For the first time in four years, one of NASCAR’s crown-jewel events returns to its original staging grounds. After the series’ annual race at the Indianapolis Motor Speedway was moved to the road course in 2021, the Brickyard 400 is once again on the schedule.
This year’s event at the Brickyard, presented by PPG, airs at 2:30 p.m. ET on NBC, IMS Network, and SiriusXM NASCAR Radio. And it comes with a few question marks attached.
Odds via BetMGM
+400 – Denny Hamlin
+575 – Kyle Larson
+800 – Ryan Blaney
+850 – Brad Keselowski
+1100 – Chase Elliott
+1100 – William Byron
+1100 – Martin Truex
+1200 – Tyler Reddick
+1200 – Christopher Bell
+1500 – Joey Logano
The biggest unknown is the style of racing to expect. The last time the Cup Series raced at Indianapolis, NASCAR’s highest level used a different generation of car. The new Next Gen features major changes, everything from a whole new gear to a large diffuser, that will likely impact the racing.
The closest comparison might actually be the most recent race, though. Pocono, living up to its ‘Tricky Triangle’ monicker, features challenging corners from other oval tracks in the United States all melded together in one racetrack. Turn 2 at the facility, called the ‘tunnel turn,’ is modelled after the turns at Indy.
So, expect similar racing to Pocono, with single file driving through the turns as drivers prioritize runs on exit to make the pass on the long straightaways.
Noah Gragson, who has experience on the oval in the Xfinity Series, NASCAR’s second tier, affirmed that the ‘tunnel turn’ races similarly to the corners at Indy.
“It’s tough. It’s like the Tunnel Turn at Pocono, you’ve just got to be good with your timing,” Gragson explained. “It’s all about timing and getting around that racetrack and maximizing your corner speed.”
Other drivers are more cautious to make any direct comparison. That includes Justin Haley, who also has Xfinity Series experience on the big track.
“It’s definitely going to be different than what we experience at some other places,” Haley opined. “It’s a fast track and obviously different than anything else we run.
“I spent a lot of time at Indianapolis Motor Speedway, a lot of time racing late models and street stocks and stuff at Lucas Oil [Raceway] just down the road. I’ve always appreciated the Brickyard layout, this really big, flat track with long straightaways.”
An anticipated return
Whatever the racing product ends up being, drivers are just about universally excited to return to the oval. Kyle Larson, for instance, said that the road course was ‘just another race,’ while racing on the iconic oval is more special.
Cup Series rookie Josh Berry is especially excited to make his debut on the track he dreamed about racing on as an up-and-coming racer.
“I’ve been there before on the road course, but getting to race on the oval is really special just because of the history of the track and how important it is in our sport, right?” Berry explained.
“As a kid, you look at some of those bigger tracks with the status they carry and you dream of racing there and, this Sunday, I get to make that a reality.”
Even Daniel Suarez, the Trackhouse driver who finished third at the road course last season in a strong showing, admitted that, while the road course is one of his best tracks, the oval has more of a sense of occasion.
“Well, I liked the road course here. I thought we had an advantage, but it’s hard to argue against racing on the oval here,” Suarez acknowledged. “There is so much history. Winning here would be so exciting and something you would talk about the rest of your life.”
‘Bittersweet’ for Briscoe
For one driver, the feeling is more bittersweet than anything else. Chase Briscoe grew up idolizing fellow Indiana driver Tony Stewart, and was finally tapped to drive for his Stewart-Haas Racing team in 2021 behind the wheel of the No. 14 car that Stewart himself piloted.
Now, the series is returning to the oval at the Brickyard for the first time in Briscoe’s career, Stewart’s home track where he had so much success, and he’ll only get to experience it once.
Stewart-Haas Racing is closing its doors after this season, and Briscoe will be behind the wheel of the No. 19 Toyota Camry for Joe Gibbs Racing from next year. While that is a big move for Briscoe, putting him in one of the best cars in the grid, he’ll lose that boyhood connection.
“Every racecar driver, or anybody in motorsports, wants to race at Indianapolis Motor Speedway and run laps at Indianapolis Motor Speedway, but when you grow up in Indiana, it just means that much more to you. I’m just super excited to get back,” he explained. “It’s definitely more significant going to the oval, so it’ll be really special for me, personally, just to get to run a Brickyard 400. That was something I didn’t know that I was ever going to get the opportunity to do.”
“It is bittersweet knowing that this’ll be the only time I’ll get to do it,” he acknowledged. “I’m excited and glad that I’m getting to do it with how everything played out, the fact that we’re going back to the oval this year and everything, it means a lot personally to get to do it in the [No.] 14. I’m glad that I’ll have that opportunity and at least get the chance to do it, but it is bittersweet.
“I was talking to Tony a couple of weeks ago and even brought up to him how a reporter had mentioned it to me and it didn’t even really hit me until I heard it. I think for Tony it was the same way. So it’s going to be bittersweet for both of us, but just glad we’ll have the opportunity.”
Hard to pick a favorite
Another unknown is who will excel at whatever driving style is required. The drivers might all be looking forward to it, but some have it circled as a chance to win. The favorite going in is Denny Hamlin, who came out of the gate strong this season with three wins but has yet to win in the last ten races.
