Clint Bowyer is 30/1 to win 2020 Brickyard 400

CLINT BOWYER History and Holiday at Indianapolis KANNAPOLIS, North Carolina (June 29, 2020) – It’s good that Clint Bowyer knows and appreciates his racing history, because he’s going to live it this Fourth of July weekend at the 111-year-old Indianapolis Motor Speedway when the NASCAR Cup Series holds its annual Brickyard 400. Bowyer will drive the No. 14 Rush Truck Centers/Cummins Ford Mustang co-owned by Gene Haas and the Hoosier-state’s favorite son, Tony Stewart, in the 27th annual Big Machine Hand Sanitizer 400. Bowyer knows driving the three-time champion Stewart’s entry, which carries the No. 14 made famous at the Brickyard by four-time Indy 500 winner A.J. Foyt, is an honor and a lot to live up to. While racing at Indy is no longer new for NASCAR, for the first time since 1969, the Cup Series has moved from its traditional July 4 weekend 400-mile race from Daytona (Fla.) International Speedway to Indianapolis. “There’s just a lot of pride that goes into all those things,” said Bowyer, the 41-year old Emporia, Kansas native. “Driving that Ford Mustang for Stewart-Haas Racing (SHR), and you know what Tony Stewart means at this track and to everyone at Indy. Carrying the No. 14 ratchets it up a whole other level. A.J. Foyt is a badass who is as cool outside the racecar as he was driving it. Two legendary drivers and a legendary car number. The fact we are doing this on the Fourth of July weekend makes it even better.” Bowyer knows a win Sunday afternoon would top the list of his career accomplishments in the Cup Series. Only 15 drivers have their likeness on the Brickyard 400 trophy permanently housed in the track’s infield museum. History isn’t just limited to the competition on the track. Bowyer’s paint scheme Sunday will feature Rush Truck Centers and Cummins. Rush Truck Centers has been the primary partner for the No. 14 team since Bowyer arrived at SHR in 2017 and has been with the organization since 2010. With Bowyer’s background working in his dad’s towing service in Emporia, Kansas, Bowyer understands the importance of keeping trucks up and running. That is why Rush is proud to partner with Bowyer and support the trucks that haul the racecars, as well as customers across the country with its total service management package, RushCare Complete. This all-inclusive solution provides dedicated concierge service, vehicle telematics, mobile service, express routine maintenance, real-time service updates and a comprehensive source for all-makes parts.  Cummins makes its second appearance of the 2020 season with Bowyer. The Indiana-based company from Stewart’s hometown of Columbus is no stranger to victory lane with its racing lineage dating back to the inaugural Indianapolis 500 in 1911, when company founder Clessie Cummins was on the pit crew of the race-winning Marmon Wasp of driver Ray Harroun. Since its founding in 1919, the company now employs approximately 61,600 people and serves customers in about 190 countries and territories through a network of some 8,000 wholly owned and independent dealer and distributor locations.  While Cummins is a corporation of complementary business segments that design, manufacture, distribute and service a broad portfolio of power solutions, it is best known for its diesel truck engines. “Rush Truck Centers is one of the biggest reasons we race and, through the years at SHR, we haven’t gotten to victory lane with them, yet,” Bowyer said. “So, when we do it’s going to be epic. Cummins has been to victory lane so many times and probably has more history at Indianapolis than just about anyone.” Bowyer said Indy is a difficult track for the stock-car crowd, whose cars lack the downforce of their open-wheel counterparts in the IndyCar Series. The rectangular oval track includes two 5/8-mile straightaways and four nearly identical quarter-mile turns connected by short, eighth-mile straightaways. The turns are banked about nine degrees – far flatter than the 30-plus-degree banking at tracks like Daytona, Talladega (Ala.) Superspeedway, Bristol (Tenn.) Motor Speedway and others that are part of the NASCAR schedule. “Indy is just so unique,” said Bowyer, who has posted back-to-back fifth-place finishes at Indy the last two years and four-top 10 finishes in 14 starts. “You’re going so fast. The corners are so flat. You’ve got to have that baby flat to the floor, all the way around. It’s just a hard, hard track to get around.” He said the key to racing success there is managing risk behind the steering wheel. “The challenge is trying to be patient,” Bowyer said. “You just have to be patient. You push it to the edge there. You come off of them corners and you’re like, ‘There’s no way. I’m gonna hit the wall. Whoo.’ By the way, I gotta do that 400 more miles.” Sunday’s race marks the 12th Cup Series race since returning from a 10-week hiatus due to the onset of the COVID-19 pandemic May 17. As it did at the previous 11 races, NASCAR series and team personnel in the infield will continue to operate under a comprehensive health and safety plan at Indianapolis that permits no fans, limited crew, strict social distancing, and mandated personal protective equipment and health screenings for all. While racing without fans is disappointing to Bowyer, he knows the race results are just as important. He arrives at Indianapolis 13th in points after finishing seventh and eighth in last weekend’s doubleheader at Pocono (Pa.) Raceway. Only 11 more races remain in what is expected to be NASCAR’s 26-race regular season. A win will vault Bowyer into the NASCAR playoffs that begin in September and secure a spot in the NASCAR All-Star Race July 15 at Bristol (Tenn.) Motor Speedway. Without a win between now and July 15, Bowyer will race in the NASCAR All-Star Open with hopes a good run will transfer him to the All-Star Race. As a backup plan, he is relying on the online fan vote that will send the most popular remaining driver from the Open to the All-Star Race. Fans can cast their ballots daily for Bowyer at NASCAR.com/fanvote, or by clicking here. Bowyer knows there’s a lot on the line Sunday at Indianapolis. He also knows he has history on his side.

