As we approach Memorial Day, the Indianapolis 500 Race looms large. Often proclaimed as “The Richest Prize In Racing,” there is no doubt that the Indy 500 is inextricably woven into the fabric of American racing. When the course was originally built, the state of Indiana served a far greater role in the developing automotive industry.

Originally, the 2.5 mile circuit was built to provide a means of testing and developing new American car designs. The Indianapolis Motor Speedway officially opened with balloon races June 5, 1909, followed by motorcycle races on August 14 and automobile races on August 19, 1909.

The track had been built using several layers of crushed stone of different grades, mixed with a solution of tar and oil. It proved to be unsuitable, actually contributing to several deaths. The solution was found by paving the circuit with more than three million locally-manufactured bricks, earning the track its nickname – The Brickyard.

Photos: Ford Motor Company

The inaugural Indianapolis 500 took place on Memorial Day, 1911. Given cars of the age, it took almost seven hours to complete the 500-mile race. It was a spectacular success and established itself as a world-class event. Continued development of the track surface was needed, though, as the brickwork could shift and buckle with the Indiana heat.

Resurfacing of the track started before the outbreak of World War Two, but it would take until 1961 to complete the asphalt work. As a reminder of the track’s history, a yard of bricks was left uncovered at the start/finish line. To this day, “kissing the bricks” has become an honorable tradition for teams that win the yearly event.

Even the first Indy 500 used a pace car. Speedway co-founder, Carl Fisher, drove the first one and is generally credited with “inventing” the rolling start for a race. In modern times, leading the pack at Indy is a high stakes proposition, considering that last year’s race was broadcast on television in more than 200 countries and watched by almost 300 million viewers.

A wide variety of cars have been first around turn 4 before the green flag drops and Ford’s Mustang has done that three times in history. A little more than a month after its April 17 introduction, Mustang was on the racetrack as a pace car leading the 1964 Indianapolis 500. Driven by Benson Ford, the 271-hp, V-8 powered convertible helped to build the frenzy that had erupted earlier in the month. Ford had sold nearly 22,000 Mustangs on the first day it was available. In the first 12 months, more than 400,000 examples were on American roads.

While the Mustang would not return for duty again for 15 years, many other Ford models would “hit the bricks” over the years. The year 1979 saw the release of the Fox-body Mustang and the nameplate’s return to Indianapolis Motor Speedway. Three cars were built specially for the race. The 1979 Pace Car was driven by 3-time F1 World Champion, Sir Jackie Stewart. He is the only foreign Indy 500 pace car driver. Actual in-race duties were handled by Jim Rathmann.

Photo: IMS/Steve Snoddy

Ford later built and sold almost 10,500 commemorative edition Pace Car Mustangs to the pubic. The ’79 Pace Car remains a hotly collectible prize and there are more than a couple of instances of counterfeit versions out there. The commemorative edition was available with either a 140-hp, 302-cid V8 engine, or a 132-hp turbocharged 2.3-liter I4. The silver and black cars were shipped to the dealer with the graphics package inside, so that the new owner could choose to have them installed or not.

The next significant revision of the Mustang came with the 1994 model year. The edgy lines of the Mustang’s exterior had softened somewhat in 1987, but were completely missing with the new SN-95 platform. The new car recognized the effect of aerodynamics and cut a bold, new direction in styling. A new division within Ford, called the Special Vehicle Team, or SVT, had been established previously. They had created a special edition Cobra R Mustang for the 1993 model year and used their gathered expertise to build a pace car for the 1994 Indy 500.

The 1994 Mustang Cobra pace car was driven by Parnelli Jones, although in-race duty was looked after by Don Bailey who handled most of that duty from 1980 through 2001. To celebrate the new Mustang’s return to Indianapolis, a limited edition run of 1000 commemorative versions were sold. All were red and all were convertibles. The Mustang was named Motor Trend magazine’s Car of the Year for the third time in 1994.

The early SN-95 cars did not generate enormous sales numbers. In total, about 545 thousand cars were built in models years 1994 through 1998. These days, they are highly sought after by racers, in the belief that they are the most aerodynamic Mustang ever built. If you don’t see too many of these cars on the show field, its because they’re busy on the track.

It seems a fitting heritage for this SN-95 Mustang, that was born on the oval at Indianapolis, to live on at race tracks around the entire country.