Posted on by Dustin Albino

SPEEDWAY, Ind. — For years, Denny Hamlin hasn’t sugarcoated his affinity for Indianapolis Motor Speedway. Multiple times over his career, he’s experienced bitter defeat in the Brickyard 400.

That sorrow continued Sunday.

The No. 11 Joe Gibbs Racing team went the extra mile to prepare for Indianapolis. Hamlin’s crew chief Chris Gabehart knows how badly Hamlin wants to kiss the yard of bricks, so in a strategy-filled race, he called the race in hopes of giving Hamlin a shot at the end.

RELATED: Race results | Cup standings

All was swell for Hamlin in the early portion. He earned his sixth stage victory of the season in Stage 1, holding off a hard-charging Kyle Larson. The No. 11 Toyota began the second stage buried with track position but made quick work and sliced up to third, trailing only Bubba Wallace and Chase Elliott.

On a Lap 110 restart, Carson Hocevar dove into the middle of a three-wide battle. The No. 77 car made contact with Ryan Blaney, turning the No. 12 car into seven-time Cup Series champion Jimmie Johnson, who collected Joey Logano. During that caution period, Gabehart put his dice on the table, calling Hamlin to pit road, believing he needed a few cautions to go the distance on fuel.

“The problem is, fast cars burn a lot of fuel,” Gabehart told NASCAR.com. “Cars and drivers that aren’t in contention, when they get cautions, they figure out how to parlay those cautions into opportunities. It’s hard to be a fast car running up front and take advantage of all the opportunities out there.”

Restarting outside the top 15, Hamlin sliced through the field. Martin Truex Jr. wrecked on Lap 125 to bring out a caution, allowing the No. 11 Toyota to shut the engine off and save fuel. Hamlin’s strategy diverted to driving hard after the restart, unless he got stuck in traffic. Hamlin made little progress, leading Gabehart to call an audible and go into fuel-savings mode.

With a few laps remaining in regulation, Kyle Busch spun underneath Hamlin entering Turn 3 to bring out the caution, sending the race to overtime. Believing there would be multiple green-white-checkered finishes, Gabehart had Hamlin pit, making sure there was no question about whether he could make it to the end on fuel.

“I try not to make decisions based on pure emotion,” Gabehart said. “My feeling was if we had one green-white-checkered in the tank, it was going to be close. And the chances of a restart wreck are really high. So, if I got my pitting out of the way early then you have another restart wreck, like we did, then we’re in a lot better spot for those that either pitted in front of us because they know they can’t make it or the ensuing wrecks are going to happen.”

That instinct was correct. Entering Turn 1, Daniel Hemric and John Hunter Nemechek collided, ricocheting the No. 42 car off the inside wall and into traffic. Hamlin was pinned up against the wall and clobbered Nemechek.

Hamlin was credited with a 32nd-place finish.

“I couldn’t see,” Hamlin said of the wreck. “There was a car coming across the track and I hit [Nemechek].”

The cautions didn’t fall right for Hamlin and ultimately it was his caution that ended the chance at winning a fourth race in 2024.

“That’s just part of stage racing at a strategic race track like this,” Gabehart said. “It’s hard to cover all the bases, and unfortunately, we just didn’t get the cautions.”

For the 16th time, Hamlin missed out on winning the crown jewel race. He will have to wait at least another year to join the short list that contains Jeff Gordon, Jimmie Johnson, Kevin Harvick and Dale Earnhardt — drivers who have all won the Daytona 500, Coca-Cola 600, Southern 500 and Brickyard 400.

Posted on by Staff Report

Planning the racing schedule for next year may not be the first thing on Kyle Larson’s mind after winning Sunday’s thrilling Brickyard 400, but the 2021 Cup Series champion has interest in a second shot at the Indianapolis 500.

The “double” attempt in May was highly documented as a disappointment due to Mother Nature hampering Larson’s day in two different regions of the country on the same day.

In a collaborative effort with Arrow McLaren and Hendrick Motorsports, Larson qualified fifth for the 108th running of the Indy 500, but a pit-road speeding penalty in the closing stages of the event stymied Larson’s otherwise impressive outing, and he finished 18th.

