Posted on August 14, 2021August 14, 2021 by Sean Montgomery

Verizon 200 at the Brickyard (⏰ 1 p.m. ET | 📺 NBC | 📻 IMS Radio, SiriusXM)

Everything you need to know for Sunday’s race, the 24th points-paying NASCAR Cup Series event of the 2021 season.

Where: Indianapolis Motor Speedway Road Course, a 2.439-mile circuit located in Speedway, Indiana
Practice: Martin Truex Jr. tops the session
Qualifying: Sunday, 9:05 a.m. ET on CNBC and NBC Sports App
Green flag: 1:13 p.m. ET
TV/Radio: NBC/NBC Sports App, IMS Radio and SiriusXM NASCAR Radio
Forecast: Mostly sunny, with a high near 80 degrees. East northeast wind six to nine mph, according to NOAA.gov
Grand Marshal: Mike Ruhnke, vice president of enterprise sales, Verizon
Race Distance: 82 laps, 200 miles
Stages: 15 | 35 | 82
Pit-road speed: 40 mph
Caution car speed: 45 mph
Indy Road Course 101: Get the full lowdown
Entry list: See who’s in the field
Pit-stall assignments: See who is pitting where | Expert breaks down pit-road challenges

Jamie Squire | Getty Images

Five to watch

Here are five big story lines we’ll be following at the Indianapolis Motor Speedway Road Course:

1. Is anything more exhilarating right now than the battle atop the Cup Series regular-season standings? Kyle Larson pulled even with long-time points leader Denny Hamlin after winning at Watkins Glen International last weekend. But despite zero wins in 2021, the No. 11 wheelman impressively manages to remain a regular-season championship contender. His consistency has gotten him this far, but with only three races remaining, he almost certainly needs more to quell Larson’s blistering pace. Following Sunday’s race at Indy, it’s a two-race shootout to end the regular season — Michigan International Speedway (Larson should be favored here) and Daytona International Speedway (Hamlin should be favored here). Fifteen playoff points are on the line, along with another trophy for the case. Deadlocked at 917 points each, it will be very important to see how the situation shakes out this weekend.

2. Adding to the playoff story line, it’s still unbelievable to see 58-time Cup winner Kevin Harvick locked in the bubble battle with others vying for a bid into the Round of 16. While pretty safe (for now), the last thing Harvick needs is a new 2021 winner this weekend with Daytona’s unpredictability looming large. Likewise, Richard Childress Racing teammates Tyler Reddick and Austin Dillon are in a friendly slugfest to be the last one in. Reddick has fared better than his counterpart on road courses throughout his career so far and needs another solid performance to build on his 15-point cushion. But heading to a brand new track this weekend and based on Dillon’s past success at Daytona, this battle is still anyone’s game. Still, keep an eye out for the underdogs who could still have their say. See the full playoff outlook here.

3. After last Sunday’s dust-up at The Glen between Kyle Larson and Christopher Bell, could we see more tension this weekend? Both drivers perform exceptionally well at road courses and are trending in a positive direction heading into the playoffs. So it’s highly likely that they will be together at the front of the pack at some point during the Indy race. Will push lead to shoving? It’s entirely possible we see their dirt-track rivalry make its first real appearance on asphalt.

4. Don’t forget about the great season Martin Truex Jr. is having. With three wins and sitting second in the projected playoff standings, his overall body of work is as good as almost anyone. Somewhat hidden in the shadow of the road-course dominance by Hendrick Motorsports’ Larson and Chase Elliott is Truex’s stellar road-course resume. Truex Jr. has eight top 10s in the last 10 road races (including third place in two of the last three) and three wins in the last 14. A victory lap around Indianapolis could certainly be in the cards for the No. 19 team.

5. The Indianapolis Motor Speedway Road Course is the fifth new track on the NASCAR Cup schedule so far this season — Bristol Motor Speedway Dirt, Circuit of The Americas, Nashville Superspeedway and Road America are the others. To this point, Chase Elliott is the only driver with multiple wins at the new venues, unsurprisingly winning at COTA and Road America. Could the defending Cup Series champion continue the trend this weekend? We already know he’s especially gifted at road courses and has the stats to back it up. He’s won at six of the last nine road courses and has four consecutive top-two finishes. Another road-course win would pull him even with Tony Stewart at eight and one away from tying Jeff Gordon’s all-time record of nine. Not bad to already be mentioned alongside two NASCAR Hall of Famers, huh?

Race-day staples

Our biggest pieces of the week — get covered for race day from all angles.

• Power Rankings: Truex set for a breakthrough? | Scope the ranks
• Paint Scheme Preview: Check out the Brickyard paint | See the schemes
• Fantasy Fastlane: See which drivers to use, avoid | Full Fantasy advice | Set your roster
• Preview Show: Jonathan Merryman and Alex Weaver preview the race | Watch the show

Get in on the action

Think you know NASCAR? Put your mettle to the test with gaming, fantasy.

