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Dale Jr., Hamlin also topped Friday’s practice leaderboards

RELATED: See the new spoiler at Indy this weekend

Practice 3: Full results

Kurt Busch led the final Sprint Cup Series practice on Friday at Indianapolis Motor Speedway in preparation for Sunday’s Crown Royal Presents the Jeff Kyle 400 at the Brickyard (3:30 p.m. ET, NBC Sports Network/Live Extra, SiriusXM).

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The Stewart-Haas Racing driver jumped to the lead near the end of the final session, putting up a high speed of 181.987 mph.

Coming up short in speed to the No. 41 driver was Kevin Harvick (181.763 mph).

Kyle Larson (181.357 mph), Jimmie Johnson (180.697 mph) and Martin Truex Jr. (180.672 mph) rounded out the top-five fastest on the leaderboard. 

Denny Hamlin led the series’ first practice at the Brickyard, but fell to 31st-fastest in the final round.

Dale Earnhardt Jr. also led a practice session, but was 32nd-fastest, right behind Hamlin, in the closing run.

Jeff Gordon, the defending race winner, finished 23rd-fastest in the final session. 

The Sprint Cup Series takes the track at the Brickyard for the Coors Light Pole Qualifying session tomorrow at 1:10 p.m. ET (NBC Sports Network/Live Extra).

Practice 2: Full results

A fast lap of 181.466 mph sent Dale Earnhardt Jr.’s No. 88 soaring to the top of the leaderboard early during Friday’s second practice at Indianapolis Motor Speedway. The Hendrick Motorsports driver found more speed in this session, having posted a high speed of 181.046 mph (ranked seventh) in the opening session this morning at the Brickyard.

Team Penske‘s Brad Keselowski came up just behind Earnhardt, scoring a fast lap of 181.448 mph in his No. 2 Ford to snag the second spot.

Earnhardt’s Hendrick Motorsports teammate Kasey Kahne ranked third (181.408 mph), while Chip Ganassi Racing with Felix Sabates’ Kyle Larson (181.378 mph) and Michael Waltrip Racing‘s Clint Bowyer (181.331 mph) rounded out the top five.

Last year’s Brickyard 400 winner Jeff Gordon showed speed again in this session, propelling around the famed speedway at 181.189 mph to earn the sixth spot.

Sprint Cup Series champion Kevin Harvick was 14th-fastest, rounding the Indiana track at 179.583 mph in his No. 4 Stewart-Haas Racing Chevrolet.

Reigning XFINITY champion Chase Elliott — who will be making his fourth Sprint Cup Series start in Sunday’s 400-mile event — clocked a fast lap of 178.798 mph in his No. 25 Hendrick Motorsports Chevrolet, giving him the 17th-fastest speed in the field.

After topping the opening practice, Denny Hamlin ran into trouble early in the second session when the hood of his No. 11 Joe Gibbs Racing Toyota flew up and hit the windshield. The bizarre occurance — which NASCAR determined was caused by the hood not being properly pinned down — brought out the caution for debris. His No. 11 team replaced the hood and the windshield and Hamlin returned to the race track to score the 12th-fastest speed.

Paul Menard‘s No. 27 Richard Childress Racing Chevrolet returned to the track after hitting the wall during opening practice. The 2011 Brickyard 400 winner ranked 22nd on the leaderboard.

Practice 1: Full results

Denny Hamlin rose to the top of the leaderboard Friday morning in opening NASCAR Sprint Cup Series practice as teams got their first taste of a new aerodynamic package at Indianapolis Motor Speedway.

Hamlin drove the Joe Gibbs Racing No. 11 Toyota to a fast lap of 182.208 mph on the 2.5-mile track. The 34-year-old driver won the Coors Light Pole Award at the Brickyard in 2012.

Jimmie Johnson, a four-time Brickyard winner, managed the second-fastest lap at 181.796 mph in the 85-minute session, but the show of speed was tempered by a fuel-pressure issue that brought the Hendrick Motorsports No. 48 Chevrolet to a halt on the track at the 50-minute mark of practice. He was pushed back to the garage with help from the No. 14 Chevy of Tony Stewart.

Defending Sprint Cup Series champion and current points leader Kevin Harvick was third-fastest at 181.756 mph in the Stewart-Haas Racing No. 4 Chevrolet in preparation for Sunday’s Crown Royal Presents the Jeff Kyle 400 at the Brickyard (3:30 p.m. ET, NBCSN, IMS, SiriusXM).

