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Mash The Gas: Brickyard 400 At Indianapolis Preview

The NASCAR Sprint Cup Series heads to “The World’s Greatest Race Course,” the legendary Indianapolis Motor Speedway for the crown jewel event of the summer, The Crown Royal Presents the Samuel Deeds 400 at the Brickyard, more traditionally known as The Brickyard 400.

The Indianapolis Motor Speedway is hallowed grounds when it comes to the American motorsports landscape and securing a win at the historical oval is on every driver’s bucket list. Indy carries with it a certain spiritual mystique where racers and fans alike can feel the history, excitement, heartbreak, and drama that has occurred within its walls in over a century of competition. A win at Indy can be a career defining moment and it’s one of many aspects that make The Brickyard 400 such an intriguing event.

Sunday’s race at the 2.5 mile oval Indianapolis Motor Speedway is scheduled to see the green flag as the field crosses the bricks about 1:20pm EDT. 160 laps will make up the 400 miles in the Crown Royal Presents the Samuel Deeds 400 at the Brickyard. The race can be seen live in person, viewed on ESPN and heard on Indianapolis Motor Speedway Radio Network.

Here are the drivers we think you should be watching this weekend.

Matt Kenseth
Dan Margetta: With two Daytona 500’s, a Cup Championship, a Coca-Cola 600 victory, and a win in the Southern 500 already on his list of accomplishments, The Brickyard 400 is the lone jewel missing in Matt Kenseth’s crown. This year could represent the best opportunity for Kenseth to capture that elusive Indy win as the #20 team enters the event as one of the strongest units on the circuit. Kenseth has been close before, finishing second twice, and he’s a methodical enough driver to know to race Indy with respect in order to be there at the finish. The pieces are in place to give Matt Kenseth his chance to kiss the bricks when the checkered flag falls on Sunday afternoon.

Jimmie Johnson
John Wiedemann: Jimmie Johnson seems like an easy pick. Johnson won last year’s Brickyard 400 while leading the most laps and checking out from the field at the end of the race. Kyle Busch felt he was in his own zip code but said that Johnson “was in his own country”. Going for a fifth victory at the Brickyard 400 is a huge feat and is a likely occurrence this weekend. You can bet that Johnson wants the bragging rights at Hendrick Motorsports over Jeff Gordon who also owns four Brickyard 400 wins. Yup, Johnson is an easy pick.

Kurt Busch
DM: Kurt Busch had a dominating run last weekend at New Hampshire, leading the most laps before falling victim to an accident which led to a poor finish. Like New Hampshire, Indy is a flat track and Busch should be determined to continue the strong performance. Last week’s bad luck dropped the team out of the Chase and the #78 team will need a strong run at Indy to rejoin the dance. The team finished third here two years ago and Kurt Busch could put them in victory lane on Sunday. Time is running out before the Chase, and this team needs a win badly if they want to solidify their championship hopes.

Jeff Gordon
JW: Jeff Gordon has four wins, eleven top five and fifteen top ten finishes to go along with three pole position starts at the Brickyard. Gordon won the very first Brickyard 400 back in 1994. Second to teammate Jimmie Johnson in setting the fastest average green flag speeds at the oval, Gordon had one of the fastest cars at the end of last year’s race and finished fifth. Also looking for a series leading fifth win at the track, you can expect Gordon to be in the mix at the end of Sunday’s race. If Gordon gets out front, he will be all but impossible to pass.

Greg Biffle
DM: Greg Biffle is another driver with a string of strong runs at Indy without a victory. Biffle has posted five straight top ten finishes at the Brickyard, including three top five finishes with a best result of third place on two occasions. Currently holding down a Chase spot in 8th place with one victory, the #16 team knows their position is not safe and another win is needed to provide a comfort zone. Another strong run and Indy and more importantly, a win, would set a positive tone for the seven week run to the Chase.

Kyle Busch
JW: Kyle Busch is still looking for his first win at the historic Indianapolis Motor Speedway. Busch has an average finish of 11.8 in the Brickyard 400 and finished second last year. In the last nine “points” races, Busch has six top six finishes including a second place run at the flat New Hampshire Motor Speedway two weeks ago. If the motor keeps running, Busch will be contending for the win at Indianapolis this weekend.

Carl Edwards
DM: Coming off the final off weekend of the season, Carl Edwards and the #99 team look to make their charge to the Chase. They’re high enough in the points to be considered safe, but their lone victory came way back in March at Phoenix and more wins are needed to seriously contend with the #48 and #20 teams. The fact the Phoenix win came on a similarly flat track, gives the team confidence heading into Indy. History has been kind to Brickyard winners when it comes to the championship as eight times, the Brickyard 400 winner has gone on to win the Cup title. Edwards and the #99 team hope it’s their turn in 2013, to accomplish that feat.

Dale Earnhardt Jr.
JW: Dale Earnhardt Jr always seems to quietly run well during the Brickyard 400. Junior has led laps in five of the races and last year recorded his best finish of fourth. Hendrick Motorsports clearly has great results at the track with the success of Jeff Gordon and Jimmie Johnson equaling eight victories. If Earnhardt can pick up some more of that magic, he could be the driver kissing the bricks on Sunday. Junior, along with Brad Keselowski, are the only two drivers currently in the Chase field that do not yet have a win this season. Without the bonus points from victories, they will have a tough climb once the Chase starts. Now is the time to get back to victory lane.

Jamie McMurray
DM: My longshot pick this week is Jamie McMurray and the #1 team. McMurray has seen a resurgence in recent weeks, including two top ten results at Dover and Daytona. The team is currently 15th in points, 16 markers out of the top ten and in need of a victory to challenge for a wildcard slot. McMurray has finished in the top five at Indy in two of the last three years including winning the race in 2010 and the team could be on a roll at the right time to make a difference in the seven race stretch to the Chase.

Mark Martin
JW: How cool would it be to see Mark Martin win in what could be his last Brickyard 400. The #55 Aaron’s Dream Machine won at New Hampshire two weeks ago with Brian Vickers behind the wheel and could have a shot at the win this weekend on the similar banked Indianapolis Motor Speedway. Statistically, Martin has six top five and eleven top ten finishes along with a pole position and average finish of 12.8. Martin has a series best average running position of 9.4 and has spent 83.4% of his laps run at the track in the top fifteen. The momentum from Vickers win just may carry into an exciting Brickyard 400 for Martin and the #55 Michael Waltrip Racing team.

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