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Indianapolis victory vaults duo to series lead

RELATED: UPS Game Changers: IMSA unites series, venues

INDIANAPOLIS — Stretching fuel mileage to the absolute limit, Joao Barbosa won Friday’s Brickyard Grand Prix TUDOR United SportsCar Championship race in convincing fashion, driving the No. 5 Action Express Racing Corvette DP to a 48.964-second victory over Scott Pruett, who had to settle for second place in the marquee sports car event for the third straight year.
 
When Pruett and Richard Westbrook brought their DP entries to pit road from second and third place, respectively, with eight minutes left in the two-hour, 45-minute race, the win was sealed for Barbosa and co-driver Christian Fittipaldi, who snatched the series lead from fourth-place finishers Jordan and Ricky Taylor.
 
Barbosa and Fittipaldi hold an unofficial two-point edge heading to the Aug. 8-10 weekend at Road America in the Prototype point standings.
 
"I was saving fuel the whole time," Barbosa said of his long stint in the car. "The end was kind of easy, but to get there was so, so hard. It was unbelievable."

Jonathan Bomarito and Kuno Wittmer picked up the first victory of the season for Dodge Viper SRT in the GT Le Mans class. Subbing for suspended Alex Tagliani, IndyCar regular Jack Hawksworth, in his first start in a sports car race, teamed with Chris Cumming to win the Prototype Challenge class in a 1-2 finish for RSR Racing.
 
Scuderia Corsa Ferrari 458 Italia drivers Alessandro Balzan and Jeff Westphal captured the GT Daytona class, beating Paul Miller Racing’s Christopher Haase and Bryce Miller to the finish line by more than a lap at the 2.439-mile road course.
 
Before Pruett pitted late, Barbosa was concerned about his own fuel situation.
 
"I kept asking the team, ‘How are we doing on fuel?’" Barbosa said. "And they said, ‘Don’t worry. Just keep doing what you’re doing. We should be fine.’ Luckily, we had a good gap and could keep the car out of trouble. Just a tremendous job by the team, giving us a car we could run at a good pace while still saving fuel…
 
"When the other guys pitted the last time, I could breathe a little bit."
 
The No. 10 Konica Minolta-Corvette DP driven by the Taylor brothers started seventh and sustained early damage during contact with the No. 01 Telcel Chip Ganassi Racing with Felix Sabates Ford EcoBoost/Riley driven at the time by 19-year-old Sage Karam.
 
While Jordan Taylor slipped back to eighth, Karam, the reigning Indy Lights champion, subsequently drove the No. 01 to the second position, trailing leader Barbosa by less than two seconds at the midpoint of the 2-hour, 45-minute race.
 
With just over one hour, 10 minutes remaining, Karam surprised Barbosa with a daring pass and grabbed the lead before handing the car over to Pruett with 56 minutes left.
 
Karam’s pit stop for the driver change handed the lead back to Barbosa, who brought his No. 5 Corvette DP to pit road with 52 minutes remaining. After the stops cycled through, Barbosa led Pruett by nearly five seconds.
 
For his part, Pruett was trying to catch Barbosa while fending off Ryan Dalziel, who had driven the pole-winning No. 1 Tequila Patrón HPD ARX-03b/Honda into third place after teammate Scott Sharp had fallen back to sixth early in the race, thanks to the cars difficulty at the start and with the restart after the first caution.
 
Dalziel, however, spun in Turn 1 of the 14-turn course as he tried to pressure Pruett and lost the third spot to the No. 90 VisitFlorida.com Corvette DP of Richard Westbrook as the top DP entries began to string out under the green. Barbosa extended his advantage over Pruett to more than seven seconds as the race hit the 2:15 mark.
 
After hounding Westbrook for the third position, Dalziel ran short of fuel with 13 minutes left and dropped to eighth in the running order, ultimately finishing fifth.
 
After Pruett and Westbrook made their late pit stops, the two drivers regained their second and third spots and finished there.
 
