The jewel has returned to the crown. Long considered one of the ‘Crown Jewel’ events of the NASCAR Cup Series schedule, and after a three year hiatus on the road course, the NASCAR Cup Series returns to the Indianapolis Motor Speedway rectangular-shaped oval for the famed Brickyard 400 Presented by PPG on Sunday, July 21 at 2:30 p.m. ET on NBC, IMS Radio and SiriusXM NASCAR Radio.
Indianapolis Motor Speedway (IMS) has existed since 1909, and is considered the original “Speedway”, the first racing facility to incorporate the word into its name. Located just west of downtown Indianapolis, the Indianapolis Motor Speedway is the third oldest permanent automobile race track in the world, behind Brooklands and the Milwaukee Mile. With a permanent seating capacity for more than 250,000-plus people and infield seating that raises capacity to an approximate 400,000, it is considered the largest and highest-capacity sporting facility in history.
The first NASCAR Cup Series race at Indianapolis Motor Speedway (oval) was August 6, 1994. The inaugural race won by Hendrick Motorsport’s driver and NASCAR Hall of Famer Jeff Gordon in the No. 24 Chevrolet. Gordon led 93 laps in the 160 lap event and beat Brett Bodine to the finish line by 0.530-second to win. The average speed of the race was 131.977 MPH, and it took 3 hours, 1 minute and 51 seconds to complete.
In total there have been 27 NASCAR Cup Series races at the Indianapolis Motor Speedway (oval) producing 19 different pole winners and 15 different race winners.
This weekend, the on-track activity for the NASCAR Cup Series will begin with 50- minute practice on Friday, July 19 at 2:35 p.m. ET and it will be streamed on the NBC Sports App. Then Busch Light Pole Qualifying will be held on Saturday, July 20 from 1:05 p.m. ET and will be the USA Network, IMS Radio and SiriusXM NASCAR Radio.
Hamlin can join elite status of winning all four Crown Jewel NASCAR Cup events
Indianapolis Motor Speedway’s Brickyard 400 Presented by PPG is considered one of the NASCAR Cup Series’ Crown Jewel events, along with the Daytona 500, the Coca-Cola 600 and the Southern 500. But what makes it most intriguing is only four elite drivers in NASCAR Cup Series history have won all four events in their careers – Jeff Gordon, Jimmie Johnson, Kevin Harvick and Dale Earnhardt.
NASCAR Hall of Famer Jeff Gordon leads the NASCAR Cup Series in Crown Jewel event wins with 17 total.
This weekend there are 15 drivers entered in the Brickyard 400 that have won at least one of the Crown Jewel events in their careers, and one driver has the opportunity to add the final jewel to his crown on Sunday – Joe Gibbs Racing’s Denny Hamlin. If Hamlin can win this weekend at Indianapolis, he will become the fifth different driver to win all four Crown Jewel events in his career.
Two other active drivers that are also looking for their final jewel to their crowns are RFK Racing’s Brad Keselowski and Richard Childress Racing’s Kyle Busch, but both still need a Daytona 500 victory.
| NASCAR Crown Jewel Events & Winners | |||||
| Drivers | Brickyard 400 | Daytona 500 | Coke 600 | Southern 500 | Total |
| Jeff Gordon | 5 | 3 | 3 | 6 | 17 |
| Jimmie Johnson | 4 | 2 | 4 | 2 | 12 |
| Kevin Harvick | 3 | 1 | 2 | 2 | 8 |
| Dale Earnhardt | 1 | 1 | 3 | 3 | 8 |
| Drivers with Three of the Four Crown Jewel Wins | |||||
| Richard Petty | 0 | 7 | 2 | 1 | 10 |
| Bobby Allison | 0 | 3 | 3 | 3 | 9 |
| Denny Hamlin | 0 | 3 | 1 | 3 | 7 |
| Darrell Waltrip | 0 | 1 | 5 | 1 | 7 |
| David Pearson | 0 | 1 | 3 | 3 | 7 |
| Dale Jarrett | 2 | 3 | 1 | 0 | 6 |
| Bill Elliott | 1 | 2 | 0 | 3 | 6 |
| Buddy Baker | 0 | 1 | 3 | 1 | 5 |
| Kyle Busch | 2 | 0 | 1 | 1 | 4 |
| Matt Kenseth | 0 | 2 | 1 | 1 | 4 |
| Bobby Labonte | 1 | 0 | 1 | 1 | 3 |
| Brad Keselowski | 1 | 0 | 1 | 1 | 3 |
| LeeRoy Yarbrough | 0 | 1 | 1 | 1 | 3 |
| Active Drivers with at least one Crown Jewel win | |||||
| Martin Truex Jr | 0 | 0 | 2 | 1 | 3 |
| Austin Dillon | 0 | 1 | 1 | 0 | 2 |
| Kyle Larson | 0 | 0 | 1 | 1 | 2 |
| Erik Jones | 0 | 0 | 0 | 2 | 2 |
| Austin Cindric | 0 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 1 |
| Joey Logano | 0 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 1 |
| Michael McDowell | 0 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 1 |
| Ricky Stenhouse Jr | 0 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 1 |
| William Byron | 0 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 1 |
| Christopher Bell | 0 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 1 |
| Ryan Blaney | 0 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 1 |
Clinch Scenarios: Indianapolis Motor Speedway – Race No. 22
Only five races remain in the NASCAR Cup Series 2024 regular season (Indianapolis, Richmond, Michigan, Daytona and Darlington) and it’s that time of year we break out the calculators and start hammering the numbers to see who needs what to clinch their spot in the Playoffs.
