“That’s their place, that’s not our place”: Kyle Petty recalls refusing to test for NASCAR ahead of inaugural Brickyard 400

Celebrating the 30th anniversary of the first running of the Brickyard 400 race at Indianapolis Motor Speedway, FOX: NASCAR has compiled a special video with former Cup Series drivers. The video was hosted by senior journalist Bob Pockrass.

To recall, the inaugural running of the now-iconic Brickyard 400 race took place during the 1994 Cup Series season. It was the first time NASCAR raced stock cars on the legendary IMS circuit. Being the first non-IndyCar event in 78 years, the race witnessed one of the largest crowds recorded by NASCAR.

Apart from the race, the 1994 season also saw Goodyear host a private tire test at Indianapolis Motor Speedway. However, unlike previous years, only a few drivers took part in the testing. Drivers believed that IMS was not suitable for heavier stock cars. Kyle Petty even asked Felix Sabates, the owner of SABCO Racing, to decline the invitation.

"Stock cars don't belong at Indy. That's just how simple it is. We had Daytona. That's our Mecca. That's our holy ground. They had Indy. That's their place. That's not our place." Petty replied to Sabates, justifying his stance on racing at IMS (3:28 onwards).

Here's a look at the video posted by FOX: NASCAR on X, captioned:

"You Kids Don't Know: On the 30th anniversary of #NASCAR's first trip to @IMS, @bobpockrass looks back at the 1994 Brickyard 400."

The 23-time NASCAR Cup Series race winner Ricky Rudd also shared his experience ahead of the inaugural Brickyard 400 race.

"The only thing I know is I saw some of the comments in the newspapers that Indy women showed up. And some of the guys, you know, go back down south where you belong, you know, in a nice way," Rudd explained the situation ahead of the race at IMS (4:00 onwards).

Locals likely felt that NASCAR didn't fit in the culture at Indianapolis, justified Rudd.

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A brief look at how Kyle Petty's 1994 Brickyard 400 race went at Indianapolis Motor Speedway

The eight-time NASCAR Cup Series race winner Kyle Petty had few concerns ahead of the 1994 Brickyard 400 race. These were primarily due to the track not being suitable for stock cars.

With 86 cars entering for 43 positions in the race, the qualifying session was going to be a tough one. Despite the odds, Petty managed to qualify 36th in the second round on Thursday.

Starting at the back of the grid, Kyle Petty and his crew managed to execute good pit-stop strategies, allowing the #42 racer to make up positions. After multiple hard-fought battles, Petty was able to end the inaugural Brickyard 400 race in 25th position.

For reference, Jeff Gordon took the top podium step at Indianapolis Motor Speedway, with Brett Bodine, Bill Elliott, Rusty Wallace, and Dale Earnhardt Sr. making up the top 5 places.