Brickyard 400 Preview: Motor Racing's Field of Dreams

In the wake of Dover Motor Speedway weekend, we come to the yard of bricks this week. This Sunday the NASCAR Cup Series comes back to the historic Indianapolis Motor Speedway for this weekend's Brickyard 400. The Brickyard will host this prestigious stock car racing event on motor racing's most identifiable and iconic track. This will be the second season that NASCAR has competed on the famed oval in Indianapolis since 2020. For the previous three seasons (2021-2023) NASCAR's top division raced only on the Grand Prix circuit at Indy. However, as a part of the 2024 scheduling shakeup, the Indianapolis oval was welcomed back to the schedule. The iconic four-turn track has returned to the regular season slate.

Indianapolis Motor Speedway is a rectangular oval with very flat banking all the way around. The straights are completely flat, and the four corners have banking that varies from 9 to 12 degrees. The track is very temperature sensitive, so constant adjustments to the race car are a must in order to keep up with the changing handling conditions throughout the event. In seasons past, Goodyear has been able to develop a great tire for stock cars at Indianapolis Motor Speedway, so we expect solid racing and for tire wear not to be an issue this Sunday afternoon. The long green flag runs that are commonplace at Indy could bring the fuel-mileage factor into the strategy for this 400-mile event, so we'll need to keep that detail in the back of our minds when making our driver list this week. The rectangular oval has hosted 28 NASCAR Cup Series events to this point, so we have some very extensive data on how the drivers perform at Indianapolis Motor Speedway, albeit only one race (last year) of the data includes the newest generation stock car.

Indianapolis Motor Speedway is perhaps the most unique track that the series visits each year. No other track on the circuit has enough comparable characteristics to draw even a modest comparison. The racing we just experienced at Pocono Raceway in mid-June is probably the most similar characteristics to consider. Those drivers that dominated on the Tricky Triangle are likely to keep the momentum rolling this weekend at Indianapolis. Let's take a quick look at the loop stats for the last 17 Cup Series races at Indy. Since the NASCAR's top division only races at Indianapolis Motor Speedway once a season, this span will cover the last 17 years (omitting the seasons we have raced on the GP Circuit) and should give us a good statistical tool to evaluate the drivers for this weekend's Brickyard 400.

Chevrolet drivers and teams used to dominate the rectangular oval in Indiana. For years Chevy drivers piled up the trophies in this prestigious event. That all changed in 2015 and 2016 when Kyle Busch won back-to-back installments of the Brickyard 400 for then Toyota. In this event four years ago Ford star, Kevin Harvick, swept into Indianapolis victory lane for the second-straight season. In so doing, he gave Ford its third-consecutive Brickyard win. Last season, Kyle Larson would sweep into victory lane in NASCAR's return to the oval and reunite the bowtie brand of Chevrolet with winner's circle in Indianapolis. This is where we stand entering this weekend and continuing the tradition of racing on the oval. Toyota have been locked out of victory lane here since 2016 and will be looking to snap Chevrolet and Ford's four-race win streak at the oval.        

Toyota drivers have a golden opportunity for the upset, if Chase Briscoe and Denny Hamlin's recent 1-2 finish at Pocono is any indication. At the moment, Toyota teams seem particularly dangerous. With Denny Hamlin, Christopher Bell, Chase Briscoe and Tyler Reddick racing so well, they are definitely the momentum plays this weekend. As for Ford, drivers like Joey Logano, Ryan Blaney and Brad Keselowski are more than capable of taking the win in this Sunday's Brickyard 400 at Indianapolis. In regard to the Chevrolet camp, Kyle Larson, Chase Elliott and Alex Bowman will once again be the top drivers from that manufacturer who can potentially spoil the party. We'll take a look at the top contenders and the streaking drivers in the NASCAR Cup Series, along with historical data in order to give you the drivers you need this weekend to dominate the Brickyard and your fantasy racing league.

