Tony Stewart’s Brickyard ghost story has become a legendary tale in NASCAR circles, capturing the imaginations of race fans and highlighting the mysteries lurking within the historic Indianapolis Motor Speedway. In 1999, Stewart experienced a night at the Speedway that dramatically changed his perspective, sparking discussions about the track’s haunted reputation and eerie legacy.
A Night That Changed Tony Stewart’s View of the Brickyard
The Indianapolis Motor Speedway, often referred to as the Brickyard, has carried an aura of mystery and remembrance for over a century, given its long history of racing triumphs and tragedies. Although the track has not witnessed a fatality since 2015, the accumulation of past incidents and loss has contributed to enduring whispers that supernatural forces may inhabit the grounds. For Tony Stewart, a four-time NASCAR Cup Series champion, these stories were little more than folklore—until his own extraordinary night at the track in 1999.
That year, Stewart was attempting the rigorous “Double”: competing in both the Coca-Cola 600 in Charlotte and the Indy 500 at Indianapolis on the same day. Gaining rare overnight access to the speedway, Tony Stewart found himself alone inside the historic venue, an experience that would leave a deep impression on him. Recounting that harrowing night, Stewart described an overwhelming presence at the Speedway that was as unsettling as it was inexplicable.
“I’m telling you that night there was so much stuff going on,”
Tony Stewart shared.
“I was going looking around like you’re gonna see somebody at some point or groups of people; it was that loud. And it was like there’s nothing moving; you physically cannot see anything, but you close your eyes, and you can hear everything.”
—Tony Stewart, NASCAR Champion
At the time, Stewart was transitioning from his open-wheel racing roots to pursuing success with Joe Gibbs Racing in the NASCAR Cup Series. Determined to make history, he chased the Double by running 600 miles at Charlotte and heading straight for the Indy 500—an achievement very few drivers have ever come close to accomplishing.
Indianapolis Motor Speedway, standing at 116 years old, has accumulated a legend of its own among drivers and fans, with many claiming to have sensed supernatural energy on its grounds. The Speedway’s empty grandstands and darkened pit lanes that night felt, to Stewart, anything but lifeless.
“I got back about 1:00 in the morning from running in at Charlotte, and I’m not joking, it was alive. The whole place was alive. I’ve told this story to people, and they look at you like, ‘Come on, man,’ and the amount of noise that was inside that place and the activity you could hear was like a movie filled with dreams.”
—Tony Stewart, NASCAR Champion
Pushing the Limits and Facing the Unknown
Despite the unsettling experience in 1999, Tony Stewart pressed on in his quest for the Double. That night, his run behind the wheel of the No. 22 Tri-Star Motorsports car saw him complete 196 laps, falling just four short of the 200-lap distance required for the grueling feat. While many debated whether the Speedway’s rumored curse or something stranger played a role, Stewart’s determination was undiminished.
Never one to accept defeat easily, Stewart would return to Indianapolis in 2001 to finish what he had started, proving that courage and perseverance can sometimes push past superstition. Beyond these ghost stories, Tony Stewart carved a legendary path in motorsports—not only as a celebrated driver but also as the owner of Stewart-Haas Racing, guiding teams and mentoring new talent until he stepped away in 2024 to embark on yet another racing chapter in dragsters.
The Speedway’s Haunted Reputation Among Other Legends
The belief that Indianapolis Motor Speedway holds secrets from beyond is not limited to Tony Stewart. The colorful history of the Brickyard includes tales involving other legendary figures. Among fans, one of the most told is about seven-time Cup champion Dale Earnhardt, aptly nicknamed “The Intimidator.” According to this story, Earnhardt once took his motorcycle for a solitary lap around the Speedway at night. When he returned to pit road, those who saw him claimed he was ashen, his face drained of color, suggesting he had witnessed something truly unnerving out on the track.
While such anecdotes blur the lines between fact and folklore, they persist, reinforcing the Brickyard’s mystique and the notion that even the toughest competitors can be humbled by forces they cannot explain. The legends are so entrenched in racing culture that even Dale Earnhardt Jr., celebrated for his candor and storytelling, has recounted his own eerie encounter—this time on his father’s property—adding to the air of mystery that seems to follow the Earnhardt family and the Speedway alike.
Whether these chilling tales are products of active imaginations or rooted in reality, they continue to captivate NASCAR fans and drivers, weaving themselves into the heritage of Indianapolis Motor Speedway. The Tony Stewart Brickyard ghost story, alongside accounts from other icons like Dale Earnhardt, has ensured that the Speedway remains a site of intrigue and whispered conversations about what might still linger beyond the checkered flag.
As time marches on and new racing achievements are made, these stories remind all who enter the Brickyard that some legends extend beyond the finish line, lingering in the echoes of engines and the shadows cast across the legendary bricks.
Indianapolis Motor Speedway is 116 years old, and many people believe supernatural energy and spirits roam the track
Tony Stewart told the story of a night he spent there alone, and how the place came alive when empty pic.twitter.com/7gjFXcLLJT
— nascarman (@nascarman_rr) October 31, 2025
Anyone hear of the story where Big E took a lap around Indy on a motorcycle at night and when he came back around down pit road he was as white as a ghost his people said. As if he seen something he wasn’t suppose too. Haha
— JohnQ (@quincyduckworth) October 31, 2025