In the GT Le Mans classification, former Formula 1 driver and pole winner Giancarlo Fisichella led early in the Risi Competizione Ferrari 458 Italia but gave way to the 911 Porsche North America Porsche 911 RSR driven by Nick Tandy, who opened a lead of more than two seconds over Jonathan Bomarito (who had usurped second from at the 90-minute mark).
 
But Tandy’s Porsche developed engine issues, and Bomarito seized the opportunity to claim the win in the No. 93 Dodge Viper SRT, breaking a streak of four straight victories for the No. 3 Corvette C7.R entry of Jan Magnussen and Antonio Garcia, who finished fourth.

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Starting position a big deal at Indianapolis Motor Speedway

SPEEDWAY, Ind. — Forget that flashy new digital scoring pylon standing on the frontstrech. During the first group qualifying session for the Sprint Cup Series at Indianapolis Motor Speedway, teams might be more focused on the sky.

Every qualifying session at the Brickyard can prove a lesson in armchair meteorology, going back to the single-car runs that have set the starting field every season since the stock cars started rolling here in 1994. Indianapolis might be the most temperature-sensitive venue on the circuit, and during qualifying, timing can be everything — going out under a cloud or in bright sunshine could mean the difference in several rows on the grid.

On a narrow layout where passing can be at a premium, starting position matters — only six times in 20 previous races has the winner come from further back than 13th, and Ryan Newman became the third pole winner last season to prevail. All of which opens the possibility that cloud cover could dictate who goes out when during the three group qualifying sessions set to determine the starting lineup for Sunday’s race.

"There’s no doubt, you want to have the best conditions," said four-time Brickyard winner Jeff Gordon. "This is such a big track, and it takes a lot out of the tires in that one lap, and you want to have the coolest track you possibly can. And if you can catch a cloud, then yeah, you’re definitely going to find a lot of speed. We’ve seen here when we’ve started qualifying in the morning how fast those early cars are, and just how tough it is to maintain that later in the day."

Indeed, during the era of single-car runs, weather was often a determining factor — drivers who went out later as the day and the track heated up could find themselves at a disadvantage, although there were times, like last season, when Newman caught a late cloud and won the pole on the final run of the afternoon. Over the years, qualifying has even been moved around on the weekend schedule in an attempt to find a window where conditions would be more equal from the beginning of the session to the end.

Now, in an hour-long group format where teams control when they go out within a segment, it’s not outlandish to think that cars might sit on pit road hoping for the right atmospheric conditions before charging onto the track.

"There’s potential for it to cloud up and become chaotic as qualifying goes through," Newman said. "… But in the same way, there’s times the track can sit for a little bit and get faster. So you might see a burst of cars at the start of qualifying and then, you know — as qualifying goes at tracks of this size, the windows for opportunities become smaller as the timing changes. So I think in the end, it’s going to be get clean air, and you got what you got."

Teams will still likely aim to get in a lap amid as little traffic as possible, and the window for sky-watching will of course grow narrower as qualifying progresses and the segments get shorter.

"Three rounds here is a lot the way the tires drop off," Matt Kenseth said, "and as temperature-sensitive as the track is, and as sensitive as the cars are to traffic as well.”

The format may have changed, but at Indianapolis, the emphasis on qualifying remains. Kenseth was among the drivers who made mock qualifying runs in the lone Sprint Cup practice session held Friday, just to guard against potential inclement weather Saturday afternoon. The deepest any Brickyard winner has started is 27th, which was where Gordon rolled off the starting grid en route to his third victory here in 2001.

"Track position is so important here. It’s so hard to pass here," Gordon said. "And because of that, what happens is the pit crew becomes crucial. The pit strategy becomes crucial. And the speed of the car, especially in qualifying, becomes crucial."

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Busch’s DNF at Charlotte encourages him to give the double another go

RELATED: Engine woes bring Busch’s double to early end

SPEEDWAY, Ind. — Sometimes, he wonders if he could ever top it. And others, he can’t resist the temptation to try.

Kurt Busch is back at Indianapolis Motor Speedway, for the first time after a stirring double attempt in May that included a stellar sixth-place run in the Indianapolis 500. His focus this time around will be the annual Sprint Cup Series race at the Brickyard, an event in which Busch hasn’t enjoyed a single-digit finish in over a decade. But wherever he goes this weekend, he can’t help but encounter positive memories from his double attempt — and questions over whether he’ll do it again.

