Indianapolis Betting Preview: 2017 Brickyard 400

The prestige of the track makes this a huge race, always.

LAS VEGAS -- It took 19 races this season for Joe Gibbs Racing to finally get a win with Denny Hamlin taking the checkers last week at New Hampshire and it's quite possible they're about to go on a major run in the second-half of the season after finally getting their new Camry design figured out. Next up for them to conquer is the auto racing cathedral at Indianapolis Motor Speedway, a place they've won at the past two years behind Kyle Busch.

“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 has been IndyCar or NASCAR," Busch said earlier this week.

"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. Getting our Skittles Camry to victory lane there three years in a row would be special for a lot of reasons.”

Three Brickyard 400 wins in a row would be the first time ever at Indy. It hasn't even been done in the Indy 500 which has had five times more starts in its history there than NASCAR. Busch's wins the past two seasons on the famed bricks also gave Toyota its first wins there as well.

What has me liking Busch more this week besides what he's done so well there the past two seasons on the flat-2.5 mile layout is what he did at Pocono Raceway last month.

The reason Pocono is used as a comparison because it's the only track somewhat similar to Indy. Pocono only has three turns and each of them have varied banking, but its long straightaway is similar to the frontstretch and backstretch of Indy. The tight Turn 3 at Pocono is also similar to all four of the turns at Indy so crew chiefs can get a nice feel how the car balance should be based on what they saw last month.

In that Pocono race, Ryan Blaney ended up winning his first career race and he did it by an amazing restart with 10 laps to go. Those would be the only 10 laps he'd lead all day and he'd hold off a tenacious Kevin Harvick for the win. Kyle Busch would lead 100 of the 160 laps that day and was leading with 10 laps to go, but was a sitting duck with older tires.

Read More Here.....Top-5 Finish Prediction on VegasInsider.com

Odds to win 2017 Brickyard 400 at Indianapolis Motor Speedway

Kyle Busch has won the past two Brickyard 400's.

WESTGATE LAS VEGAS SUPERBOOK
ODDS TO WIN 2017 BRICKYARD 400
INDIANAPOLIS MOTOR SPEEDWAY
SUNDAY, JULY 23, 2017 - 2:50 PM ET

Martin TRUEX JR 3/1

Kyle BUSCH 3/1
Kyle LARSON 5/1
Kevin HARVICK 8/1
Jimmie JOHNSON 8/1
Denny HAMLIN 12/1
Chase ELLIOTT 12/1
Matt KENSETH 12/1
Brad KESELOWSKI 15/1
Joey LOGANO 25/1
Erik JONES 40/1
Ryan BLANEY 40/1
Clint BOWYER 40/1
Jamie McMURRAY 40/1
Kurt BUSCH 60/1
Dale EARNHARDT JR 60/1
Daniel SUAREZ 100/1
Kasey KAHNE 100/1
Ricky STENHOUSE JR 200/1
Austin DILLON 200/1
Ryan NEWMAN 200/1
Paul MENARD 200/1
Ty DILLON 500/1
Trevor BAYNE 500/1
AJ ALLMENDINGER 500/1
Aric ALMIROLA 500/1
Danica PATRICK 500/1
Chris BUESCHER 500/1
Michael McDOWELL 1000/1
FIELD (all others) 1000/1


