When is Brickyard 400 in 2016?

The date of the Brickyard 400 in 2016 is Sunday, July 24th. The gates open at 6 AM local time with the race beginning at 1 PM local time. Practice will be held on Friday, July 22nd with qualifying occuring on Saturday, July 23rd. 

What is Brickyard 400?

The Brickyard 400, currently sponsored by Crown Royal, is an annual 400-mile, 160 lap, race held at the Indianapolis Motor Speedway in Speedway, Indiana. First held in 1994, the Brickyard 400 is one of NASCAR Sprint Cup's most-popular race and is the first non-Indy 500 race held at Indianapolis Motor Speedway since 1916. In it's first year, the Brickyard 500 became the NASCAR's most-attended event with over 250,000 spectators that first year. Drivers love this event as much as the spectators do as the winner of the race receives the second biggest purse, behind only the Daytona 500. 

The name "Brickyard" is a result of the historic nickname for the Indianapolis Motor Speedway. Originally, the course was made from crushed stone and tar when it opened in 1909. This surface type resulted in many accidents, some of which were fatal. Before the inaugural Indy 500 was hosted in 1911, the course was resurfaced with 3,200,000 bricks, which is where the nickname "Brickyard" came from. Over the years, portions of the track were covered with asphalt and the last bricks remaining is a 1 yard strip at the start and finish line. 

Currently, the Brickyard 400 is a part of the Sper Weekend at the Brickyard, which includes races as part of the SPrint Cup Series, Nationwide Series, and the United Sportscar Championship series.