"That’s been the big question — would I come back and do it again," Busch said Friday. "Every day I wake up, it’s like, ‘Yes, let’s do it again.’ And then there’s thoughts of, ‘I finished sixth. That’s pretty special.’ I don’t know if I can achieve that result again."

He has some time to make that decision. A more pressing matter is the Brickyard, where Busch hasn’t finished better than 10th since 2003, back in his days racing for Jack Roush. Although the two types of cars don’t compare, the 2004 champion of NASCAR’s top series is hoping the good feelings he developed toward this storied facility during his May efforts will help him improve during a much different event in the final days of July.

"I have a greater appreciation for the speedway, and I hope the respect I show it this weekend will help me bounce up on some of my results here at the track," Busch said. "It’s been tough in a stock car here for me. The diamond-cut surface is one of the unique challenges in our sport, where the track is fast and the track is fresh when we first get out there. And then the track rubbers in after every practice session, and continues to get greasier and greasier, and that’s because the rubber is continuing to fill in those diamond-groove surfaces. The track goes through a big change throughout the weekend, and we’ll adjust to the changing track conditions."

His third-place run at Pocono in June provides some optimism. The second turn at Pocono is modeled after one of the 90-degree corners at Indianapolis, so teams often turn to setup notes at one track to help at the other. "Our team has found a good rhythm since then," Busch said. "We’re hoping to cash in on some of those setup notes and procedures."

Indeed the No. 41 team seemed to find its footing after Pocono, providing a boost to a program that — despite its current 25th-place standing in points — will likely be in the Chase for the NASCAR Sprint Cup by virtue of its victory at Martinsville in March. At the Brickyard, though, it’s impossible to escape the memories of May, something the driver can sense when he interacts with race fans in this area. Busch’s double attempt ended prematurely due to an engine failure in the Coca-Cola 600 at Charlotte Motor Speedway, but he still radiates when talking about the experience.

"I really enjoyed it all the way through. … We’re still writing thank-you notes. It’s amazing the number of people we touched, and reached out to us," he said.

"It was a sense of personal accomplishment that I didn’t know I’d be able to attain. I genuinely have so many unique feelings from the whole experience."

Busch took on the double for many reasons, including challenging himself as a driver and raising awareness for military issues during Memorial Day weekend. He became just the fourth driver — and the first in a decade — to attempt the feat, and came 193.5 miles short of matching his team owner Tony Stewart, who remains the only driver to complete all 1,100 miles in the undertaking.

The full 1,100 miles "was the goal," Busch said, and the fact that he came so close to that elusive mark means part of the challenge remains out there, ready to be pursued once again. He said he hasn’t yet talked to Michael Andretti, who fielded his open-wheel entry, about reprising the double for 2015. But returning to Indianapolis, even for a Brickyard race in which he’ll pilot his No. 41 car, makes the figurative wheels turn.

"Just like today coming back to the speedway, there are different moments of when it tells me — yes, let’s go do it again. And then there’s moments of — just wait, let things pan out. My focus right now is honestly that 41 car and the Chase that’s coming up," Busch said.

"We’ll have some talks again, we’ll have some other dinners and time to hang out, and we’ll see what presents itself. I’m more than willing to jump back in and try to do it a full 1,100 miles. Because that’s the objective, to complete all 1,100 miles. It’s something special, and it’s a target, and it’s only been achieved once. It’s very difficult to do."

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Driver has opportunity to further etch his name into history books

SPEEDWAY, Ind. — For Jeff Gordon, Friday was a day of commemoration. The president of Indianapolis Motor Speedway presented the four-time NASCAR champion with the No. 24 from the scoring pylon, which was recently replaced along the frontstretch. And the mayor of Indianapolis stopped by to proclaim that Sunday would be Jeff Gordon Day in the Circle City.

"Now I just hope my competitors are respectful of this on Sunday and move out of the way," Gordon joked.

