.

Fans are united in disagreeing with Petty

Petty’s opinions on the significance of the Brickyard 400 have not gone down well with fans. One particular X user highlighted tracks like Pocono get more support than Indianapolis, and questioned if sold-out events are what qualify for an event to be considered a crown jewel. 

They said, “Does a crown jewel race need a sold-out crowd to be considered a crown jewel? The citizens of Indianapolis don't treat the Brickyard 400 with the respect we believe it should get. Pocono gets bigger crowds; the Pocono race is more beloved by its local community than the Brickyard is by its community.”

Another user cited the example of Martinsville and questioned, “If it’s history and tradition, why is Martinsville not a crown jewel?? What makes the other races at the same tracks not Crown Jewels? It is, in fact, the importance of the particular race. Which is why winning on the same track as the legends across the series matters.”

Another user questioned the need for debating such an issue. They criticized Kyle Petty and said, “Who cares if a race became a crown jewel in the 90s? Why is this conversation about the Brickyard 400 being a crown jewel such an issue?” 

One more user said, “Indianapolis Motor Speedway didn't just ‘come along in the 90s’; it's literally the most historic racetrack in the country and arguably the entire world regardless of when NASCAR showed up for the first time.” 

The Indianapolis Motor Speedway dates back to 1909, exactly 85 years before NASCAR first held the Brickyard 400 in 1994. It has always been one of the world's most historic and prestigious racing venues, much before NASCAR came in.

Another user rhetorically questioned how Richard Petty is "so cool" but couldn't say the same about his son.

Do you feel the argument around the event is fair?

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Written by

Aaradhya Singh

Edited by

Suyashdeep Sason