The Contenders – Drivers in the hunt for the win

Denny Hamlin – Hamlin has never won at Indianapolis, but he comes to the historic track in the best position of his career to win and kiss the yard of bricks. Coming off 67 laps led and a big win at the Monster Mile last week, the Joe Gibbs Racing star is hot coming to Indianapolis this weekend. Hamlin won the pole, led 32 laps and finished a brilliant runner-up at the similarly configured Pocono Raceway a few weeks ago. The Brickyard has always played well to veteran drivers, and Hamlin is among the most senior in the series now. In his 16-career starts on the Indianapolis oval, the driver of the No. 11 Toyota has collected eight Top-10 finishes (50-percent) and led 152 laps. Hamlin should be one of the top contenders to win the Brickyard 400.

Chase Briscoe – Briscoe has been coming on strong in recent weeks. He won at a very similar Pocono Raceway a few weeks ago and nearly won this past Sunday at Dover Motor Speedway. The Joe Gibbs Racing driver would lead 13 laps at the 2.5-mile Pocono tri-oval and chase Denny Hamlin all the way to the checkered flag. That bodes well for the No. 19 Toyota team's chances in the Brickyard 400. Briscoe only has one-career Cup Series start on the historic oval at Indianapolis and that came in last season's Brickyard 400. However, he does have two Xfinity Series starts on this track in his past racing resume and they were both Top-10 finishes. So, this driver is not unfamiliar with racing on the Indy oval. As hot as this driver and team are right now, they can't be overlooked at Indianapolis this week.

Kyle Larson – Larson finished a brilliant fourth-place at Dover this past weekend and is showing signs that he's inching closer to halting his current nine-race winless skid. The Brickyard makes a perfect track for the Hendrick Motorsports star to possibly end his skid. Larson was a Top-10 finisher recently at Pocono Raceway and that's a good comp to this Sunday's Brickyard 400. As for the historic track itself, the driver of the No. 5 Chevrolet is a one-time Indianapolis winner (this event last season) and he cracks the Top 10 at this facility at a strong 57-percent rate. The big, flat 2.5-mile rectangular oval plays well to Larson's skill set of tire and fuel management as well as optimal racing lines. He'll be a dangerous driver in Sunday's 400-mile battle.  

Ryan Blaney – The driver of the No. 12 Ford was a third-place finisher at Pocono Raceway recently and he really carried the battle best among the Ford drivers in the field that day. That should hold up for Sunday's Brickyard 400. Blaney was a Top-10 finisher and highest placing Ford driver this past weekend at the Monster Mile and he'll carry that momentum into Indianapolis this week. The Penske Racing star has not been a big performer on the Brickyard oval, but he's cracked the Top 10 twice in his last three starts there and battled to an Indianapolis personal-best of third-place in this event one year ago. The notes from that race will be put into good use for this weekend's Brickyard 400.      

Solid Plays – Near locks for a Top 10 with an outside shot to win

Chase Elliott – Coming off 238 laps led and a pole position at Dover this past week, expectations are high for the No. 9 Chevrolet team this weekend. Considering that Elliott was a Top-5 finisher at the similar sized/banked oval in Pocono a few weeks ago, he should deliver this week at Indianapolis. Elliott doesn't have stellar stats the historic oval, but his last three finishes there are ninth-, 11th- and 10th-place and that has lowered his average finish to 16.7. The Hendrick Motorsports star should pick up right where he left off and very likely improve considering his recent level of performance. Elliott has the potential to post a career-best finish and crack the Top 5 at the Brickyard this Sunday.

Brad Keselowski – Keselowski's won this event in 2018 and finished runner-up at the Brickyard in 2017 so he's no stranger to success here. The owner/driver of the No. 6 Ford has 12-career starts at Indianapolis Motor Speedway. Those have yielded one win, three Top-5 and six Top-10 finishes along with 143 laps led. After some mediocre racing at IMS earlier in his career, something has really flipped the switch on for Keselowski in more recent years at the hallowed grounds. He nabbed a ninth-place finish at Pocono Raceway recently and that's a good comp for the Brickyard. At current performance levels he doesn't appear to have the inside track on winning Sunday afternoon, but you can bet Keselowski will be nipping at the heels of the leaders in the Brickyard 400.