RELATED: Brickyard 400 recap 

Rain kept Larson out of the Coca-Cola 600, but the California native was able to run and win at the Brickyard with the same special paint scheme that was used for the Coke 600.

While Hendrick Motorsports owner Rick Hendrick provided a “not yet” to a potential deal for Larson to run the 109th Indy 500, Larson is on board for a sequel.

“We’ve definitely been talking about it,” Larson said in Sunday’s post-race press conference. “I think weighing what’s important to everybody … it sounds good, I’ll say, so far, but things could change, so we’ll see. Obviously, I’d love to do it. I think everybody knows that I would love to do it because, in my mind, I did not get to do it this year. I hope that the pieces can fall into place and we can hopefully get things put together and announce something and get excited about doing the double next year.”

With a Brickyard 400 victory now on Larson’s career resume, another shot at winning the Indy 500 only amplifies the presence of the 31-year-old wheelman, and he could go into rarified air if he’s able to take home the checkered flag in the 500.

“Hopefully, someday I get the chance to win the 500 because I’ve won on the dirt track at the BC39, got to kiss the bricks there and now in the 400,” Larson added. “I guess there’s one more to check off in the Indy 500, which would be pretty special.”

Posted on by Cameron Richardson

Pit strategy and late-race chaos jumbled the leaderboard in the final 20 laps, but it was Kyle Larson finding Brickyard redemption after a speeding penalty hampered his Indianapolis 500 attempt back in May. Larson charged from outside the top 20 to the lead in the final 40 laps to score his fourth win of 2024 and first Brickyard 400 triumph.

RELATED: Race results | At-track photos

The Cup Series goes on its Olympic break before returning to action at Richmond Raceway on Aug. 11 (6 p.m. ET, USA, MRN Radio, SiriusXM NASCAR Radio, NBC Sports App), see which drivers are climbing upward or tumbling downward.

THREE UP ⬆️

1. Todd Gilliland, No. 38 Front Row Motorsports Ford

Started: 24th

Finished: 6th

What happened: There’s just something about Front Row Motorsports, no matter what layout is used at Indianapolis. Gilliland had enough fuel despite two overtime restarts to hold track position at the end and earn his fourth top 10 of the season, which matches a career-high set last season.

What’s next: Still needing a win to sneak his way into the 16-driver playoff field, opportunities are still present for the third-year driver to keep building momentum. The No. 38 team will have their best shot at stealing a postseason bid at Daytona International Speedway in August.

gilliland at indy
Sean Gardner | Getty Images

2. Austin Cindric, No. 2 Team Penske Ford

Started: 38th

Finished: 7th

What happened: Sunday could’ve been a lost cause for the No. 2 Penske team as it started at the rear of the field. However, a multitude of wrecks up front and drivers having to pit for fuel late cycled Cindric into the top 10 to give the Gateway winner his first top 10 since the surprise win in Illinois.

What’s next: With a playoff spot already locked up for Cindric, it’s all about finding speed and quality results as the Cup Series races to the playoffs. The two-week break will be much needed for the No. 2 stable to reset and lock in for the final month of the regular season.

cindric at indy
Justin Casterline | Getty Images

3. Daniel Suárez, No. 99 Trackhouse Racing Chevrolet

Started: 25th

Finished: 8th

What happened: Like Cindric, Suárez and the No. 99 team need any momentum they can get until their respective postseason runs begin. Suárez was able to survive the late-race attrition for just his fourth top 1o of the year and best result since finishing fifth at Texas Motor Speedway in April.

What’s next: It could be another trying push to the postseason for Suárez as Richmond, Michigan International Speedway, Daytona and Darlington Raceway don’t really suit the No. 99 driver. However, a top 10 heading into the Olympic break could be exactly what the doctor ordered for this team to be in postseason form when they look to sweep Atlanta to kick off the postseason.

suárez at indy
James Gilbert | Getty Images

THREE DOWN ⬇️

1. Chris Buescher

Started: 23rd

Finished: 22nd

What happened: In the opening laps, Buescher was one of few drivers who could actually gain multiple spots during a green-flag run. However, two flat tires in Stage 1 hampered the No. 17’s day, putting the team multiple laps down and couldn’t get out of the hole until the final OT restart where Buescher couldn’t steal some spots before the caution flew to end the race.

