NASCAR Brickyard 400 preview: Favorite, underdog, top storylines

On Sunday, the stars of the NASCAR Cup Series head to the famed 2.5-mile Indianapolis Motor Speedway for the running of the Brickyard 400 (2 p.m. ET, TNT Sports/truTV, HBO Max, IMS Radio, SiriusXM NASCAR Radio).

Here is what you need to know ahead of the 22nd race of the Cup Series season.

Favorite: Denny Hamlin (+440, per FanDuel)

Fresh off a series-leading fourth win of the season at Dover and a multiyear contract extension with Joe Gibbs Racing that was announced on Friday, Hamlin heads to the "Brickyard" looking to become the fifth driver all-time to win all four of NASCAR's crown-jewel events.

This is arguably Hamlin's best shot at claiming his elusive Brickyard 400 win, having posted five career top-fives and led at least 19 laps in three of the last four races there. It could finally be Hamlin's time to kiss the yard of bricks on Sunday.

Underdog: Brad Keselowski (+2100, per FanDuel)

Keselowski has the 11th-shortest odds to win Sunday's race, but there is still some value there if you look at his past success at the track and how he has performed on similar layouts this season.

He has three top-fives in his last five starts at Indianapolis, including a win in 2018, and was leading last year's race when he ran out of fuel on an overtime restart. He was the race leader at Pocono's similar layout earlier this season when he came down a closed pit road with one of the fastest cars in the field. Keep an eye on the 2012 champion in the closing laps on Sunday.

In-Season Challenge down to final two drivers

After four weeks of upsets and thrilling head-to-head battles throughout the field, NASCAR's inaugural In-Season Challenge will crown a champion when the checkered flag waves on Sunday.

The No. 32 seed in the tournament, Ty Dillon, will go head-to-head with JGR's Ty Gibbs, with the highest finisher of the two taking home the trophy and $1M prize. 

Will 2024 repeat itself for Kyle Larson?

Two months after finishing a disappointing 18th and failing to complete "The Double" at Indianapolis and Charlotte in 2024 due to weather, Larson won his first Brickyard 400 in NASCAR's return to the oval after a three-year stint on the road course. 

One year later, Larson saw his "Double" hopes dashed once again when he crashed in both races this season. As he returns to Indianapolis after more heartbreak two months prior, will history repeat itself for the 2021 champion as he looks to return to Victory Lane after an inconsistent summer stretch?

Will Dover dominance carry over for Hendrick Motorsports, JGR?

Last week at the "Monster Mile," the two powerhouse organizations claimed the top-six finishing positions and led all but 20 of the 407 laps. Christopher Bell (18th) and William Byron (31st) did not have the finishes to show for it due to crashes, but both were running in the top five for most of the day.

Given that Ryan Blaney's win at Nashville on June 1 was the last time a driver from another organization won on an oval, the dominance will likely roll over to Indianapolis.