• Betting odds for Indianapolis | See the odds
• Indy betting: Larson closing the gap to Elliott | Find out why
• Trouble brewing for Team Penske with long odds at Indy? | Read more
• Take a shot at winning cash prizes with the free-to-play Jackpot Races app | Hit the jackpot
• Full guide to 2021 NASCAR Fantasy Live game | Get the FAQ

Getty Images

Learn the new track

It’s NASCAR’s inaugural weekend at the Indianapolis Motor Speedway Road Course. Get familiar with the track.

• 14 turns: Turn-by-turn breakdown of the course | Learn every corner
• Around we go: Take a lap around the track with Austin Cindric | See every corner
• Down a narrow road: Pitting here is tougher than you think | Hear why
• An old timer’s tale: The magic behind kissing the bricks | See the history

Fast facts

Hard-hitting, race-relevant statistics, brought to you by the experts at Racing Insights.

• Sunday’s race marks the 137th road-course race in NASCAR Cup Series history.
• All three manufacturers — Ford, Chevrolet and Toyota — have at least five wins this season. Chevrolet has the most with 12.
• The last nine road-course races have been won by drivers under the age of 30.
• Kyle Larson has won two races in 2021 from the pole position, making him the only driver to win from the starting spot this season.
• Kurt Busch has four finishes of sixth or better at the last six races on road courses, including three finishes of fourth.

Catch the pack

Read up on all the headlines from the week leading up to Sunday’s race.

• Same venue, same meaning: Joey Logano says ‘everyone’ wants to win at Indy | Read more
• A heartfelt tribute: Remembering longtime broadcaster Bob Jenkins | See the tribute
• Double duty: Kyle Larson starting third at Knoxville Nationals | Read more
• Homecoming: Family memories ride with Austin Cindric into Indy Road Course weekend | Read more
• Special scheme: Martin Truex Jr. supporting awareness at Indy | See how

Say what?

The best quotes from big names in the sport heading into this weekend’s race.

• “There is just a different vibe at Indianapolis – the history, the fans, the facility. I think it’ll be cool to run the road course layout this weekend and we all want to say we won the inaugural event. With my racing (in Iowa) this week, I’ll be watching a lot of tape of other series on the road course layout to familiarize myself with it ahead of practice on Saturday.” — Kyle Larson, driver of the No. 5 Hendrick Motorsports Chevrolet

Jared C. Tilton | Getty Images

• “The biggest focus, honestly, has been the change to the race track and trying to be ready to go and run the road course. It will obviously be my first race at the speedway as a crew chief, so I’ll try to definitely take care of my family and make sure they all have the opportunity to go. I made it pretty clear to all of them, but the task at hand is the race and I’m gonna be pretty into that. They can go to the race and have a good time, but I’m all business for the weekend.” — Jonathan Hassler, crew chief of the No. 21 Ford Mustang of Matt DiBenedetto

• “I love Indianapolis no matter what shape it is in. Whether it’s an oval or a road course, whether it’s in an IndyCar or a stock car. I love going there and seeing so much history. It’s funny, the oval at Indianapolis in a Cup car is like racing on a road course. So now we will be racing on the road course. I love that we are adding more and more road courses. There are a lot of fans that love road course racing and it’s adding different markets. As for us at Trackhouse Racing, every time we get an opportunity to turn left and right we are better. We get another chance this weekend in Indianapolis.” — Daniel Suarez, driver of the No. 99 Trackhouse Racing Team Chevrolet

• “I’ve got a lot of homework to do this week to get prepared and be ready for practice on Saturday there. It will be fun. It’s always exciting to go to new tracks and I like road courses as well so it should be good.” — Martin Truex Jr., driver of the No. 19 Joe Gibbs Racing Toyota on going to the Indy Road Course for the first time.

Posted on August 14, 2021August 14, 2021 by Chase Wilhelm

SPEEDWAY, Ind. — It still isn’t over between Christopher Bell and Kyle Larson.

On Tuesday, Larson took to SiriusXM NASCAR Radio to share his thoughts on the incident between the two drivers late in last Sunday’s NASCAR Cup Series race at Watkins Glen International and not hearing back from Bell after reaching out in particular.

“I reached out and tried, but I guess he’s not willing to talk to me, which is kind of whatever,” Larson said on Tuesday evening. “I think any adult in the field would at least have a conversation with you, but he doesn’t care to. So, we’ll move on from it and if he wants to get me back, that’s fine. Whatever. I’m not going to worry about it. If it makes him sleep better at night to ignore me and want to crash me or whatever, so be it.”

After Saturday’s practice for Sunday’s Cup Series race at the Indianapolis Motor Speedway road course (1 p.m. ET, NBC/NBC Sports App, IMS Radio Network, SiriusXM NASCAR Radio), Bell reacted to Larson’s comments earlier in the week.

“On-track incident, whatever. Him crying to the media because I didn’t reply to his sorry text message … come on,” Bell said in the Indy garage area. “… The on-track incident, no, it did not cross the line. Him going to the media complaining I didn’t respond, yes, that crossed the line.

