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A brand new chapter of NASCAR Cup Sequence racing at Indianapolis Motor Speedway begins this weekend.
After 27 years of competitors on Indy’s well-known 2.5-mile oval, NASCAR’s premier division will run for the primary time on the Brickyard’s 14-turn, 2.439-mile highway course.
Sunday’s race (1 p.m. ET, NBC) is the ultimate act of NASCAR’s joint weekend with IndyCar at IMS. Each IndyCar and the NASCAR Xfinity Sequence will run Saturday on the Indy highway course.
The race may present one other shakeup on the highway to the Cup playoffs. Following Sunday, the collection heads to Michigan (Aug. 22) earlier than closing out the common season on the oval at Daytona (Aug. 28).
It hits totally different
After years of subpar racing and poor attendance for the Brickyard 400, it was not fully stunning for Indy’s Cup race to maneuver to the highway course.
However whereas the highway course could present a extra energetic present – which is what occurred final yr for the Xfinity Sequence – it nonetheless marks a large change for what was a crown jewel occasion.
The inaugural Brickyard 400 in 1994, received by Corridor of Famer Jeff Gordon, was a milestone in NASCAR’s rise to changing into the preferred type of racing in America. From there, over a quarter-century of historical past was made.
That’s over. Possibly not eternally, however definitely for now.
Kevin Harvick, winner of the final two Brickyard 400s on the oval, shared his ideas on the matter this week. To him, Indy means the oval.
“I can’t think about driving backward on the entrance stretch and driving the highway course within the infield,” he mentioned. “…While you take a look at the oval and also you take a look at the historical past of the racetrack and every thing that comes with that – some guys could not have grown up like that, so some folks could have a a lot totally different opinion – however for me, the oval simply holds an enormous place in racing and it holds an enormous place within the issues that I stay up for yearly.
“I keep in mind the primary time I pulled in there for a take a look at in 2001 and also you roll into the racetrack and also you suppose, ‘Man, I simply completed every thing in my childhood desires, rolling into the Indianapolis Motor Speedway.’ Attending to exit on that racetrack and listening to the echoes of the automobiles by the grandstand is one thing that I’ll always remember, standing there on the entrance straightaway.
“I’m positive I’ll recover from it as we begin to get into follow and understand it’s simply one other race. However, for me, it’s going to be a tough hurdle to beat.”
Get to the factors
Whereas Kyle Larson formally took the common season factors lead after his win at Watkins Glen, he and Denny Hamlin are nonetheless tied on factors at 917 (Larson’s 5 victories this season offers him the tie-breaker over the winless Hamlin).
The Indy highway course can be new for each drivers, however Larson’s received two of the final three highway course races. His Hendrick Motorsports crew has received eight of the final 9 highway course races, together with the final 4.
Hamlin’s fifth-place end final week at Watkins Glen was his fifth prime 10 in his final seven highway course races. However with how dominant the Hendrick group has been on this self-discipline, Larson appears poised to take the lead outright if he avoids hassle.
In the meantime, the bubble battle between Richard Childress Racing teammates Tyler Reddick and Austin Dillon stays shut coming into Indy. Reddick holds the 16th and closing playoff place by 15 factors over Dillon.
On Tuesday, Dillon instructed reporters in a media teleconference that he was “fairly calm” in regards to the state of affairs. He additionally mentioned that whereas having 13 totally different winners this season has had an “unlucky” affect on his playoff outlook, he feels assured after studying the Indy highway course on the simulator the previous couple of weeks.
“I normally don’t choose up the highway programs on the simulator very quick, however for some cause, Indy got here to me fairly fast, which is nice, I believe, for what we’re going into,” he added.
“I believe qualifying is the most important factor on my thoughts proper now for this coming weekend and getting qualifying place as a result of I understand how vital, the way in which it’s, it’s so arduous to cross on all these highway programs that get strung out, that beginning place issues.”
Cup qualifying is scheduled for Sunday morning at 9:05 a.m. ET. The Cup race begins shortly after 1 p.m. ET that afternoon.
They’ve seen this earlier than
Seven drivers entered for Sunday’s Cup race competed in final yr’s inaugural Xfinity Sequence race on the Indy highway course. With the circuit being an unknown for many of the subject, this previous expertise may show helpful.
Present Cup rookies Chase Briscoe and Anthony Alfredo are in that aforementioned group of seven.
Briscoe, an Indiana native, received final yr’s Xfinity race after holding off Austin Cindric, A.J. Allmendinger and Noah Gragson within the closing laps. Alfredo completed 20th.
Cindric and Allmendinger are additionally entered for Sunday. Cindric will make his seventh Cup begin this season for Staff Penske. Allmendinger will make his fourth Cup begin this season for Kaulig Racing.
Ending second in final yr’s Xfinity race behind Briscoe was fellow Hoosier Justin Haley. He’s entered for Sunday in Spire Motorsports’ No. 77.
Finishing the group are Ross Chastain and Josh Bilicki. In final yr’s Xfinity race, Chastain and Bilicki completed sixth and 23rd respectively.
Relating to a shock win, Cindric and Allmendinger clearly stand out for his or her highway course acumen. A victory from both wouldn’t affect the Cup playoff image, as each are Xfinity full-timers.
However Briscoe’s three top-10 finishes as a Cup freshman have all been on highway programs. He’s completed sixth at each COTA and Street America, in addition to ninth final week at Watkins Glen.
Chastain has additionally posted three finishes of seventh or higher in his final 4 highway course begins.
Learn Extra About NASCAR
NASCAR penalty report for Watkins Glen Early odds checklist Chase Elliott as PointsBet favourite for Indy highway course NASCAR Energy Rankings: Kyle Larson reclaims No. 1 place
NASCAR Cup storylines: Indy highway course initially appeared on NBCSports.com
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