Posted on by PJ Walsh

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The first-ever IndyCar and NASCAR Cup Series doubleheader takes place this weekend with Saturday’s GMR Grand Prix on the road course at Indianapolis Motor Speedway, followed by the Cup Series’ Big Machine Hand Sanitizer 400 on Sunday (4 p.m. ET, NBC, ISM Radio, SiriusXM NASCAR Radio).

Indianapolis is very unique, with Pocono Raceway its closest comp on the current Cup Series schedule.

While not perfect, I used data from last weekend’s Pocono doubleheader as well as last year’s results at Indy, which used the same aero package and tire combination that teams will employ on Sunday.

Be sure to follow me on Twitter (@PJWalsh24) for any additional bets I make leading up to Sunday’s Big Machine Hand Sanitizer 400.

NASCAR at Indianapolis Odds, Picks

Odds as of Saturday at 11:15 a.m. ET and via DraftKings. Get up to a $1,000 sign-up bonus at DraftKings today or see more offers and reviews for the best online sportsbooks.

Kevin Harvick (+400)

Harvick won at Pocono on Saturday and looked primed to pull off the sweep before a late two-tire call put Denny Hamlin into the lead and ultimately relegated the No. 4 Ford to a runner-up finish.

And somehow Harvick’s stats at Indy last year were even more impressive, a race he won in dominant fashion with the most laps led, most fast laps run and a perfect 150 driver rating.

Harvick is the favorite across the market, but there’s still enough value at +400 to take a driver capable of stomping the field while also leaving enough bankroll to add more potential winners.

Ryan Blaney (+1200)

Blaney’s finishes at Pocono last weekend were not representative of his speed — he ran the fifth-most fast laps across both events — which wasn’t ideal since I bet him to win both races, but it’s also a reason why we can now get him at 12-1 odds.

As mentioned above, nobody could touch Harvick in this race last year, but the No. 12 Team Penske Ford led the second-most laps, had the third-most fast laps and the second-best driver rating.

In terms of speed, Blaney projects to be a top-four car on Sunday, showing why there’s so much value in his current price.

Posted on by Zack Albert

Jimmie Johnson said with some measure of understatement Saturday morning that “2020’s been interesting.” Indeed, the seven-time champion entered his final full-time season with designs on an eighth, capping a triumphant final ride in the No. 48 Chevrolet, before the coronavirus outbreak made the campaign a disjointed one for the entire NASCAR industry.

Now those objectives come with a large amount of perspective. Johnson revealed a positive test for COVID-19 on Friday, a diagnosis that will keep him under isolation and away from the track for the near future. But the primary concerns for the rest of the year are now much deeper than competition-related goals: Parenting two virus-free daughters, ages 9 and 6, as he and his wife, Chandra, isolate from them with positive tests; maintaining personal health safeguards to contain the spread; and speaking out with a message of staying safe to help others.

“I can be down and out on my situation, but if I turn on the news and see how this virus has impacted so many others, I quickly feel thankful that I’m asymptomatic and I don’t have any major issues,” Johnson said Saturday morning from his Colorado home. “It’d be very easy right now to get bummed out and look at this the wrong way, but I’m healthy, my wife is healthy, my kids are. My prayers are that it stays that way. We’re hopeful that through our situation that maybe some others can learn from this as well.

“I mean, if it wasn’t for Chani’s diligence on trying to do the right thing at all times, we would be going on with life as normal, and who knows who we could have come in contact with and the repercussions that could have had. I know our country and the world right now is over quarantine and over these technicalities that we need to deal with, but as a family that’s been very safe and very cautious to end up testing positive just shows how diligent you truly need to be through all this.”

Johnson will miss Sunday’s 400-mile race (4 p.m. ET, NBC) at Indianapolis Motor Speedway, ending a streak of 663 consecutive Cup Series starts. Xfinity Series veteran Justin Allgaier will drive the Hendrick Motorsports No. 48 in his place, and Johnson will not return to competition until receiving two negative test results at least 24 hours apart, plus clearance by a physician.