“How many times have I called, first off, or sent a text message and not gotten a reply? Probably more times than I got a reply,” Bell added. “I didn’t think it was a big deal at all.”

Although Bell is over the tangle that sent him spinning after contact with Larson for second place, Larson’s words were more damaging.

“Never have I ever sent a text message at midnight and complained that the guy didn’t message me back,” Bell said. “First off, I will always try to make an effort to talk to him face-to-face, or if I can’t talk to him face-to-face, call them and more than likely leave a voicemail. If I really want to talk about it and I feel like it needs to be discussed, I’d tell them to call me back or whatever. But I didn’t really think that needed to be discussed or talked about. He sent me a text message, albeit at midnight, I read it, was moved on from the on-track incident, then him running his mouth is a little uncalled for. It is what it is.”

While Bell was confident the incident wasn’t his fault on Sunday after the race, it didn’t stop him from looking back at data to make sure it re-enforced his perspective.

“I went back and looked at it on SMT, which is real data, and I was a car-length-and-a-half above the normal bottom line,” Bell explained. “That was compared to my normal bottom line and his normal bottom line. He hit me and spun me out and I left him a lane-and-a-half to not do that.”

Bell also indicated that he did not consider texting back a response when he read Larson’s text.

“I didn’t think it was necessary,” Bell said. “I was asleep. I didn’t even see it until the next day. It’s very frustrating to hear that Larson has called me and I’m not answering the phone. That’s so far from the truth. If he really wanted to talk about it, I’ll be glad to talk about it.”

Larson noted that if Bell wanted to retaliate down the road, he wouldn’t lose sleep over it. According to Bell, he doesn’t feel like it’s going to alter how the two drivers have competed against each other on asphalt and dirt tracks across the country for over 10 years.

“We always race each other extremely hard, so I don’t know if it’s really going to change anything,” Bell said. “He’s just another guy. Just another competitor out there.”

Posted on August 14, 2021August 14, 2021 by Staff Report

Martin Truex Jr. topped the board in the lone NASCAR Cup Series practice at the Indianapolis Motor Speedway Road Course. Truex posted a lap of 98.021 mph in his No. 19 Joe Gibbs Racing Toyota to pace the practice. In fact, he was one of two JGR cars in the top five for the session ahead of Sunday’s race at Indianapolis (1 p.m. ET on NBC/NBC Sports App, IMS Radio Network, SiriusXM NASCAR Radio).

“We ended up first, and I’m really happy with the car,” Truex said after the session. “I’m looking forward to tomorrow and seeing what it brings.”

William Byron took second in his No. 24 Hendrick Motorsports Chevrolet (97.487 mph) followed by Kyle Larson in the No. 5 Hendrick Motorsports Chevrolet (97.445 mph). Truex’s JGR teammate Denny Hamlin (97.148 mph) took fourth while Team Penske’s Austin Cindric closed out the top five (97.137 mph) in what will be his final Cup start of the season before he goes full time with Team Penske in 2022.

Larson, who was last week’s winner at Watkins Glen, is locked in a battle atop the standings with Hamlin for the regular-season championship as the two are tied with the Hendrick driver holding the top spot on a tiebreaker thanks to his five wins to Hamlin’s zero.

AJ Allmendinger, who won the pole for Saturday’s Xfinity Series race, had a potential transmission issue early in practice, according to NBC’s coverage on TrackPass. However, he was able to get back on track for more laps with about 20 minutes to go and placed 16th in the session. Allmendinger is driving the No. 16 Kaulig Racing Chevrolet this weekend — a car that is running a limited schedule before going full-time in the Cup Series for 2022.

Road-course ace Chase Elliott placed 23rd in his No. 9 Hendrick Motorsports Chevrolet. The reigning Cup Series champion has seven road-course wins in his Cup career with two of them coming on tracks new to the circuit this season with victories at Circuit of The Americas and Road America.

Bubba Wallace got off course with about five minutes left in the session to bring out the lone caution period of the 50-minute session. Wallace has yet to score a top-10 finish on a road course in his Cup career.

Andy Lally took laps in the No. 78 Live Fast Motorsports Ford in relief of Kyle Tilley, who sat out practice to rest a shoulder injury, according to the team’s Twitter account. It was revealed after practice that Lally would fill in for Tilley all weekend in the No. 78 Ford.

Tough decision to make, but I’m stepping out of both the Xfinity & Cup cars this weekend. Big thanks to @AndyLally and @DAV15ON_ for stepping in to help. Gutted, but picked up an injury that needs taking care of.

— Kyle Tilley (@KyleTilley) August 14, 2021

These were the first laps for the Cup Series on the 14-turn, 2.439-mile course. Last year, only the Xfinity Series ran this layout at Indianapolis. Sunday’s Cup race marks the sixth road-course race of the season.

The Cup Series will next be on track Sunday morning for qualifying at 9:05 a.m. ET (CNBC/NBC Sports App) ahead of the Verizon 200 at the Brickyard at 1 p.m. ET (NBC).

Posted on August 14, 2021August 14, 2021 by Staff Report

This article is brought to you by BetMGM.

