Indianapolis is known as the racing capital of the world, and rightfully so. Home to the annual Indy 500, considered one of the greatest races in motorsports history, the region is a center of attraction for fans and race car drivers from all over the country. Many NASCAR legends have also come from the immense racing culture of Indiana to make an impact at the highest level of stock car racing. The most notable one would be, without any doubt, Stewart-Haas Racing owner Tony Stewart.
In a recent video posted by the SHR team on YouTube, the driver of the #14 Mustang, Chase Briscoe, can be seen interacting with former National Football League star Andrew East on the show Built Tough over their views about Indiana and the gravity of the venue when it comes to racing. As the conversation went on, Briscoe made a heartbreaking revelation for East that clarified his misconceptions about 4-time Cup champion Jeff Gordon.
“Jeff Gordon is not from Indiana?”- Andrew East awestruck by Briscoe’s revelation
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Starting off the conversation, the duo takes up the geographical conditions of the state. Moving on they discuss various topics, including the scope for people looking to make it in other sports in the region like basketball, and the rich culture and history of sports there. As the conversation went on, Briscoe begins to describe the essence of the most popular racetrack in the country.
“Alright for me, like growing up in Indiana, I feel like especially in my career now, people move like from all over the country to come to Indiana to race. Especially for dirt racing, what I grew up doing, it is like the hardest place. If you can win in Indiana, you can win anywhere in the country.” said Briscoe.
East shows his amazement at the statement. Being from Indiana himself, East somewhat understands the hype around all the racing in the state. One of the ridiculous stats that the venue experiences every year is the influx of an estimated 300,000+ fans every year to watch the spectacular Indy 500.
“Yeah there’s just like the best of the best come to Indiana, this gets me hype. So, like for me, it was huge that I grew up in Indiana actually. Like Jeff Gordon, for example, moved from California to Indiana just to race. Like there’s a lot of guys that do that same thing.” added the 28-year-old.
This is where the jaw dropping moment for East happens. He grows curious as he asks, ” Jeff Gordon is not from Indiana?” . Gordon moved to Pittsboro from California at the age 0f 16 and that was in order to aid his preparation for the USAC . Briscoe then clears the air around the misunderstanding of nativity, as he informs East that Gordon is in fact from Vallejo, California.
“Oh, dude, you just broke my heart! I’ve been living a lie, actually.” claims East who feels disappointed after being under the idea that Jeff Gordon was from Indiana all the time.
Read More: Jeff Gordon Divulges NASCAR’s Fatal Flaw That Led to Indianapolis’s Brickyard Losing Its Luster
Briscoe calls team owner Tony Stewart ‘A true Hoosier’
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The former Kansas City Chiefs long snapper then hopes he is correct in determining the roots of another NASCAR and dirt racing legend, Tony Stewart. Briscoe confirms his answer, saying, “He’s from Columbus, Indiana. Yeah, he’s a true Hoosier. He’s not a fake Hoosier.”
The term “Hoosier” has a long history. Indiana natives were initially called ‘Hoosier’s men’. Until Governor Joseph Wright dug up the history of the word and associated it with the Indian word for corn, ‘hoosa, Boatmen from the region who transported corn or maize to New Orleans also came to be known as ‘hoosa men’ or Hoosiers. As for Tony Stewart being true to the spirit of Indiana and its racing culture, his resume speaks for itself.
Before coming into NASCAR and winning championships, Tony was a dominant force in dirt track racing. And not so surprisingly, it also makes him the only driver to win the IndyCar Series and the NASCAR Cup Series.
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The 52-year-old is also a champion in all three divisions of the USAC, which commemorated him by inducting him into the Hall of Fame at the Brickyard 400 in 2016. To add to this, the Indianapolis Motor Speedway authorities even decided to build him his own dirt track to wave a final goodbye to one of the greatest race car drivers in history.
All these achievements speak not just for a successful career but more about the number of versatile styles and approaches Tony Stewart has to different tracks and in different forms of racing. A racing palette that is truly greatest to anyone’s.
Watch This Story: Rick Hendrick Likely Killed Off Tony Stewarts Hopes Involving Corey Lajoie With Thoughtful Antics
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