RELATED: Johnson reports COVID-19 results | Starts streak to end

Johnson said his wife had exhibited allergy-like symptoms earlier in the week, which prompted her to visit a local hospital for testing. When those results came back positive around 9 a.m. Friday morning, Johnson said he and his children quickly followed suit for their own tests. Johnson said he and his wife tested positive; their children, negative — a divide that has made parenting an especially difficult challenge.

Johnson said the time period since receiving news of his positive test has been a whirlwind, trying to inform all those he had potentially come in contact with in the last several days. That list included Hendrick Motorsports personnel that were with him during last weekend’s events at Pocono Raceway, one of which has self-quarantined from at-track duties out of precaution.

MORE: Indianapolis weekend schedule

But the list also included those involved a proposed IndyCar test session that was scheduled for next week at the Indianapolis road-course layout. The 44-year-old driver had met with Chip Ganassi Racing officials in advance of the test and spent time Thursday at Indy chassis builder Dallara on its driving simulator.

“We’ve done everything that we think we can and have done everything that we could, so yesterday was extremely busy,” Johnson said. “In some respects, embarrassing to be in this position, and then you just fear that maybe you came in contact with someone that’s going to have a more difficult time than we have had. I feel terrible for Ganassi Racing and any stress I’ve put on their system, clearly Hendrick Motorsports.

“It’s been a wild range of emotions in the last 12 or 14 hours dealing with it all, but we’re doing everything we can on our side to make sure we notify anyone and everyone.”

Jeff Andrews, Hendrick Motorsports vice president of competition, said it’s possible Johnson could return to the track next weekend at Kentucky Speedway if he meets the medical criteria. NASCAR announced Friday that Johnson would receive a waiver for championship eligibility.

Johnson said the unusual circumstances of his final Cup Series season — a two-month break after the initial coronavirus spike, racing without fans in attendance, and an overhauled racing schedule — have not altered his plans beyond the 2020 campaign. He has stated that he still intends to drive on a part-time basis after this year, potentially exploring other forms of motorsports in semi-retirement.

But when asked if there was a bittersweet feel to missing out on several final milestones, including what could have been his last start at Indy, Johnson said there was disappointment mixed with uncertainty.

“Every time I think I know what normal is, something changes,” Johnson said. “Of course, I want to race at the Brickyard. Of course, I’m disappointed that I’m not going to have some of these lasts that I had hoped to have had, but I just don’t know where we’re going to be at the end of this year, let alone next year. I do know that I still want to compete and I’ve made that really clear.

“I’ve had to inform Hendrick Motorsports that I do plan to not be in the car full-time, so they have to plan and do what they need to for the future, but I’m hopeful that I can have the opportunity to come back and run a Hendrick Cup car in some races. Clearly, I have this interest in IndyCar, sports car and many other forms of racing, so I assume that’s helping me deal with this and not feel like I’m having some things taken away from me, but at the end of the day, just thankful that I’m healthy and not in the shape that some people are right now.”

Posted on by Staff Report

Jimmie Johnson’s prolific streak of consecutive starts in the NASCAR Cup Series will end this weekend at Indianapolis Motor Speedway after the driver self-reported a positive COVID-19 test on Friday.

A seven-time NASCAR Cup Series champion, Johnson currently sits at 663 consecutive starts, a testament to his talent, craft and studious commitment to fitness. It’s the fifth highest number of consecutive starts in NASCAR history, behind Jeff Gordon (797), Ricky Rudd (788), Bobby Labonte (704) and Rusty Wallace (697).

RELATED: Drivers with more than 600 starts

Kevin Harvick, who drives the No. 4 Stewart-Haas Racing Ford, ranks sixth all-time with 655 consecutive starts and would move into the top five later this year, provided he does not miss a start.