The NASCAR Cup Series has fallen in love with road courses in 2021. For many years, the circuit would visit only two tracks of this ilk — Sonoma in California, and later in the summer, Watkins Glen in New York.

Not this year.

This weekend, the Cup Series will visit the famed Brickyard — but not to race on the conventional rectangular oval track as it had since the mid-1990s. This year, it will do battle on the Grand Prix Road Course for the first time. This will be the sixth weekend this year the series visits a road course, and there’s one more to go (Charlotte’s road course in the postseason).

So who has the best shot at making memories this weekend? We discuss.

THE ODDS-ON FAVORITE

Chase Elliott (+220)

Restrictor-plate tracks? Check. Short tracks? Check. Regular oval tracks? Yep, check the box there, too. And road-course circuits? Nobody is better in today’s NASCAR than Elliott. So is it any wonder he tops the NASCAR racing odds once again this weekend at one of the more unique — and iconic — venues in America?

Elliott is 25 years old and has won 13 career NASCAR Cup Series races already. His old man Bill — you know, Awesome Bill from Dawsonville — won 44 races in 828 starts spanning 1976 to 2012. Dad’s in the Hall of Fame, where is Chase’s career going to end up? Who knows, but it’s certainly off to a great start.

A strong finish here would be just one more career notch in the proverbial belt.

OTHERS: Like Elliott, Kyle Larson (+280) is perched at or near the top of the racing odds every weekend. He’s multi-dimensional, and as of this weekend he finally caught up with Denny Hamlin at the top of the season’s standings (they’re tied, but Hamlin hasn’t won a race so Larson is the leader on a tiebreak). Larson has won five points races this year (and the All-Star Race) and has 16 top-10 finishes on the season.

Martin Truex, Jr. (+600) is next up in the odds, and he has much more experience at the track than the above two youngsters. He and Kyle Busch (+1000) are worth keeping an eye on.

THE DARK HORSE THREAT

Kevin Harvick (+2500)

OK, so Indy’s road course isn’t the same as Indy’s legendary speedway that has been in use since 1909. So what? Harvick can handle any venue (58 career wins). Harvick’s three wins at the Indy venue rank third all-time behind Jeff Gordon (five) and Jimmie Johnson (four). Could that good fortune when he’s in Indy translate to a special day on the road course on Sunday? Time will tell.

After this weekend, Harvick would have only Michigan and Daytona remaining to clinch a win and lock himself into the playoffs. He’s had success in his career at those two tracks, but why not wrap things up this weekend, right?

THE INTRIGUING LONGSHOT

Chase Briscoe (+3300)

NASCAR’s top three series have only visited the Indianapolis Grand Prix circuit one other time — last year in the Xfinity Series. Why not go with the guy who won that race and led 30 of the 62 laps — Briscoe? While road-course ace A.J. Allmendinger (+2000) is also an intriguing pick, Briscoe’s the only guy in the field who has won a NASCAR race at the locale.

Briscoe has three top-10 finishes in the Cup Series this year, and all three have been on road courses. While anything can happen at Daytona (the final regular-season race), this may be Briscoe’s final chance to lock himself into racing’s postseason.

Posted on August 14, 2021August 14, 2021 by Staff Report

Click on the print icon to see how cars will roll out for qualifying on Sunday at the Indianapolis Motor Speedway Road Course (9:05 a.m. ET, CNBC, NBC Sports App).

Posted on August 13, 2021August 13, 2021 by Cara Cooper

Four years ago when the last asphalt race track in Utah closed, it put modified driver Eric Rhead in a tough situation.

Because even though his home track went away, “the racing itch didn’t,” Rhead said.

To continue racing, Rhead, who grew up in Utah and still lives and works there today, would have to drive four hours north to Idaho to compete at Magic Valley Speedway, or seven hours south to Nevada to race at Las Vegas Motor Speedway.

“They’re long weekends,” he said.

Rhead’s team started out at Las Vegas, which is currently off for a summer break. The team has been focusing this month on Magic Valley, where they’ve won the last two ICCU Modifieds division championships.

Photo by Roxi courtesy of Eric Rhead

The team hopes to get back to Vegas again this fall.

The extra travel hasn’t slowed Rhead down. This season it’s actually been the opposite. He currently leads the modified points at Magic Valley, and he’s sixth in the NASCAR Advance Auto Parts Weekly Series Division I standings and leading the West Region by 38 points.

After struggling to find victory lane since June, the team swept two features at Magic Valley last weekend to give them seven wins and 19 top-5 finishes in 21 races this season.

“It’s been kind of up and down, to be honest,” Rhead said of his season. “We started off pretty much on fire and we fell off in the last month and a half, but I think we finally got our mojo back last weekend so I think we’re doing all right now.”

Having to travel that much every weekend is anything but easy, and Rhead credits his team with making the miles worth it and still finding success wherever they go. The crew had done some tour racing in the past, so they had an idea of the difficulties and time commitment of traveling.

