“That’s what you do”: WWE royalty Cody Rhodes follows legendary IndyCar tradition ahead of Royal Rumble

The tradition of kissing the Yard of Bricks at Indianapolis Motor Speedway is one of the most recognized celebrations in IndyCar and NASCAR. However, WWE Champion Cody Rhodes recently took part in the tradition ahead of his highly anticipated match against Kevin Owens at the Royal Rumble this weekend.

A video posted on X by IndyCar content creator @Hickey93 on Saturday showed Rhodes kissing the bricks, possibly as a good luck gesture before his upcoming match. The WWE star seemed excited about following the motorsport tradition, saying:

"That's what you do. That's pretty dope, thank you so much."

The Royal Rumble, one of WWE’s biggest annual events, is being held at Lucas Oil Stadium in Indianapolis. This event marks the first of three major WWE shows coming to the city over the next few years.

WWE and Indiana Sports Corp reached an agreement last summer to bring WrestleMania, SummerSlam, and Royal Rumble to Indianapolis as part of a long-term partnership. While the Royal Rumble match itself will be the main focus, Rhodes’ ladder match against Owens is also a key storyline.

Their rivalry has been building for months, with Owens having already fallen short twice in his attempts to take the title from Rhodes. The champion successfully defended his belt against Owens at Bash in Berlin 2024 and again at Saturday Night’s Main Event last month. After his latest defeat, Owens attacked Rhodes and delivered a devastating Package Piledriver, adding a touch of anticipation to their upcoming showdown.

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How did the tradition of kissing the bricks start in IndyCar

Given the history of the Indianapolis Motor Speedway with the open-wheeled series, it’s not hard to believe that casual motorsport fans might assume that the tradition began in IndyCar. However, that is not the case. The tradition of kissing the Yard of Bricks actually started in NASCAR.

The Brickyard 400, a NASCAR Cup Series race held at the historic venue, was the birthplace of this celebration. According to the Indianapolis Motor Speedway’s official website, former NASCAR Cup Series champion Dale Jarrett started the tradition.

The speedway, originally paved with bricks in 1909, was later resurfaced with asphalt. However, to preserve the history of the iconic racetrack, a three-foot-wide section of bricks was left in place at the start-finish line. This area became known as the “Yard of Bricks.”

In 1996, after winning the Brickyard 400, Jarrett and his crew chief Todd Parrott decided to mark the victory in a unique way. They knelt down and kissed the bricks, creating a tradition that drivers in both NASCAR and IndyCar have since adopted.

Over the years, some drivers have put their own spin on the ritual. RFK Racing’s owner and driver Brad Keselowski, for example, chose to lick the bricks instead of simply kissing them, adding his own twist to the long-standing tradition.