Indianapolis Motor Speedway Data
Season Race #: 20 of 36 (07-26-15)
Track Size: 2.5-miles
Banking/Turns 1 & 2: 9 degrees
Banking/Turns 3 & 4: 9 degrees
Banking/Straights: 0 degrees
Frontstretch Length: 3,330 feet
Backstretch Length: 3,300 feet
Race Length: 160 laps / 400 miles
Top 10 Driver Ratings at Indianapolis
Jimmie Johnson 108.1
Jeff Gordon 105.6
Kyle Larson 104.4
Tony Stewart 101.9
Kasey Kahne 100.1
Kyle Busch 98.5
Matt Kenseth 96.6
Kevin Harvick 92.7
Greg Biffle 92.3
Denny Hamlin 90.6
Note: Driver Ratings compiled from 2005-2014 races (10 total) among active drivers at Indianapolis Motor Speedway.
Qualifying/Race Data
2014 pole winner:
Kevin Harvick, Chevrolet
188.470 mph, 47.753 secs. 07-25-14
2014 race winner:
Jeff Gordon, Chevrolet
150.297 mph, (02:39:41), 07-27-14
Track qualifying record:
Kevin Harvick, Chevrolet
188.889 mph, 47.647 secs. 07-25-14
(Set in Round 1 of 3)
Track race record:
Bobby Labonte, Pontiac
155.912 mph, (02:33:56), 08-05-00
Brickyard Driver Tale of the Tape
Greg Biffle (No. 16 Lilly/American Diabetes Association Ford)
· Three top fives, six top 10s
· Average finish of 13.100, seventh-best
· Average Running Position of 12.649, eighth-best
· Driver Rating of 92.3, ninth-best
· 60 Fastest Laps Run, seventh-best
· Average Green Flag Speed of 169.968, eighth-fastest
· 1062 Laps in the Top 15 (66.4), eighth-most
· 217 Quality Passes, 10th-most
Clint Bowyer (No. 15 5-Hour Energy Toyota)
· Two top fives, two top 10s
· Average finish of 13.556, ninth-best
· Average Running Position of 14.450, 10th-best
· Driver Rating of 85.0, 11th-best
· 12 Fastest Laps Run, fifth-best
· Average Green Flag Speed of 169.683, 13th-fastest
· 845 Laps in the Top 15 (58.7), 11th-most
· 194 Quality Passes, 11th-most
Kyle Busch (No. 18 SKITTLES Toyota)
· Three top fives, eight top 10s
· Average finish of 10.600, fourth-best
· Average Running Position of 12.311, seventh-best
· Driver Rating of 98.5, sixth-best
· 64 Fastest Laps Run, 10th-best
· Average Green Flag Speed of 170.317, sixth-fastest
· 1178 Laps in the Top 15 (73.6), sixth-most
· 297 Quality Passes, fourth-most
Carl Edwards (No. 19 STANLEY Toyota)
· One top five, three top 10s
· Average finish of 13.400, eighth-best
· Average Running Position of 16.619, 13th-best
· Driver Rating of 83.9, 13th-best
· 44 Fastest Laps Run, sixth-best
· Average Green Flag Speed of 169.725, 12th-fastest
· 819 Laps in the Top 15 (51.2), 12th-most
· 263 Quality Passes, sixth-most
Jeff Gordon (No. 24 3M Chevrolet)
· Five wins, 12 top fives, 17 top 10s; three poles
· Average finish of 7.900, third-best
· Average Running Position of 10.869, second-best
· Driver Rating of 105.6, second-best
· 157 Fastest Laps Run, 11th-best
· Average Green Flag Speed of 170.820, series-fastest
· 1252 Laps in the Top 15 (78.3), second-most
· 315 Quality Passes, second-most
Denny Hamlin (No. 11 FedEx Express Toyota)
· Two top fives, four top 10s; one pole
· Average finish of 15.333, 13th-best
· Average Running Position of 15.540, 11th-best
· Driver Rating of 90.6, 10th-best
· 54 Fastest Laps Run, series-best
· Average Green Flag Speed of 170.251, seventh-fastest
· 851 Laps in the Top 15 (59.1), 10th-most
· 227 Quality Passes, ninth-most
Kevin Harvick (No. 4 Jimmy John's/ Budweiser Chevrolet)
· One win, four top fives, eight top 10s; two poles
· Average finish of 12.500, fifth-best
· Average Running Position of 13.532, ninth-best
· Driver Rating of 92.7, eighth-best
· 34 Fastest Laps Run, ninth-best
· Average Green Flag Speed of 169.740, 11th-fastest
· 1057 Laps in the Top 15 (66.1), ninth-most