Clint Bowyer, Driver of the No. 14 Rush Truck Centers/Cummins Ford Mustang for Stewart-Haas Racing:

Spending the Fourth of July Weekend in Indianapolis – how special is that? “When I think of the Fourth of July in NASCAR, I think of Daytona. I think, ‘Oh my God,’ you walk out of your bus headed to the grid and you can’t even put your sunglasses on because they are so fogged up. You are sweating so much you wonder, ‘Why the hell did I just take a shower?’ It is stupid hot outside. I have a waterfall running off of me just walking to the car, and that’s before you even think about climbing into that oven. “So, when I heard we were moving on from Daytona in July, I thought surely we are moving to somewhere cooler. You know that seems reasonable, right? Buddy, I’m from the Midwest and I’m going to tell you, Indianapolis this weekend will be the hottest place on earth this time of year. So look out, I’m going to be a waterfall again.” What makes winning at Indianapolis so special? “Oh, I think it’s the racetrack, man. It’s the history behind it. It’s a hard race. It’s a hard place to get around, as a driver. But it all comes down to the history, the people who have won that race and won at that racetrack before you. That’s why you want to win there so badly.”

Indianapolis Betting Preview: 2019 Big Machine Vodka 400 at the Brickyard

Sunday's race will be the 26th Cup race at Indy.

Let’s look at Sunday’s Big Machine Vodka 400 at Indianapolis Motor Speedway in the same sense as we look at game 163 for teams in MLB’s regular season. It’s a do-or-die situation with a playoff berth looming.

Four drivers are separated by just 26-points vying for the final two playoff spots to complete the 16 driver field for the 10-race playoffs which begins next week at Las Vegas Motor Speedway. The pressure is on, and it will be the most entertaining part of Sunday’s race aside from rooting in my wagers to win.

The driver with the upper hand is Clint Bowyer who is sitting 15th in the standings only 8-points ahead of 16th-place. He came through huge last week with a sixth-place at Darlington and came through with a fifth-place at Indy last season.

“It’s all lining up to be a really big weekend, between racing at a place like Indianapolis and for as high of stakes as we are racing for,” Bowyer said.

“It’s pretty clear cut what we have to do if we want to get into the playoffs. We are confident. We ran well at Indy last year and we’ll need to do it again. This is what the playoff format was designed to do. I mean, I wish we were more secure, but it’s going to be a hell of a show with a bunch of us racing hard to get in.”

Bowyer has been bumped up to 40/1 odds to win this week just because his goal is expected to cautious and conservative around the track to outpoint, or stay ahead of those other three he’s racing with even though a win would automatically qualify him for the playoffs.

The battle I’m most excited to see is Daniel Suarez-Ryan Newman II, the finale, or a continuation from last week at Darlington when Suarez tapped Newman out the way. Suarez finished 11th, Newman finished 23rd which has them tied in the standings at 16th-place. Newman vowed a payback. Suarez says he racing the field, and not just Newman.

“I’m racing those 39 people because of stage points and everything that is involved with that,” said Suarez who is 40-to-1 to win. “At the same time, I’m obviously tied with someone to make it into the playoffs. It’s one of those deals where you have to focus on your race and try and get the most points for yourself, but at the same time you’re always wondering where that other guy is.”

Newman is definitely a driver Suarez ought to pay attention to and stay away as far as possible from him because Newman never forgets. With it being all on the line and near the end of his career, Newman an Indiana native and 2013 Brickyard 400 winner, will seize the moment.

“We know what we have to do entering this weekend,” Newman said. “We’ve shown all season we have a lot of fight and we don’t give up, so we’re going to continue that at Indy. Going back home to Indiana is always special for me and is a place that has been good to us over the years. We’re going to give it everything we have this weekend in our Acorns Ford.”

Newman is 100-to-1 to win Sunday and while I don’t recommend the bet, I do respect that he’s finished 12th or better in seven of his last eight Indy starts. He was 10th last season and third in 2017.

Jimmie Johnson sits 18th in points, 18-points behind 16th place. He needs a lot of help and knows it.

“There is some pressure to go out and win this weekend, but that is what we do every weekend,” said Johnson who is 60-to-1 to win Sunday. “We go to a track with the intention to contend for wins. If I look back over the first half of the season, I see a lot of races where we gave away a few points. It’s kind of unfair to put all the pressure on one race in Indy, but that is where we are right now. It’s a great track to win at. We know what we have to do this weekend.”

Johnson has four wins at Indy, but if the seven-time Cup Champion doesn’t make the playoffs it’ll be the first time in his amazing career that he’s missed the postseason.

Those four drivers will be the main storyline Sunday, but let’s talk about the four drivers I like to actually win the race.

First up is Erik Jones (8/1) fresh off his first win of the season last week at Darlington which gives Joe Gibbs Racing 13 wins in 25 races in 2019. He was runner-up at Indy last year and the most important factor to garner my supports this week is finishing third at Pocono in June and runner-up at Pocono in July.

READ MORE HERE....TOP-5 FINISH PREDICTION ON VEGASINSIDER.COM

Ryan Newman is 100/1 to win at the Brickyard

Ryan Newman won 2013 Brickyard 400.