What’s next: Buescher is now in quite the fight for a playoff spot as he sits just 17 points above the provisional elimination line. With three consecutive finishes outside the top 10, a two-week break leading into Richmond — (which began Buescher’s winning stretch last season) — would be the perfect remedy for the No. 17 RFK team to be the 13th different winner of 2024. If not, self-nicknamed “Bad Luck Buescher” could find himself without a playoff berth come September.

buescher at indy
Justin Casterline | Getty Images

2. Alex Bowman, No. 48 Hendrick Motorsports Chevrolet

Started: 13th

Finished: 31st

What happened: Bowman was in line for another top-10 outing all race long, but the Chicago Street Course winner found calamity as he was collected in a big wreck on the first OT restart entering Turn 1 that also took out the likes of Denny Hamlin and John Hunter Nemechek, who were having great days as well at the Brickyard.

What’s next: Top 10s at Daytona and Darlington earlier this season could keep Bowman’s regular-season points result strong as he looks for those coveted bonus playoff tallies awarded to the top 10 in the Cup standings. However, Richmond may be another setback as the No. 48 started fourth only to finish 17th at the Virginia short track in March.

bowman at indy
James Gilbert | Getty Images

3. William Byron, No. 24 Hendrick Motorsports Chevrolet

Started: 4th

Finished: 38th

What happened: Keeping the streak of the No. 24 winning the Brickyard 400 every ten years was not in the cards for Byron Sunday as he was collected in a hard wreck during Stage 2 with AJ Allmendinger and Harrison Burton. After Chase Briscoe’s Ford pushed up the track in front of the No. 24, Byron was hit by Ryan Preece sent Byron into Harrison Burton and then spun out of control down the backstretch. Byron was hit by Allmendinger’s No. 16 Kaulig Chevy before slamming into the inside retaining wall.

What’s next: With the regular season title all but out of reach for Byron, the focus for the No. 24 team is to reset during the break and focus on quality results to build that momentum for the playoffs. Highlighted by his Daytona 500 win, the No. 24 driver also finished in the top 10 at Richmond and Darlington, which could serve as a huge push for Byron in the final four races before the postseason.

byron at indy
Alejandro Alvarez | NASCAR Digital Media
Posted on by Zack Albert

Seemingly suddenly, the virtual must-win territory that Bubba Wallace and his 23XI Racing team have occupied in their pursuit of a spot in the NASCAR Cup Series Playoffs doesn’t feel so dire.

Wallace registered a solid fifth-place finish in Sunday’s Brickyard 400 at Indianapolis Motor Speedway, adding his first stage win of the year to make another significant gain in the postseason standings. Wallace was a daunting 51 points below the provisional elimination line three weeks ago, but now sits just seven points behind Ross Chastain, who clings to the 16th and final berth with four regular-season races remaining.

Three top-10 finishes in the last four races have helped Wallace chip away at the points deficit. Those strides have also eroded doubts about the No. 23 team’s chances of climbing back onto the playoffs’ plus side.

“We thrive off counting us out,” Wallace said. “You thought we’d be out in the (first) round, too, last year, didn’t you? We didn’t do that, either. Just keep on fighting, prove y’all wrong.”

RELATED: Brickyard 400 results | Race Rewind

Wallace has used the naysaying as fuel for his motivation. In the final laps at Indy, the actual fuel in the tank of his No. 23 Toyota was in short supply. Wallace was among those who had last pitted on Lap 112, and when the race stretched seven overtime laps past its scheduled 160-lap distance, making it to the end was a reach.

His car started to run dry just as a caution flag froze the field on the final lap, with Kyle Larson sealing the win ahead of Tyler Reddick — Wallace’s teammate and the pole-sitter in the No. 45 Toyota.

“Exactly what we needed going into the two off weeks here,” said Wallace, noting the Olympic break before the Cup Series resumes at Richmond Raceway on Aug. 11. “Just a good day. I did a terrible job Friday and Saturday, put us behind and 45 (Reddick) was the class in the field. We were able to make some gains to get there and just … was obviously on the fuel call, and they timed it right. I ran out taking the white (flag) and limped back, so yeah, good day.”