· 254 Quality Passes, seventh-most
Jimmie Johnson (No. 48 KOBALT TOOLS Chevrolet)
· Four wins, five top fives, six top 10s; one pole
· Average finish of 13.800, 10th-best
· Average Running Position of 10.911, third-best
· Driver Rating of 108.1, series-best
· 173 Fastest Laps Run, fourth-best
· Average Green Flag Speed of 170.814, second-fastest
· 1192 Laps in the Top 15 (74.5), fifth-most
· 248 Quality Passes, eighth-most
Kasey Kahne (No. 5 Farmers Chevrolet)
· Three top fives, six top 10s
· Average finish of 14.400, 12th-best
· Average Running Position of 11.911, fifth-best
· Driver Rating of 100.1, fifth-best
· 102 Fastest Laps Run, second-best
· Average Green Flag Speed of 170.415, fifth-fastest
· 1237 Laps in the Top 15 (77.3), fourth-most
· 299 Quality Passes, third-most
Matt Kenseth (No. 20 Dollar General Toyota)
· Seven top fives, nine top 10s
· Average finish of 12.600, sixth-best
· Average Running Position of 12.194, sixth-best
· Driver Rating of 96.6, seventh-best
· 18 Fastest Laps Run, eighth-best
· Average Green Flag Speed of 169.948, ninth-fastest
· 1238 Laps in the Top 15 (77.4), third-most
· 282 Quality Passes, fifth-most
Brad Keselowski (No. 2 Miller Lite Ford)
· Two top 10s
· Average finish of 14.000, 11th-best
· Average Running Position of 16.489, 12th-best
· Driver Rating of 84.2, 12th-best
· 30 Fastest Laps Run, third-best
· Average Green Flag Speed of 169.882, 10th-fastest
· 371 Laps in the Top 15 (46.4), 13th-most
· 104 Quality Passes, 12th-most
Kyle Larson (No. 42 Target Chevrolet)
· One top 10
· Average finish of 7.000, series-best
· Average Running Position of 9.212, series-best
· Driver Rating of 104.4, third-best
· 2 Fastest Laps Run, 13th-best
· Average Green Flag Speed of 170.538, third-fastest
· 148 Laps in the Top 15 (92.5), series-most
· 36 Quality Passes, 13th-most
Tony Stewart (No. 14 Mobil 1 / Bass Pro Shops Chevrolet)
· Two wins, seven top fives, 11 top 10s; one pole
· Average finish of 7.800, second-best
· Average Running Position of 11.608, fourth-best
· Driver Rating of 101.9, fourth-best
· 98 Fastest Laps Run, 12th-best
· Average Green Flag Speed of 170.478, fourth-fastest
· 1095 Laps in the Top 15 (68.4), seventh-most
· 319 Quality Passes, series-most
Brickyard 400 Preview
By Micah Roberts
VegasInsider.com
I often wonder what might have happened to NASCAR had they not ever had to have the opportunity to race on the storied bricks of Indianapolis Motor Speedway, or better yet, if former track owner Tony George never existed.
George gets labeled as a greedy man who single handedly destroyed open-wheel racing which at a time when it was far more popular than NASCAR. He had a vision of starting his own Indy Car series and taking his track and the Indy 500 with him which slowly killed off the more competitive CART series.
He accomplished the feat and the Indy Car series is still functioning -- barely, but we can credit George with also helping make NASCAR what it is today, the most popular form of auto racing in America. One of his other visions was to bring the stock cars the storied grounds of Indy and rake in some more cash and it happened in 1994. It‘s a huge spike in the growth of NASCAR as we know it today.
The California kid, Jeff Gordon, won that 1994 inaugural race and was featured on cereal boxes afterwards. Midwest audiences that had normally supported open-wheel racing only, warmed up to the idea of stock cars. West coast audiences became more excited about stock cars as well and soon race tracks started sprouting up in Fontana, Texas, Las Vegas, Chicago, Kentucky and Kansas.