There’s still one more thing Gordon is after this weekend, though — a fifth career victory in the Sprint Cup Series race at the Brickyard, which would make him the all-time winner on an oval track that hosted its first race in 1911.

And this weekend, he likes his chances.

"This weekend, there’s no doubt — I feel like this is the best chance that we’ve had of winning this race, legitimately, with the speed of the car, as we’ve had in a very, very long time," Gordon said. "… This is definitely, overall, from the strength of the team and speed of the car, by far the best chance we’ve had of winning in a long time."

There’s certainly good reason behind that optimism, given that Gordon comes to Indianapolis as the Sprint Cup points leader, with a race victory already this season, and in the midst of easily his most consistent campaign since he nearly won a fifth title in 2007. And now here he is back at the Brickyard, 20 years after he won the inaugural race at the speedway, an event which provided NASCAR with a stirring jumping-off point at this open-wheel shrine — and a large reason for the presentations Gordon received Friday in the track’s media center.

That 1994 victory, by NASCAR’s brightest young star at the world’s most famous race track, helped lift the sport to another level. Gordon collected additional Brickyard titles in 1998, 2001 and 2004, and stands tied with Indianapolis 500 winners A.J. Foyt, Rick Mears and Al Unser, as well as Hendrick Motorsports teammate Jimmie Johnson, for most victories on the oval course. A triumph Sunday by either Gordon or Johnson would tie Formula 1 icon Michael Schumacher for most victories at the track all-time.

And yet it’s Gordon who has left the more personal imprint here, given that he went to high school and developed as a young racer in the nearby town of Pittsboro, has raised over $3.5 million for an area children’s hospital, and hosts an annual charity bowling event that’s become a fixture on the calendar. A record-tying fifth career victory at the Brickyard, two decades after his first, would only add to Gordon’s legacy at what’s essentially his hometown track.

"It’s awesome to know that every year we can go back and have a chance of winning," he said. "But no better chance than this year. Hendrick has been on top of their game, and (crew chief) Alan (Gustafson) and the 24 team have really stepped it up this year. That’s why we’re leading the points, and that’s why I’m optimistic about this weekend."

For Gordon, the impact of a fifth career Brickyard victory could generate ripples that extend beyond Indianapolis. He’s led the points for 12 weeks this year, has the best average finish in the series, and recorded a victory at Kansas that likely locked up his berth in the Chase for the NASCAR Sprint Cup. But given that Johnson and Brad Keselowski lead the circuit with three wins apiece, Gordon knows his points standing may belie the fact that he’s playing catch-up.

"We are having a great year. We’ve not had maybe this strong of cars in the last few years, but we’ve always had some really unfortunate circumstances work against us in the last couple of years. Where this year, our cars and our team are better. Maybe that’s why good things are happening for us. We’re putting ourselves in good positions," he said.

"It’s great to be in this position, but we look at our competitors, and we haven’t won the most races, and we need to win more. … We want to be the best out there. Even though we lead the points with this new points system, we’ve got to be better than this if we’re going to win the championship."

No better place to start than Indianapolis, where eight times the Brickyard winner has gone on to win the series championship. Gordon should know — he’s done it twice.

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No. 20 posts fastest lap as search for first win continues

RELATED: Practice results

Matt Kenseth led the opening session of NASCAR Sprint Cup Series practice on Friday at Indianapolis Motor Speedway. Kenseth, who has yet to win this season, posted a top speed of 186.285 mph on his first lap at the famed Brickyard’s 2.5-mile track.

Clint Bowyer finished second with a speed of 186.070 mph, followed by Brad Keselowski (185.939 mph), Jimmie Johnson (185.647 mph) and Kyle Larson (185.445 mph) to round out the top five.

The rest of the top 10 included Kurt Busch, Kyle Busch, Joey Logano, Marcos Ambrose and Kevin Harvick.

Defending race champion Ryan Newman was 12th with a speed of 183.587 mph. Fellow Indiana native Tony Stewart was 11th at 183.793 mph.

This was the only session of Sprint Cup practice scheduled for Friday. Cup final practice is slated for Saturday morning at 9 (ESPN2), with Coors Light Pole Qualifying set for 2:10 p.m. ET on Saturday (ESPN2).

