How NASCAR started kissing the bricks tradition at IMS

INDIANAPOLIS – Most fans associate kissing the bricks with the Indianapolis 500. But one of the Speedway's most iconic traditions actually started with a NASCAR driver.

The story begins at the 1996 Brickyard 400. Dale Jarrett was in the middle of a career-defining season, already owning victories in the Clash, the Daytona 500 and the Coca-Cola 600. With another crown jewel on the line, Jarrett and crew chief Todd Parrott joked about how they'd celebrate if they won.

They didn't want to borrow another victory tradition, so Parrott pitched an idea of their own: kissing the Yard of Bricks.

The Yard of Bricks is the 36-inch strip of original bricks that marks the start-finish line at Indianapolis Motor Speedway. It's the only remaining section of the track's original brick surface, which earned the venue its nickname, "The Brickyard."

After Jarrett held off teammate Ernie Irvan for the victory, he and Parrott made good on their plan. They walked to the start-finish line, turned their hats backward, dropped to one knee and kissed the bricks, creating a celebration that would become part of IMS lore.

The tradition remained uniquely NASCAR until the 2003 Indy 500, when Gil de Ferran brought it to IndyCar after holding off Team Penske teammate Helio Castroneves for the victory. Castroneves climbed the catch fence in his signature celebration, while de Ferran first kissed the bricks before joining him atop the fence.

Thirty years after Jarrett and Parrott first kissed the Yard of Bricks, their spontaneous celebration has become one of IMS's defining traditions. Today, winners of the Brickyard 400, the Indy 500, road course events and even races at The Dirt Track, where a section of bricks is built into the Turn 3 wall, all carry on the ritual.

Jessica Garcete is an IndyStar sports reporter. Get IndyStar's motor sports coverage sent directly to your inbox with our Motor Sports newsletter. Subscribe to theYouTube channel IndyStar TV: IndyCar for a behind-the-scenes look at IndyCar and expert analysis.

This article originally appeared on Indianapolis Star: How NASCAR started kissing the bricks tradition at IMS