Johnson’s 666 total career starts rank 25th in NASCAR history. It also ranks fourth among current active drivers — Kurt Busch ranks first in that category, and he will make his historic 700th career Cup Series start on Sunday.

MORE: Most consecutive starts among active drivers

Posted on by Staff Report

Seven-time NASCAR Cup Series champion Jimmie Johnson has reported a positive COVID-19 test, Hendrick Motorsports announced Friday evening.

The driver of the No. 48 Chevrolet was set to compete for his series-best fifth win at Indianapolis Motor Speedway in Sunday’s race (4 p.m. ET, NBC), but he is no longer cleared to compete. Justin Allgaier will drive the No. 48 Chevrolet on Sunday as his replacement.

NASCAR outlined the steps for Johnson’s return in accordance with the CDC’s current guidelines: Johnson must be symptom free and have two negative COVID-19 test results, at least 24 hours apart. Additionally, NASCAR requires Johnson to be cleared by his physician before returning to racing.

RELATED: Full weekend schedule

“My first priority is the health and safety of my loved ones and my teammates,” Johnson said in a team release. “I’ve never missed a race in my Cup career, but I know it’s going to be very hard to watch from the sidelines when I’m supposed to be out there competing. Although this situation is extremely disappointing, I’m going to come back ready to win races and put ourselves in playoff contention.”

Johnson will not accrue points for races in which he does not compete, but he would be granted a playoff waiver should he qualify for the postseason. The 44-year-old driver, who has said 2020 will be his last year as a full-time driver, currently sits 12th in the points standings. He is 63 points above the playoff cutline.

According to a Hendrick Motorsports statement, Johnson has not experienced symptoms of COVID-19. He was tested upon learning Friday morning that his wife, Chandra, tested positive after experiencing allergy-like symptoms.

Johnson was in constant communication with Hendrick Motorsports before and after being tested for COVID-19. The team immediately informed NASCAR and has been coordinating with the sanctioning body. As a precaution, it has also identified one member of the No. 48 traveling crew to self-quarantine due to close contact with the driver.

“Jimmie has handled this situation like the champion he is,” said Rick Hendrick, owner of Hendrick Motorsports. “We’re relieved he isn’t showing symptoms and that Chani is doing great, and we know he’ll be back and ready to go very soon. It’s going to be difficult for him to be out of the car and away from his team, but it’s the right thing to do for Jimmie and everyone involved.”

NASCAR released this statement on Friday:

“Following the guidelines outlined in the Event Operations Protocols manual, Jimmie Johnson has alerted NASCAR that he has tested positive for COVID-19. NASCAR has outlined the steps for Johnson’s return, in accordance with the CDC’s current guidelines, which includes that Johnson is symptom-free and has two negative COVID-19 test results, at least 24 hours apart. NASCAR requires Johnson to be cleared by his physician before returning to racing. Jimmie is a true battle-tested champion, and we wish him well in his recovery. NASCAR has granted Jimmie a playoff waiver, and we look forward to his return as he races for an eighth NASCAR Cup Series championship.”

Allgaier has driven full time for JR Motorsports in the NASCAR Xfinity Series since 2016. He has eight wins during that stretch and has finished in the top four of the standings in three of the previous four seasons.

Allgaier tweeted a statement that read, in part, “I … believe we can make Jimmie and this #48 team proud until he’s ready to get back behind the wheel.”

Posted on by Staff Report

The NASCAR Cup Series is set for its trip to Indianapolis Motor Speedway this season. Speedway, Indiana, will play host to Sunday’s Big Machine Hand Sanitizer 400 Powered By Big Machine Records (4 p.m. ET, NBC, IMS Radio Network, SiriusXM NASCAR Radio). This weekend marks the third crown-jewel event in 2020.

As has been the case with other events since the sport’s return after the COVID-19 outbreak, Sunday’s race will be held without practice or qualifying.

The event will tally the 16th NASCAR Cup Series races of the year; the 12th since the coronavirus pause. With plenty of variables in play for the Fourth of July weekend, here’s a primer with helpful information.