Alex Bowman – Coming off 15 laps led and a steady 11th-place last Sunday at Dover, Bowman is firmly fixed in our sights. The Hendrick Motorsports veteran has been very consistent on the larger and intermediate ovals this season. That's a good precursor to what could happen in Sunday's Brickyard 400. Bowman piloted his Hendrick Chevrolet to a strong third-place finish at the big Pocono tri-oval a few weeks ago and that's a great indicator of potential. He has six prior starts on the Indianapolis oval but with no real noteworthy performances. That may cause some fantasy racing players to pass on the driver of the No. 48 Chevrolet. However, we believe that would be a misjudgment and a mistake. Bowman has been over the target the last few weeks with four Top 10's in his last six starts.

Christopher Bell – Bell led 67 laps this past week and would battle for the win with Denny Hamlin until the very end last Sunday at the Monster Mile before his spin and 18th-place finish. The Joe Gibbs Racing youngster has been a bit up-and-down on the bigger ovals this season but we can't overlook his eighth-place finish at Charlotte and runner-up finish at Kansas. Those two performances alone give him a boost for the return to the Indianapolis oval. Bell has just two prior starts on the oval since he was a rookie driver in 2020. He finished a respectable 12th-place in his Brickyard debut and he would return last season and grab an impressive fourth-place finish in the Brickyard 400. We believe Bell has great potential this weekend in Indianapolis.       

Sleepers – Drivers with good history at Indianapolis & solid upside

Ty Gibbs – Gibbs grabbed an eye-opening Top-5 finish at Dover this past week. The young driver is on a roll coming to the Brickyard this week, riding a three-race Top-10 streak. We believe the Joe Gibbs Racing youngster will show that same speed and at Indianapolis Motor Speedway this Sunday. Gibbs will be making just his second Cup Series start on the oval at Indianapolis this weekend, so we don't have much to go on from a stats side. Still, the intermediate and big ovals have been good to the driver of the No. 54 Toyota. Gibbs qualified well and grabbed a reasonable Top-15 finish at Pocono Raceway a few weeks ago. Considering his recent heater and strong Joe Gibbs Racing equipment, we'll believe he'll be a top performer at the Brickyard.  

Bubba Wallace – Coming off a Top-10 finish last weekend at the Monster Mile, Wallace will look to ride that momentum into the Brickyard. He grabbed a Top-5 at the big Michigan oval a few weeks ago and he's visited the Top 10 recently at Nashville. Wallace will look to keep on a roll at an Indianapolis oval that has been pretty good to him. The 23XI Racing veteran has four prior Cup Series starts the track and has three Top-10 finishes in those efforts, including 26 laps led and a dazzling fifth-place finish in this event one year ago. That's got to be a confidence booster considering some of the tough outings he's battled through in June and July.  

Chris Buescher – The Roush Fenway Keselowski Racing veteran qualified on the outside pole, led 2 laps and finished a strong fourth-place at Pocono Raceway a few weeks ago. That's a great segway into Indianapolis for this Sunday's Brickyard 400. The two tracks are very similar in many respects so that setup should transfer. Buescher is coming off a Top 10 this past Sunday at the Monster Mile so the No. 17 Ford team are racing well coming into the Brickyard. He's never been a big performer in this race, but his six prior starts are valuable experience over a lot of young drivers who are just seeing this oval for the first time this weekend. We expect Buescher to be a Top-10 threat Sunday at the Yard of Bricks.

Tyler Reddick – Reddick was incredibly impressive in his Indianapolis start one year ago. He qualified on the pole, led 40 laps and finished runner-up in last season's Brickyard 400. That was just his second-career start at the Brickyard and it followed up on a steady eighth-place finish he had in his previous start. Times have been a bit lean of late for Reddick and the No. 45 Toyota team so we've slid him into the sleepers list this week for Indianapolis, however, he was a reasonable 12th-place finisher this past weekend at Dover and looking better coming to the Yard of Bricks this week. Given his very strong performance last season, he has some pretty good fantasy racing upside for this Sunday afternoon.