DRIVER vs DRIVER MATCHUPS
Martin TRUEX JR - 110
Kyle BUSCH - 110

Martin TRUEX JR - 155
Kyle LARSON +135

Kyle BUSCH - 155
Kyle LARSON +135

Kyle LARSON - 165
Kevin HARVICK +145

Kyle LARSON - 165
Jimmie JOHNSON +145

Kevin HARVICK - 110
Jimmie JOHNSON - 110

Kevin HARVICK - 150
Denny HAMLIN +130

Kevin HARVICK - 150
Chase ELLIOTT +130

Jimmie JOHNSON - 150
Denny HAMLIN +130

Jimmie JOHNSON - 150
Chase ELLIOTT +130

Denny HAMLIN - 110
Chase ELLIOTT - 110

Denny HAMLIN - 110
Matt KENSETH - 110

Matt KENSETH - 150
Brad KESELOWSKI +130

Chase ELLIOTT - 150
Brad KESELOWSKI +130

Brad KESELOWSKI - 165
Joey LOGANO +145

Erik JONES - 120
Ryan BLANEY EVEN

Erik JONES - 120
Jamie McMURRAY EVEN

Erik JONES - 120
Clint BOWYER EVEN

Ryan BLANEY - 110
Jamie McMURRAY - 110

Ryan BLANEY - 110
Clint BOWYER - 110

Danica Patrick knows the Brickyard well

Danica Patrick has a 30th-place average in four Brickyard Cup starts

KANNAPOLIS, North Carolina (July 18, 2017) – When Monster Energy NASCAR Cup Series teams visit Indianapolis Motor Speedway for Sunday’s Brickyard 400, (Back Home Again in) Indiana, the song performed prior to the Indianapolis 500 each year since 1946, will be a welcoming tune for Danica Patrick, driver of the No. 10 Aspen Dental Ford Fusion for Stewart-Haas Racing (SHR). 

While Patrick was born in Beloit, Wisconsin and raised in the town of Roscoe, Illinois, when she returns to Indianapolis, it’s a homecoming of sorts after years of success at Indy as she competed in the Indianapolis 500 from 2005 to 2011. 

“I think the best thing about coming back is that it feels familiar and it feels comfortable,” Patrick said. “We spent so much time there during the month of May that it becomes like a second home, almost. It’s not like the Indy 500 was a three-day show. You spent just about the entire month there. My parents live outside of Indy, as do my sister and her family, so it’s nice to come back.” 

Patrick burst onto the scene at Indy in May 2005, when she stunned the world by leading three times for 19 laps and finishing fourth in her first 500 – becoming the first woman to lead laps and score a top-five finish in the historic race. 

She set numerous records during her Indy 500 debut and set the tone early when she posted the fastest lap on the opening day of practice. She went on to set the fastest practice lap five times during the month – more than any other driver – including Pole Day and Carburetion Day. 

Patrick’s practice lap of 229.880 mph on Pole Day was the fastest of any driver during the month and the fastest turned by any woman in the history of the Indianapolis Motor Speedway. 

During her qualification attempt, Patrick made an impressive save as her car bobbled in turn one on her first lap, earning her rave reviews for her car control by longtime Speedway observers. She ended up qualifying fourth, the best-ever starting position for a woman in the race. On race day, with 11 laps remaining in the 200-lap event, Patrick blew past leader Dan Wheldon and held the point until lap 194, when she was forced to slow down in order to conserve fuel to make it to the finish. Her efforts earned her Rookie of the Year honors. 

Patrick scored six top-10 finishes in seven starts at Indianapolis and qualified 10th or better five times. Her third-place result in 2009 is the best finish ever for a woman in the history of the 500. 

While Patrick has earned history-making results at Indianapolis in her IndyCar career, she has yet to experience the same level of success at the 2.5-mile track in a stock car. In her first NASCAR Cup Series start at the track in 2013, she finished 30th and, in 2014, her day at the iconic track was cut short by rear-gear issues and she ended up 42nd. In 2015, Patrick was running 13th with less than 15 laps to go but lost considerable ground on the final two restarts and finished 27th. 

Last year, Patrick scored her highest stock car finish at the track when she took the checkered flag in the 22nd position. In Patrick’s lone Xfinity Series race at Indianapolis in 2012, she finished 35th after getting caught up in an accident. 

Patrick returns to Indianapolis this week on the heels of scoring back-to-back top-15 finishes. Riding that momentum, Patrick and the No. 10 Aspen Dental Ford team hope her past success in the 500 will finally carry over to the Brickyard 400 so they can bring home a solid finish.

Kyle Busch comments on going for third straight Brickyard win

Kyle Busch is the 5-to-1 favorite to win at Brickyard, again.

KYLE BUSCH, Driver of the No. 18 Skittles Toyota Camry for Joe Gibbs Racing: 

Is it still important to a driver that, before you leave NASCAR, you win a Daytona 500, Southern 500 and Brickyard 400? 