Rhead has had largely the same crew for several years, even before he moved to Magic Valley.

“All friends of mine. I don’t know how I’ve been so lucky to get them to work on the car for free for so long,” he said.

Friends Jeremy Newcomb and Jeremy White, former sponsor-turned-crew-member Mike Austin, father/son duo Dan and Keaton, and former teammate Lane Hardy, Rhead’s girlfriend Roxi, plus all of their spouses travel with the team every weekend.

“Everybody helps. It’s definitely not just me. It’s a group of people, for sure,” he said. “It’s a huge advantage. If you’ve ever traveled with any of your friends the first time you learn a lot about them. After you’ve done it and you find a good group of people that click really well it just makes life easier. There’s a lot of emotion in this sport and obviously, we’re competitive… It’s a good thing to have a team that’s been together a while and I’m fortunate enough to have that.”

Rhead wasn’t planning to do as much asphalt racing this year. He bought a dirt car they were going to try to race.

But when the NASCAR Advance Auto Parts Weekly Series announced the introduction of regional champions this season, the team reignited their dreams of running for national points and a bigger title.

When the chance for a regional championship was announced, Rhead said they had to scramble to get their cars – they have to take different cars to Magic Valley and Las Vegas – ready.

Coming into this season, the highest Rhead had ever finished nationally was somewhere in the top 20.

“Nowhere near where are right now,” he said.

“We’re pretty excited about where we’re sitting. We obviously want to get better and higher ranked in the nation. I think realistically now that we’re back on track if we can continue what we do I think we can get into the top three. I think we’re a little far out to have a realistic shot at the national championship, but our goal right now is to win the region and get into the top 3 in the nation and I think that’d be a good year for us.”

Having a career season in his 21^st year behind the wheel, the competitive nature that initially got Rhead into racing hasn’t left.

Finding victory lane is what it will take, he said, to continue moving up in all the standings.

“Winning is important to us. I’m a competitive person,” he said. “It’s good to be able to go out and do something where you’re on the edge and able to compete against other people and see if you can beat them.

“We’ve got to keep winning. Before last weekend I hadn’t had a win since the middle of June and that was kind of weighing on us. Before last Saturday we had our first two races where we didn’t finish in the top 5… We think the key to what we’ve got going on the rest of the year is we just need to start winning again.”

This weekend is a good time to start a winning streak, Rhead said, with a higher car count expected for Saturday’s race at Magic Valley.

RELATED: More on NASCAR Roots

“We’ve been in the same kind of car at Magic Valley the last three years and I felt like we learned a lot the last three years. Not that we weren’t successful when we first stated but we just been dialing in and dialing in on our car, and I’ve been reluctant to take that car to any other track because we’ve got it dialed in really well,” he said. “This weekend, it should be some good competition. The car count will be pretty high this weekend so if we can get a win this weekend and just keep winning, we’ve got to do that.

“I think we just need to stay focused and keep winning and make sure everybody is all on the same page as far as our team goes, and I think we’re there.”

After this week, Rhead’s team will take a final weekend off before going non-stop until November.

It’ll be a lot of hours on the road going to races, but, he said, “I don’t see us quitting any time soon.”

“It’s the atmosphere,” he added. “Anybody that’s ever been involved with short track racing, it’s a different thing. It’s a culture, it’s a family. It’s a little bit of everything.”

Posted on August 13, 2021 by Marcus DiNitto

Kyle Larson is closing the gap on teammate Chase Elliott when it comes to the betting market’s expectations on road courses. Larson is as skinny as +280 (bet $100 to win $280) at BetMGM to take the checkers at the Indianapolis Motor Speedway Road Course on Sunday, a significantly shorter price than the +450 he cashed at in his second road-course victory of the season, last week at Watkins Glen International.

Despite finishing second to Larson last week, Elliott remains the road-course favorite, offered at +200 at multiple shops for this week’s race, the Verizon 200 at the Brickyard. He has piloted the No. 9 Chevrolet to six wins and two second-place finishes over the 10 most recent road-course races in the Cup Series .

After the Hendrick Motorsports duo, there’s a large drop down the oddsboard to Martin Truex Jr., who finished a distant third at Watkins Glen. Truex is +600 at BetMGM.

In fact, the top fifth or so of the Indy oddsboard follows a pattern similar to the finishing order at Watkins.

Watkins finish	Driver	BetMGM odds
1	Kyle Larson	+280
2	Chase Elliott	+210
3	Martin Truex Jr.	+600
4	Kyle Busch	+1000
5	Denny Hamlin	+1200
6	William Byron	+2500
7	Christopher Bell	+2000
8	Kevin Harvick	+2500

Jim Sannes, a NASCAR betting and DFS analyst at numberFire, is largely in line with the market’s thinking. When handicapping the Cup’s inaugural race on this course, he leans on information gleaned from other road layouts, even though they have different characteristics.

“I value equipment more at Watkins Glen than I do at Sonoma (Raceway), based on the way that track races,” Sannes said. “I’m inclined to value equipment a tiny bit more here than I would at a place like Sonoma, but overall, I think you can put Indianapolis into the bucket of road courses in general, view them all as one group and go from there.”