Five-time Brickyard winner Jeff Gordon was fourth-fastest at 181.444 mph in preparation for his final race at the historic speedway. Gordon prevailed in the inaugural NASCAR race at Indy in 1994 and triumphed last season to top the series’ all-time win list at the 2.5-mile track.

Stewart, a two-time Brickyard winner, completed the top five on the leaderboard.

With new aero devices in place to make the cars less smooth through the air, Hamlin’s speed was significantly slower than Matt Kenseth‘s 186.285 mph lap that led first practice at the Brickyard last year. The lap was also off the 188.470-mph pace set by Kevin Harvick in Coors Light Pole Qualifying at Indianapolis in 2014.

The new high-drag rules package was designed with the hopes of promoting more side-by-side racing at the rectangular track, where passing has typically been difficult. The biggest aerodynamic change was to the rear spoiler, which was raised to a 9-inch height and capped by a new wicker bill on top.

Though a portion of the larger spoiler is made of clear, hard Lexan plastic, a handful of drivers — Dale Earnhardt Jr. and Daytona 500 winner Joey Logano among them — complained of some visibility issues in their rear view.

Chase Elliott, set to replace Gordon as a Sunoco Rookie of the Year candidate in the Hendrick Motorsports No. 24 Chevrolet next season, was 15th-fastest in preparation for the fourth Sprint Cup start of his career. His No. 25 Chevy from the Hendrick stables clocked a best lap of 179.939 mph.

Former Indianapolis winner Paul Menard scraped the outside retaining wall at approximately the 30-minute mark, causing slight damage to the right side of the Richard Childress Racing No. 27 Chevrolet. After repairs, Menard was able to return to the track, setting the 21st-fastest lap.

Two more practices are scheduled Friday for the Sprint Cup Series — 1-2:25 p.m. ET and 4-5:55 p.m. ET, with both broadcast on NBC Sports Network. Coors Light Pole Qualifying, which will use single-car runs to set the 43-car field, is scheduled Saturday at 1:10 p.m. ET.

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Drivers give feedback on new rules package at Indy

SPEEDWAY, Ind. — There was the unexpected stall on track by six-time champion Jimmie Johnson in the opening session and the hood on the No. 11 Joe Gibbs Racing Toyota of Denny Hamlin that disintegrated just as the second practice got underway, but neither were related to the new high drag aerodynamic package that debuted Friday at Indianapolis Motor Speedway.

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NASCAR Sprint Cup Series teams began preparations for Sunday’s Jeff Kyle 400 at the Brickyard with a taller spoiler (9-inches), a 1-inch wicker bill, as well as changes to the splitter and splitter extension panel.

The move could improve passing on the narrow, 2.5-mile track. But the jury was still out after nearly five hours of on-track activity Friday.

"Passing will be tough to say the least," Hamlin, fastest in the first of three sessions, said. "We’re trying something new. I can’t fault (NASCAR) for trying – they tried what we wanted to try and I thought we had a pretty successful race (at Kentucky) and now we’re trying something different.

"We’ll see if it’s better or not. Still, here is a very tough race track. This is a one-groove race track where it’s definitely been tough to pass here for 15 years or as long as I’ve been here. It’s just going to be one of those tough tracks." 

Johnson’s troubles were the result of a faulty fuel pump. Hamlin’s miscue came as a result of hood pins that weren’t properly secured. Other than a spin here, a brush with the wall there, it was a day most spent trying to find the balance between speed and drivability. Some found it; some are still searching.

NASCAR rolled out a low downforce setup for the Kentucky race, and while the tire provided wasn’t built specifically for the package, the results were generally favorable. 

A version of the Indy package, which will also be in play next month when the series returns to Michigan International Speedway, was tested briefly last year.

Because of the uncertainties, teams were allowed one engine change prior to Saturday’s qualifying and also ran their practices with on-board data acquisition systems. 

Teams were instructed to bring four different gears to Indy for possible use, starting with a 3.70 before giving option of 3.70 or 3.75 gear for the second session. By the final practice, the options were 3.75 and 3.80. 