Team: No. 6 Acorns Ford Mustang
Crew Chief: Scott Graves
Twitter: @Roush6Team, @RoushFenway and @RyanJNewman

Big Machine Vodka 400 – Sunday, Sept. 8 at 2 p.m. ET on NBC, SiriusXM Channel 90

ADVANCE NOTES

Newman at Indianapolis Motor Speedway
· Newman will make his 19th Cup start at Indy on Sunday. In 18 prior events, he has one win at The Brickyard with five top-10s, three top fives and an average finish of 16.4.
· Newman secured one of the top victories in all of racing in this event six years ago, winning the 2013 edition of the Brickyard 400. Newman took the lead from Brad Keselowski and led the final 12 laps en route to the win.
· Newman’s best finish outside the victory came just two years ago, crossing the line third after starting eighth. He also finished fourth at the 2.5-mile track in 2002.
· Newman has an average starting spot of 9.7 with one career pole (2013). He qualified inside the top-10 in his first eight Indy races and overall has 13 top-10 starts.

Scott Graves at Indianapolis Motor Speedway
· Graves will be atop the box for his fourth MENCS race at Indy on Sunday. In three prior events Graves has a best finish of seventh with Daniel Suarez in 2017.
· He also called three races in Xfinity Series action (two with Chris Buescher, one with Suarez) with a best finish of seventh with Suarez in 2016.

QUOTE WORTHY

Newman on racing at Indy:
“We know what we have to do entering this weekend. We’ve shown all season we have a lot of fight and we don’t give up, so we’re going to continue that at Indy. Going back home to Indiana is always special for me and is a place that has been good to us over the years. We’re going to give it everything we have this weekend in our Acorns Ford.”

Tracking the Playoff Hunt
· Newman enters the final weekend of the regular season needing to surpass the No. 41, who holds the tiebreaker as the two are tied for the 16th and final spot. The No. 48 sits 18 points back in 18th as four cars total will battle for the final two spots at Indy.

On the Car
Acorns makes its sixth appearance of the season as the primary partner aboard Newman’s No. 6 Ford Mustang this weekend at Indy.

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Recapping Darlington
Ryan Newman had an eventful night at Darlington this past weekend finishing 23rd. He was the victim of a caution early on after contact with the No. 41, before receiving damage from the No. 8 car later in the race as the final 80 laps went caution-free.

Kevin Harvick is 6/1 to win at the Brickyard

KEVIN HARVICK Bakersfield to Indianapolis Harvick has a 5.4 average finish at Brickyard with SHR. KANNAPOLIS, North Carolina (Sept. 3, 2019) – Kevin Harvick was born and raised in Bakersfield, California. So was his childhood hero. Rick Ravon Mears, who actually was born in Wichita, Kansas, but grew up in Bakersfield, was one of the great IndyCar drivers in the long history of automobile racing. Mears is one of only three drivers to win the Indianapolis 500-Mile Race four times – 1979, 1984, 1988 and 1991. And he won IndyCar season-long championships in 1979, 1981 and 1982. He also holds the record for most pole positions at Indy, taking the No. 1 starting spot six times. Harvick, who never competed in IndyCar, has said Mears was his hero growing up. And if you ask Jeff Gordon and Jimmie Johnson, they will tell you the same thing. When Harvick won the 2003 Brickyard 400 at the Indianapolis Motor Speedway, it was one of the biggest races he had ever won. Harvick is hoping to score his second Brickyard 400 victory this week in the No. 4 Mobil 1 Ford Mustang for Stewart-Haas Racing (SHR). Mobil 1 was actually a sponsor and technical partner of Team Penske for Mears’ 1991 Indianapolis 500 victory. And Harvick is coming off a victory last month at Michigan International Speedway in Brooklyn in the No. 4 Mobil 1 Ford Mustang. As always, he’ll have the support of Mobil 1 technology on board as a sponsor and technical partner. Mobil 1 isn’t just the world’s leading synthetic motor oil brand, it also provides the entire SHR organization with leading lubricant technology, ensuring that all SHR Mustangs have a competitive edge over the competition on the track. In its 17th consecutive season as the “Official Motor Oil of NASCAR,” Mobil 1 is used by more than 50 percent of teams throughout NASCAR’s top three series. Harvick is hoping he can lead Mobil 1 and Ford to another victory as this year’s NASCAR playoffs are set after Sunday’s final regular-season race at Indianapolis. Then the real fun begins.

KEVIN HARVICK, Driver of the No. 4 Mobil 1 Ford Mustang for Stewart-Haas Racing:

What do you consider your most memorable win? “For me, I think winning the Daytona 500 is probably the one that sticks out the most. I think that’s our sport’s biggest race and it’s a difficult race to win. You see several of our great past champions and drivers who haven’t won that race, so I was fortunate to win that one. And, for me, winning at Indy was pretty neat, being a huge Rick Mears fan, and winning there was neat for me, and then winning the championship race in Homestead. Those would probably be my top three if I had to pick.” Why do your prefer Mobil 1 synthetic? “I’m a synthetic guy because, in 1993 when we were sitting in the engine shop, we dumped Mobil 1 synthetic in and that’s all we did and gained seven horsepower. From that day on, we would actually save our money and then go to the local auto parts store because, at that time, it was like $5.50 a quart and the conventional and other oils were like $3.50. At the big races, we would put the Mobil 1 in the car and the regular races would put the regular oil in there. You know I’m going to say synthetic.” Talk about the history and prestige of the Brickyard 400 at Indianapolis Motor Speedway. “For me, I grew up in Bakersfield, California, as a Rick Mears fan. Indianapolis Motor Speedway, as a child, that was your racing dream. That was where you wanted to race. I’ve been fortunate to have won the Brickyard 400 and kind of live out that childhood dream. There is a mystique and history, and everything you can think about in racing that has happened for over 100 years has happened at Indianapolis Motor Speedway. So, to go there and see those old grandstands that surround the frontstretch, and that feel that it has, is the same every time you drive in the tunnel. As we go back this weekend, for me, I always feel like it is one of the most special places that you can race, because that is all I wanted to do as a kid. I wanted to be like Rick Mears and win the Indianapolis 500. Now, racing stock cars and being able to compete on that racetrack for me is a thrill.” What was it like to win the Brickyard 400? “When we were fortunate enough to win the Brickyard 400 in 2003 – the coolest part of the whole thing was riding around on the victory lap. You can tell the experienced Indianapolis Motor Speedway fans who go to the Indianapolis 500, and I don’t even know if they still do this anymore, but riding around in that pace car and waving to the fans. There were thousands of them still there to share that moment with me, Richard (Childress) and DeLana (Harvick, wife) before coming back to kiss the bricks. That’s something you’ll never forget.”

