Indianapolis
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Built in 1909, Indianapolis Motor Speedway is most famous for the Indianapolis 500. Except for outages during the two world wars, the Greatest Spectacle in Racing has been run annually on the 2.5 mile (4.023 km) oval since 1911. In the 1950's, the 500 earned drivers points toward the World Championship, but saw few Formula One regulars participate. The Brickyard 400, a NASCAR event and the first race other than the 500 since 1916, was added in 1994, paving the way for the return of Formula One in 2000. Run on a newly-constructed road course, this was the first American Grand Prix since Phoenix in 1991. Over 200,000 spectators attended the inaugural event, with nearly as many attending in 2001, the first major American sporting event following the 9/11 tragedy. The United States Grand Prix has suffered much controversy during its stay at Indianapolis, including an unpopular move by 5-time winner Michael Schumacher in 2002, allowing his teammate Rubens Barrichello to pass and go on to win. In 2005, problems with Michelin tyres led to seven teams withdrawing from the race after the formation lap. Only three teams (six cars) with Bridgestone tyres started the race, tarnishing the popularity of the event. Starting on the front stretch of the oval (but running clockwise, as opposed to the Indianapolis 500 and Brickyard 400, which run counter-clockwise), the course winds through the oval's Turn 4 infield before proceeding down Hulman Boulevard and then into the Turn 2 infield, emerging back onto the oval for a high-speed run through the South Chute, through Turn 1, and back to the famous yard of bricks. |
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