"I honestly think until we get into the race on Sunday that it’s hard to get anyone’s true opinion on what we are going to have," Jamie McMurray (Chip Ganassi Racing with Felix Sabates) said. "… I really don’t. To me on Sunday when you get two cars side-by-side with this package the guy in third is going to have an extra engine. It’s going to be crazy the amount of speed that he is going to have. I don’t know, the restarts are going to be pretty wild, I think."

Teams did take part in an open test here in April, following a two-day Goodyear tire test. But the high drag package was not a part of those tests. 

The data gathered months ago isn’t completely useless, Team Penske driver Joey Logano said, but much of it no longer relates.

"I think a lot of that transfers over, but there is still quite a bit of difference," he said. "When you look at your wedge or your track bar or nose weight — those three things for sure, maybe rear springs — those changed probably the most when you have a package that’s so different than what they tested here or what we ran last year even. 

"We’re just trying to find a balance for those three and those … are a challenge enough, but obviously there’s a lot more to that package than just that." 

A day that began for teams at 6:30 a.m. ended with most sifting through data, changing engines, and "basically totally re-prep your car," Team Penske competition director Travis Geisler said. "This was a hell of a day."

What, if anything, was learned?

"I think it’s definitely going to take guys being forced into situations, which is what the race does, to make things happen," he said. "Something that just never happens in practice. You can’t force guys to do that. …

It is, he said, "a lot of the reason why NASCAR has gone in the direction of ‘hey, we’re going to go to the race track and see what happens.’ 

"We’ve all spent a lot time, energy, resources on going to large scale tests and you still just never generate the motivation for guys to put themselves in uncomfortable positions.

"There has to be something on the line and I think kissing the bricks is as much on the line as guys can get."

Kurt Busch (Stewart-Haas Racing) led the final practice. 

Coors Light Pole qualifying (NBCSN) to set the 43-car field is scheduled to being at 1:10 p.m. ET Saturday.

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Coors Light Pole Qualifying Saturday, July 25 (1:10 p.m. ET, NBCSN/Live Extra)

Entry Car # Driver Team
1 98 Timmy Hill(i) Curb Records Ford
2 62 Reed Sorenson Chevrolet
3 26 Jeb Burton # Maxim Fantasy Sports/Estes Toyota
4 83 Matt DiBenedetto # VooDoo BBQ & Grill Toyota
5 23 JJ Yeley(i) Dr Pepper Toyota
6 32 Josh Wise Brandise Machinery Ford
7 7 Alex Bowman Marsh Supermarkets Chevrolet
8 34 Brett Moffitt # CSX Play It Safe Ford
9 35 Cole Whitt Speed Stick Ford
10 38 David Gilliland FFA Ford
11 46 Michael Annett Switch Hitch Chevrolet
12 40 Landon Cassill(i) Chevrolet
13 6 Trevor Bayne AdvoCare Ford
14 51 Justin Allgaier Brandt Chevrolet
15 9 Sam Hornish Jr. Medallion Bank Ford
16 95 Michael McDowell Thrivent Financial Ford
17 43 Aric Almirola Eckrich Ford
18 47 AJ Allmendinger Kroger/Kingsford Charcoal Chevrolet
19 17 Ricky Stenhouse Jr. NOS Energy Drink Ford
20 22 Joey Logano Shell Pennzoil Ford
21 33 Brian Scott(i) Shore Lodge Chevrolet
22 27 Paul Menard Duracell/Menards Chevrolet
23 31 Ryan Newman Grainger Chevrolet
24 13 Casey Mears GEICO Chevrolet
25 10 Danica Patrick GoDaddy Chevrolet
26 16 Greg Biffle Lilly/American Diabetes Association Ford
27 25 Chase Elliott(i) NAPA Auto Parts Chevrolet
28 3 Austin Dillon Dow/Mycogen Chevrolet
29 19 Carl Edwards Stanley Toyota
30 18 Kyle Busch Skittles Toyota
31 21 Ryan Blaney(i) Motorcraft/Quick Lane/JDRF Ford
32 1 Jamie McMurray McDonald’s/Cessna Chevrolet
33 55 David Ragan Aaron’s Dream Machine Toyota
34 78 Martin Truex Jr. Furniture Row/Visser Precision Chevrolet
35 20 Matt Kenseth Dollar General Toyota
36 14 Tony Stewart Mobil 1/Bass Pro Shops Chevrolet
37 15 Clint Bowyer 5-hour Energy Toyota
38 42 Kyle Larson Target Chevrolet
39 5 Kasey Kahne Farmers Chevrolet
40 24 Jeff Gordon 3M Chevrolet
41 2 Brad Keselowski Miller Lite Ford
42 88 Dale Earnhardt Jr. Nationwide Chevrolet
43 4 Kevin Harvick Jimmy John’s/Budweiser Chevrolet
44 48 Jimmie Johnson Kobalt Tools Chevrolet
45 41 Kurt Busch Haas Automation Chevrolet
46 11 Denny Hamlin FedEx Express Toyota
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Coors Light Pole Qualifying, 11:35 a.m. ET, July 25 (NBCSN/Live Extra)