RELATED: How to follow the races | Schedule for Indianapolis

TRACK DETAILS

Indianapolis Motor Speedway, also known as the Brickyard, is a 2.5-mile rectangular oval. All four turns have a 9.2-degree bankings and are about 1,320-feet long. The straightaways are flat, with the long ones being 3,300 feet and the shorts one being 660 feet.

The track was built in 1909, making it the third oldest paved oval (Milwaukee Mile, 1903; Nashville Fairgrounds, 1904). Indianapolis hosted its first NASCAR Cup Series event on Aug. 6, 1994. Jeff Gordon won the inaugural Brickyard 400 in the No. 24 Hendrick Motorsports Chevrolet. He led a race-high 93 of 160 laps and beat Brett Bodine to the finish line by .53 seconds. Gordon, now a NASCAR Hall of Famer, holds the record for most all-time wins at Indianapolis with five.

The facility is also home to the NTT IndyCar Series, which will have its GMR Grand Prix on Saturday right before the NASCAR Xfinity Series’ Pennzoil 150 (3 p.m. ET, NBC, IMS Radio Network, SiriusXM NASCAR Radio). Between the action Saturday and Sunday, it’ll be the first-ever time that NASCAR’s Cup and Xfinity Series and IndyCar races will be hosted by a single venue.

Sunday’s 400-miler will be the 27th race for NASCAR’s top division at Indianapolis.

STAGE LENGTHS

Stage 1 is set to end at Lap 50, Stage 2 at Lap 100, and the final stage is slated to conclude on Lap 160.

STARTING LINEUP

The NASCAR Cup Series race will be held without practice and qualifying as the sanctioning body tries to limit exposure for on-site personnel to control the spread of coronavirus. Sunday’s starting lineup was determined by a random draw among groups in the team owner standings:

  • Positions 1-12: Random draw from charter teams in those positions in owner points
  • Positions 13-24: Random draw from charter teams in those positions in owner points
  • Positions 25-36: Random draw from charter teams in those positions in owner points
  • Positions 37-40: Open teams in order of owners points

Pit-stall selection is based on the finishing order from last Sunday’s event at Pocono Raceway.

RULES PACKAGE

The 2020 NASCAR rules package for intermediate-sized tracks will be in effect with a tapered spacer used to set a target of 550 horsepower. The cars will use aero ducts in addition to other aerodynamic devices to increase downforce.

GOODYEAR TIRES

The downforce package the NASCAR Cup Series will run at Indianapolis Motor Speedway this weekend is hard on tires, with high loads generated down the long straightaways. Search for grip will be important. Teams will have nine sets of tires for Sunday’s race.

Set-up will feature the same right-side tire code as last season but a new left-side code with a construction update — all the same as last weekend at Pocono Raceway.

“Indy is a very tricky place to get right for a stock car,” said Greg Stucker, Goodyear’s director of racing. “Last year’s race was run in unseasonably cool temperatures in the low 70s with overcast skies, so there was plenty of grip. This week’s forecast is for 90-degree temperatures and teams will be looking for grip on a hot, slick track and tires will be a key factor. With no practice, and the Xfinity cars running on the road course and not the oval this year, team will have to tread lightly going into this race.”

The NASCAR Xfinity Series, meanwhile, will run the same tire code on all four tire positions. It’ll be the same as the set-up ran last season at Road America and Mid-Ohio Sports Car Course. Teams will have two sets of tires for Friday’s practices and five sets for Saturday’s race. They will also be allowed up to four sets of “wets” (two for practices, two for race) if NASCAR decides weather conditions warrant the switch.

STATS TO KNOW

— Nine drivers won the last 10 races at Indianapolis Motor Speedway. Kyle Busch (2015-16) is the only repeat winner during that timespan.

— Ford has won the last two races at Indianapolis Motor Speedway after failing to win in the prior 18 events. Meanwhile, Chevrolet has won 13 of the last 17 races and only one of the wins was within the past five years.

