Mash The Gas: Brickyard Preview

Jimmie Johnson is looking for Brickyard 400 win number five.  [John Wiedemann Photo]

by Dan Margetta and John Wiedemann

The NASCAR Sprint Cup Series makes its annual return to the famed yard of bricks as the storied Indianapolis Motor Speedway hosts the Crown Royal presents the Jeff Kyle 400 at the Brickyard, an event commonly known as the Brickyard 400.

This year’s edition of the Brickyard 400 marks the 21st year since the full bodied stock cars graced the fabled Indy oval and the drivers will be facing a new never-raced before aerodynamic rules package.

The new aerodynamic rules which are designed to increase drag make this year’s race one of the hardest Brickyard 400’s to predict as no one has any on track experience with the package and current tires. Historically, the race has been kind to Chevrolet drivers as they have won the last 12 years running, but if there is any year the other manufacturers could step up it would be 2015 due to all the unknowns.

It’s a wide open Brickyard 400 with anticipation running high and here a few drivers to watch on Sunday…

Jimmie Johnson (Dan Margetta)
Jimmie Johnson has been rather stellar at the Indianapolis Motor Speedway having scored four wins to go along with five top five finishes and six top ten results. He also owns the best driver rating in the garage and enters this year’s race at 7-1 odds to win. In the past, when new rules or ideas were introduced, Jimmie Johnson along with crew chief Chad Knaus and the #48 team have traditionally adapted better than anyone else and that strong team chemistry could give them an advantage working through all the unknowns. Jimmie Johnson already leads the series in wins this season with four and a victory on Sunday at the Brickyard would put him in prestigious company with other five time Indy winners Jeff Gordon and Michael Schumacher. When faced with so many unknowns, you go with what you do know, and Jimmie Johnson and the #48 team have been the best when it comes to adapting to changes. Don’t be surprised to see Jimmie Johnson in victory lane on Sunday.

Kyle Busch (John Wiedemann)
With his third win of the season last weekend, Kyle Busch continues his torrid pace of trying to break into the top 30 in the point standings. This weekend at Indianapolis should be a continuation as the hottest driver in NASCAR returns to a track where he has a streak of five top ten finishes and two runner-up runs in the last three races including last season’s race. Can Kyle pick up win number four of the season? It certainly is likely. It is a bit of a guessing game with the new high drag package this weekend but Joe Gibbs Racing, led by Busch, has been at the top of their game recently. With all four drivers running well, look for them to be at the front of the pack, with Busch leading.

Jeff Gordon (DM)
Jeff Gordon has been the story at Indianapolis from his 1994 win in the Inaugural event to his fifth triumph last year and he is very well competing in his final Brickyard 400 on Sunday. His Indy track record is impressive with five victories and twelve top fives as well as seventeen top ten finishes. Jeff Gordon is the only driver to compete in every edition of the Brickyard 400 and his 105.6 driver rating is second best to teammate Jimmie Johnson. Gordon desperately needs a victory to ensure his spot in the Chase during his final season and Indy has a way of creating magical moments for great drivers. He enters this weekend at 12-1 odds to win but the famed Brickyard may smile on Jeff Gordon on Sunday.

Kevin Harvick (JW)
This weekend’s race package could play well into Kevin Harvick’s wheelhouse. The Stewart-Haas team has shown speed all season and speed will be needed to combat the drag produced by the setup. If the race does turn into a pack racing format, Harvick does well at that also. Harvick has a win at Indy as well as the fifth best average finish amongst active drivers. Looking for win number three on the season, this racetrack and high drag package may be just what Harvick needs to pick up some bonus points for the Chase.

Matt Kenseth (DM)
Chevrolet has had a lock on the Brickyard 400 with their drivers winning the last twelve years running but one driver who could break that streak is Matt Kenseth who drives for Joe Gibbs Racing and Toyota. Kenseth has yet to win at Indy and it remains the lone crown jewel missing from his NASCAR career that already features wins in the Daytona 500, Coca-Cola 600, Southern 500, and the Cup championship. Kenseth has seven top five finishes and nine top tens at Indy and the Gibbs and Toyota program have shown strong improvements over the past few weeks. Kenseth is also very good at providing feedback on the car’s handling characteristics which will help with adapting to the new aerodynamic rules in place for this weekend. Kenseth is listed at 10-1 odds this weekend and he should be one of the contenders on Sunday.

Dale Earnhardt Jr. (JW)
The pack-racing king is probably hoping that this weekend’s high drag package produces that type of racing. Still looking for that first Brickyard win, Dale Earnhardt Jr. has run well at Indianapolis in the past and been in the mix for a victory. Junior led the race in 2007, only to lose an engine. Earnhardt also has a streak of three top ten finishes going for him at Indianapolis. With all of the unknowns of the race package this weekend, look for teams, like Hendrick Motorsports, that have the top engineers in the sport and are able to quickly adapt to new rules. Add those engineers with a pack-racing king and you just may see Earnhardt capture that elusive Brickyard 400 victory.

Martin Truex Jr. (DM)
The Indianapolis Motor Speedway shares some characteristics with the Pocono race track and usually drivers who race well at Pocono also find success at Indy. That should sit well with Martin Truex Jr. who won the Pocono race earlier this year. Truex is listed at 8-1 odds this weekend despite only having led a total of three laps at Indy and owning a best finish of eighth. Truex did the tire test for Goodyear here but it wasn’t with the new aero rules so he is still facing the same unknowns as everyone else. This season, Truex and the #78 team led by crew chief Cole Pearn have proven themselves as weekly contenders and they do enter Indy with high hopes. Martin Truex Jr. could be a somewhat of a surprise winner on Sunday.

Tony Stewart (JW)
Tony Stewart has been a non-factor all season long and fans are waiting and wondering if he will ever return to form. If you were to pick one track on the schedule that Stewart would excel at, it would be the Indianapolis Motor Speedway. Stewart loves this place, it is home and it is a track that he has lots of miles on. His Stewart-Haas racing team should be able to provide him plenty of speed and hopefully, for Stewart, he will be able to come to grips with this race package and return to form. Stewart will be a driver to watch and if he is in contention, it will be fun to see. A victory for Stewart would be a celebration that may not end for weeks.

Dan Margetta

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