“It is. It certainly was for us a few years ago and again last year. I think that, for myself and the 18 team, winning there (at Indianapolis Motor Speedway) with Skittles 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) was there a few years ago. 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 earlier this year by winning the All-Star Race. There’s 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.” 

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 has 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. Getting our Skittles Camry to victory lane there three years in a row would be special for a lot of reasons.” 

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. We haven’t qualified well, though, and I think we need to focus on qualifying when we get there and, if we can do that, we will be a heck of a lot better off for the race with our Skittles Camry.” 

How do you feel going into Indianapolis with this rules package and stage racing? 

“It’s going to be interesting. I look forward to Indianapolis every year now. We’ve certainly picked up on something the last couple of years that has made us really good there and we’ve been fast over the years, but it’s just the last two years have been really good for us. I certainly hope we can take the same powerful equipment and car and everything and have a good shot at being able to win that race. We would certainly like to get it three in a row. That would be nice. That would be special. That would be something unprecedented, something no one’s ever done, so I look forward to that and seeing what this new aero package at Indy has in store for us with our Skittles Camry.” 

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, you know? 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.”

Jimmie Johnson is the best active driver at Brickyard

Jimmie Johnson is 8/1 to win at Brickyard for fifth time. 

Jimmie Johnson on racing at Indianapolis
“Indy no doubt is a special track. It would be so special to get a fifth win there. That track has shown me the high of highs and the low of lows in my career. We tested there in April and it was a challenging test session. The cars will be very loose into the corner. I feel like we were the best car at the test session so I hope when we unload on Saturday it's an advantage for this Lowe’s team.”

DANNY CLINCH PHOTO TAKEOVER: As part of his ongoing photography project designed to showcase life at the track with a unique perspective, Jimmie Johnson has invited noteworthy photographer and film director Danny Clinch to Indianapolis Motor Speedway this weekend. Clinch began his career as an intern for Annie Leibovitz and went on to photograph the likes of Bob Dylan, Johnny Cash, Bruce Springsteen, Tupac Shakur, The Smashing Pumpkins, Blind Melon, Dave Matthews Band, Pearl Jam and Phish. Clinch's photographs have appeared in many publications including Vanity Fair, Spin, The New Yorker, The New York Times, and Rolling Stone. Clinch has presented his work in numerous galleries and has also published four books titled "Discovery Inn," "When the Iron Bird Flies," "Still Moving" and "Motor Drive." Clinch has also been featured on "60 Minutes" and has received three Grammy Awards for his role as a director. With a social media takeover on Johnson’s handles (@JimmieJohnson on Instagram & Twitter, Jimmie Johnson on Facebook), Clinch’s work will be highlighted for all NASCAR fans to enjoy. For more info about Clinch and his work, click here.

SERIES-HIGH DRIVER RATING: According to NASCAR's loop data statistics since 2005, Johnson has the series-best driver rating at Indianapolis with a score of 105.7. The driver rating is a formula that combines wins, top-15 finishes, average running position while on the lead lap, average speed under green, fastest lap, most laps led and lead-lap finishes. The maximum a driver can earn in each race is 150 points. The driver rating number is used pre-race as a prediction tool and post-race as a performance evaluator. Since 2005, Johnson’s average finish at Indianapolis is 13.0.

SEVEN TIME IS A FOUR-TIME BRICK-KISSER: Johnson has won the prestigious Brickyard 400 four times in his career. His first win came in the 2006 season followed by back-to-back wins in 2008 and 2009. He is the only driver to have ever recorded consecutive wins in the race. Johnson’s latest win at the Brickyard came in 2012 and his four wins are one less than Jeff Gordon’s five for most wins at the track.

WINNING FROM THE POLE: In 2008, Johnson won the pole position on the famed Brickyard with a speed of 181.763 mph. He led 71 laps that race and won the event for the second time, becoming the second driver to do so from the pole. There have been four winners of the race from the pole since the NASCAR Cup Series began racing at the Brickyard in 1994 – Johnson, Kevin Harvick, Ryan Newman and Kyle Busch.

INDY TESTER: Johnson, crew chief Chad Knaus and the No. 48 team spent two days at the Speedway, Indiana, track in April for a Goodyear tire test. Johnson felt as though the test was challenging, yet productive.

