Ryan Newman celebrates his Brickyard 400 victory in 2013. [Mark Walczak Photo]
by Dan Margetta and John Wiedemann
With the last off weekend of the season in the books, the NASCAR Sprint Cup Series is back in action with one of the crown jewel events on the schedule with the Crown Royal Presents the John Wayne Walding 400 at the Brickyard, commonly known as the Brickyard 400, at the historic Indianapolis Motor Speedway.
This is the 20th trip to the famed yard of bricks by the Sprint Cup Series and once again horsepower will be the key factor in determining the winner as the driver who hustles down Indy’s long straights will most likely find themselves in victory lane. Ford drivers currently hold a four race winning streak, having capturing a month’s worth of checkered flags, but Chevrolet has won this race eleven straight years.
The Brickyard 400 is a bucket-list race to win and here are some drivers who have a strong chance to kiss the historical yard of bricks on Sunday…
Brad Keselowski
(Dan Margetta): Brad Keselowski is the main threat to the Chevrolet Brickyard 400 dominance this week as he wheels his Penske Ford into Indianapolis firing on all cylinders and coming off a strong winning performance at New Hampshire. Keselowski also led the most laps a few weeks ago at Pocono, the last high horsepower race contested, where he finished second after a late race miscue to clear debris on his grille cost him the victory. Keselowski’s best Indy finish is 9th but in the last seven weeks, he has two wins and other than the crapshoot races at Daytona and Sonoma, hasn’t finished worse than third. Keselowski enters this weekend as a favorite with the Vegas odds makers at 5-1. “The Captain” (Roger Penske) has yet to win at Indy in NASCAR Sprint Cup Series competition and this year, with Brad Keselowski behind the wheel could present his best shot at a Brickyard 400 victory.
Jimmie Johnson
John Wiedemann: Is Jimmie Johnson in a slump? Well, two consecutive 42nd place finishes might qualify as a slump. What track would be a better “slump buster” for Johnson than Indianapolis? In eleven races at the Brickyard, Johnson has won a series high four times and led the most laps in the last two events. Add the fact that crew chief Chad Knaus has a brand new car ready for this race, one that he has been talking about since Johnson’s win at Charlotte, and I’m betting that Johnson captures his fifth victory at the Indianapolis Motor Speedway this weekend.
Kurt Busch
DM: One driver often overlooked this year at Indy could be Kurt Busch. A relative long shot in Vegas odds at 30-1, Kurt Busch has performed quite well at the flat tracks on the circuit this year. He won earlier at Martinsville and finished a strong third at Pocono. Plus, he’s already raced 500 miles on the historic Indy course, having finished an impressive sixth driving an Indycar in the Indianapolis 500. Busch’s best NASCAR Indy result has been fifth, way back in 2001, but this season he brings a potent Stewart-Haas Racing Chevrolet packed with Hendrick horsepower and has a strong chance to stand in the hallowed Indianapolis victory lane on Sunday.
Tony Stewart
JW: The book on Tony Stewart is that he gets hot in the summer. Well, it’s summer and time for Stewart to get hot. Currently on the outside looking in as far as drivers eligible for the Chase, Stewart needs a win or a slew of top ten finishes to climb the point standings. Stewart is 22 points behind Kyle Larson who currently owns the Chase bubble position. There are also four other drivers between Stewart and Larson. Throw in some first time winners between now and the Richmond race and Stewart’s chances for the Chase start looking slim. Indianapolis is a track that Stewart has won before and can win again. But just like in 2011, Stewart’s team doesn’t look like they belong in the Chase. Of course that season turned out differently, Stewart won the championship.
Kyle Larson
DM: Can a rookie really win at the Brickyard? The answer to that question is ‘yes’ if Kyle Larson is behind the wheel. Larson has surprised people this year with his on track performance and he should be confident heading to Indy considering his strong fifth place run at Pocono a few weeks ago. He’s listed at 25-1 odds in Las Vegas this week but the kid can definitely wheel a race car and shows an uncanny ability to adapt to changing track conditions and challenges. Indy is a special place that rewards pure driving talent and this rookie may have enough to conquer the legendary Brickyard course in his first attempt. It’s a long road to make it happen but if Kyle Larson can keep his head on his shoulders and not get caught up in Indy’s mystique, a rookie win in the Brickyard 400 is not out of the question.
Kevin Harvick
JW: Another one of the Stewart-Haas Racing drivers, Kevin Harvick has had a rollercoaster season. Harvick has won one time in thirteen races at Indianapolis and has six other top ten finishes. As mentioned before in this column the Stewart-Haas drivers have all been fast, but mistakes and misfortune have derailed potential winning runs. Although he is safe to make the Chase, Harvick has faltered in recent weeks and now places thirteenth in the point standings. Like Johnson, Indianapolis may be a remedy and you just may see a second consecutive Stewart-Haas Racing victory at the Speedway.
Matt Kenseth
DM: While Matt Kenseth is listed at 10-1 odds this weekend, he enters Indianapolis as a bit of a long shot based on the horsepower comparison between the Toyotas and the other manufacturers. Kenseth’s Indy record is solid having scored eight top ten finishes and six top-fives with a best result of second, but lately his #20 Gibbs Toyota seems to suffer from a bit of a horsepower disadvantage. The Brickyard 400 is the one crown jewel left for Matt Kenseth to add to his crown, so a victory here would be extra special and teammate Denny Hamlin’s fourth place effort at Pocono could provide some optimism. While not an everyday occurrence, the quickest car doesn’t always win at Indy (just ask Parnelli Jones or Mario Andretti), and Matt Kenseth could be just the driver to seize the opportunity and score his first Brickyard crown.
Jeff Gordon
JW: Tied with teammate Jimmie Johnson with four Brickyard 400 wins, Jeff Gordon would like nothing better than to grab a fifth win before his protégé. Gordon has an average finish at the Speedway of 8.8 in twenty races. With this being the 20th anniversary of Gordon’s inaugural Brickyard 400 win in 1994, what better driver would there be than Gordon basking in victory lane on Sunday. And, this is a year that you could see him accomplishing that victory. Gordon has been as competitive this season as he has been in a while and already has a Chase berth locked up. Gordon and the 24 team can have a “go for it” attitude with nothing to lose this weekend.
Juan Pablo Montoya
DM: Juan Pablo Montoya is back at the Brickyard, a place many feel owes him a NASCAR victory. Montoya has dominated the Brickyard 400 on numerous occasions, only to have his victory derailed by pit road penalties. This year, Montoya is behind the wheel of a third Penske Racing Ford, driving the same chassis Brad Keselowski raced in the All-Star race at Charlotte. Montoya also competed earlier this year in the Indianapolis 500 and has many laps around the famed Brickyard. As a driver, Juan Pablo Montoya is most dangerous when he has nothing to lose and this weekend presents such an opportunity as his limited NASCAR schedule leaves him with just one mission…go for the win. He’s listed at 20-1 odds in Vegas this week and should be fun to watch as he seeks redemption from the Brickyard.
Austin Dillon
JW: Austin Dillon has raced at the Indianapolis Motor Speedway three times, twice in the Nationwide Series and last year in the Sprint Cup Series. This year Dillon brings the famed number 3 back to the Brickyard. Dillon started 20th and finished 26th last season. In the Nationwide Series, Dillon finished fifth and twelveth. While those results aren’t fantastic, they are good experience for this year’s rookie. Dillon has had solid finishes although he cooled off for a bit midway through the season. Now heating up again and in contention for a Chase berth, Dillon is set for a strong run to Richmond. This weekend’s race is a great time for Dillon to crank it up and climb the standings.