Entry Car # Driver Team
1 19 Jeff Green TriStar Motorsports Toyota
2 40 Josh Reaume # Phoenix Air Dodge
3 74 Mike Harmon Battery Saver Dodge
4 70 Derrike Cope Chevrolet
5 52 Joey Gase Donate Life/DB Sales Company Chevrolet
6 13 BJ McLeod(i) Grafoid/Main Gate Dodge
7 89 Morgan Shepherd Malamphy Electric Inc. Chevrolet
8 0 Harrison Rhodes # teamjdmotorsports.com Chevrolet
9 15 Stanton Barrett Navy Seals vs Zombies/Lilly Trucking Ford
10 90 Martin Roy Gamache Truck Center Chevrolet
11 97 Peyton Sellers # VroomBrands Chevrolet
12 24 Eric McClure Reynolds Wrap Toyota
13 4 Ross Chastain # Watermelon.org Chevrolet
14 51 Jeremy Clements AllSouthElectric.com/RepairableVehicles.com Chevrolet
15 44 David Starr Zachry/Build Your Future Toyota
16 26 Timmy Hill(i) JGL Racing Toyota
17 01 Landon Cassill Flex Seal Chevrolet
18 14 Cale Conley # IAVA Toyota
19 28 JJ Yeley HSG/CodeBlue Toyota
20 8 Blake Koch LeafFilter Gutter Protection Toyota
21 39 Ryan Sieg Uncle Bob’s Self Storage Chevrolet
22 16 Ryan Reed Lilly/American Diabetes Association Ford
23 43 Dakoda Armstrong WinField Ford
24 25 Alex Bowman(i) Zaxby’s Chevrolet
25 3 Ty Dillon Bass Pro Shops/Tracker Boats Chevrolet
26 9 Chase Elliott NAPA Auto Parts Chevrolet
27 60 Chris Buescher Zest Ford
28 88 Kevin Harvick(i) Morton Buildings Chevrolet
29 6 Darrell Wallace Jr. # Ford EcoBoost Ford
30 1 Elliott Sadler OneMain Financial Ford
31 7 Regan Smith AmericasPower.org Chevrolet
32 2 Brian Scott Shore Lodge Chevrolet
33 62 Brendan Gaughan South Point Chevrolet
34 98 Aric Almirola(i) Sledgehammer Ford
35 18 Daniel Suarez # ARRIS Toyota
36 22 Ryan Blaney Discount Tire Ford
37 42 Kyle Larson(i) Dixie Chopper/Big Machine Records/Jacobsen Chevrolet
38 20 Erik Jones(i) Game Stop Toyota
39 33 Paul Menard(i) Richmond/Menards Chevrolet
40 54 Kyle Busch(i) Monster Energy Toyota
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Kurt Busch can join Harvick, Johnson, Dale Jr. in 16-car field after Indy

RELATED: Chase Grid after New Hampshire

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Only seven races remain before the 16-driver Chase for the NASCAR Sprint Cup field is set.

Here’s what we know:

Kevin Harvick, Dale Earnhardt Jr. and Jimmie Johnson have fulfilled two of the three Chase criteria. All three have the multiple wins that guarantee a spot among the top 16 winners, and have locked up a top 30 spot. All they need to do now is start each of the remaining races in the regular season.

A few drivers can join them this weekend. If Kurt Busch leaves Indy with a 289-point lead over 31st, he will lock up a top 30 spot. Joey Logano, Martin Truex Jr., Brad Keselowski, Matt Kenseth and Denny Hamlin all need to win, and in some cases get some help, to lock up a top 30 spot (leaving Indy with a 289-point lead over 31st).