JOHNSON AT TEAM CHEVY STAGE: Johnson will be at the Team Chevy stage for a question-and-answer session in the infield of Indianapolis Motor Speedway on Sunday, July 23, at 12 p.m. local time. The appearance is open to the public.

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2017 Season 9th in standings 19 starts 3 race wins 1 stage win 0 pole positions 3 top-five finishes 7 top-10 finishes 188 laps led     Career 562 starts 83 wins 35 pole positions 221 top-five finishes 337 top-10 finishes 18,634 laps led     Track Career  15 starts 4 wins 1 pole position 6 top-five finishes 7 top-10 finishes 302 laps led

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Indianapolis Motor Speedway Tracks Facts: 2017 Brickyard 400

Kyle Busch has won the past two Brickyard 400's. No driver, NASCAR or IndyCar, has won three straight.

The Monster Energy NASCAR Cup Series 2017 Top 16 at Indianapolis Motor Speedway

Rank	Driver	Races	Poles	Wins	Top Fives	Top 10s	DNFs	Average Finish	Driver Rating
1	Martin Truex Jr	12	0	0	1	3	1	18.3	79.2
2	Kyle Larson	3	0	0	1	3	0	7	104.8
3	Kyle Busch	12	1	2	5	10	0	9	105.5
4	Kevin Harvick	16	2	1	5	10	0	9.9	97.1
5	Denny Hamlin	11	1	0	4	6	0	13.4	92.4
6	Chase Elliott	2	0	0	0	0	0	16.5	69.9
7	Jamie McMurray	14	0	1	3	5	0	15	78.1
8	Brad Keselowski	7	0	0	0	3	0	13.9	88.3
9	Jimmie Johnson	15	1	4	6	7	3	14.6	105.7
10	Clint Bowyer	11	0	0	2	3	0	13.5	82.4
11	Matt Kenseth	17	0	0	8	11	2	13.2	98.3
12	Ryan Blaney	2	0	0	0	0	1	24	68.8
13	Joey Logano	8	0	0	2	5	0	12.6	90.1
14	Kurt Busch	16	0	0	1	5	2	19	76.1
15	Ricky Stenhouse Jr	4	0	0	0	0	0	24	58.8
16	Ryan Newman	16	1	1	2	3	3	17.7	78.3

* – Based on last 12 races at Indianapolis Motor Speedway (2005 – 2016)

2017 Stage Winners / Drivers with Playoff Points

Track	Stage 1 Winner	Stage 2 Winner	Stage 3 Winner	Race Winner		Following Race #19
Daytona	Kyle Busch	Kevin Harvick	N/A	Kurt Busch		Drivers	Points
Atlanta	Kevin Harvick	Kevin Harvick	N/A	Brad Keselowski		Martin Truex Jr.	29
Las Vegas	Martin Truex Jr.	Martin Truex Jr.	N/A	Martin Truex Jr.		Jimmie Johnson	16
Phoenix	Joey Logano	Chase Elliott	N/A	Ryan Newman		Kyle Larson	13
Auto Club	Kyle Larson	Martin Truex Jr.	N/A	Kyle Larson		Brad Keselowski	13
Martinsville	Martin Truex Jr.	Chase Elliott	N/A	Brad Keselowski		Ricky Stenhouse Jr	10
Texas	Ryan Blaney	Ryan Blaney	N/A	Jimmie Johnson		Ryan Blaney	8
Bristol	Kyle Larson	Martin Truex Jr.	N/A	Jimmie Johnson		Kevin Harvick	8
Richmond	Matt Kenseth	Brad Keselowski	N/A	Joey Logano		Denny Hamlin	7
Talladega	Brad Keselowski	Denny Hamlin	N/A	Ricky Stenhouse Jr		Ryan Newman	5
Kansas	Kyle Busch	Ryan Blaney	N/A	Martin Truex Jr.		Kurt Busch	5
Charlotte	Kyle Busch	Martin Truex Jr.	Denny Hamlin	Austin Dillon		Austin Dillon	5
Dover	Martin Truex Jr.	Martin Truex Jr.	N/A	Jimmie Johnson		Kyle Busch	5
Pocono	Kyle Busch	Kyle Larson	N/A	Ryan Blaney		Chase Elliott	2
Michigan	Martin Truex Jr.	Martin Truex Jr.	N/A	Kyle Larson		Matt Kenseth	2
Sonoma	Martin Truex Jr.	Jimmie Johnson	N/A	Kevin Harvick		Joey Logano	1
Daytona	Brad Keselowski	Matt Kenseth	N/A	Ricky Stenhouse Jr
Kentucky	Martin Truex Jr.	Martin Truex Jr.	N/A	Martin Truex Jr.
New Hampshire	Martin Truex Jr.	Kyle Busch	N/A	Denny Hamlin

