 when he crashed into a ditch and struck a stop sign. Police say he was not wearing a helmet at the time, and he was airlifted to Memorial Hospital in South Bend with life-threatening head injuries. John Simney, MNC News. We're just a week away from the start of practice for the return of the Brickyard 400. The iconic NASCAR race is headed back to the oval of the Indianapolis Motor Speedway for the first time in four years. This year's race will also celebrate the 30th anniversary of the race, which was first run back in 1994.