Wallace led 26 laps, adding 10 points to his day’s haul by winning Stage 2. His advances in the standings were aided by a middling 15th-place result from Chastain and a 22nd-place finish by Chris Buescher, who is now just 17 points above elimination in the 15th spot on the current playoff grid.

Sunday marked a one-week gain of 20 points for Wallace, relative to the playoff line.

“We look at points all the time, but racing the level of cars that we’re racing, you have to finish well regardless,” No. 23 crew chief Bootie Barker told NASCAR.com, adding with a laugh, “Yeah, we look at everything.”

Wallace said he’ll find some time to disconnect in the two idle weeks before the regular-season hunt continues next month. He plans to attend Reddick’s wedding on the first off weekend, then said he’ll try to spend time with family during the second off weekend, which coincides with his mother’s birthday.

He’ll enter the time off with momentum from his first top-five finish since April at Martinsville.

“Not the best start, but executed, and that’s what it’s all about,” Wallace said. “And apparently we made up a lot of points, so just keep on digging.”

Posted on by Zack Albert

SPEEDWAY, Ind. — The last time that Kyle Larson had a special orange-white-blue paint scheme on his No. 5 Hendrick Motorsports Chevrolet, he was suiting up and showing up to Charlotte Motor Speedway, fresh from Indy in his weather-altered bid for a Memorial Day double. Rain delayed his Indianapolis 500 run and his arrival in Charlotte. He never turned a lap in the Coca-Cola 600 when storms halted the 1,100-mile attempt.

That same design for the No. 5 Chevy rode with Larson and his team to complete a redemption arc in Sunday’s Brickyard 400 at the historic 2.5-mile oval.

Larson took command in overtime after a spirited charge through the field, adding another high-profile win to Hendrick Motorsports’ 40th-anniversary season ledger. The organization is now the reigning champ of the Daytona 500 with William Byron, the Chicago Street Race with Alex Bowman, and — after Sunday — the Brickyard for a record 11th time, with Larson as the newest winner on the list.

RELATED: Race results | Larson lassos Brickyard win

The Coca-Cola 600 was a crown-jewel bid that went missing for Larson, who absorbed the disappointment — after months of planning, testing and preparation — of adverse weather conditions unraveling his Hendrick 1,100 twin bill in May. The 31-year-old driver noted how Sunday’s win helped close that loop, especially as he carved through the field with dashes of papaya orange and blue.

“I mean, the paint scheme was almost the car that Kyle Larson never raced,” No. 5 crew chief Cliff Daniels told NASCAR.com. “So to be able to have that paint scheme and to race it, and then to bring home a win at the Brickyard makes it that much more special. I mean, you just never know how things are going to work out. And obviously, the double this year was an amazing opportunity, in my opinion, still just a very special moment for racing globally and for all of us here as a part of NASCAR and a part of IndyCar. So how the dots connect from that experience to this, I don’t really know, but I know that we have a very passionate team about big race events like this, and knowing that it’s a crown-jewel race and you’re back at the oval and we have Kyle Larson behind the wheel, it just makes it that much more special.”

The double attempt may have brought disheartening results, but it earned Larson the embrace of the hometown crowd. His venture into the IndyCar side after years of tearing up the dirt at nearby bullrings across the Midwest only amplified his stature in the Hoosier State. He said he looked into the grandstands during a red-flag period in overtime and could see the fans rooting him on.

Back at his day job in the stock-car world, Larson said he felt just as welcome. Back home again in Indiana, to steal a phrase.

“Indiana fans love their dirt-track racing. I’ve always felt the support here,” said Larson, who enters a two-week break as the Cup Series points leader. “Yeah, obviously, doing the Indy 500, I feel like it exploded for Indiana fans. I felt like when I was here for the 500, there were so many people wearing my T-shirts and my little jersey things that they made, all that. I recognized just as much of that here today.”

Rick Hendrick apparently wanted some of that, too. The 75-year-old team owner may have savored the moment as much as anyone, 30 years after he first celebrated Jeff Gordon’s victory in the Brickyard inaugural. Fans cheered his arrival to the “kiss the bricks” post-race ceremony, and he responded with a bow.

“Rick, a man of the people!” one fan called out as he gave his Victory Lane ballcap to a young fan. He later used a utility box as a step to slip through a catchfence opening, coming closer to sign autographs and pose for pictures. Team members kept supplying him with more hats for giveaways. Larson and Daniels soon made the same trip to the edge of the trackside bleachers.