Indianapolis Motor Speedway Data

Season Race #: 20 of 36 (07-23-17)

Track Size: 2.5-miles

Banking/Turns 1 & 2: 9 degrees

Banking/Turns 3 & 4: 9 degrees

Banking/Straights: 0 degrees

Frontstretch Length: 3,330 feet

Backstretch Length:  3,300 feet

Race Length: 160 laps / 400 miles

Stages 1 & 2 Length: 50 laps (each)

Final Stage Length: 60 laps

Top 10 Driver Ratings at Indianapolis

Jimmie Johnson...................... 105.7

Kyle Busch.............................. 105.5

Kyle Larson............................. 104.8

Matt Kenseth............................ 98.3

Kevin Harvick............................ 97.1

Kasey Kahne............................ 95.0

Denny Hamlin............................ 92.4

Joey Logano............................. 90.1

Brad Keselowski........................ 88.3

Clint Bowyer.............................. 82.4

Note: Driver Ratings compiled from 2005-2016 races (12 total) among active drivers at Indianapolis Motor Speedway.

Qualifying/Race Data

2016 pole winner:

Kyle Busch, Toyota

184.634 mph, 48.745 secs. 07-21-16

2016 race winner:

Kyle Busch, Toyota

128.940 mph, (03:17:46), 07-23-16

Track qualifying record:

Kevin Harvick, Chevrolet

188.889 mph, 47.647 secs. 07-25-14

(Set in Round 1 of 3)

Track race record:

Bobby Labonte, Pontiac

155.912 mph, (02:33:56), 08-05-00

At Indianapolis Motor Speedway:

History

·       Indianapolis Motor Speedway 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 Jeff Gordon (Chevrolet).

·       There have been 23 Monster Energy NASCAR Cup races at Indianapolis Motor Speedway; one per year from 1994 through 2016.

Starts

·       145 drivers have competed in at least one Monster Energy NASCAR Cup Series race at Indianapolis Motor Speedway; 118 in more than one.

·       Jeff Gordon is the only driver that has competed in all 23 races at Indianapolis Motor Speedway.

·       Matt Kenseth leads all active MENCS drivers in starts at IMS with 17.

·       Juan Pablo Montoya leads the series in average starting position at Indianapolis with a 6.625.

·       Ryan Newman leads the series among active drivers in average starting position at Indianapolis with a 9.313.

Poles

·       Rick Mast won the inaugural Coors Light pole at Indianapolis in 1994 with a speed of 172.414 mph (Ford).  

·       19 drivers have won Coors Light poles at Indianapolis, led by Jeff Gordon with three; followed by Kevin Harvick with two.

·       Two drivers have won consecutive Coors Light poles at Indianapolis: Jeff Gordon (1995-96) and Ernie Irvan (1997-98).

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

·       Oldest Indianapolis Coors Light 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 Coors Light pole at Indianapolis Motor Speedway.

·       Five manufacturers have won at least one Coors Light pole at Indianapolis Motor Speedway; led by Chevrolet with 10, followed by Ford (six), Toyota (three), Dodge and Pontiac each have two.       

Wins

·       13 different Monster Energy NASCAR Cup Series drivers have won at Indianapolis Motor Speedway, led by Jeff Gordon with five wins.

·       Jimmie Johnson leads all active series drivers in wins with four.

·       Jimmie Johnson (2008-09) and Kyle Busch (2015-16) are the only two drivers that have posted consecutive MENCS wins 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).