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‘Smoke’ after the emotional win: ‘Today’s been my entire life’

Tony Stewart knew what the fans wanted.

The Columbus, Indiana, native had just crossed the start-finish line to win the coveted 2005 Allstate 400 at the Brickyard race at Indianapolis Motor Speedway, his first win at his hometown track. A roar from full grandstands greeted him, chanting "Tony! Tony!" in unison.

And after a day like today, a jubilant Stewart wasn’t one to disappoint.

Following his victory lap around the storied race track, Stewart stopped just short of the flag stand where the iconic bricks lay, climbed out of his No. 20 Chevrolet and strode over to the catch fence. Then, "Smoke" — along with his crew — began to climb the catch fence, joining the fans in a long-awaited celebration.

"I wish I could put into words," an exhausted but excited Stewart said after his fence climb, as he lay on the front stretch wall. "Today’s been my entire life."

Indianapolis was one of the races Stewart had circled on his schedule for quite some time. Not only was it his hometown track, but it was also a track where his hero — driver A.J. Foyt — had dominated with four Indianapolis 500 wins. Stewart’s 2005 win at Indianapolis put him further ahead in the championship point standings and ultimately led to him earning the 2005 Cup championship.

PHOTOS: See Cup drivers kiss the bricks

But that would come later in the season. On that August day in 2005, it was all about Stewart, Indianapolis and a famous line of bricks.

Posted on by Holly Cain

Gibbs: ‘Super-smart’ driver bounces back from ‘bitter disappointments’

RELATED: What Busch needs to do to make the Chase

At the risk of jinxing Kyle Busch‘s incredible run to a NASCAR title chance, time already to offer an "I told you so."

A mere eight points races into returning to action after breaking his leg and foot in a frightening accident Feb. 21 at Daytona, Busch has three wins in the No. 18 Joe Gibbs Racing Toyota and sits 58 points out 30th place in the standings — the ranking threshold for him to qualify for a Chase for the NASCAR Sprint Cup championship run.

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But even those most loyal and supportive of Kyle Busch fans couldn’t have foreseen this hasty and efficient means of taking care of business. Three wins in four weeks — on three different types of race tracks — from a driver who by most medical standards should still be "easing" into a comeback from serious injury.

Busch "should" be hobbling and wincing to each checkered flag. Instead he’s taken the flag for a victory lap three of the last four weeks.

It’s the second time in his career that he’s won races 16, 18 and 19 on the schedule. (He did it in 2008 when those races were Sonoma, Daytona and Chicagoland.) But the timing couldn’t be better. Or more crucial.

He basically spotted the field 11 full points races and is still on pace to earn a championship chance. Who does that?

Kyle Busch does.

And it has spurred an interesting phenomenon. As Busch, 30, takes his well-deserved victory bows he’s getting a lot fewer victory boos. He’s gone from the sport’s "bad boy" to its most "rad boy."

His effort may be the most transformative thing to happen in his career — more than moving from one iconic organization to another (Hendrick Motorsports to Joe Gibbs Racing), more so than collecting race trophies left and right across NASCAR’s full spectrum of series.

RELATED: Timeline of Busch injury, recovery

Busch’s recovery from injury — he was back racing a good month earlier than most predicted – and the against-the-odds performances after missing the first 11 races, have won over fans and created one of the most compelling championship storylines since six-time champ Jimmie Johnson started reeling off five consecutive titles.

Busch has always been highly motivated. Watch any of his runner-up or top-five interviews and you know how much he hates to lose. So it’s not like he’s trying harder to win now than he did before.

He is a shining example of how much good can come from much challenge. And that’s inspiring his competitors and impressing NASCAR fans.

Busch’s team owner, former Super Bowl winning coach Joe Gibbs, sees the change in his driver.

"I think what’s happened as we start our lives and we’re going through life… Think about when he [Busch] first came on the scene in NASCAR,” Gibbs said in an extended interview on SiriusXM NASCAR Radio following Busch’s July 11 win at Kentucky Speedway.

"He was a young guy, single, trying to make his mark, aggressive as all get-out, got his emotions on his sleeve, every now and then would blow up at different situations.

"OK, think about where he is today over the period of the time that we’ve seen him kind of mature through his racing career. He’s now married. He’s now got a child. He’s gone through some of those bitter disappointments and learned from them that, ‘hey, if you do this, there’s going to be painful consequences.’ He’s super-smart, and I think now that he’s doing just a better job of handling things."