“I can’t tell you why I went over in the fans other than they were hollering,” Hendrick said. “I was just excited and hung out with them. That might be the first time an owner ever did it, but it was fun. This is a special place. The oval is special. Thirty years ago we celebrated with Jeff. Hard to believe it’s been 30 years, but … this is a special place.”

MORE: Race Rewind: Indy | 2024 Cup Series winners

Special recognition also preceded the 400-mile day, with Hendrick driving the initial pace laps as the honorary pace car driver. While Larson was able to get through the Brickyard without any run-ins with his on-track rival, Denny Hamlin, Mr. H didn’t have the same fortune.

“Denny gave me a bump. I mean, I wasn’t ready for that, but I thought maybe that was going to happen,” Hendrick said with a laugh. “I’m paying attention to how fast I’m running, and I’m like, We’ve got to run 45 (mph), and I mean, I felt like I was crawling, and all of a sudden – bang – and I looked in the mirror and it was Denny. Anyway, he’s a good guy, a good friend. But I’m glad it didn’t turn me.”

The sun hadn’t settled behind the frontstretch grandstands when questions started emerging about the timing of Larson’s next visit to IMS, and whether it would be in an IndyCar or a stock car. Hendrick said “not yet” when asked if another double attempt had earned his sign-off, and Larson said he “would obviously love to do it” to make a true bid at the full Memorial Day Weekend distance.

Either way, more orange to mix with the No. 5’s primary blue might be in store.

“As much as we’ve all loved the history of Indianapolis Motor Speedway, I think being here for the month of May, those events when we were here in May, just makes you appreciate it that much more,” said Gordon, a five-time Brickyard winner who is now Hendrick Motorsports’ vice chairman. “The fans and everybody that makes this speedway so special. I don’t know. I just feel like today, especially with that car, that paint scheme, the one that was going to run that day, just seemed to bring it all full circle, made it very special.”

Posted on by Dustin Albino

SPEEDWAY, Ind. — Whenever a Team Penske driver straps into a race car at the famed Indianapolis Motor Speedway, the stakes are just a bit higher than usual.

Ryan Blaney was in position to win Sunday’s Brickyard 400 for team owner Roger Penske — also the proprietor of the Brickyard — and it went awry in overtime, boiling it down to “lady luck.”

In a strategy-filled race that came down to the wire, Blaney appeared to be in the catbird seat with the laps winding down. No. 5 Hendrick Motorsports driver Kyle Larson was hot on his heels, but both had enough fuel to get to the end of the scheduled checkered flag amid field-wide fuel concerns. They were chasing down Brad Keselowski, who was trying to stretch his fuel tanks a lofty 58 laps to the end.

MORE: Race results from Indy | Best Brickyard photos

The race changed when Kyle Busch wrecked with a few laps remaining. Keselowski, running on fumes, opted not to pit but instead coasted to pit road as the field was coming to the green flag and he ran dry. That moved Larson into the inside of the front row, the lane the leader had picked all race long.

Larson made immediate work of Blaney’s No. 12 Ford on the restart in the preferred bottom line.

“I’m the one getting screwed for it, and so the third-place guy is benefiting,” Blaney said in frustration after the race. “It’s one of those weird … you don’t see that very often at a place like this. If it was any other place, it’s not going to be as bad because the second lane at all the other places, you can maintain. Here, it’s a death sentence. You’re not maintaining the lead from the top on the front row.”

Before the field got to Turn 1, the ninth caution of the race flew for a multi-car incident, which ultimately led to a 17-minute red flag for repairs to the wall. For the restart, Blaney lined up on the outside of the front row once again, and by Turn 2, he’d lost second place to Tyler Reddick. Ryan Preece’s No. 41 car was stuck on the backstretch, ultimately leading to a race-ending caution.

Blaney finished third, his first top-five result in seven Brickyard 400 starts.

“I’m pissed,” Blaney bluntly stated. “I told my guys that I’m ticked off, but I don’t know who to be ticked off at. There’s no one to be ticked off at, it’s just racing luck. The break that (Larson) got and the hardship that we got right there with that happening at that time just killed our race.