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

·       Four different manufacturers have won at Indianapolis; led by Chevrolet with 16 victories; followed by Ford(three), Toyota (two), Dodge and Pontiac each have one. Chevrolet won 12-straight from 2003-2014.

·       Four of the 23 (17.4%) Monster Energy NASCAR Cup Series races at Indianapolis have been won from the Coors Light pole: Kevin Harvick (2003), Jimmie Johnson (2008), Ryan Newman (2013) and Kyle Busch (2016).

·       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.  

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

·       Six of the 23 (26.1%) 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 Winners at IMS Race Winners Wins Jeff Gordon 5 Jimmie Johnson 4 Dale Jarrett 2 Kyle Busch 2 Tony Stewart 2 Bill Elliott 1 Bobby Labonte 1 Dale Earnhardt 1 Jamie McMurray 1 Kevin Harvick 1 Paul Menard 1 Ricky Rudd 1 Ryan Newman 1

12 of the 23 (52.2%) Monster Energy NASCAR Cup Series races at Indianapolis have been won from a top-five starting position.

·       15 of the 23 (65.2%) Monster Energy NASCAR Cup races at Indianapolis have been won from a top-10 starting position.

·       Three of the 23 (13%) Monster Energy NASCAR Cup Series races at Indianapolis have been won from a starting position outside the top 20.

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

·       The deepest in the field that an active race winner has started is 16th, by Jimmie Johnson in 2009. 

·       All six 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.

·       Matt Kenseth leads the series among active drivers with the most starts at Indianapolis without visiting Victory Lane at 17; followed by Kurt Busch (16) and Dale Earnhardt Jr. (16).

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

Additional Finishing Positions

·       NASCAR Hall of Famer Rusty Wallace and Matt Kenseth lead the series in runner-up finishes at Indianapolis with three each; followed by Kyle Busch, Bobby Labonte and Mark Martin with two each.   

·       Jeff Gordon leads the series in top-five finishes at Indianapolis with 12.

·       Matt Kenseth leads all active drivers in top-five finishes at IMS with eight.    

·       Jeff Gordon leads the series in top-10 finishes at Indianapolis with 17; followed by Matt Kenseth, Tony Stewart and Mark Martin with 11 each.

·       Kyle Busch leads the Monster Energy NASCAR Cup Series in average finishing position at Indianapolis with a 9.000.

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 MOV of 0.183 second.

·       Below are the series’ top five closest MOVs at IMS:

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

·       Three of the 23 Monster Energy NASCAR Cup Series races at Indianapolis have resulted with NASCAR Overtime:

Date	Scheduled No. of Laps	Actual No. of Laps	NASCAR Overtime Laps
7/24/2016	160	170	10
7/26/2015	160	164	4
8/8/2004	160	161	1

·       None of the 23 Monster Energy NASCAR Cup Series races at Indianapolis Motor Speedway have been shortened due to weather conditions.     

·       Qualifying has not been cancelled due to weather conditions in the Monster Energy NASCAR Cup Series at Indianapolis Motor Speedway.     

·       A total of 79 different series drivers have led at least one lap at Indianapolis; led by Jeff Gordon with 528 laps led in 23 starts.

·       Below are the top five active series lap leaders at IMS:

Active Drivers	Laps Led	Laps Completed	% of Laps Led
Jimmie Johnson	302	2,225	13.6%
Kyle Busch	210	1,886	11.1%
Kevin Harvick	181	2,563	7.1%
Kasey Kahne	158	1,973	8.0%
Brad Keselowski	76	1,134	6.7%

Female Competitor Stats

·       Danica Patrick became the first female driver to compete in the Monster Energy NASCAR Cup Series at Indianapolis Motor Speedway in 2013.

Driver	Starting Position	Finishing Position	Driver Rating	Date
Danica Patrick	14	42	67.0	7/27/2014
Danica Patrick	15	27	76.0	7/26/2015
Danica Patrick	24	22	57.8	7/24/2016
Danica Patrick	33	30	48.5	7/28/2013
Averages	21.5	30.3	62.3

·       Shawna Robinson (08/05/01) is the only other female driver to attempt to compete in the series at Indianapolis, but she failed to qualify for the event.