Following that logic, NASCAR bettors should be prepared for more of the No. 5 and No. 9 Sunday.

“Those two guys are just so dominant right now,” said Ed Salmons, who handles NASCAR oddsmaking duties at SuperBook USA in Las Vegas. “The Gibbs guys for the first half of (last week’s) race looked competitive, and then the second half of the race just had nothing for the two Hendrick guys.”

Expert picks

With some bettors’ proclivity to play favorites, books will probably be cheering against another Hendrick victory Sunday.

“It’s just amazing how much money is bet on Chase Elliott every week,” Salmons said. “Even at 2-1, we had a huge liability last week.”

For gamblers who want to take a shot against the chalk, Sannes has the No. 11 circled.

“If you’re looking for a mid-range guy, Denny Hamlin is pretty interesting,” Sannes said. “He’s 19-1 at FanDuel Sportsbook. He’s been a good road-course racer for a very long time. He had a top-eight average running position at Watkins Glen, Road America and Daytona (Road Course). And we saw last year at Daytona when they were on a new track for the first time, he was able to adapt pretty well.”

(Hamlin finished second and led 16 of 65 laps in the 2020 Daytona Road Course race.)

One of the beauties of NASCAR betting is there are plenty of ways to get involved. Even if you can’t envision an upset Sunday and want to stay away from the outright market (betting a driver to win the race), sportsbooks offer lots of options to get down.

Sannes offers:

Kurt Busch for a podium finish (+1500 at FanDuel). The No. 1 Chevy has a 14.2% chance at a top-three finish, according to Sannes’ simulations: “He’s probably not gonna have the upside to beat a Larson or an Elliott, but looking at top-10 bets (+125 at Barstool), looking at podium bets and looking at some group betting, I think Kurt Busch is going to be a rock star-type person in those formats.”

Joey Logano for a podium finish (+850 at FanDuel). While Team Penske has been less than stellar in recent road-course races, the No. 22 ranks fourth in Sannes’ projected average running position. Similar to his analysis on Busch, Sannes said of Logano: “I’m not sure he has the upside to beat Larson and Elliott, but I think he could be that third guy at times.”

Logano is matched up against Kevin Harvick at several sportsbooks, the SuperBook dealing Logano as the +110 underdog with Harvick laying -130. Sannes, via Twitter:

In 7 road-course races since the start of last year:

Joey Logano: 4 top-5s, 5 top-10s
Kevin Harvick: 0 top-5s, 2 top-10s

Logano has finished ahead of Harvick straight up in 6 of 7 races. This is a massive, massive overreaction to Watkins Glen. pic.twitter.com/Yb1a5yzlX2

— Jim Sannes (@JimSannes) August 13, 2021

Media personality and former Vegas oddsmaker Todd Fuhrman chimed in with a DM to NASCAR.com: Christopher Bell (-135) over Ryan Blaney, a price available Friday morning at multiple shops, including BetMGM and Caesars Sportsbook.

‘Dinger the Ringer?

Making an appearance in the upper region of the Brickyard oddsboard is AJ Allmendinger. At 20-1 at BetMGM, the road-course specialist is nestled with a tier that includes Bell and Austin Cindric, priced shorter than Logano, Harvick and William Byron.

Odds of 20-1 imply the ‘Dinger has a 4.76% chance of winning the race. He won just 2.3% of Sannes’ sims.

“For a guy who’s running a part-time schedule, that’s pretty good, but at 4% implied, I’m OK staying away from a betting perspective,” Sannes said. “I’ve bet against him in group bets a couple of times this year; I’m not sure if I’ll do that (Sunday), just because he’s so talented and he does have an experience edge at this track.

“But I do think that he tends to be a tiny bit overvalued in the market just because the reputation is so high, and I’m a little bit worried about the equipment there.”

Allemendinger has driven the No. 16 Kaulig Racing Chevy to finishes of seventh (Daytona), fifth (COTA) and 29th(Road America) in his three Cup road-course starts this season.

“The one thing I’ve learned is these so-called road ringers never go up to the Cup level and win a race — it never happens,” Salmons said.

That’s at least partly due to the sharpening road-course skills of the entire field.

“There’s so much (road-course racing) now,” Salmons said. “They used to do two a year, and it was unique to the guys who didn’t have any road-course (experience as young racers). Each driver has gotten so much better at it from where it was 10, 20 years ago at the NASCAR level.”

Marcus DiNitto is a writer and editor living in Charlotte, North Carolina. He has been covering sports for nearly two-and-a-half decades and sports betting for more than 10 years. His first NASCAR betting experience was in 1995 at North Wilkesboro Speedway, where he went 0-for-3 on his matchup picks. Read his articles and follow him on Twitter; do not bet his picks.

Posted on August 13, 2021August 13, 2021 by Zach Sturniolo

The NASCAR Cup Series has been racing upon Indianapolis Motor Speedway’s hallowed grounds since 1994.

