Three big questions ahead of Brickyard 400 at Indianapolis

Following Joey Logano's dominant win in the first NASCAR Cup Series points race at North Wilkesboro since 1996, the famed Indianapolis Motor Speedway awaits in Sunday's Brickyard 400 (2 p.m. ET, TNT, truTV, HBO Max, IMS Radio Network, SiriusXM NASCAR Radio).

Here are three big questions ahead of the 22nd race of the regular season.

Can Team Penske keep the momentum rolling?

Until the last two weeks, Ryan Blaney's win at Phoenix in March stood as the famed organization's only win all season. After the 2023 Cup Series champion added a second win at Atlanta's EchoPark Speedway, Logano joined the fun at North Wilkesboro.

Blaney's 171 laps out front at EchoPark were the most on a drafting-style track in the Modern Era, while Logano's 323 laps led on Sunday night were the most he has ever led in a race. Even Austin Cindric remained in the provisional 16-driver "Chase" field after a solid 14th-place finish.

Blaney has been on a tear this season, but don't expect it to come as easy for him and Team Penske on Sunday. Although Logano has a pair of runner-ups at Indianapolis and Blaney has three top-10s in the last four races there, the Fords have struggled on intermediate tracks all season.

With the long straightaways at "The Brickyard," a track team owner Roger Penske owns, Team Penske could get humbled again on Sunday and take another backseat to the Toyotas. 

Can Denny Hamlin achieve career grand slam?

The 2026 wins leader and 64-time Cup Series winner has accomplished almost everything a driver can ask for, aside from a championship and a Brickyard 400 win.

Hamlin has three wins in the Daytona 500 and Southern 500, as well as one victory in the Coca-Cola 600. However, he has yet to break through in the Brickyard 400 with a best finish of third (four times), including last season.

While many are reluctant to include Indianapolis as one of the crown-jewel races, which is understandable considering the sport's historical significance at Daytona, Darlington and Charlotte, it is one of the most famed speedways in the world and one that drivers certainly covet.

If Hamlin is finally going to cross it off his list, this is arguably the best shot he has had yet. He is at the top of his game and behind the wheel of a Toyota, which are two strong signs that he could be the driver kissing the bricks on Sunday.

Will the weather finally cooperate?

Mother Nature has not been too kind to NASCAR the last three weeks. While the race at Chicagoland ran as expected, weather forced qualifying to be canceled. That preceded an Atlanta race that did not finish until nearly 2 a.m. ET and Sunday's race at North Wilkesboro that was slightly delayed after a strong thunderstorm moved through the area in the hours leading up to the scheduled green flag.

With the summertime temperatures and humidity this time of year, it would not be a surprise if weather impacted the upcoming weekend at Indianapolis, either. After all, the 2025 Brickyard 400, which saw Bubba Wallace snap a 100-race winless streak, dealt with a sudden rain shower that slowed the race with only four laps to go.

Blue skies or not, this is one of those races that means a little more for everyone in the field. Regardless of what Mother Nature has in store, there will be some extra motivation riding on the checkered flag with one final off week looming.