Kyle Busch is 3.1 favorite to win 2019 Big Machine Vodka 400 at the Brickyard

KYLE BUSCH Aiming for Three at the Brickyard Kyle Busch has 2 Indy wins and 2 runner-ups. HUNTERSVILLE, North Carolina (Sept. 3, 2019) – Anyone who has followed Kyle Busch’s NASCAR career knows he likes to make history. So as the Monster Energy NASCAR Cup Series heads to historic Indianapolis Motor Speedway for Sunday’s 26th annual Brickyard 400, the driver of the No. 18 M&M’S Hazelnut Spread Toyota for Joe Gibbs Racing (JGR) will look to add himself to an elite list of stock-car winners at the 2.5-mile oval. With his wins in the 400-mile race at 2.5-mile oval in 2015 and 2016, Busch became just the second driver to win back-to-back Brickyard 400s. The only other driver to do so is seven-time NASCAR Cup Series champion Jimmie Johnson, who accomplished the feat in 2008 and 2009. There are relatively few winners of multiple Brickyard 400s to begin with in the race’s 26-year history. Just four drivers reside on that list, and Busch wants to add his name as the fifth driver to win at least three Cup Series races at the Brickyard. Busch hopes to one day catch five-time Brickyard 400 winner Jeff Gordon, who scored his wins in 1994, 1998, 2001, 2004 and 2014, and four-time winner Johnson, who sandwiched his back-to-back victories with his first win there in 2006 and his most recent win in 2012. Busch also looks to break his tie with Indiana native Tony Stewart, who won in 2005 and 2007, and Dale Jarrett, who won in 1996 and 1999, as two-time Brickyard 400 winners. While Busch has an impressive 11 top-10 finishes in 14 starts at Indianapolis for an average finish of 10.7 – second among active drivers – he has always been a frontrunner there. But until he led the final 19 laps in his first Brickyard 400 victory in 2015, and a whopping 149 of the 170 laps in his 2016 victory, Busch had led just 42 laps there prior to 2015. In addition to his strong Cup Series record at Indianapolis, he also has three wins and four top-five finishes in the six Xfinity Series races he’s contested at Indianapolis. He’ll once again be running in Saturday’s Xfinity Series race. This weekend’s Brickyard 400 also marks the final race of the regular season with the playoffs kicking off Sept. 15 at Busch’s hometown Las Vegas Motor Speedway. Busch can go for broke this weekend as he looks for his fifth win of the season. He clinched this year’s regular-season title last weekend at Darlington (S.C.) Raceway. The regular-season title means Busch will add 15 more playoff points to his current 30 bonus points accumulated this season, a total that can be carried throughout the playoffs. So it goes without saying Busch would like nothing more than to enjoy the taste of M&M’S Hazelnut Spread, along with the taste of kissing the famous Yard of Bricks for a third time in his Cup Series career. While twice is nice, the third time would put him in elite company in stock-car history at Indianapolis.

KYLE BUSCH, Driver of the No. 18 M&M'S Hazelnut Spread Toyota Camry for Joe Gibbs Racing:

Is it still important to a driver to win a Daytona 500, Southern 500 and Brickyard 400? “It is. It certainly was special winning both of the Brickyard races. I think that, for myself and the 18 team, winning there two years in a row was thrilling. It was really special as a whole team, and they treat it very special there, as well, with the whole ceremony postrace and everything that goes on there with taking the ride around the track and the owner being with you. J.D. (Gibbs) being there with us on that first Brickyard win was very special and a memory I will always have. That was pretty cool. It is a big deal. I feel like it is for us. For our team, we circle it on the calendar every year – that’s one we want to win. We always circle the Daytona 500, the Coke 600, the All-Star Race, the Brickyard 400, the Southern 500 and Homestead. We crossed another one off that list last year by winning the Coke 600. There are probably a couple more in there that you want to win, such as any one race within each round of the playoffs. You want to win any of those to get yourselves locked in and moving on to the next round just to solidify your chances of being able to win a championship. But it’s obviously a big race, and I guess it still pays pretty decent, so you might as well win it and we are going to try just that this weekend with our M&M’S Hazelnut Spread Camry.” What makes the Indianapolis Motor Speedway so special for you as a driver? “I think the biggest thing about the Brickyard is the prestige – the track’s history and quality of racing, all the historic finishes it’s had over the years, whether it’s been IndyCar or NASCAR. To me, it’s a special place to go to because of its heritage of being Indianapolis. Every guy in NASCAR, and especially every guy in IndyCar, they want to win there.” What’s your favorite Brickyard 400 moment from either watching or participating over the years that didn’t involve you? “I think my favorite moment from over the years, besides our win there, was probably the first one. I just remember Jeff Gordon being my favorite driver. It was his second full-time season in 1994, and he went to victory lane there in the inaugural race. I think that was pretty cool and pretty special for someone who grew up being a fan of Jeff Gordon.” What does it mean to you to race at Indianapolis? “Indianapolis is a really cool place. It’s got a lot of history. I know the history is not all NASCAR – most of it is IndyCar – but it’s one of America’s oldest speedways. The prestige of winning there is a big deal. It’s a unique place to race. If you are back in traffic, it’s a little more frustrating because it can be hard to pass there. But if you have a fast racecar, being able to cut the middle and get down the long, fast straightaways is important there. We’ve run well there the past couple of times. Is there something you’ve figured out there, or have you just run well there? “I think it’s a little bit of both. I think I figured a little bit of something out, but I also think that me figuring something out has helped us be able to develop our car better, too. Like, setup-wise, I know what I need within the car now that makes you faster at Indy than at what I had been running in the past.” What is it about Indianapolis Motor Speedway that makes it unique compared to other tracks the NASCAR Cup Series visits? “It’s very tight down the straightaways. You roll through (turns) one and two and there are people on the inside, there are people on the outside, there are people in the grass, just sitting along the back straightaway on the inside. You’ve got the golf course there and fans sitting on the hills underneath the trees. You start back up into turn three, with the grandstands going around (turns) three and four, and then down the frontstretch and, again, there are two tunnels. There’s a tunnel at the (turns) one and two side, and on the (turns) three and four side. There’s a center road that runs all the way through and then, coming down the frontstretch again, looking on both sides of you, you’ve got the pit road, which is really narrow and really tight, and the grandstands on the inside and the outside. So, you’re going down a ‘V’ of just people – a sea of people. Coming to the Pagoda and the media center, the way it is, and of course the scoring pylon being as tall as it is, you come down there and, if you’re leading the race, sometimes you can’t see that high, so you’re kind of wondering who is second and third, or who is behind you. It stinks when you’re running in the back because you can see yourself (car number) right there.”

Denny Hamlin is 6/1 to win first career Brickyard race

Hamlin has top-5s in 4 of last 5 at Indy.

Denny Hamlin
#11 FedEx Express Toyota
Joe Gibbs Racing

Race Info:
Race: Big Machine Vodka 400 at the Brickyard
Date/Time: September 8/2:00 p.m. ET
Distance: 160 laps/400 miles
Track Length: 2.5 miles
Track Shape: Oval
Banking: 9 degrees
2018 Winner: Brad Keselowski

Express Notes:

Press Kit: Download the 2019 FedEx Racing press materials at www.fedexracing.com/presskit, including bios for Denny Hamlin, Chris Gabehart and Joe Gibbs Racing leadership, program highlights and statistics.

Darlington Recap: A top-five run and a shot at victory were derailed for Denny Hamlin Sunday night after he got collected in a multi-car wreck in the rain-delayed Southern 500 at Darlington (S.C.) Raceway. Hamlin was running in the top five when a multi-car crash unfolded in front of him on Lap 275 of 367. The FedEx Toyota suffered significant damage, but the #11 team was able to patch up their car well enough, using multiple pit stops, to return to the race. However, Hamlin was multiple laps down and unable to make up lost ground. He crossed the line in 29th as Joe Gibbs Racing teammate Erik Jones collected his first win of the season. The start of Sunday night’s race was delayed almost four hours due to heavy rain, and fans didn’t see the checkered flag wave until almost 2 a.m. local time.

Indianapolis Preview: The Monster Energy NASCAR Cup Series heads next to “The Brickyard” for its regular-season finale at Indianapolis Motor Speedway on Sunday, Sept. 8. Despite a disappointing finish at Darlington, ending a streak of six consecutive top-five finishes, Hamlin and team will look for a strong finish to the regular season before playoff racing begins.

Hamlin Indianapolis Statistics:

Track: Indianapolis Motor Speedway
Races: 13
Wins: 0
Poles: 1 (2012)
Top-5: 5
Top-10: 7
Laps Led: 112
Avg. Start: 12.4
Avg. Finish 12.8

Hamlin Conversation:

How will your team bounce back from the result at Darlington?

“Obviously, that was a big disappointment for our FedEx team. We had another good car and felt we could’ve competed for a win. Our team will work hard to get our streak going again in Indianapolis and finish the regular season on a strong note.”

Do you feel any extra pressure heading into the playoffs following such a strong season from you and your team?

“There’s always pressure when it comes to playoff racing, and I’ve been fortunate to have gained lots of experience in the playoffs throughout my career. I have complete faith in my team and we look forward to the challenges ahead.”

FedEx Express Regional Hub in Greensboro, N.C., Along for the Ride at Indianapolis Motor Speedway: FedEx Express celebrates the one-year anniversary of the opening of its regional hub in Greensboro, N.C., by featuring the letters GSOH on the B-post of the #11 FedEx Express Toyota for the Brickyard 400 at Indianapolis Motor Speedway.

Brickyard is last race to make the Playoffs

Jimmie Johnson has four wins at Brickyard.

There have been 25 race trophies awarded this season – 25 opportunities to lock in a Playoff berth – but for the four drivers on the bubble, the last two Playoff positions will depend on their outing in Sunday’s Big Machine Vodka 400 at the Brickyard powered by Florida Georgia Line at Indianapolis Motor Speedway (Sunday at 2 p.m. ET on NBC, IMS and SiriusXM NASCAR Radio).