— The final lead change came with two laps to go in three of the last five races at Indianapolis Motor Speedway. Kyle Busch passed Joey Logano (finished second) for the win in 2015, Kasey Kahne passed Brad Keselowski (finished second) for the win in 2017, and Keselowski passed Denny Hamlin (finished third) for the win in 2018.

— Hendrick Motorsports has 10 wins at Indianapolis Motor Speedway, while the eight other organizations with wins there have 16 victories combined. HMS has never gone more than three years without winning at the Brickyard. It has been two years since its last win (Kasey Kahne, 2017).

— Jimmie Johnson’s four wins at Indianapolis Motor Speedway rank second all time to Jeff Gordon (five), but Johnson also has 11 finishes of 14th or worse there, including five of the last six races.

— Kevin Harvick, who has won three races in 2020, has the longest active top-10 streak at Indianapolis Motor Speedway with six, spanning from 2014-19. Kyle Busch has the all-time longest streak with seven, but it ended in 2016.

Source: NASCAR statistics, Racing Insights 

LIVE COVERAGE

Tune in to television coverage Sunday on NBC (4 p.m. ET) or on the NBC Sports App for both events. For full radio coverage from Indianapolis Motor Speedway, listen in to IMS Radio Network and SiriusXM NASCAR Radio on-air. 

RELATED: Ways to follow the races

For a more interactive experience, head over to NASCAR.com or the NASCAR app to check out an enhanced Race Center, live Lap-by-Lap coverage, the customizable live leaderboard with Scanner and the return of Drive (featuring in-car cameras).

Be sure to set your lineup in Fantasy Live and make your picks in the NASCAR Finish Line App!

2019 RACE WINNER

Kevin Harvick won the 2019 Big Machine Vodka 400 at the Brickyard, leading a race-high 118 of 160 laps. The driver of the No. 4 Stewart-Haas Racing Ford took the front spot from Ryan Blaney with 30 laps to go and kept it through the checkered flag. Blaney’s Team Penske teammate, Joey Logano, finished runner-up by 6.118 seconds. Richard Petty Motorsports’ Bubba Wallace came in third.

Last year, the NASCAR Cup Series’ visit to Indianapolis Motor Speedway doubled as the regular-season finale. The race was on Sept. 8, 2019. It has since moved to the Fourth of July weekend for 2020.

RELATED: 2019 Big Machine Vodka 400 recap

ACTIVE INDIANAPOLIS WINNERS

Jimmie Johnson (four); Kevin Harvick, Kyle Busch (two); Brad Keselowski, Ryan Newman (one)

Posted on by Terrin Waack

Out of the six rookies in the 2020 NASCAR Cup Series field, John Hunter Nemechek is the only one to have finished every race this season in a running car. That means he has also turned the highest percentage of laps through 15 events. He’s not at a 100% completion rate, but a strong 99.66% instead.

Forget the newcomers, that mark is actually good for third best among all his full-time, points-eligible competitors.

“It’s been one of those things where I want to run every lap that I can and gain the most valuable experience that I can when we go to the race track,” Nemechek told NASCAR.com. “I don’t want to put myself in bad spots where we may get wrecked or anything like that.”

RELATED: Indianapolis weekend schedule | Indianapolis paint schemes

Nemechek only trails Denny Hamlin and Kevin Harvick in laps completed. Hamlin is at 99.76% and has won a series-high four races. Harvick is two laps short of a perfect score at 99.95% with his three wins.

Rank Driver Laps completed Total laps Percentage
1 Kevin Harvick 4,157 4,159 99.95%
2 Denny Hamlin 4,149 4,159 99.76%
3 John Hunter Nemechek* 4,145 4,159 99.66%
18 Brennan Poole* 3,949 4,159 94.95%
20 Christopher Bell* 3,916 4,159 94.16%
25 Cole Custer* 3,841 4,159 92.35%
27 Tyler Reddick* 3,814 4,159 91.71%
31 Quin Houff* 3,561 4,159 85.62%

*NASCAR Cup Series rookie

The No. 38 Front Row Motorsport Ford hasn’t made it to Victory Lane, but it has placed in the top 10 twice. Nemechek is averaging a 19.3 finish — tied with Tyler Reddick for strongest average among rookies.