Here we are 22 years later and NASCAR is thriving better than ever with a billion dollar TV contract and sponsors waiting patiently to get their logos on a car due to the proven support the die-hard fans show. Gordon had a little bit to do with it all because of the national exposure, the timing was right in America, but it really all started with the NASCAR racing on the bricks. And we can thank Tony George for making it all happen.
Gordon will be making his 22nd and final start at Indianapolis this weekend, and no one has been better. Among all drivers with at least two starts, Gordon has averaged an 8.3 finish with five wins, including last year. He’s got 12 top-five finishes in those 21 starts leading a track record 528 laps. He’s the only driver to have started all 21 Cup races on the bricks. Because of the track’s history and Gordon getting his racing career started in Pittsboro, Indiana, there is no track more special to him than the Brickyard.
Sunday’s race will be the 20th of the season and yet Gordon, in his Swan Song season, doesn’t have a win yet. He’s currently 10th in points and should make the Chase, but the surprising part is that he’s had only two top-five finishes. He doesn’t look anywhere as good as he did last season when winning at Indy. Last year I picked him to win because he was running well. In fact, I think I’ve picked him to win at Indy in this column about eight times over the past 15 years and have been correct half the time. But I can’t go his way this time just because I didn’t see enough good things out of him at Pocono Raceway last month.
Pocono and Indy are very similar 2.5-mile layouts with long straight-aways. Indy has four very tight turns, but the set-up for turn-3 at Pocono is similar and we have seen through the years if a driver does well at Pocono that they fare well at Indy.
Martin Truex Jr. absolutely dominated at Pocono leading 97 laps to get his first and only win of the season. Kevin Harvick, who won at Indy in 2003, finished second -- again -- and led 39 laps. Only five drivers led laps at Pocono with Gordon, Kasey Kahne and Carl Edwards being the others.
The one difference between the Pocono set-up and Indy this week is that NASCAR has raised the spoiler a few inches higher to create more drag. This will slow the cars down a bit, but it shouldn’t change what we saw at Pocono last month compared to the drastic aero-package changes we saw at Kentucky relative to other 1.5-mile set-ups.
Kyle Busch is the hottest driver on tour right now with three wins in his past four races and has averaged a 10th-place finish over 10 career starts at Indy. He finished ninth at Pocono and his brother, Kurt Busch, finished fifth. Both should fare well this weekend, but I’m going to go another way, and it isn’t Truex Jr. or Harvick.
I’m going to ride with Jimmie Johnson who is looking to tie his boss Jeff Gordon for most wins at Indy. Johnson has four wins along with the highest driver rating at Indy and a series-leading four wins on the season. He also finished third at Pocono.
Top-5 Finish Prediction:
1) #48 Jimmie Johnson (7/1)
2) #4 Kevin Harvick (5/1)
3) #78 Martin Truex Jr. (10/1)
4) #18 Kyle Busch (10/1)
5) #41 Kurt Busch (10/1)
Drivers to Watch - Indianapolis
By Sportsbook.ag
The Sprint Cup drivers head to Indianapolis on Sunday for a chance to win the Crown Royal 400, an event that began in 1994. This race was the first to be held at Indianapolis Motor Speedway outside of the Indianapolis 500 since 1916. Each of the four turns on the oval here is banked at nine-degrees exactly.
Jeff Gordon has won this race five times (1994, 1998, 2001, 2004, 2014) and was also the youngest driver to ever win it (23 years, two days old in 1994). Now let’s take a look at the field and see who might be crowned after this year’s installment:
Drivers to Bet
Jeff Gordon (12/1) - Gordon has won this race five times in his career and will have plenty of momentum as he goes for a sixth victory. He has now placed top-10 in each of the past three races this season after failing to finish inside the top-15 in the two races before. With Gordon being in great form and very familiar with this course, he’s an excellent pick to win.
Jimmie Johnson (7/1) - Johnson has also gotten the best of this course in his career, winning this race four times (2006, 2008, 2009, 2012). He has put together yet another fantastic Sprint Cup season, winning four races on the year and placing in the top-10 in seven of the past 10 races. Johnson is a good choice to win this race and tie Jeff Gordon as the winningest driver in the Crown Royal 400.