That tradition turns a new chapter this weekend as the stock cars that have circled the famed oval now shift to the track’s road course layout, first seen in NASCAR action last season with the Xfinity Series.

Let’s dive into the details of the past and future heading into the Verizon 200 at the Brickyard (Sunday, 1 p.m. ET, NBC/NBC Sports App, IMS Radio Network, SiriusXM NASCAR Radio):

EXTRA TRACK TIME TO SET THE GRID

Because the Cup Series has never competed on Indianapolis’ road course, teams will be able to practice for 50 minutes on Saturday morning (11:05 a.m. ET, TrackPass) to familiarize and adjust as necessary.

Additionally, the starting lineup will be set Sunday morning via qualifying at 9:05 a.m. ET (CNBC/NBC Sports App). This marks the first qualifying session for the Cup Series since Road America on July 4.

HISTORY OF THE BRICKYARD

— Indianapolis Motor Speedway took shape in 1909 through a partnership of four businessmen who sought to develop a testing facility for the city’s growing auto industry, which was second only to Detroit.

— After its original surface of multi-layered gravel and asphaltum oil led to violent crashes and injuries in a cycling event, the 2.5-mile track was quickly redone using 3.2 million paving bricks.

— In 1961, all bricks were removed from the surface but for the three-foot strip that remains at the start/finish line, hence the track’s modern-day nickname, “The Brickyard.”

— Indianapolis Motor Speedway became the first racetrack to install SAFER (Steel and Foam Energy Reduction) barriers, the product of the speedway’s and IndyCar’s work with the University of Nebraska-Lincoln to create a “softer” wall that was practical for racing.

— The road course at IMS came to life following a 2000 agreement between then-track chairman, president and CEO Tony George and Formula 1’s then-boss Bernie Ecclestone for the US Grand Prix, which would be run on a 2.605-mile course through the track’s infield and golf course.

— Michael Schumacher won five of the eight USGPs run at IMS from 2000-07, including the inaugural edition in 2000.

— Changes were made to the circuit in 2014 to accommodate IndyCar’s shift to the road course for its first IMS race in May.

— The Indianapolis Road Course marks the 14th different road course to host a NASCAR Cup Series event.

Source: Racing Insights

RULES PACKAGE

NASCAR teams will utilize the low-downforce, high-horsepower package this weekend at the Indy road course. As at all road courses on this year’s schedule, the cars will be trimmed with shorter spoilers and splitter lengths to lessen the impact of downforce around this seven-turn road course while also having more available power under the drivers’ right foot courtesy of 750 HP.

GOODYEAR TIRES

Goodyear was able to use data from the 2020 NASCAR Xfinity Series race on the Indianapolis Motor Speedway road course to prepare this weekend’s tire, which features the same compound on the company’s “updated road course construction,” Director of Racing Greg Stucker said. This tire is the same teams have used at Circuit of the Americas, Road America and Mid-Ohio Sports Car Course this season.

“Teams have been on this tire several times at other road courses already this season,” Stucker said. “Having practice will allow teams to get up to speed, and we certainly look forward to a great Cup race as we add yet another new track to the 2021 schedule.”

STORY LINES AT A STORIED VENUE

— Hendrick Motorsports has won eight of the last nine road course races (Chase Elliott, six; Kyle Larson, two), including each of the last four.

— Ryan Blaney’s 2018 victory at the Charlotte Motor Speedway Roval is Ford’s most recent road course win, its only triumph in the last 14 such events.

— The average green-flag stretch in four of the last five road course races is 11 laps or fewer.

— Tyler Reddick currently holds the final playoff spot on points, ahead by just 15 points over Richard Childress Racing teammate Austin Dillon.

— Denny Hamlin has led 777 laps this season but remains winless. That total currently puts him seventh all-time in laps led in a season prior to a win.

— Tyler Reddick has 12 top-10 finishes in 23 starts this season, the first time an RCR competitor has hit that total that quickly since Kevin Harvick in 2013.

— Christopher Bell has posted four consecutive top 10s, the longest stretch of his short Cup career.

— Aric Almirola’s win at New Hampshire Motor Speedway on July 18 marks Ford’s only win in the last 13 races.

— The last six races have been won by six different drivers, starting with Alex Bowman’s victory in the first of two Pocono races and followed by Kyle Busch, Chase Elliott, Kurt Busch, Aric Almirola and Kyle Larson.

Source: Racing Insights

AGAINST THE ODDS

Chase Elliott’s bid for three straight wins at Watkins Glen International came up short last week after he had to charge from the rear multiple times.

But Elliott remains the current best on road courses, displayed again at The Glen by a spirited storm through the field to finish second. BetMGM lists Elliott as this weekend’s favorite for the inaugural Indy road course race at 21-10 (+210) odds with last week’s winner Kyle Larson second at 14-5 (+280).

Like Elliott, Christopher Bell fought from the back twice at Watkins Glen and rattled off another top-10 finish. At 20-1 odds, Bell, who won at the Daytona International Speedway Road Course in February and finished second at Road America, may be worth a look.