“There have been some races that we’ve had really good speed, but we haven’t had the finishes to show it,” Nemechek said. “Just have to get better at closing races and finishing more where we feel like we need to.”

In NASCAR’s first race back after the COVID-19 pause, Nemechek pulled off his first top-10 performance — ninth at Darlington Raceway. A couple days later, he ended up 35th at the same track. Big difference there, and he thought the first production was more reflective of the team’s capabilities.

None of the first-year drivers are within the top 16 when it comes to points right now, which means they are currently outside the NASCAR Playoffs picture just past the halfway mark of the regular season. Reddick is on the bubble in 18th — 26 points behind Erik Jones in the 16th and final transfer spot. Nemechek sits 22nd and trails by 72 points, with hopes of rising above the cutoff line.

“It’s going to be a difficult task to do, but it’s still not out of the question,” Nemechek said. “… Anything can happen, and we’re truly not that far back on points. So hopefully we can push forward, have some really good points day and have a shot to win at some of these short tracks or superspeedway races where I feel like our cars are on the strong side right now.”

Nemechek did register a season-best eighth at Talladega Superspeedway two weeks ago. He also had an 11th-place run in the opening Daytona 500 — his third-best showing this year. All that bodes well for his team considering Daytona International Speedway will host the regular-season finale on Aug. 29 — the final shot to make the postseason.

There are at least eight points-paying races on the schedule before then (not counting postponed races from the spring at Dover and Michigan that have yet to be made up), though, starting with Sunday’s Big Machine Hand Sanitizer 400 Powered By Big Machine Records at Indianapolis Motor Speedway (4 p.m. ET on NBC/NBC Sports App, IMS Radio Network and SiriusXM NASCAR Radio). A win and he’s in, but chipping away at his deficit is the goal for now.

“The biggest thing for us this weekend is to make the most out of the situation,” Nemechek said. “Be there and be present. Have a shot to contend for top 15, top 10, top five — whatever it may be. You don’t know how your car is going to run or what speed you’re going to have until you show up at the race track. Just try to get better as the race plays on.”

Posted on by Staff Report

The starting lineup for Sunday’s Big Machine Hand Sanitizer 400 Powered by Big Machine Records NASCAR Cup Series race at Indianapolis Motor Speedway (4 p.m. ET on NBC/NBC Sports App, IMS Radio Network, SiriusXM NASCAR Radio) has been set.

Joey Logano will start from the pole position, with Kurt Busch joining him on the front row to lead the field to green for the 160-lap, 400-mile race.

RELATED: Indianapolis schedule | Paint schemes for Fourth of July weekend

The lineup for the race was determined by a random draw, with results airing on FS1’s “Race Hub.” The parameters for the draw were as follows:

  • Positions 1-12 determined by a random draw from charter teams in those positions in team owner points
  • Positions 13-24: Random draw among charter teams in those positions in owner points
  • Positions 25-36: Random draw among charter teams in those positions in owner points
  • Positions 37-40: will be filled out by open, non-chartered teams in order of owner points

Here is a look at the full lineup:

Starting spot Driver Car # Team
1 Joey Logano 22 Team Penske
2 Kurt Busch 1 Chip Ganassi Racing
3 Alex Bowman 88 Hendrick Motorsports
4 Justin Allgaier* 48 Hendrick Motorsports
5 Aric Almirola 10 Stewart-Haas Racing
6 Denny Hamlin 11 Joe Gibbs Racing
7 Kyle Busch 18 Joe Gibbs Racing
8 Martin Truex Jr. 19 Joe Gibbs Racing
9 Brad Keselowski 2 Team Penske
10 Chase Elliott 9 Hendrick Motorsports
11 Kevin Harvick 4 Stewart-Haas Racing
12 Ryan Blaney 12 Team Penske
13 Tyler Reddick 8 Richard Childress Racing
14 Ryan Newman 6 Roush Fenway Racing
15 Matt DiBenedetto 21 Wood Brothers Racing
16 Austin Dillon 3 Richard Childress Racing
17 Bubba Wallace 43 Richard Petty Motorsports
18 William Byron 24 Hendrick Motorsports
19 John Hunter Nemechek 38 Front Row Motorsports
20 Chris Buescher 17 Roush Fenway Racing
21 Matt Kenseth 42 Chip Ganassi Racing
22 Clint Bowyer 14 Stewart-Haas Racing
23 Erik Jones 20 Joe Gibbs Racing
24 Ricky Stenhouse Jr. 47 JTG Daugherty Racing
25 Joey Gase 51 Petty Ware Racing
26 Brennan Poole 15 Premium Motorsports
27 Michael McDowell 34 Front Row Motorsports
28 Garrett Smithley 53 Rick Ware Racing
29 Ty Dillon 13 Germain Racing
30 Cole Custer 41 Stewart-Haas Racing
31 Corey LaJoie 32 Go Fas Racing
32 Ross Chastain 77 Spire Motorsports
33 Quin Houff 00 StarCom Racing
34 JJ Yeley 27 Rick Ware Racing
35 Christopher Bell 95 Leavine Family Racing
36 Ryan Preece 37 JTG Daugherty Racing
37 Daniel Suarez 96 Gaunt Brothers Racing
38 Timmy Hill 66 Motorsports Business Management
39 Johs Bilicki 7 Tommy Baldwin Racing
40 BJ McLeod 78 BJ McLeod Motorsports

*Allgaier is starting in place of Jimmie Johnson, who reported a positive COVID-19 test on Friday.

Posted on by Terrin Waack

For the first time in motorsports history, the NASCAR Cup Series, NASCAR Xfinity Series and NTT IndyCar Series will race at the same track on the same weekend.

The Xfinity Series and the IndyCar Series are set to navigate Indianapolis Motor Speedway’s road course on Saturday, while the Cup Series has the original oval on Sunday. All of the action will be broadcast on NBC.

RELATED: Weekend schedule for NASCAR at Indianapolis

Hype surrounding the Fourth of July tripleheader has prompted interest in making this crossover an annual event, specifically hosted in Speedway, Indiana.

“I’m going to just completely kiss butt here and say whatever Roger Penske wants to do, let him do it,” said Brad Keselowski, driver of the No. 2 Team Penske Ford in the Cup Series. “It’s his track.”

That’s right. Penske officially bought IMS, along with the IndyCar Series and IMS Productions, back in November of 2019.

Penske, of course, also owns Team Penske, which fields both NASCAR and IndyCar entries among other racing entities. The organization has four NASCAR drivers – Keselowski, Joey Logano (No. 22) and Ryan Blaney (No. 12) in Cup; Austin Cindric (No. 22) in Xfinity – and three IndyCar wheelmen – Will Power (No. 12 Chevrolet), Simon Pagenaud (No. 22) and Josef Newgarden (No. 1). All of them have competed at Indianapolis.

“I’ve heard a lot about what he’s been able to do to the facility,” Cindric said. “It’s somewhere I’ve gone pretty much every year of my life – now that I think about it – so I’m excited to see all that as far as from a race fan’s perspective and then obviously a lot of incentive to try to get that first win on the road course for him.”

Saturday does mark the Xfinity Series’ debut on Indianapolis’ 14-turn, 2.439-mile road-course layout. Meanwhile, this will be the Cup Series’ 27th trip around the 2.5-mile oval.

