What to Expect for Tomorrow’s Amazing Brickyard 400 in Indianapolis

The Brickyard 400 in Indianapolis is tomorrow! So here’s what’s happening in NASCAR after the Autotrader EchoPark Automotive 400 at Dover Motor Speedway in the rearview and the crown jewel, even the Brickyard 400 Presented by PPG at Indianapolis Motor Speedway (2 p.m. ET, TNT Sports/truTV, HBO Max, IMS Radio, SiriusXM NASCAR Radio), up next.

Which Ty Will Win the In-Season Challenge Championship?

After 4 races, it’s been whittled down to 2 different Ty’s related to championship-winning Cup Series team owners. Ty Dillon vs. Ty Gibbs! The Kaulig man’s underdog run in the tournament has swayed the hearts of fans all around the country. Making him more popular than he ever has been in his career. To get here, he overcame serial Cup Series winners like Alex Bowman, 3-time Daytona 500 champion Denny Hamlin, and 2012 Cup Series champion Brad Keselowski. Showing how he’s overcome a lot more unlikely odds to get here, but the odds are still against him in the final.

Ty Gibbs has not had the best season, but he has been on a summer hot streak, earning three straight top tens from Chicago to Dover, which is as many as he achieved in the season before the streak. A secret advantage, though, is that Ty Dillon is better than Ty Gibbs at Indianapolis, yes, really! Ty Dillon’s career average finish at Indianapolis is 17.2, while Ty Gibbs’s average at the same track is a lowly 23.3. So, Ty Dillon is likely to beat the JGR prince on pace, which is the best possible outcome.

The Indianapolis Brick Tricks for Drivers!

Indianapolis’ IndyCar track is, of course, built for those same cars, presenting it with very unique challenges for those driving it in stock cars. Its flat straightaways and paved racing surface make it a standout on the schedule. Making it likely to favor fuel mileage, similar to last year’s event, which is almost complete. Exciting finishes are part of NASCAR’s Indianapolis package, as, according to Racing Insights, the driver to lead the most laps has won only 3 of the last 9 Brickyard 400s.

The final lead change came in the last eight laps in 5 of the previous 7 races, and 6 Brickyard 400s went into overtime, including 5 of the previous 7. Cautions and crashes, as well as mechanical failures, have been a part of NASCAR’s trips to Indianapolis, with the last five Brickyard 400s averaging 12 DNFs.

 Denny Hamlin Holds off Chase Briscoe in Double Overtime for Dover Victory

At last Sunday’s Autotrader EchoPark Automotive 400 at Dover Motor Speedway, it was the JGR show. With Christopher Bell going from up to down to back up front to finishing 18th, while Ty Gibbs finished 5th for his 3rd top 5 of the season, it came down to teammates Denny Hamlin and Chase Briscoe battling each other in the final laps, with the more experienced driver of the 11 holding off the Indiana native for his 4th win of the season.

Both drivers heading into tomorrow’s crown jewel have their reasons beyond the usual to want to win it badly. For Hamlin, it remains the last remaining jewel he hasn’t captured in his almost 20-year historic Cup career. With 3 3rd places being the closest he’s ever been to conquering Indianapolis, 2018 was the closest he’s ever been to winning at the Brickyard.

Chase Briscoe, however, is an Indiana native, and Indianapolis Motor Speedway is the place he fell in love with the sport. And with this being the first season he’s had consistently competitive equipment. He’s hungrier and motivated than ever to capture a home state win for the 1st time!

 Fantastic Four: What Does History Say about Denny Hamlin’s Odds to Capture That Title Finally?

Denny Hamlin is the 1st Cup Series driver in 2025 to reach four wins. Let’s see what the drivers in the elimination era did after being the first to earn four wins.

Season Driver Playoff Finish
2024: Kyle Larson: 6th
2023: William Byron: 3rd
2022: Chase Elliott: 4th
2021 Kyle Larson 1st
2020: Denny Hamlin: 4th
2019: Kyle Busch: 1st
2018: Kevin Harvick: 3rd
2017: Martin Truex Jr.: 1st
2016: Brad Keselowski: 12th
2015: Jimmie Johnson: 10th
2014: Brad Keselowski: 5th

Thanks a bunch for reading!