Racing Insights: Who will achieve Brickyard 400 glory?

With five races remaining until The Chase, the NASCAR Cup Series heads to the Hoosier State to compete at the historic Indianapolis Motor Speedway.

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What to Watch: Brickyard 400 demands perfection in path to victory

Given the fact that time is running out for drivers to position themselves into a good spot for a postseason run, expect a greater sense of urgency to be on display at the 2.5-mile oval. Numerous drivers will seek a strong points day and hope to avoid disaster in the prestigious Brickyard 400 on Sunday (2 p.m. ET, TNT Sports, truTV, HBO Max, IMS Radio Network, SiriusXM NASCAR Radio).

RELATED: Starting lineup | Saturday recap

For drivers in desperate need of a strong performance in Indiana, how will achieving glory in one of the sport’s crown-jewel events change the course of their season and career? Here’s a look at other drivers to keep an eye on, as well as the full projected results for Sunday’s Cup Series race.

DRIVERS TO WATCH

TYLER REDDICK: After watching his points lead slip away during a dreadful summer stretch, the 23XI Racing driver hopes a third-place qualifying run Saturday at the Brickyard will set the No. 45 Toyota up for Sunday success. During the first 15 Cup Series races of the 2026 season, Reddick averaged 44.6 points per race. However, in the last six races, his points-scoring average dropped significantly to 17.5 points per race. In three starts on the 2.5-mile Indiana oval. Reddick has two top 10s, including a runner-up finish in 2024. Sitting 68 points behind championship leader Denny Hamlin, Reddick will try to add a Brickyard 400 win on the oval to go alongside his 2022 victory on the Indianapolis Motor Speedway road course.

ALEX BOWMAN: Days after announcing his decision to step away from full-time Cup Series competition after the 2027 season, Bowman was the highest-qualifying driver from Hendrick Motorsports Saturday afternoon at Indianapolis. With the No. 48 Chevrolet set to roll off the Brickyard 400 grid in eighth, he hopes to score another top 10 in Indiana and prove it was not an outlier after finishing ninth in last year’s crown-jewel event. Bowman’s average finish at Indianapolis is 29.6, which is actually his worst among all tracks in the Cup Series. The Hendrick driver has finished 30th or worse in five of his seven career starts in the Hoosier State. Despite those numbers not favoring his chances, maybe the weight of having questions about his future off his chest can spark a magical Sunday and put his name into the history books.

TODD GILLILAND: Last year, it was Ty Dillon, and this year, Gilliland is the Cinderella story of the NASCAR In-Season Challenge, advancing to the final round at the Brickyard against Team Penske’s Ryan Blaney for the $1 million grand prize. While the driver of the No. 34 Front Row Motorsports Ford qualified 36th for Sunday’s race, his underdog mentality and never-quit attitude may kick in and give him a shot to upset Blaney. After all, Gilliland has a pair of sixth-place finishes in his two career Brickyard 400 starts.

MORE: At-track photos | What to Watch: Indianapolis

FULL PROJECTED RESULTS FOR BRICKYARD 400 (2 p.m. ET, TNT Sports)