It all leads up to Sunday’s 1 p.m. ET running of the Crown Royal Presents the John Wayne Walding 400 at the Brickyard (ESPN).

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See when each driver hits the track during Coors Light Pole Qualifying (Saturday at 2:10 p.m. ET, ESPN)

#

Car

Driver

Team

1

24

Jeff Gordon

Axalta Chevrolet

2

78

Martin Truex Jr.

Furniture Row Chevrolet

3

23

Alex Bowman #

Dr. Pepper Toyota

4

42

Kyle Larson #

Target Chevrolet

5

21

Trevor Bayne(i)

Motorcraft/Quick Lane Tire & Auto Center Ford

6

5

Kasey Kahne

Time Warner Cable Chevrolet

7

43

Aric Almirola

Eckrich Ford

8

40

Landon Cassill(i)

Carsforsale.com Chevrolet

9

83

Ryan Truex #

Burger King Toyota

10

20

Matt Kenseth

Dollar General Toyota

11

13

Casey Mears

GEICO Chevrolet

12

15

Clint Bowyer

RK Motors Charlotte Toyota

13

16

Greg Biffle

3M Safety Ford

14

9

Marcos Ambrose

Stanley Ford

15

37

Bobby Labonte

Accell Construction Chevrolet

16

55

Brian Vickers

Aaron’s Dream Machine Chevrolet

17

98

Josh Wise

Curb Records/Lee Brice Chevrolet

18

34

David Ragan

MDS Ford

19

66

Brett Moffitt

Character Counts/ASM Toyota

20

7

Michael Annett #

Pilot/Flying J Chevrolet

21

3

Austin Dillon #

Dow/Mycogen Seeds Chevrolet

22

1

Jamie McMurray

Cessna Chevrolet

23

27

Paul Menard

Moen/Menards Chevrolet

24

10

Danica Patrick

GoDaddy Chevrolet

25

47

AJ Allmendinger

Kingsford Charcoal Chevrolet

26

99

Carl Edwards

Fastenal Ford

27

51

Justin Allgaier #

Collision Cure Body Werks Chevrolet

28

32

Travis Kvapil

KeenParts.com/tryandrozene.com Ford

29

2

Brad Keselowski

Miller Lite Ford

30

12

Juan Pablo Montoya

Penske Truck Rental Ford

31

33

David Stremme

Thunder Coal Chevrolet

32

29

Matt Crafton(i)

ToyotaCare Toyota

33

88

Dale Earnhardt Jr.

National Guard Chevrolet

34

38

David Gilliland

Love’s Travel Stops Ford

35

4

Kevin Harvick

Jimmy John’s Chevrolet

36

18

Kyle Busch

Snickers Toyota

37

41

Kurt Busch

Haas Automation Chevrolet

38

36

Reed Sorenson

Zing Zang Chevrolet

39

11

Denny Hamlin

FedEx Express Toyota

40

22

Joey Logano

Shell Pennzoil Ford

41

14

Tony Stewart

Mobil 1/Bass Pro Shops Chevrolet

42

48

Jimmie Johnson

Lowe’s/Kobalt Tools Chevrolet

43

95

Michael McDowell

K-Love Ford

44

17

Ricky Stenhouse Jr.

EcoPower Oil Ford

45

31

Ryan Newman

Quicken Loans Chevrolet

46

26

Cole Whitt #

Speed Stick Gear Toyota

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No. 3 driver continues speed in final practice

NNS PRACTICE 2 (Results)

Ty Dillon continued to show speed in practices Friday, following up his second-place run earlier in the day with a top spot in the final session. Dillon’s top speed of 180.245 was slightly slower that his earlier run, however, with speeds falling overall. Brian Scott recovered from his early practice showing of 16th, running second in the later practice with a speed of 178.586 mph.

Kyle Busch placed third on the leaderboard, slightly slower than his earlier run but bettering his earlier position of sixth. Fellow NASCAR Sprint Cup Series regulars fell in line behind him with Kevin Harvick, Matt Kenseth, Joey Logano and Paul Menard taking spots four through seven, respectively.

