NASCAR's Greatest Moments at the Indianapolis Motor Speedway

No one knew what to expect on August 6, 1994, when the stars of NASCAR officially made their debut at a speedway recognized for open-wheel racing. Many fans and some drivers questioned if stock cars really belonged at Indianapolis.

But, when the green flag fell, all those questions flew away like the stickers on Goodyear racing tires. For three hours, NASCAR's greatest drivers went door-to-door and battled for 160 laps while being surrounded by 150,000 fans.

When the checkered flag fell that afternoon, fittingly, it was a hometown boy, Jeff Gordon, who etched his name in history as being the first driver to win at Indianapolis, in a stock car.

No matter who would have won the race, what was certain is that NASCAR belonged at the Indianapolis Motor Speedway, and would be welcome for years to come.

Many great NASCAR drivers put their name as a winner at Indianapolis through the first eight races at the track. Names like Earnhardt, Gordon and Jarrett already had their moment in victory lane.

One driver that was not on that list had the nickname "Awesome." Bill Elliott was in the midst of his second year driving for Evernham Motorsports.

Elliott snapped a winless streak dating back to 1994 at Homestead one year prior, and was running at the finish of all but five races heading into Indianapolis.

One week prior, Elliott won at Pocono from the pole, and was looking to continue to his run of momentum.

What the fans got was Elliott living up to his nickname, as on that day he was simply awesome. Elliott led over half the laps and passed Rusty Wallace late in the running to pull away for the dominating victory.

Elliott would win one more race the following year for Evernham before retiring from full-time driving.

Elliott called the win one of his greatest accomplishments in his career, and it's one that fans enjoyed that Saturday afternoon.

At the beginning of the 1998 season, then-presenting sponsor R.J. Reynolds Tobacco Company introduced a new bonus program for drivers. The Winston Million incentive for drivers was reworked to the "No Bull 5" program.

In the five biggest races of the year, the top-five drivers from the previous No Bull 5 race would be eligible for a $1 million bonus. The first race to determine the eligible drivers was at Daytona, with the first official payoff event to be the Coca-Cola 600 in Charlotte.

With no driver winning it then, the top-five finishers would be eligible for the bonus at the third event, which would be Indianapolis.

Jeff Gordon came into the event having won five races in the season, including the previous week in Pocono, and with his win in the Coca-Cola 600 earlier in the year, was eligible to win the bonus put up by R.J. Reynolds.

Gordon not only won the event, but won it in dominating fashion. He led four different times for 97 laps, including the final 34, en route to his second win at the Brickyard, and taking home the first No Bull 5 bonus.

Gordon won two more Brickyard 400 races in 2001 and 2004, making him the winningest driver at the speedway.

But, on that hot, August afternoon, Gordon proved it was no bull how tough he would be to beat.

He would go on to win six more races that season, giving him a record-tying 13 wins and this third Cup championship in four years.

It was Dorothy in the Wizard of Oz who said "There's no place like home." For Stewart, that could not be more true.

It is no secret that Stewart loves coming to the Indianapolis Motor Speedway. The Indiana native has been coming to the track since he was a child and had longed to win a race at the Brickyard since stepping foot in the garage.

Through his tenure in open-wheel racing, he could not capture a win in the Indy 500, and through his first six years in NASCAR, "Smoke" could not get the combination right to take the checkered flag.

Then, in 2005, everything fell into place. Stewart was already coming off wins at both Daytona and New Hampshire. And even when he wasn't winning, he was running up front.

Finally, when the series came to Indy once again, Stewart finally got to taste victory when he took the checkered flag in the Brickyard 400. Even after he took the win, he savored the moment.

Stewart climbed out of his car in the second turn to take a drink of Coca-Cola from the stands. He then climbed the fence on the front stretch.

It was everything he had hoped it would be, and the Indiana faithful cheered on their driver. It was a moment that Stewart still cherishes today, and it's a moment NASCAR fans will forever remember.

When testing first began at the Indianapolis, Rusty Wallace was the first to take to the track. The second was Dale Earnhardt.

However, coming out of the fourth turn, it was the black Chevrolet of Earnhardt passing the black Pontiac of Wallace, with Earnhardt coming to the start/finish line first.

Wallace would say later that after the two came to the garage, Earnhardt told him "You may have been the first car on the race track, but I was the first car to lead a lap."

In 1995, it all came full circle as Earnhardt led the last lap to win the second-annual Brickyard 400. The smile could not be wiped from underneath that mustache.

It took 20 years for Earnhardt to get his win in the Daytona 500, but his win at Indianapolis had just as much magnitude.

The common goal for any NASCAR team is to win the championship, and if that team's driver wins at the Brickyard, it has proven to be a benefit.

On seven different occasions, five drivers have won at Indianapolis and have gone on to win the championship the same year. Jeff Gordon did it twice (1998, 2001), as did teammate Jimmie Johnson (2006, 2008). Dale Jarrett, Bobby Labonte and Tony Stewart have accounted for the other three.

It is no coincidence that this has happened this many times. The drivers that have completed this feat were the ones that had to be beat for the title as well.

Do not think that the drivers do not know of these statistics, even though they may not think much into it.

This season, Stewart, Gordon, and Johnson are in the midst of getting into the Chase, and each one has won at Indy on more than one occasion. With the way these three have been racing this season, any one of these drivers could easily win the race and the championship.

It has been proven that a win at Indy is a good indication of who will win the championship. Coincidence, no way.

The history of NASCAR at Indianapolis, although relatively young, has brought out many great moments. What can happen next?

Will Stewart be the first owner/driver to win at Indy since Ricky Rudd? Can Gordon win a record fifth race at the Brickyard? Will a new face emerge in victory lane?

It will all be answered this Sunday when NASCAR returns to Indianapolis for the next installment of the Allstate 400 at the Brickyard.