RELATED: Gibbs recalls Theismann injury after Busch crash

The knock on Kyle is that he is fantastically talented – his 145 wins in NASCAR’s three marquee series are most among active drivers by 48 victories over Jeff Gordon‘s 97 — but he hasn’t put together a solid run in the championship crunch time.

After what Busch has had to overcome this season, should Busch qualify for the 10-race Chase for the Sprint Cup championship playoff, he automatically becomes a favorite in many people’s eyes.

"You know, if somebody would have said, You’re going to come back and you’re going to win three of four, how many have I raced now, eight, whatever, I would have said, ‘Yeah, right, you’re crazy,’ " Busch explained Sunday after his win at New Hampshire.

"But it’s certainly doable. Like I said, I got to give credit where credit’s due. Our race team is really good right now. Joe got on them a little bit a while back and told them, Let’s fix this. They listen. When Joe talks, they listen.  …

"I feel like there’s a plan in this world for all of us. God certainly put one on my table this year that I don’t know that I’ve had this big of a challenge before. That was in the injury and now, getting back in the race car, getting back in the Chase.

"You know, in my mind, the opportunity I got put in front of me was to run 20 championship weeks from here on out ’til the end of the year. That’s what it’s going to be for us.

"We’re making the most of that right now."

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Second start in the No. 25 for Tommy Baldwin Racing Sprint Cup driver

Athenian Motorsports announced Thursday that Alex Bowman will replace John Wes Townley in the team’s No. 25 Chevrolet for Saturday’s NASCAR XFINITY Series race at Indianapolis Motor Speedway.

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According to a release provided by the team, Townley aggravated a non-racing-related injury during Wednesday night’s Camping World Truck Series race at Eldora Speedway. The team said Townley was treated and released from the infield care center after finishing 14th in the 1-800-Car-Cash Mud Summer Classic, the truck tour’s third annual race on dirt.
 
Bowman, a NASCAR Sprint Cup Series regular, is scheduled to make his second XFINITY start this season in Athenian’s No. 25 in Saturday’s Lilly Diabetes 250 (3:30 p.m. ET, NBC, IMS Radio, SiriusXM). The 22-year-old driver also took a fill-in role in June at Michigan International Speedway, when Townley was competing in the Truck Series’ event at Iowa Speedway.
 
Townley, 25, has entered 12 of the XFINITY Series’ 17 events this season. He ranks fifth in the driver standings in the Camping World Truck Series, where he competes full-time.
 
Athenian said in its release that Townley expects to recuperate in time for the series’ next race, the Pocono Mountains 150 (Aug. 1, 1 p.m. ET, FOX Sports 1, MRN, SiriusXM) at Pocono Raceway.

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Reigning Sprint Cup champ won 2011 event at the Tricky Triangle

BUY TICKETS: Pocono

Kevin Harvick will return to the NASCAR Camping World Truck Series for the first time in two years when he pilots the No. 00 Haas Automation Chevrolet for JR Motorsports in the Pocono Mountains 150 on August 1.

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In his only previous Pocono Raceway start in the series, Harvick won the 2011 edition of this race after leading 44 of 53 laps in a Kevin Harvick Inc. vehicle. His last start in the series came in 2013 at Martinsville.

"I’m excited to be back in the NASCAR Camping World Truck Series with JRM at Pocono Raceway," Harvick said in a team release. "A lot has changed at Pocono with the repave, but I was fortunate enough to find Victory Lane in my last Truck Series start there and I hope we can do the same thing this time around with the Haas Automation Chevrolet."

JRM made its series debut this season, fielding a Silverado for 17-year-old Cole Custer, who earned his first win with JRM and second career victory last month at Gateway Motorsports Park. Drivers must be 18 years of age or older to run national series tracks greater than a mile in length so Custer must wait until next season to run full time after his 18th birthday on Jan. 23. He will return to the No. 00 next month at Bristol Motor Speedway.

Kasey Kahne earned the first victory for JRM’s Truck program in May at Charlotte Motor Speedway, where he beat Erik Jones by .005 seconds for the second-closest finish in series history.

