NASCAR Xfinity Series at Indianapolis Motor Speedway Preview

Race Preview:

The Pennzoil 250 is a 100-lap, 250-mile race around the Indianapolis Motor Speedway. Stage Cautions will be on laps 30 and 60, with the checkered flag on lap 100. 1,651,939 dollars are available in the prize purse. Goodyear is bringing the tire most previously used at Pocono. Teams will have 4 sets for the race, 3 fresh and 1 from their qualifying run.

The Track-Indianapolis Motor Speedway:

Built in 1909, Indianapolis Motor Speedway is the oldest major speedway in the world and an iconic racing venue around the world. 2.5 miles in length, it features four turns, with 9 degrees of banking, and a front straight with 3 degrees, and a back stretch with none. It is a track that demands precision from all who drive it, bringing out the best of the Xfinity Series. The Xfinity Series has raced at the Speedway 9 times previously.

Brad Keselowski won the first race in 2011, driving a Dodge for Team Penske. Kyle Busch has the most wins in the Xfinity Series with four. Justin Allgaier is the only full-time driver in the field with a victory at Indianapolis. Tyler Reddick set the lap record in 2018, running a .52:878 second lap.

Xfinity Series Point Standings:

Here are the current point standings following last week’s race at Dover:

1. Justin Allgaier: 730
2. Connor Zilisch *: 674
3. Sam Mayer: 652
4. Austin Hill: 647
5. Jesse Love: 620
6. Brandon Jones: 578
7. Carson Kvapil *: 576
8. Sheldon Creed: 551
9. Taylor Gray *: 526
10. Sammy Smith: 515

Drivers To Watch:

10 drivers are joining the field for the Pennzoil 250, they are:

• Logan Bearden, #07 Chevy, SS-Greenlight Racing
• Garrett Smithley, #14 Chevy, SS-Greenlight Racing
• Kyle Larson, #17 Chevy, Hendrick Motorsports
• Aric Almirola, #19 Toyota, Joe Gibbs Racing
• Katherine Legge, #32 Chevy, Jordan Anderson Racing
• Mason Massey, #45 Chevy, Alpha Prime Racing
• Joey Gase, #53 Chevrolet, Joey Gase Motorsports
• Leland Honeyman, #70 Chevrolet, Cope Family Racing
• Dawson Cram, #74 Chevrolet, Mike Harmon Racing
• Josh Bilicki, #91 Chevrolet, DGM Racing

Kyle Larson is going to win this race. I don’t know how much I need to say about him and Indianapolis, except that he is the favorite to win.

It will be exciting to see where Connor Zilisch finishes this race, his first trip to Indy. I’m holding reasonable expectations for him this Saturday.

Aric Almirola finished P3 last year; he is good here. Can he beat Larson? Doubtful. But expect him to finish well.

Haas-Factory Team is the defending winner, but what is the problem? They have won races before, and now they can’t win. I have no expectations for wins, but expect them to be fast.

How To Watch The Xfinity Series at Indianapolis:

Here is the weekend schedule for the Xfinity Series’ Pennzoil 250:

• Friday, July 25th:
  • Practice:
    • 12:05 PM Eastern
    • Coverage is on the CW App
• Saturday, July 26th:
  • Qualifying:
    • 1:00 PM Eastern
    • Coverage is on the CW App
  • The Pennzoil 250 at Indianapolis:
    • 4:30 PM Eastern
    • Coverage is on The CW, with radio coverage on SiriusXM’s NASCAR Radio