RELATED: Brickyard 400 winners | Turn-by-turn analysis of Indianapolis road course

Overall, Team Penske boasts 25 wins at Indianapolis, tying it with Michigan International Speedway for its winningest track. Keselowski alone is responsible for the two NASCAR triumphs with his 2012 Xfinity Series victory and his 2018 Cup Series crown jewel there.

Power claims four IndyCar trophies from Indianapolis. Pagenaud also has four but three with Team Penske.

“I can’t wait to see the place, and it’s just going to continue over the next few years – all the updates,” Power said. “You just know Roger strives for perfection, so there will be nothing in that place that looks out of place when Roger is done.”

Indianapolis, also known as the Brickyard, was built in 1909. It’s the third oldest paved track among NASCAR circuits.

Because of their respective manufacture alliances – Team Penske runs Fords in NASCAR and Chevrolets in IndyCar –drivers cannot double dip in the two leagues this weekend. Penske, though, is the only owner to have drivers in all three events. That means its going to be a busy weekend for the “Captain.”

“No better race track and no better person to put it on,” Cindric said, “than the guy that has an entry in every single series.”

PHOTOS: Every Penske win in the Cup Series | Wins by driver at Team Penske

Posted on by RJ Kraft

NASCAR Finish Line, a free-to-play gaming app from Penn National Gaming, is back with the resumption of the 2020 NASCAR Cup Series season. Each week, there will be six groups of five drivers for the upcoming race. Users will predict which driver will finish first among each of the six groups and then the overall race winner and second-place finisher for a chance to win $25,000 if all eight scenarios are correctly selected.

RELATED: Download NASCAR Finish Line

The second of six groups for this weekend’s race at Indianapolis Motor Speedway (4 p.m. ET on NBC/NBC Sports App, IMS Radio Network, SiriusXM NASCAR Radio) consists of Ryan Blaney, Alex Bowman, Clint Bowyer, Brad Keselowski and Martin Truex Jr. Only Keselowski has a victory at the 2.5-mile track.

For a stats look at each driver, NASCAR.com has compiled the career average finish at Indianapolis, the average finish from the last two races at Indianapolis, the percentage of top 10s at Pocono Raceway and the 2020 average finish for non-superspeedway tracks of at least two miles (Auto Club Speedway and both Pocono races). All this has been done to see who is the best play to make in Group 2.

A point system has been assigned, starting with one point for the best finisher and counting up to five points for the worst finisher. Those numbers were then added up. The lowest total signifies the strongest driver (green), and the highest total represents the weakest driver (red).

Driver Last 2 avg. finishes at Indianapolis Avg. finish at Indianapolis Percentage of top 10s at Indianapolis 2020 avg. finish at least 2-mile tracks
 Total
Ryan Blaney 9.0 (2) 17.8 (3) 20 percent (1 in 5 starts) (3.5) 17.7 (5) 13.5
Alex Bowman 27.0 (4) 34.2 (5) 0 percent (0 in 4 starts) (5) 12.3 (3) 17
Clint Bowyer 5.0 (1) 13.5 (1) 36 percent (5 in 14 starts) (2) 12.7 (4) 8
Brad Keselowski 19.5 (3) 13.8 (2) 50 percent (5 in 10 starts) (1) 8.3 (1) 7
Martin Truex Jr. 33.5 (5) 21.3 (4) 20 percent (3 in 15 starts) (3.5) 10.0 (2) 14.5

This is a tight battle between Kesselowski and Bowyer for the Group 2 selection. If you are going strictly off of Indianapolis numbers, Bowyer is a better option thanks to his back-to-back top fives at the Brickyard (and comes with the added bonus of he is likely to be a less popular selection than some other drivers in the group). If you go by 2020 stats with Indianapolis stats also factored in, then Keselowski — the 2018 Brickyard winner — is the choice to make. Given how fast he has been over the past month, Blaney’s an intriguing choice to consider as well. He notched his first Indianapolis top 10 in last year’s race.

Make sure to get your picks for all the groups as well as the first- and second-place finishers in the NASCAR Finish Line App before the race at Indianapolis.