In need of a sleeper? Joey Logano (25-1) might be your driver. While Ford has struggled to find victory lane lately, Logano has top 10s in six of his last eight road course starts and is the only driver to post top 10s in all previous races on ovals-turned-road-courses.

FANTASY LIVE

Want to manage a team and race your way to the top of the leaderboards? Check out NASCAR Fantasy Live. The free-to-play game lets you choose your drivers each week and show off your crew-chief instincts. It’s not too late to join in on the competition.

The 2021 Fantasy Live points leaders are Denny Hamlin (913), Kyle Larson (903) and William Byron (777).

ALSO ON NASCAR.COM

Get additional camera views by logging on to NASCAR Drive, where each week a select number of in-car cameras will be available — as well as a battle cam and an overhead look.

New for this season, NASCAR has partnered with LiveLike to add fan engagement in the NASCAR Mobile App. Log in to the mobile app during the race for polls, quizzes, the cheer meter and more — and see instant results from NASCAR fans like you.

Posted on August 13, 2021 by Staff Report

Only three races are left in the NASCAR Cup Series regular season for the drivers to clinch their spot in the 2021 playoffs. After Watkins Glen last weekend, 11 drivers have clinched their spot in the postseason, leaving five spots still mathematically eligible.

Already Clinched

The following 11 drivers have clinched a spot in the 16-driver postseason field: Kyle Larson, William Byron, Kyle Busch, Joey Logano, Chase Elliott, Martin Truex Jr., Ryan Blaney, Brad Keselowski, Alex Bowman, Kurt Busch and Christopher Bell.

Can Clinch Via Points

If there is a repeat winner or a win by a driver who cannot advance to the playoffs, the following drivers could clinch by being 111 points above the second winless driver in the standings:

Denny Hamlin: Would clinch regardless of finish.

Can Clinch Via Previous Wins

The following drivers could clinch on previous wins with a win by a previous winner or a win by Denny Hamlin:

Michael McDowell and Aric Almirola: Would clinch regardless of finish.

The following drivers could clinch on previous wins with a win by a new winner:

Michael McDowell: Could only clinch with help.

Aric Almirola: Could only clinch if the new winner is Corey Lajoie or another driver even lower in the standings.

Can Clinch Via Win

The following drivers would clinch on their win alone this weekend:

Denny Hamlin, Kevin Harvick, Tyler Reddick, Austin Dillon, Michael McDowell, Aric Almirola.

The following drivers could clinch with a win:

Chris Buescher: Could only clinch with help.

Matt DiBenedetto: Could only clinch with help.

Ross Chastain: Could only clinch with help.

Posted on August 12, 2021August 12, 2021 by Staff Report

The rules of the road are simple for Joey Logano when it comes to racing at Indianapolis Motor Speedway: Whether it’s on the oval or the unique 2.439-mile Road Course, the prestige of racing at the Brickyard doesn’t waver.

The Team Penske driver will attempt — along with everyone else in the field — to win the first NASCAR Cup Series race on the 14-turn road course on Sunday at 1 p.m. ET (NBC/NBC Sports App, IMS Radio, SiriusXM NASCAR Radio), one year after NASCAR’s debut on the road circuit in the Xfinity Series.

BUY TICKETS: Seats for Indianapolis

“I have the same feeling (whether it’s the road course or the oval),” Logano said earlier this week on SiriusXM NASCAR Radio when asked about winning at one of the most famous venues in motorsports. “I’ll make this comparison. Indy and Daytona are comparable when it comes to history and what those tracks mean to certain drivers. And when you look at whether it’s the Rolex 24, if that’s what you do, that’s on the road course in Daytona. Or the Daytona 500 on the oval. It doesn’t matter. You have a win at Daytona. That’s a huge deal. You’re marked in for history.

Jared C. Tilton | Getty Images

“Indy is as big … because I feel like it’s a track that everyone in the world wants to say they’ve won at. The history of the Brickyard is incredible. All you have to do is go through the museum one day when you’re there and say, ‘Wow, this is a sacred place.’ ”

RELATED: Full Indy Road Course schedule

Adding to the personal pageantry of the weekend for Logano is that he drives for Roger Penske. “The Captain” will have cars entered in all three races in the upcoming historic weekend – NASCAR Cup Series, NASCAR Xfinity Series and Saturday’s IndyCar race. Penske Corporation also owns the track, making it all-the-more important for the Ford stable.

Logano has one road-course win to his credit, a 2015 triumph at Watkins Glen. A victory Sunday would give him 28 for his Cup Series career, deliver additional playoff points and allow the 31-year-old driver and his No. 22 team an opportunity for one of the most famous victory celebrations in sports.

“Whether you’re on the oval, or on the road course, in a stock car or an IndyCar or a tricycle, you want to say you’ve won at Indianapolis Motor Speedway, plain and simple,” Logano said. “So, I don’t care where it’s at. I’m kissing the bricks at the end of the race. That’s all that matters to me. That’s all I want to do. So hopefully this is the week to make it happen.”