Enough with the Brick Kissing!

It is Indy weekend for NASCAR and the Brickyard is all abuzz….or should we say licking its lips in preparation for the Allstate 400 this Sunday.  And there is no doubt that whoever wins the race will be kissing those disgusting bricks at the end of the race.

Who started this dirty little tradition?  NASCAR Scene reports in their story “Sealed with a Kiss” that we have Todd Parrott, then crew chief to Dale Jarrett to thank.  In 1996, he herded  his Robert Yates Racing team after their victory to the brick-laden start finish line, got the team lined up in a row, told them to turn their caps backwards, and on the count of three, instructed them to lean over as one and kiss those bricks.  This grimy tradition lives on and every NASCAR winner has followed suit since.  And there have been some memorable brick kisses.  Who can forget Jeff Gordon’s win when he practically had an all out orgy with the bricks – that must have been at a time before Ingrid and marital bliss.   And be honest, we all did feel a little sorry for the bricks on that one.  Another memorable moment occurred when Jimmie Johnson and most lovely wife Chandra kissed the bricks together.  It was a sweet moment, but can you imagine the conversation back in the motor home after that?  “Don’t ever make me do that again, Jimmie”.

But in spite of all the complaints from crews about getting their lips covered in grease and having bits of tire rubber stuck in their teeth, there is no sweeter tradition for a NASCAR driver and team then brick kissing at the Brickyard.  The best example of this was last year’s race and brick kissing moment.   None of us will ever forget the look on Tony Stewart’s face, and the looks on every team members’ faces, when they as one leaned over and achieved the highest goal in their racing careers, victory at Indy.

It is a tradition that most likely will never die and will live on this Sunday when one of the 43 drivers and his team will twist their caps around and press their lips to the bricks.  Who will it be?  That’s anyone’s guess at this point in the season.  But, whoever, it is, just take the Purell and sanitizing wipes with you to the bricks please!