Veteran Clint Bowyer in 15th holds an eight-point edge on Stewart-Haas Racing teammate Daniel Suarez and Roush Fenway Racing driver Ryan Newman, who are tied in points. Suarez, however, holds the tiebreaker and is currently slotted into the 16th and final Playoff position entering the race while Newman is on the outside in 17th.

Seven-time Cup champion Jimmie Johnson is ranked 18th – 18 points behind Suarez and Newman and 26 points behind Bowyer.

But there is also the possibility that a driver ranked below this foursome could earn one of those Playoff spots with a victory Sunday – which would leave room for only one of them to advance to the postseason on points.

Of the four still eligible to point their way in – Johnson holds a clear statistical advantage. Only NASCAR Hall of Famer and former Hendrick Motorsports teammate Jeff Gordon has won more Indianapolis races (five) than Johnson’s four. And Newman is the only other driver among this Playoff-hopeful quartet with a victory at Indianapolis – winning the 2013 race from the pole position.

In order of their current ranking, Bowyer has three top-five and four top-10 finishes in 13 Indianapolis starts, including a fifth place last year when he tied Denny Hamlin with a race-best 37 laps led.

Suarez has finishes of seventh and 18th in two starts at Indianapolis but has never led a lap.

Newman has had three top-five and five top-10 finishes in 18 career starts, including a third place in 2017. He’s finished in the top 10 in his last two Indianapolis starts, adding in a 10th-place result last year.

With his four Brickyard trophies, Johnson is not only best among those still vying for a Playoff positions but also best in Sunday’s field. He has six top-five and seven top-10 finishes in 17 starts. He won there four times in a seven-year span between 2006-2012, was runner-up in 2013 and then third in 2016. He was 16th last year.

Last week Bowyer bested the four drivers with a sixth-place finish at Darlington – good enough to move him up from 17th in the standings to a Playoff-eligible 15th. His SHR teammate Suarez was 11th at Darlington, securing him that 16th-place designation while Newman was 23rd Saturday night, putting him 17th in the Playoff standings – one spot out of the postseason.

Johnson finished 16th but earned some important stage points. He was running fourth when he was collected in a multi-car accident on Lap 276 of the 367-lap race.

Of note - Johnson has never missed the Playoffs in the 15 years the postseason has been in place for the Monster Energy Series.

And a historical note that Newman and Johnson will try to overcome…in the most recent two seasons, no driver raced into the Playoffs by virtue of his finish in the regular season finale.

Indianapolis Motor Speedway Track Facts: 2019 Big Machine Vodka 400

Kyle Busch is 3/1 favorite to win Sunday at Brickyard.

The Monster Energy NASCAR Cup Series 2019 Top 16 at Indianapolis Motor Speedway

Rank	Driver	Races	Poles	Wins	Top Fives	Top 10s	DNFs	Average Finish	Driver Rating
1	Kyle Busch	14	2	2	5	11	1	10.7	106.7
2	Joey Logano	10	0	0	3	6	0	11.8	90.2
3	Denny Hamlin	13	1	0	5	7	0	12.8	94.1
4	Kevin Harvick	18	2	1	6	12	0	9.4	98.6
5	Martin Truex Jr	14	0	0	1	3	3	20.9	78.4
6	Brad Keselowski	9	0	1	2	5	0	11.1	91.6
7	Kurt Busch	18	0	0	1	6	3	18.8	78.9
8	Chase Elliott	4	0	0	0	0	1	21.8	68.7
9	Kyle Larson	5	0	0	1	3	1	12.6	98.6
10	Ryan Blaney	4	0	0	0	0	2	20.5	81.9
11	Alex Bowman	3	0	0	0	0	1	38.7	34.3
12	Erik Jones	2	0	0	1	1	1	16.5	93.4
13	William Byron	1	0	0	0	0	0	19.0	73.2
14	Aric Almirola	7	0	0	0	0	0	22.3	67.5
15	Clint Bowyer	13	0	0	3	4	1	14.2	86.0
16	Daniel Suarez	2	0	0	0	1	0	12.5	76.3

* – Based on last 14 races at Indianapolis Motor Speedway (2005 – 2018)

Loop Data Leaders: Indianapolis Motor Speedway

Monster Energy Series - Top 3 In Key Loop Data Statistics
Driver Rating		Avg. Running Position		Laps Led
Kyle Busch	106.7	Kyle Larson	9.735	Kyle Busch	324
Jimmie Johnson	101.3	Erik Jones	10.271	Jimmie Johnson	302
Kevin Harvick	98.6	Kyle Busch	10.836	Kevin Harvick	152
Fastest Laps Run		% of Laps in the Top 15		Quality Passes
Kyle Busch	201	Kyle Busch	1,733 (77.0%)	Kyle Busch	391
Jimmie Johnson	182	Kevin Harvick	1,633 (72.5%)	Kevin Harvick	377
Kevin Harvick	98	Jimmie Johnson	1,576 (70.0%)	Jimmie Johnson	360
Loop Data stats are from 2005 - Present

At Indianapolis Motor Speedway:

History

·        Indianapolis Motor Speedway (IMS) has existed since 1909, and is the original "Speedway", the first racing facility to incorporate the word into its name.

·        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 the largest and highest-capacity sporting facility in history.

·        The first Monster Energy NASCAR Cup Series race at Indianapolis Motor Speedway was August 6, 1994 – won by Hendrick Motorsport’s driver Jeff Gordon (Chevrolet).

·        There have been 25 Monster Energy NASCAR Cup races at Indianapolis Motor Speedway; one per year from 1994 through 2018.