Regan Smith, Trevor Bayne and David Ragan rounded out the top 10. Ragan was the leader in the early practice session. Points leader Chase Elliott ran 13th.

Coors Light Pole qualifying for the Lilly Diabetes 250 will take place tomorrow at 12:10 p.m. ET on FS1.

NNS PRACTICE 1 (Results)

David Ragan moved up to the top spot on the leaderboard late in Friday’s opening Nationwide Series practice, his speed of 181.043 mph one of only two above the 180 mark. The other driver to achieve the feat was second-fastest contender Ty Dillon, whose best speed was 180.930 mph.

Dylan Kwasniewski, one of Dillon’s competitors for Rookie of the Year, placed third on the leaderboard by running his Chevrolet Camaro to a best lap of 179.935 mph. Brendan Gaughan was fourth (179.856 mph).

The surge of Nationwide Series drivers to the top of the leaderboard pushed nearly all the Sprint Cup Series regulars out of the top five, the exception being Paul Menard, who finished fifth. Kyle Busch, Joey Logano, Kevin Harvick and Kyle Larson all finished in the top 10.

Rookie Dakoda Armstrong logged the most laps around the track with 31, but his best lap came on his fifth turn. Armstrong finished 17th, with a fastest lap of 176.696.

The Nationwide Series Lilly Diabetes 250 is scheduled for Sat., July 26 at 4:30 p.m. ET on ESPN.

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See when each driver hits the track during Coors Light Pole Qualifying (Saturday at 12:10 p.m. ET, FS1)

#

Car

Driver

Team

1

98

* David Ragan(i)

Denbeste Heavy Equipment Rental/Carroll Shelby Engine For

2

3

Ty Dillon #

Bass Pro Shops Chevrolet

3

46

* Matt Dibenedetto

Curtis Key Plumbing Chevrolet

4

84

* Chad Boat #

Front Row Tailgaiting/CorvetteParts.net Chevrolet

5

62

Brendan Gaughan

South Point Chevrolet

6

55

Jamie Dick

Viva Auto Group Chevrolet

7

40

Josh Wise(i)

Curtis Key Plumbing Chevrolet

8

16

Ryan Reed #

ADA Drive to Stop Diabetes presented by Lilly Diabetes Ford

9

11

Elliott Sadler

OneMain Financial Toyota

10

93

Kevin Swindell

JGL Racing Dodge

11

9

Chase Elliott #

Napa Auto Parts Chevrolet

12

43

Dakoda Armstrong #

WinField Ford

13

99

James Buescher

Rheem Toyota

14

20

Matt Kenseth(i)

Resers Toyota

15

5

* Kevin Harvick(i)

Morton Buildings Chevrolet

16

19

Mike Bliss

Tweaker Energy Shot/Circle K Toyota

17

23

Robert Richardson Jr.

Cornboard Chevrolet

18

10

* Blake Koch

M&W Logistics Toyota

19

7

Regan Smith

TaxSlayer.com Chevrolet

20

17

* Tanner Berryhill #

NationalCashLenders.com Dodge

21

44

David Starr

Hard Hat Heroes/BYF.org Toyota

22

28

JJ Yeley

Texas 28 Spirits Stage Dodge

23

39

Ryan Sieg #

Pull-A-Part LLC Do-It-Yourself Used Auto Parts Chevrolet

24

2

Brian Scott

Smokey Mountain Herbal Snff Chevrolet

25

31

Dylan Kwasniewski #

FOE Chevrolet

26

6

Trevor Bayne

AdvoCare Ford

27

42

Kyle Larson(i)

Nashville Outlaws Chevrolet

28

87

Josh Reaume

Colonial Countertops Chevrolet

29

01

Landon Cassill

teamjdmotorsports.com Chevrolet

30

14

Eric McClure

Hefty Ultimate/Reynolds Wrap Toyota

31

51

Jeremy Clements

Allsouthelectric.com/BRT Extrusions Chevrolet

32

72

* Carl Long

Crash Claims R Us Chevrolet

33

70

* Derrike Cope

Youtheory Chevrolet

34

54

Kyle Busch(i)