Another driver to keep an eye on is Kyle Larson, who has the most recent experience of any driver at this track, having raced the Indy 500 in May. That may have been behind the wheel of an IndyCar, but with the multitude of practice sessions, Larson knows how the track races, if not the car itself.
Another driver to watch is Ross Chastain. Larson explained that he didn’t feel much advantage going back to the oval with Hendrick Motorsports compared to his old Ganassi team, since his old No. 42 was always fast. Larson explained that Ganassi managed to nail the setups for Indy. Out of the old Ganassi team is the new Trackhouse team, and Ross Chastain in the No. 1 is still looking for his first win of the season. If Trackhouse can find that Ganassi magic with the setup, Chastain could get it at Indy.
One thing to note is that Denny Hamlin, Kyle Busch, and Todd Gilliland all participated in a tire test at the track in June, so they all have recent laps in the Next Gen car, which could also prove an advantage. Busch especially would like a good result after a difficult summer, culminating in getting wrecked out at Pocono.
Few Xfinity Series drivers have ever run on the oval at Indy
With a younger grid and a longer gap, there are not many drivers in the Xfinity Series field who have ever raced on the oval at Indianapolis Motor Speedway. The Xfinity Series moved to the oval at Indy in 2020, a year before the Cup Series, so Saturday’s Pennzoil 250, airing at 3:30 p.m. ET on USA, IMS Network, and SiriusXM NASCAR Radio, is a return five years in the making.
One spanner in the works: the cars will be driving the superspeedway package, making setups a challenge. Yes, the 2.5-mile Indianapolis Motor Speedway features 5⁄8-mile-long straightaways, but the track only has 9° of banking, forcing the drivers to slow down heavily in the corners.
“We’re using a superspeedway package instead of an intermediate, so that’ll throw a curveball in for us,” explained last week’s winner Cole Custer. “No one really knows what to expect from it, yet.”
With experience in both the Xfinity and Cup Series, Custer is one of the few drivers on the grid who has experience on the oval. He explained that, while that experience may help, it’s not enough to rely on.
“I mean, experience always helps, but there is a lot that has changed with how we’re running the oval now,” he emphasized. “Still, the time I’ve had on this track not only in the Xfinity Series but also the Cup Series should help me. I have previous knowledge that I can use while we prepare.”
His teammate Riley Herbst is looking for his first win of the season. He’s got Indy circled as a track he’d like to do so at.
“Excited is an understatement,” said of the return to the oval. “This was one of the tracks that I was so excited to run when I got into the NASCAR Xfinity Series. Then they changed it to the road course for my 2020 rookie season, and I was honestly bummed about it.
“We had some strong runs on the Indianapolis road course, but there’s something about getting to run on the historic oval that makes a driver excited. You grow up as a race fan and see all the history surrounding that layout of the track – who wouldn’t want to run it and possibly win there.”
There will be quite a few extra drivers to challenge the Xfinity Series regulars. Josh Berry will once again drive the No. 15 AM Racing Mustang, formerly Hailie Deegan’s seat before she was released by the team. Joe Graf Jr, a part-time driver making his first start of the year, will be behind the wheel of the No. 19 for Joe Gibbs Racing. Aric Almirola will once again drive the No. 20 for Gibbs. Connor Daly, an IndyCar driver, will drive the No. 26 for Sam Hunt Racing. Carson Kvapil will also be back in the JR Motorsports No. 88 that he’s impressed in this season.
One driver worth spotlighting is Greg Van Alst, who’ll drive the No. 07 for SS GreenLight Racing. He ordinarily competes in the ARCA series for his own team, Greg Van Alst Motorsports, and he’s engaged with social media to post about the struggles of running and competing for a small team. Van Alst will be hoping to deliver a result that gives him more nods for Xfinity rides.
Truck Series across town in Indy at Lucas Oil Raceway Park
It might not be very far across town, but the Lucas Oil Raceway Park is a completely different feel. The 0.686-mile short track is a bullring, playing host to the TSport 200, airing on Friday under the lights at 8:30 p.m. ET on FS1, MRN, and SiriusXM NASCAR Radio.
Ross Chastain will experience that difference first-hand. He’ll fly from Cup Series practice straight to Truck Series practice and qualifying Friday afternoon before strapping into the No. 45 truck for Niece Motorsports.
But the rest of the field has their own battles. There are just two races to go before the Playoffs start. With wins, Corey Heim, Christian Eckes, Nick Sanchez, and Rajah Caruth are locked in. Ty Majeski has a comfortable 125-point gap to the cutline as well. Below that, though, the positions are less clear.
Tyler Ankrum enters sixth on the table, 49 points to the good of the cutline. Grant Enfinger enters to the good by 46. Taylor Gray comes in clear by 39, while Ben Rhodes is 18 to the good.
In particularly uncomfortable position is Daniel Dye, who enters just one point ahead of Tanner Gray on the other side of the cutline and just four points ahead of Stewart Friesen behind him.
Indy Raceway Park under the lights is a recipe for contact and big moves, and expect some equally big moves around the Playoff table.