Starts

·        A total of 157 different drivers have competed in at least one Monster Energy NASCAR Cup Series race at Indianapolis Motor Speedway; 125 have competed in more than one.

·        Jeff Gordon leads the Monster Energy Series in starts at Indianapolis Motor Speedway with 23.

·        Kevin Harvick, Kurt Busch and Ryan Newman lead all active series drivers in starts at Indianapolis with 18 each.

·        Three drivers have made their first Monster Energy Series career start at Indianapolis Motor Speedway – Danny Sullivan and Geoff Brabham (8/6/1994); Ron Barfield Jr. (8/3/1997).

·        David Green (two starts) leads the series in average starting position at Indianapolis with a 6.0.  

·        Ryan Newman leads all active series drivers in average starting position at Indianapolis with a 9.7.  

Top 10 in Average Starting Position at Indianapolis Motor Speedway (All-Time & Active)

Rank	All-Time Drivers	Avg. Start	Starts	Rank	Active Drivers	Avg. Start	Starts
1	David Green	6.000	2	1	Ryan Newman	9.667	18
2	Juan Pablo Montoya	6.625	8	2	Erik Jones	11.000	2
3	Kenny Irwin Jr	9.500	2	3	Brad Keselowski	11.778	9
4	Ryan Newman	9.667	18	4	Jimmie Johnson	12.059	17
5	Erik Jones	11.000	2	5	Joey Logano	12.300	10
6	Brad Keselowski	11.778	9	6	Denny Hamlin	12.385	13
7	Kasey Kahne	11.929	14	7	Kyle Larson	12.400	5
8	Jimmie Johnson	12.059	17	8	Kevin Harvick	12.722	18
9	Dale Earnhardt	12.286	7	9	Kurt Busch	15.056	18
10	Joey Logano	12.300	10	10	Kyle Busch	15.143	14

Poles

	Monster Energy Series
	Active Indianapolis Pole Winners
	Pole Winners	Poles
1	Kevin Harvick	2
2	Kyle Busch	2
3	Denny Hamlin	1
4	Jimmie Johnson	1
5	Ryan Newman	1

·        In total 19 different series drivers have won a Busch Pole Award at Indianapolis Motor Speedway; five are active this weekend.

·        NASCAR Hall of Famer Jeff Gordon leads the Monster Energy Series in poles at Indianapolis with three (1995, 1996, 1999).

·        Kevin Harvick (2003, 2014) and Kyle Busch (2016, 2017) lead all active drivers in poles at Indianapolis with two each.

·        Rick Mast won the inaugural Busch Pole Award at Indianapolis Motor Speedway in 1994 with a speed of 172.414 mph (Ford). 

·        Three drivers have won consecutive Busch poles at Indianapolis: Kyle Busch (2016-17), Jeff Gordon (1995-96) and Ernie Irvan (1997-98).

·        Youngest Indianapolis Busch pole winner: Reed Sorenson (07/29/2007 – 21 years, 5 months, 24 days).

·        Oldest Indianapolis Busch pole winner: Mark Martin (07/26/2009 – 50 years, 6 months, 17 days).

·        Reed Sorenson (07/29/07) is the only driver to post his first career Monster Energy NASCAR Cup Series pole at Indianapolis Motor Speedway.

·        Five different manufacturers have won at least one pole in the Monster Energy Series at Indianapolis Motor Speedway; led by Chevrolet with 10, followed by Ford (six), Toyota (four), Dodge (two) and Pontiac (two).       

Wins

	Monster Energy Series
	Active Indianapolis Race Winners
	Race Winners	Wins
1	Jimmie Johnson	4
2	Kyle Busch	2
3	Kevin Harvick	1
4	Paul Menard	1
5	Ryan Newman	1
6	Brad Keselowski	1

·        A total of 15 different Monster Energy NASCAR Cup Series drivers have won at Indianapolis Motor Speedway, six are active this weekend.

·        NASCAR Hall of Famer Jeff Gordon leads the series in wins at Indianapolis with five victories (1994, 1998, 2001, 2004, 2014).

·        Jimmie Johnson leads all active series drivers in wins at Indianapolis with four victories (2006, 2008, 2009, 2012).

·        Kyle Busch is the only other active driver with multiple wins (2015, 2016).

·        Jimmie Johnson (2008-09) and Kyle Busch (2015-16) are the only two drivers to win consecutive Monster Energy Series races at Indianapolis Motor Speedway.   

·        Youngest Indianapolis winner: Jeff Gordon (08/06/1994 – 23 years, 0 months, 2 days).

·        Oldest Indianapolis winner: Bill Elliott (08/04/2002 – 46 years, 9 months, 27 days).

·        Paul Menard (07/31/11) is the only series driver to post his first career MENCS win at Indianapolis Motor Speedway. 

·        Four of the 25 Monster Energy NASCAR Cup Series races (16%) at Indianapolis have been won from the Busch pole: Kevin Harvick (2003), Jimmie Johnson (2008), Ryan Newman (2013) and Kyle Busch (2016).

·        The pole position is the most proficient starting positions in the field, producing four winners - more than any other starting position at Indianapolis.    

·        Six of the 25 (24%) Monster Energy NASCAR Cup Series races at Indianapolis have been won from the front row: four from the pole and two from second-place.