“We put ourselves in the perfect spot to win and just that weird circumstance benefited him and killed our race; any chance for us to win. That’s what I’m upset about. I’m not mad at anybody. It’s just lady luck that I’m pissed off at. It just sucks.”

The biggest frustration for Blaney was he wouldn’t have chosen the top lane for the first overtime had he known Keselowski was going to come to pit road. There was confusion on the No. 12 team radio about who was the control car.

With perhaps a bit of bias behind his logic, Blaney would have liked the field to have been reset and to choose his respective lane again. Ultimately, that would add at least another lap under caution where many of the frontrunners were tight on gas.

“I can easily say if the leader runs out (of fuel) coming to the restart zone and you have so long, wave off the green, re-choose because you’re promoting the third-place guy now to where I get screwed,” Blaney added. ” … That’s the only way it can be fair. I know that happened to me at Mid-Ohio in an Xfinity race in the rain. I lined up on the front row, but I would have chosen differently, and it started raining and the leader pitted coming to the green and it screwed my row. I think they can do it a little bit differently.”

The podium finish bumped Blaney up to fifth in the regular season standings. The No. 12 team is hitting its stride entering the two-week Olympic break, scoring four consecutive top-10 finishes for the first time in 2024.

Posted on by Holly Cain

SPEEDWAY, Ind. – Only two months after competing in the Indianapolis 500, Kyle Larson returned to the famed Indianapolis Motor Speedway Sunday afternoon to claim the trophy in one of the NASCAR Cup Series’ crown jewel events, the 30th Anniversary Brickyard 400 Presented by PPG – holding off the field in a dramatic double overtime finish.

Larson led only seven laps of the race’s 167 laps in the No. 5 Hendrick Motorsports Chevrolet – six of them coming in the overtime periods — when he needed them most — ultimately holding off the race polesitter, 23XI Racing’s Tyler Reddick and Team Penske’s Ryan Blaney on the bell lap. A caution came out moments later to officially end the race after Ryan Preece’s Ford spun and became stalled on track.

The 31-year-old Californian Larson climbed out of and onto his Chevrolet Camero to wave his arms toward the grandstands and encourage the cheering crowd, clearly elated with his first win in one of NASCAR’s most prestigious races — a return to the 2.5-mile oval after three years racing on the infield road course. The victory comes 30 years after his Hendrick Motorsports team executive Jeff Gordon won the inaugural stock car race at the historic speedway.

RELATED: Race results | At-track photos 

It’s Larson’s third NASCAR crown jewel win, including the Southern 500 at Darlington Raceway and the sport’s longest race, the Coca-Cola 600 at Charlotte Motor Speedway.

It comes only eight weeks after Larson’s 18th-place showing in his Indianapolis 500 debut. Bad weather delayed his trip to Charlotte to compete in NASCAR’s Coca-Cola 600, the second half of racing’s “Double,” so this week’s work at Indy felt like redemption.

“This is just such a prestigious place, such hallowed ground,” said the 2021 NASCAR Cup Series champion Larson, who now leads the series with four wins this season.

“Pretty neat to get an opportunity to race here on the oval again. What a job by our team. I mean, never gave up at all.

“And to all the fans, I love it here,” he added with a grin. “I think everything has come full circle with what was meant to be and today was meant to be for us.”

For much of the closing laps, the third-place finisher Blaney thought it was meant to be for him and his No. 12 Team Penske Ford team. He was lined up on the front row alongside fellow Ford driver Brad Keselowski for the first overtime restart when Keselowski suddenly pulled onto pit road after running out of gas – not taking the green flag.

That opened a hole for Larson – who was positioned behind Keselowski for the start – to rush forward and claim the lead over Blaney. It was a position he would never relinquish.

“It’s no fun, had a really good shot to win today,” a visibly disappointed Blaney said. “Our car was fast. Thought we had really good strategy. Kind of was the front guy having to save a little bit of gas. I thought we put ourselves in a great spot.

“I know the 6 [Keselowski] was probably going to run out if it went green. Came to the restart, I couldn’t believe they stayed out. I knew there was no way they were going to make it. So, I obviously chose the top because he might run out in the restart zone. He runs out coming to the green so he gets to do to pit road and the 5 gets promoted.