Already Clinched
The following five drivers have clinched a spot in the 16-driver postseason field: Kyle Larson, Denny Hamlin, William Byron, Ryan Blaney, Christopher Bell.
Can Clinch Via Previous Wins
The following drivers could clinch on previous wins with a win by Chase Elliott, Kyle Larson, Tyler Reddick, Denny Hamlin, William Byron, Ryan Blaney, Christopher Bell, Brad Keselowski, Alex Bowman, Joey Logano, Daniel Suarez:
- Chase Elliott: Would clinch regardless of finish
- Tyler Reddick: Would clinch regardless of finish
- Brad Keselowski: Could only clinch with help
- Alex Bowman: Could only clinch with help
The following drivers could clinch on previous wins with a win by Martin Truex Jr., Ty Gibbs, Chris Buescher, Ross Chastain, Bubba Wallace, Austin Cindric:
- Chase Elliott: Would clinch with 4 points
- Tyler Reddick: Would clinch with 19 points
- Brad Keselowski: Could only clinch with help
Can Clinch Via Win
The following drivers would clinch on their win alone:
- Chase Elliott, Tyler Reddick, Brad Keselowski, Alex Bowman, Joey Logano, Daniel Suarez, Austin Cindric
The following drivers could clinch with a win:
- Martin Truex Jr.: Could only clinch with help
Playoffs are steadily approaching
Looking at the NASCAR Cup Series 2024 Playoff standings outlook, several big names are below the cut line and with just five races left in the regular season the pressure is mounting to earn a spot in the postseason.
Rolling into this weekend at Indianapolis Motor Speedway, 12 drivers have earned a spot in the Playoffs by virtue of their wins – Kyle Larson, Denny Hamlin, William Byron, Christopher Bell, Ryan Blaney, Chase Elliott, Tyler Reddick, Brad Keselowski, Alex Bowman, Joey Logano, Daniel Suarez and Austin Cindric.
The four drivers currently occupying the four open transfer spots on points in the Playoff outlook are Martin Truex Jr. (+137 points), Ty Gibbs (+67), Chris Buescher (+44) and Ross Chastain (+27).
Just below the postseason cutline in the Playoff outlook standings are Bubba Wallace in 17th (-27 points), Chase Briscoe in 18th (-75 points) and two-time series champion Kyle Busch in 19th (-102 points).