MENCS Wins by Starting Positions at Indianapolis Motor Speedway

Starting Position	Wins	Winning %	Starting Position	Wins	Winning %
1	4	16.00%	13	1	4.00%
2	2	8.00%	14	1	4.00%
3	3	12.00%	15	1	4.00%
4	2	8.00%	16	1	4.00%
5	1	4.00%	19	1	4.00%
6	2	8.00%	22	1	4.00%
7	1	4.00%	24	1	4.00%
9	1	4.00%	27	1	4.00%
11	1	4.00%
Stats				Winning %	Wins
Winning from the First Starting Position:				16.00%	4
Winning from the Front Row:				24.00%	6
Winning from a Top-Five Starting Position:				48.00%	12
Winning from a Top-10 Starting Position:				64.00%	16
Winning After Starting Outside the Top 20:				12.00%	3

·        The deepest in the field that a race winner has started at Indianapolis is 27th, by Jeff Gordon in 2001.  

·        In 2016, Kyle Busch became the first driver in history to sweep both the NASCAR Xfinity Series race from the pole and the Monster Energy NASCAR Cup Series race from the pole in the same weekend at Indianapolis. 

·        All seven active Monster Energy NASCAR Cup Series race winners at Indianapolis Motor Speedway participated in at least one or more races before visiting Victory Lane.

·        Jeff Gordon won the Brickyard 400 in his first start at Indianapolis (inaugural event 1994).      

·        Ryan Newman competed at Indianapolis Motor Speedway 12-times before winning in 2013; the longest span of any the six active series winners.

·        Kurt Busch leads the series among active drivers with the most starts at Indianapolis without visiting Victory Lane at 18; followed by Martin Truex Jr. (14).

·        Hendrick Motorsports leads the series in wins at Indianapolis in the Monster Energy NASCAR Cup Series with 10; followed by Joe Gibbs Racing (five) and Richard Childress Racing (three).

·        Four different manufacturers have won at Indianapolis; led by Chevrolet with 17 victories; followed by Ford(four), Toyota (two), Dodge and Pontiac each have one.

·        Chevrolet won 12-straight from 2003-2014.

Additional Finishing Positions

·        A total of 18 different drivers have finished runner up in Monster Energy Series at Indianapolis Motor Speedway.

·        NASCAR Hall of Famer Rusty Wallace and Matt Kenseth lead the series in runner-up finishes at Indianapolis with three each.

·        Kyle Busch leads all active Monster Energy Series drivers in runner-up finishes with two.   

·        A total of 43 different Monster Energy Series drivers have finished in the top-five at Indianapolis Motor Speedway.

·        NASCAR Hall of Famer Jeff Gordon leads the series in top-five finishes at Indianapolis with 12; followed by Matt Kenseth (nine) and Tony Stewart (seven).  

·        Jimmie Johnson and Kevin Harvick lead all active drivers in top fives with six each.    

·        A total of 63 different Monster Energy Series drivers have finished inside the top-10 at Indianapolis Motor Speedway.

·        NASCAR Hall of Famer Jeff Gordon leads the series in top-10 finishes at Indianapolis with 17.

·        Kevin Harvick leads all active series drivers in top 10s at Indianapolis with 12.

·        Daniel Suarez leads the Monster Energy NASCAR Cup Series in average finishing position at Indianapolis with a 7.0 in one start. Below are the top five MENCS drivers (all-time and active) in average finish at IMS:

Top 10 in Average Finishing Position at Indianapolis Motor Speedway (All-Time & Active)

Rank	All-Time Drivers	Average Finish	Starts	Rank	Active Drivers	Average Finish	Starts
1	Kevin Harvick	9.389	18	1	Kevin Harvick	9.389	18
2	Tony Stewart	9.722	18	2	Kyle Busch	10.714	14
3	Morgan Shepherd	10.000	4	3	Brad Keselowski	11.111	9
4	Jeff Gordon	10.043	23	4	Joey Logano	11.800	10
5	Rusty Wallace	10.250	12	5	Daniel Suarez	12.500	2
6	Dale Earnhardt	10.429	7	6	Kyle Larson	12.600	5
7	Kyle Busch	10.714	14	7	Denny Hamlin	12.846	13
8	Brad Keselowski	11.111	9	8	Clint Bowyer	14.154	13
9	Ernie Irvan	11.800	5	9	Jimmie Johnson	15.412	17
10	Joey Logano	11.800	10	10	Chris Buescher	16.000	3

Track Specific Stats

·        Since the advent of electronic scoring (1993) the closest margin of victory (MOV) in the Monster Energy NASCAR Cup Series at Indianapolis Motor Speedway was the August 3, 1997 race won by Ricky Rudd over Bobby Labonte with a margin of victory of 0.183 second.

Top Five Monster Energy Series Margin of Victory Finishes at Indianapolis

Date	Margin of Victory	Race Winner	Runner-Up
8/3/1997	0.183	Ricky Rudd	Bobby Labonte
7/27/2008	0.332	Jimmie Johnson	Carl Edwards
7/26/2015	0.332	Kyle Busch	Joey Logano
8/5/1995	0.370	Dale Earnhardt	Rusty Wallace
7/26/2009	0.400	Jimmie Johnson	Mark Martin

·        Four of the 25 series races at Indianapolis have resulted with NASCAR Overtime:

Date	Scheduled No. of Laps	Actual No. of Laps	NASCAR Overtime Laps	Race Winner
7/23/2017	160	167	7	Kasey Kahne
7/24/2016	160	170	10	Kyle Busch
7/26/2015	160	164	4	Kyle Busch
8/8/2004	160	161	1	Jeff Gordon

·        None of the 25 Monster Energy NASCAR Cup Series races at Indianapolis Motor Speedway have been shortened due to weather conditions.     

·        Qualifying has been cancelled due to weather conditions in the Monster Energy NASCAR Cup Series at Indianapolis Motor Speedway only once – last season’s event (2018).