Posted on by Zack Albert

Team owner won at the Brickyard in 2010 with driver Jamie McMurray

Indianapolis Motor Speedway holds a special spot in Chip Ganassi’s heart, as a backdrop to his five starts as an IndyCar driver to his five wins as a car owner — one in NASCAR and four in the Indianapolis 500. The track’s rich history, the sense of place — all are palpable when his team sets up camp in Gasoline Alley for a race weekend in either series.

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But despite his fondness for Indy, Ganassi insists there’s not a Target-red marker to circle the Speedway’s place on the NASCAR calendar for emphasis. With seven races left to get his drivers Jamie McMurray and Kyle Larson in position for the Chase for the NASCAR Sprint Cup playoffs, the 57-year-old team owner said each event carries its own importance.

"I don’t think there’s any extra pressure. If there’s any pressure at all, it’s every race," Ganassi says. "There’s a certain amount that goes with every event, but I mean, Indy is in some sense a big event and I know our guys like big events. In another sense, it’s just another race and we want to approach it the same way, but we’re certainly excited about going there."

The sense of time and place is also meaningful for McMurray heading into Sunday’s Crown Royal Presents the Jeff Kyle 400 at the Brickyard (3:30 p.m. ET, NBCSN, IMS, SiriusXM), an event he won as part of his banner season of 2010, his first with the team that is now known as Chip Ganassi Racing with Felix Sabates.

In some ways, McMurray says, his Brickyard victory seems like a distant memory but in other ways not as much. Ganassi’s longest-tenured driver said he often frames events now in relation to his children’s ages. At the time of his Indy win, his wife, Christy, was pregnant with the couple’s first child, Carter — now 4 1/2 years old.

Their status as happy parents-to-be comes through in all the photos from Victory Lane and the traditional kiss of the yard of bricks at the start-finish line, but so is the joy shared by Ganassi and Sabates savoring their first stock-car triumph at the birthplace of Indianapolis-style racing. The venerable Speedway certainly remains cherished, but McMurray said the approach doesn’t change for this weekend.

"I don’t remember Chip ever mentioning anything about this race being more important to him than any other race, even though he has the background with the IndyCar team and has the shop based there," McMurray said. "It was a really big deal for us to be able to win there in 2010 — the pictures, the memories … I loved getting to watch the TV footage afterward of how excited Chip was with Felix being able to win there. But honestly, I don’t remember him ever mentioning anything about we need to put more effort into this weekend over any other."

Some extra effort will be necessary this weekend, if only because a new, high-drag aero package awaits Sprint Cup teams. To help teams adjust to the rules changes, Friday practice has been expanded to three sessions totaling four hours and 40 minutes, an increase of one hour, 25 minutes from 2014.

The extra time might be welcome for crew chiefs such as Matt McCall, in his first year overseeing McMurray’s No. 1 Chevrolet. A raised rear spoiler and other aero devices are expected to produce closer, almost pack-style racing at Indianapolis this weekend and at Michigan International Speedway next month but McCall said he’s reserving judgment on how cars will react until his team can log track time.

"Obviously, you’ve got wind tunnel data to think you know what it’s going to be like, but until they actually make some laps …," McCall said, trailing off with a slight shrug. "I think a couple of cars put the package on at the Chicago test (last week), so with a little bit of feedback, we’ll be able to pay attention to that. Still, once you get most of the cars on the race track, you’ll get a better idea of what will happen.

"It’s different, so that’s sort of good. Any type of change that’ll get your mind thinking a different way, I’m all about it. Sometimes the setup gets so repetitive that it’s the same every single week, so pretty cool to have a chance to play on something different."

NASCAR officials instituted a low-downforce package two weeks ago at Kentucky Speedway, producing a harder-to-handle car that placed greater emphasis on driver input. The result was the most competitive Sprint Cup race — measured in green-flag passes — in the series’ five-year run in the Bluegrass State.

The widely different trim of the Indianapolis package may be signaling a shift toward track-specific setups, all in the hope of promoting better racing with tailor-made aerodynamics. With that concept just beginning to take root, Ganassi said it’s still too early to weigh potential benefits against possible drawbacks.

"I have mixed feelings about it and what I’ve found, I had some feelings about the Kentucky package that really were unfounded concerns, I realized later," Ganassi said. "So I want to be careful what I say about Indianapolis and kind of go in with an open mind. I think in one sense, it’s a bit of an equalizer in that no one’s tested that package there. So it’s going to be interesting to see what happens and it could be an advantage for us."