“Luck of the day right there, I guess. I don’t know. I don’t know what to be mad about. Mad at losing this race because I thought we were in the perfect position.”

SHOP: Race winner gear

Reddick’s runner-up effort – passing Blaney on the white flag lap – keeps him right in the mix for the Regular Season Championship. Larson takes a 10-point lead into in the sport’s summer break and Reddick is only 15 points back with four races remaining in the regular season to settle the 16-driver Playoff field.

“Obviously, a lot of cars and a lot of things had to happen for us to get second,” said Reddick, who led a race-high 40 laps in the No. 45 23XI Racing Toyota. “Honestly, it was a good day. Obviously return to the Brickyard, it’s tough coming up one spot short. Once we got off of turn two there, I knew I was pretty much it. He [Larson] was going to have to make a mistake.

“Glad we had a good recovery. Another solid points day. We didn’t close the gap on the 5 [Larson] that much, but a little bit on the 9 [Elliott]. In the big picture, it was a great day for the team.”

Joe Gibbs Racing’s Christopher Bell finished fourth and 23XI Racing’s Bubba Wallace turned in an impressive fifth-place performance. Wallace also claimed his first stage win since 2022, leading the field at the second stage break.

There was never real rhythm to the race, with varying pit stop strategies putting drivers out front. There were 13 leaders and 17 lead changes on the afternoon.

Denny Hamlin, who led 21 laps earned the first stage win — his sixth stage victory of the season and the first ever for the veteran at Indy. He finished 32nd after being involved in a multi-car accident during the first overtime restart and now is fourth in the championship standings, 43 points behind Larson.

Front Row Motorsport’s Todd Gilliand, Team Penske’s Austin Cindric, Trackhouse Racing’s Daniel Suarez, Stewart Haas Racing’s Noah Gragson, and Hendrick Motorsport’s Chase Elliott rounded out the top-10.

It was a critical points-grab for Wallace, who is still trying to become playoff eligible. Wallace now trails Trackhouse Racing’s Ross Chastain by only seven points for the 16th and final playoff position. Roush Fenway Keselowski’s Chris Buescher is 15th in points, only 17 points up on Wallace.

NASCAR will now go on a two-week break for the Summer Olympics. The Cup Series will return Aug. 11 at Richmond Raceway (6 p.m. ET, USA, MRN Radio, SiriusXM NASCAR Radio, NBC Sports App). There are four races remaining in the regular season.

NOTE: Post-race inspection was completed without issue in the Cup Series garage, confirming Kyle Larson as the winner.

Posted on by Staff Report

On a Lap 75 restart, William Byron crashed out of Sunday’s Brickyard 400 along with AJ Allmendinger.

After Chase Briscoe’s No. 14 Ford got tight exiting Turn 2, it stacked up those behind him, leading to a chain reaction. Ryan Preece was sandwiched between Byron and Harrison Burton, causing the latter two to make contact. Byron’s No. 24 Hendrick Motorsports Chevrolet eventually spun out and hit Allmendinger’s No. 16 Chevy before slamming the inside retaining wall down the backstretch.

RELATED: Race results | At-track photos 

“We got back there in traffic,” Byron said. “It seemed like the pit-stop sequence didn’t go our way there. The No. 14 (Chase Briscoe) was just being a squirrel back in the pack. He drove up in front of me. I had to lift way off the corner and I got run over.”

Byron, Allmendinger and Burton were evaluated and released from the infield care center.

The streak of the No. 24 winning every 10 years at the Indianapolis Motor Speedway oval since the inaugural Brickyard 400 in 1994 will end, and Byron will be scored with a 38th-place finish.

With his Hendrick teammate Kyle Larson winning the crown-jewel race and retaking control in the regular-season standings, Byron now moves to sixth in the fight for the Regular Season Championship, 97 points behind after being scored with a 38th-place finish.

Posted on by Staff Report

Kyle Busch made his 700th career start in Sunday’s Brickyard 400 at Indianapolis Motor Speedway, crossing off another milestone in what has been an illustrious career.

Busch, the 2015 and 2019 Cup Series champion, has accumulated 63 wins, 248 top fives and 378 top 10s since becoming a full-time driver in 2005.