Austin Cindric – With a solid 10th-place performance at Pocono Raceway a few weeks ago we have to cast our eyes on the No. 2 Ford team at Indianapolis Motor Speedway this week. Cindric likes the big ovals and has big potential in the Brickyard 400. He has just one-career start on the Indy oval and it came in this event one year ago. Cindric motored the team's Ford Mustang to a strong seventh-place finish in the Brickyard 400 and that after starting in the rear of the field. Cindric led laps and had good speed at Michigan's two-mile oval as well and he grabbed a big victory at Talladega this season. This driver and team's best potential comes on the larger tracks this season so that's good reason to keep your eye on Cindric in the Brickyard 400.   

John Hunter Nemechek – Aside from a Top 10 at Mexico City, most of Nemechek's success this season has come on the intermediate and larger ovals. The Legacy Motor Club driver grabbed a noteworthy sixth-place finish at Pocono Raceway and that puts him squarely on our radar screen for Indianapolis. He has two prior Cup Series starts at the Brickyard. He earned a steady Top 15 in his debut at the tracks in 2020, and returned last season to lead 16 laps and battle among the leaders most of the way until a late-race crash took Nemechek out. Given his 21st-place finish at Dover this past Sunday, some may think it a stretch to deploy him at the Brickyard, but we believe this race plays well to this driver and team's strengths.        

Slow Down – Drivers to avoid this week

William Byron – The Hendrick Motorsports star is buried in a slump and coupled with bad luck right now. Byron has just one Top-10 finish in his last five events and three of those have ended in disappointing DNF's, including this past week at the Monster Mile. His most recent big oval outing came at Pocono a few weeks ago and Byron labored to a disappointing 27th-place finish. That's not a good indicator coming into the Brickyard. The driver of the No. 24 Chevrolet has four-career starts on this oval and just one Top-10 finish (25-percent) along with a disappointing 22.0 average finish at the historic oval. Byron crashed in the early going of last season's Brickyard 400 and finished a forgettable 38th-place.

Joey Logano – Logano has pretty good Indianapolis numbers in his racing resume. He has eight total Top-10 finishes in 13 starts at Indianapolis Motor Speedway. That 62-percent rate is enviable among any driver in NASCAR's top division. He has also won a pole position and finished runner-up twice in his career at Indy. However, this Penske Racing star has really labored on the big tracks in 2025. 16th-place and 22nd-place finishes at tracks like Pocono and Michigan of late are not good looks coming into a 400-mile battle on the 2.5-mile IMS. In this event one year ago, Logano crashed midway into the race and finished a disappointing 34th-place in the Brickyard 400. He's a driver best left on the fantasy racing bench this week.

Kyle Busch – The Richard Childress Racing star is a two-time winner at the rectangular oval coming into this weekend's Brickyard400 at the Brickyard. Busch has two victories and two runner-up finishes at Indianapolis Motor Speedway since the 2012 season. The Brickyard has held a lot of success for him over the years. However, Busch and the No. 8 Chevrolet team have not been good on the big tracks this season. Most recently Atlanta and Pocono were both finishes outside the Top 20 for this driver and team. The setups have not been good. Busch has been just a 40-percent Top-10 finisher at the Brickyard since the 2017 season.    

Ricky Stenhouse Jr. – With a 30th-place qualifying effort and 30th-place finish at Pocono Raceway recently, we need to be wary of Stenhouse and the No. 47 Chevrolet team this week at the Brickyard. The veteran HYAK Motorsports driver has labored on the big tracks this season and he comes to Indianapolis this week hampered by a three-race Top-20 slump. Stenhouse has nine-career starts on the Indianapolis oval and just two Top-15 finishes in those efforts vs. four finishes outside the Top 30. The 27.0 average finish across those nine-career starts is a major caution flag. We would recommend keeping Stenhouse out of your weekly lineups for salary cap and weekly starter based leagues this Sunday.