| 2024 Top 34 In Points | 2024 Driver Playoff Outlook Following Race No. 21 | |||||||||
| Rank | Driver | Pts | Ldr. | Rank | Driver | Points | Wins | Stages | Playoff Pts | Pts From Cutoff |
| 1 | Chase Elliott | 703 | 0 | 1 | Kyle Larson | 700 | 3 | 8 | 23 | In On Wins |
| 2 | Kyle Larson | 700 | -3 | 2 | Denny Hamlin | 683 | 3 | 5 | 20 | |
| 3 | Tyler Reddick | 688 | -15 | 3 | William Byron | 646 | 3 | 1 | 16 | |
| 4 | Denny Hamlin | 683 | -20 | 4 | Christopher Bell | 616 | 3 | 9 | 24 | |
| 5 | William Byron | 646 | -57 | 5 | Ryan Blaney | 627 | 2 | 2 | 12 | |
| 6 | Martin Truex Jr. | 640 | -63 | 6 | Chase Elliott | 703 | 1 | 1 | 6 | |
| 7 | Ryan Blaney | 627 | -76 | 7 | Tyler Reddick | 688 | 1 | 3 | 8 | |
| 8 | Christopher Bell | 616 | -87 | 8 | Brad Keselowski | 599 | 1 | 0 | 5 | |
| 9 | Brad Keselowski | 599 | -104 | 9 | Alex Bowman | 596 | 1 | 0 | 5 | |
| 10 | Alex Bowman | 596 | -107 | 10 | Joey Logano | 522 | 1 | 1 | 6 | |
| 11 | Ty Gibbs | 570 | -133 | 11 | Daniel Suarez | 431 | 1 | 0 | 5 | |
| 12 | Chris Buescher | 547 | -156 | 12 | Austin Cindric | 408 | 1 | 2 | 7 | |
| 13 | Ross Chastain | 530 | -173 | 13 | Martin Truex Jr. | 640 | 0 | 3 | 3 | 137 |
| 14 | Joey Logano | 522 | -181 | 14 | Ty Gibbs | 570 | 0 | 2 | 2 | 67 |
| 15 | Bubba Wallace | 503 | -200 | 15 | Chris Buescher | 547 | 0 | 2 | 2 | 44 |
| 16 | Chase Briscoe | 455 | -248 | 16 | Ross Chastain | 530 | 0 | 1 | 1 | 27 |
| 17 | Daniel Suarez | 431 | -272 | 17 | Bubba Wallace | 503 | 0 | 0 | 0 | -27 |
| 18 | Kyle Busch | 428 | -275 | 18 | Chase Briscoe | 455 | 0 | 0 | 0 | -75 |
| 19 | Austin Cindric | 408 | -295 | 19 | Kyle Busch | 428 | 0 | 0 | 0 | -102 |
| 20 | Todd Gilliland | 403 | -300 | 20 | Todd Gilliland | 403 | 0 | 0 | 0 | -127 |
| 21 | Josh Berry # | 386 | -317 | 21 | Josh Berry # | 386 | 0 | 0 | 0 | -144 |
| 22 | Michael McDowell | 378 | -325 | 22 | Michael McDowell | 378 | 0 | 1 | 1 | -152 |
| 23 | Carson Hocevar # | 358 | -345 | 23 | Carson Hocevar # | 358 | 0 | 0 | 0 | -172 |
| 24 | Noah Gragson | 354 | -349 | 24 | Noah Gragson | 354 | 0 | 0 | 0 | -176 |
| 25 | Ricky Stenhouse Jr. | 343 | -360 | 25 | Ricky Stenhouse Jr. | 343 | 0 | 0 | 0 | -187 |
| 26 | Erik Jones | 320 | -383 | 26 | Erik Jones | 320 | 0 | 0 | 0 | -210 |
| 27 | Ryan Preece | 318 | -385 | 27 | Ryan Preece | 318 | 0 | 0 | 0 | -212 |
| 28 | Daniel Hemric | 309 | -394 | 28 | Daniel Hemric | 309 | 0 | 0 | 0 | -221 |
| 29 | Justin Haley | 302 | -401 | 29 | Justin Haley | 302 | 0 | 0 | 0 | -228 |
| 30 | Corey LaJoie | 301 | -402 | 30 | Corey LaJoie | 301 | 0 | 0 | 0 | -229 |
| 31 | John Hunter Nemechek | 293 | -410 | 31 | John Hunter Nemechek | 293 | 0 | 0 | 0 | -237 |
| 32 | Austin Dillon | 270 | -433 | 32 | Austin Dillon | 270 | 0 | 0 | 0 | -260 |
| 33 | Harrison Burton | 237 | -466 | 33 | Harrison Burton | 237 | 0 | 0 | 0 | -293 |
| 34 | Zane Smith # | 228 | -475 | 34 | Zane Smith # | 228 | 0 | 0 | 0 | -302 |
| Note: Kyle Larson and Erik Jones have received a waiver from NASCAR to be eligible for the Playoffs. | ||||||||||
Currently, there are seven former Cup Playoff drivers below the postseason cut line – Bubba Wallace, Chase Briscoe, Kyle Busch, Michael McDowell, Ricky Stenhouse Jr., Erik Jones and Austin Dillon. Probably most notable is two-time series champion Kyle Busch, who has made the Playoffs 16 times in his career (second-most) and hasn’t missed a postseason since 2012.
Qualifying well is imperative at Indianapolis Motor Speedway
A total of 17 different starting positions on the grid have resulted in wins in the NASCAR Cup Series at Indianapolis Motor Speedway. The first starting position is the most proficient starting position in the field, producing more winners (five) than any other starting position at Indianapolis Motor Speedway in the NASCAR Cup Series – a 18.52% winning percentage.