Spanning three historic organizations — Hendrick Motorsports, Joe Gibbs Racing and now Richard Childress Racing — Busch is among NASCAR’s elite in numerous categories. He is one of only 17 drivers to win multiple Cup championships, and his 63 wins in the circuit rank ninth all-time. His 231 wins over all three national series rank first all-time, 31 more than “The King” Richard Petty.

RELATED: Kyle Busch driver page, stats, more | Busch through the years

And now with his 700th Cup start, Busch tied Buddy Baker for 19th all-time in the Cup Series.

Busch started Sunday’s race 34th. In 16 career starts on Indianapolis’ oval layout, Busch has two victories — back-to-back triumphs in 2015-16 — to go along with five top fives, 12 top 10s and 324 laps led.

Posted on by Staff Report

SPEEDWAY, Ind. — Rick Mast remembers just how big a deal the inaugural Brickyard 400 was, and that magnitude hit home the moment he put his No. 1 Ford on the pole position. The pride of Rockbridge Baths, Virginia became the toast of the Indianapolis Motor Speedway in 1994, and he had the clearest view — alongside second-place starter Dale Earnhardt — for that first green flag.

Thirty years later, Mast and 10 other NASCAR Cup Series drivers from that first Indy trip reunited at the start-finish line to mark the anniversary, hours before the start of Sunday’s Brickyard 400 (2:30 p.m. ET, NBC, NBC Sports App, IMS Radio, SiriusXM). Swapping stories and catching up was the order of the day, and Mast had some of the fondest memories to share.

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Mast, 67, recalled that winning a pole elsewhere in those days typically meant a $7,500 bonus. “Here we got a check, I think it was 50 grand, and a $60,000 van,” Mast said, “and from that moment until the race, riding around with a Marion County Deputy with a police escort, visiting what seemed like every place in Indianapolis. I guarantee you that I saw more of Indianapolis than some people that lived here for 50 years that week. It was just the significance of the event.”

Jeff Gordon was front and center for the group photo, alongside the Brickyard trophy that he won a record five times. Other former winners on hand are all NASCAR Hall of Famer or about to be — Dale Jarrett, Bobby Labonte and newly elected Ricky Rudd. They lined up with fellow 1994 qualifiers Jeff Burton, Bobby Hillin Jr., Ernie Irvan, Morgan Shepherd, Hut Stricklin and Rusty Wallace.

Gordon and Irvan shared a moment on the historic track’s frontstretch, reconnecting 30 years after their battle sealed the outcome of that first race. Gordon was dominant that day, leading 93 of the 160 laps, but Irvan’s Robert Yates Racing No. 28 Ford was in first position as the event drew to a close. Irvan’s blown tire cleared the way for Gordon to lead the final five laps.

“Jeff Gordon was just saying, ‘Yep, I’m with the guy that should have won it, with the guy that won it,'” Irvan quipped. “So I’m glad he knows that.”

Rudd, who won the 1997 edition in a car he owned, recalled how big a watershed moment the first Brickyard was for motorsports in general. The Speedway had hosted only the Indianapolis 500 each year — save for two world wars — since 1911, and NASCAR’s debut at the 2.5-mile track represented a bit of culture shock. The overlap, he said, was refreshing.

“I have nothing but great memories on it,” Rudd says. “It was a different time then, and I know there were more good things that came out it than negative things. A couple of the Indy guys, they were worried because this is their home, and it is their home. It was always their home. But it was nice that they basically invited us into their home. It went really well. Gosh, probably a third of the IndyCar crowd put a Cup car out there that weekend, so it was neat. It was neat to experience just in a small way what the Indy 500 would be like.”

Sunday’s race-day morning, the group had another Brickyard moment in the sun, reminiscing about how their historic event in 1994 took stock-car racing in a new direction.

“That time period, we had a bunch of things come together in a perfect storm, and it was like this race ignited that powder keg that exploded this sport into the stratosphere all through the ’90s and into the 2000s,” Mast said. “When you look back at it, I’m more and more convinced, historically, that’s what this race meant. … When it happened, it really was. It lived up to the height of everything we built it up to be for two years preceding the event, and then, they have that for so many years. Again, can’t overstate it, and you can’t really come up with words. The only word I can come up with, honestly for this event in that time period, was magical, OK? Just magical.”