NASCAR in Indiana

·       There have been 77 NASCAR national series races among four tracks in the state of Indiana.

Track Name	City	MENCS	NXS	NCWTS	Total Races
Indianapolis Motor Speedway	Speedway	23	5	0	28
Lucas Oil Raceway	Indianapolis	0	30	17	47
Funks Speedway	Winchester	1	0	0	1
Playland Park Speedway	South Bend	1	0	0	1
Totals		25	35	17	77

·       The first NASCAR national series race held in the state of Indiana was at Funks Speedway in Winchester on October 15, 1950. The race was won by Lloyd Moore in a Mercury.

Indiana Drivers in NASCAR

·       81 drivers in NASCAR national series history have their home state recorded as Indiana.

·       10 of the 81 have posted a win in a NASCAR national series event.

Driver	MENCS	NXS	NCWTS
Tony Stewart	49	11	2
Ryan Newman	18	7	1
Darel Dieringer	7	0	0
Charlie Glotzbach	4	0	0
John Andretti	2	0	0
Earl Balmer	1	0	0
Larry Frank	1	0	0
Dick Passwater	1	0	0
Tony Raines	0	0	4
Kenny Irwin Jr	0	0	2

Monster Energy NASCAR Cup Series Milestones
Drivers	Has	Needs	Milestones
Martin Truex Jr.	424	1	To become the 54th driver to start 425 or more MENCS races
Trevor Bayne	149	1	Tie Cotton Owens (150) for 163rd on the all-time MENCS starts list
Jimmie Johnson	83	1	Tie Bobby Allison and Darrell Waltrip for fourth on MENCS all-time wins list
Kyle Busch	38	1	Tie Tim Flock (39) for 18th on all-time MENCS wins list
Matt Kenseth	38	1	Tie Tim Flock (39) for 18th on all-time MENCS wins list
Kevin Harvick	36	1	Tie Bobby Isaac (37) for 21st on MENCS all-time wins list
Denny Hamlin	30	2	Tie Dale Jarrett (32) for 24th on all-time MENCS wins list
Kurt Busch	29	1	Tie Denny Hamlin (30) for 25th on all-time MENCS wins list
Brad Keselowski	23	2	Tie Joe Weatherly, Jim Paschal (25) for 31st on all-time MENCS wins list
Ryan Newman	51	3	Tie Bill Elliott for eighth on the all-time MENCS poles list
Jimmie Johnson	35	1	Tie Rusty Wallace and Rex White for 17th on all-time MENCS poles list
Kasey Kahne	27	1	Break the tie with Terry Labonte to become solely 25th on all-time MENCS poles list
Denny Hamlin	24	1	Break the tie with Alan Kulwicki to become solely 28th on all-time MENCS poles list
Kyle Busch	22	1	Tie Jack Smith, Ken Schrader (23) for 30th on all-time MENCS poles list
Kevin Harvick	49	1	Become the 10th MENCS driver to post 50 or more second-place finishes
Jimmie Johnson	46	2	Tie Lee Petty for 11th on all-time MENCS second-place finishes list
Matt Kenseth	29	1	Tie Ricky Rudd for 25th on all-time MENCS second-place finishes list
Dale Earnhardt Jr	149	1	To become the 24th driver to post 150 or more MENCS top-five finishes
Ricky Stenhouse Jr.	24	1	To post his 25th career MENCS top-10 finish
Austin Dillon	24	1	To post his 25th career MENCS top-10 finish
Jimmie Johnson	18,634	366	To become the ninth driver in series history to lead 19,000 or more laps
Kyle Busch	13,310	690	To become the 10th driver in series history to lead 14,000 or more laps
Matt Kenseth	11,523	477	To become the 15th MENCS driver all-time to lead 12,000 or more laps
Kevin Harvick	10,786	221	To become 17th MENCS driver all-time to lead 11,000 or more laps
Kurt Busch	8,867	133	To become 20th MENCS driver all-time to lead 9,000 or more laps
Denny Hamlin	8,365	635	To become 20th MENCS driver all-time to lead 9,000 or more laps
Dale Earnhardt Jr	8,210	790	To become 20th MENCS driver all-time to lead 9,000 or more laps