Monster Energy Toyota

35

74

* Kevin Lepage

The Thirty Days Foundation Dodge

36

76

* Tommy Joe Martins #

Ford

37

33

* Paul Menard(i)

Nibco/Menards Chevrolet

38

25

* John Wes Townley(i)

Zaxby’s/The Identical Movie Toyota

39

22

Joey Logano(i)

Discount Tire Ford

40

60

Chris Buescher #

Roush Performance Parts Ford

41

52

Joey Gase

Chevrolet

42

4

Jeffrey Earnhardt

teamjdmotorsports.com Chevrolet

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‘Smoke’ finds time to squeeze in race between Eldora, Indy

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It’s been a busy week for Tony Stewart, who was racing sprint cars on Thursday night at Tri-City Speedway in Granite City, Illinois, one night after hosting the NASCAR Camping World Truck Series event at Eldora Speedway.

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Stewart finished sixth on the 3/8-mile dirt track just outside of St. Louis in the winged sprints main event, which was won by Rico Abreu.

In his return to driving sprint cars for the first time since breaking his right leg last year, Stewart finished first and third in two races in Michigan last week.

Stewart was expected to drive in Friday’s Sprint Cup Series practice at 11:35 a.m. ET at Indianapolis Motor Speedway in preparation for Sunday’s Crown Royal Presents the John Wayne Walding 400 at the Brickyard (1 p.m. ET, ESPN).

Here’s a look at Stewart’s sprint-car ride, courtesy of Tom Murray’s Twitter feed:

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Historic milestone reached at iconic Indianapolis Motor Speedway

For more than three years, NASCAR has run on a race fuel blended with 15 percent American Ethanol, Sunoco Green E15. This Sunday at the Brickyard here in Indianapolis, one of the world’s most historically significant tracks, NASCAR will reach a fittingly historic milestone — 6 million miles competitive racing on the bio-fuel.

"NASCAR conducted an exhaustive analysis before making the seamless transition to Sunoco Green E15, a race fuel blended with 15 percent American Ethanol."

—NASCAR Chairman and CEO Brian France

"NASCAR conducted an exhaustive analysis before making the seamless transition to Sunoco Green E15, a race fuel blended with 15 percent American Ethanol," said Brian France, NASCAR Chairman and CEO. "As we eclipse 6 million tough competition miles across our three national series, we can definitively say this renewable fuel stands up to our rigorous racing conditions while significantly reducing our impact on the environment. We are proud to celebrate this milestone at Indianapolis Motor Speedway along with our partners at the National Corn Growers Association and Growth Energy."
 
At a ceremony in Indianapolis today, Richard Childress, chairman and CEO of Richard Childress Racing; Tom Buis, CEO at Growth Energy; and Ken Parrent, director of biofuels at Indiana Corn Marketing Council, gathered to recognize the upcoming achievement.
 
The 6-million mile mark is especially significant because it mirrors the 6 million miles of testing conducted by the U.S. Department of Energy to initially approve E15 for all light duty cars and trucks, model year 2001 and newer.  When this milestone is reached, E15 will have been proven as a high performance fuel on both the road and the track. With another 6 million miles of NASCAR real-world racing under its belt, E15 will be definitively established as a reliable, dependable and safe fuel that is environmentally friendly, high performance and a less expensive option for consumers.
 
"Ethanol-blended fuel is greener, cleaner and homegrown. It reduces our dependence on foreign oil, creates jobs right here at home and helps improve our environment. We want consumers to know that E15 is a safe, high performance and reliable option for them that is less expensive and supports hometown jobs when they fill up at the pump," Buis said. "We are excited to celebrate this milestone of 6 million miles raced on Sunoco Green E15 at NASCAR here in Indiana."
 
In 2011, NASCAR and American Ethanol partnered to bring E15 to the sport. Since the beginning of the 2011 season, Sunoco Green E15 has fueled every car and every truck in each of NASCAR’s national race series. The introduction of Sunoco Green E15 has been a pivotal part of the NASCAR Green initiative, and has successfully increased horsepower and decreased emissions for the sport.

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