Drivers starting inside the top-10 have won 17 of 27 NASCAR Cup Series races at Indianapolis Motor Speedway – a winning percentage of 62.9%. The deepest in the field that a Cup Series race winner has started at Indianapolis Motor Speedway is 27th, by Jeff Gordon in 2001.
A total of 19 different drivers have won the pole at Indianapolis Motor Speedway in the NASCAR Cup Series. Driver Rick Mast won the inaugural NASCAR Cup Series pole at Indianapolis Motor Speedway in 1994 with a speed of 172.414 MPH. Mast, driving a Richard Jackson owned Ford, led two laps and finished 22nd in the event.
NASCAR Hall of Famer Jeff Gordon (1995, 1996, 1999) and Kevin Harvick (2003, 2014, 2019) lead the NASCAR Cup Series in poles at Indianapolis Motor Speedway with three poles each.
This weekend, three of the 19 Indianapolis Motor Speedway Cup Series pole winners are entered in the race, led by Richard Childress Racing’s Kyle Busch with two poles. If Busch were to win a pole this weekend, he would tie Gordon and Harvick for the series-most poles at Indianapolis with three each.
| Active Indianapolis Pole Winners | Poles | Seasons |
| Kyle Busch | 2 | 2017, 2016 |
| Denny Hamlin | 1 | 2012 |
| Jimmie Johnson | 1 | 2008 |
Jimmie Johnson can tie Jeff Gordon for most Indianapolis wins all-time
Legacy Motor Club driver and NASCAR Hall of Famer Jimmie Johnson is entered in this weekend’s Brickyard 400 Presented by PPG as part of his limited schedule this season. The seven-time Cup Series champion comes into the weekend with the opportunity to tie fellow Hall of Famer Jeff Gordon for the series-most victories at Indianapolis Motor Speedway with five each.
Gordon currently leads the series in wins at Indianapolis Motor Speedway with five victories (1994, 1998, 2001, 2004, 2014); including the inaugural event at the historic track in 1994.
Johnson leads all active drivers in wins and his Indianapolis resume is nearly as impressive a Gordon’s with four victories, all within a six year period (2006, 2008, 2009, 2012).
In total, Johnson has made 18 Cup Series starts at Indianapolis posting four wins, six top fives and seven top 10s.
Kyle Busch needs to rebound, Indianapolis could be the place
Richard Childress Racing’s Kyle Busch has hit a mid-summer slump finishing 24th or worse in four of his last six races dropping him to 19th in the Playoff outlook standings 102 points back from the postseason cutoff. But that could all change this weekend with the return of the Indianapolis Motor Speedway oval to the NASCAR Cup series schedule.
Only three former NASCAR Cup Series Indianapolis Motor Speedway race winners are entered this weekend, Jimmie Johnson leads all active drivers with four wins (2006, 2008, 2009, 2012), followed by Kyle Busch with two victories (2015, 2016), and Brad Keselowski with one win (2018).
Interestingly, Jimmie Johnson (2008-09) and Kyle Busch (2015-16) are the only two drivers to win consecutive NASCAR Cup Series races at Indianapolis Motor Speedway. And Busch is the only driver to sweep both NASCAR national series races (NCS, NXS) at Indianapolis Motor Speedway from the pole in the same weekend.
In total, Busch has made 16 Cup starts at Indianapolis Motor Speedway posting two poles, two wins, five top fives and 12 top 10s (most among active drivers).
The battle for the Regular Season Championship heats up
With just five races left in the NASCAR Cup Series regular season, the battle between Hendrick Motorsport’s teammates Chase Elliott and Kyle Larson for the Regular Season Championship is heating up, as both are shooting for the title and the additional 15 Playoff bonus points that come with it.
Elliott is one of seven different drivers to occupy the NASCAR Cup Series driver standings lead this season, along with William Byron, Kyle Busch, Ryan Blaney, Martin Truex Jr., Denny Hamlin and Kyle Larson. The Georgia native, Elliott, is currently three points ahead of Larson heading into Indianapolis.
Both Larson (2021) and Elliott (2022) are former NASCAR Cup Series Regular Season Championship winners, and if either of them wins this season, they will join Martin Truex Jr. (2017, 2023) and Kyle Busch (2018, 2019) as the third multiple regular season title holder.
Regular Season Championship Clinch Scenarios:
Elliott (or whoever’s first in points) needs to be up by the corresponding number after the race to clinch:
Indianapolis – 240 or 241 points, depending on tie-break
Richmond – 180 or 181 points, depending on tie-break
Michigan – 120 or 121 points, depending on tie-break
Daytona – 60 or 61 points, depending on tie-break
Darlington – 0 or 1 point, depending on tie-break
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