Kyle Busch (10/1) - It’s never fun to take three guys that are among the favorites to win an event, but it’d be irresponsible to leave Busch off of this list. He has been on fire since returning from injury at the Coca Cola 600 and has finished in the top-10 in four of the past six races. Busch has also been the winner of three of the past four races, including last week’s 5-hour Energy 301. Making a play on him would be a wise move here.
Paul Menard (75/1) - Menard is having his best season since joining the Sprint Cup in 2003, but he has not yet earned his second career victory. He has four top-eight finishes on the year, but he’ll be chomping at the bit to get back to Indianapolis Motor Speedway. Menard’s only Sprint Cup victory came in this race back in 2011 and he makes for a solid play to win here again.
Jamie McMurray (30/1) - McMurray has also had a very good season, finishing in the top-10 seven times and inside the top-five twice. He has, however, been unable to come away with a victory and, like Menard, will be trying to recapture some magic at the Crown Royal 400. McMurray won this race back in 2010 and should have some solid odds for a guy who has won on this course.
Odds to win Jeff Kyle 400
Kevin Harvick 4/1
Jimmie Johnson 7/1
Martin Truex Jr. 8/1
Dale Earnhardt Jr 10/1
Kurt Busch 10/1
Kyle Busch 10/1
Matt Kenseth 10/1
Brad Keselowski 12/1
Jeff Gordon 12/1
Joey Logano 12/1
Carl Edwards 18/1
Denny Hamlin 18/1
Kasey Kahne 18/1
Kyle Larson 20/1
Jamie McMurray 30/1
Ryan Newman 50/1
Tony Stewart 60/1
Paul Menard 75/1
Austin Dillon 100/1
Chase Elliott 100/1
Clint Bowyer 100/1
David Ragan 100/1
Greg Biffle 100/1
Ryan Blaney 100/1
Sam Hornish Jr. 100/1
Field (Any Other Driver) 100/1
AJ Allmendinger 300/1
Aric Almirola 300/1
Casey Mears 300/1
Danica Patrick 300/1
Driver Handicaps: Indianapolis
By: Jeff Wackerlin
Racingone.com
MRN.com's detailed notes and statistics to help you set your fantasy racing lineup for Sunday's Crown Royal Presents the Jeff Kyle 400 at Indianapolis Motor Speedway.
Who's HOT at Indianapolis
• Jeff Gordon won this event last year for his series-leading fifth win. He also leads all drivers with 528 laps led.
• Kyle Busch is the only driver that has finished in the top 10 in each of the last five races.
• Jimmie Johnson has won four of the last nine races.
• Tony Stewart has posted nine top 10s in the last 11 races, including two wins. However, his only top 10 of this season came on a short track.
• Ryan Newman has posted an average finish of 6.0 in his last two starts, including a win in 2013.
• Dale Earnhardt Jr. has finished in the top 10 in his last three starts (6.3 average finish).
• Kasey Kahne has posted a 4.5 average finish in his last two starts and ranks second in laps led (118) in the last five races.
• Matt Kenseth has finished in the top five in his two starts with Joe Gibbs Racing.
Who to Keep an Eye On at Indianapolis
• Kevin Harvick, who won at Indy in 2003, will be back in the same car he's combined to lead 265 laps and post a 1.7 average finish with this season in three races.
• Joey Logano has posted a 6.5 average finish in his two Indy starts with Team Penske.
• Sam Hornish Jr., Martin Truex Jr. and Gordon each participated in the Goodyear tire test at Indianapolis in April. Truex also won last month at Pocono Raceway, a track that has some similarities to Indy.
• All four Joe Gibbs Racing drivers finished in the top five at Kentucky Speedway, the previous race with a new rules package.
• Hornish and Austin Dillon each gathered data with the new high-drag rules package when they tested last week at Chicagoland Speedway.
• Brad Keselowski, who has a pair of ninth-place finishes at Indy, is the only driver besides Kyle Busch that has led more than 60 laps in the last two races of the season, with 163.
• Kurt Busch, who will drive a new chassis this weekend, is the only driver that has finished in the top 10 in each of the last six races of the season.
• Chip Ganassi Racing drivers Jamie McMurray and Kyle Larson are both looking to snap a recent streak of bad finishes this weekend. Both finished in the top 10 in June at Pocono and McMurray is a previous Indy winner. Larson finished seventh last season in his first Indy start.
Note: This weekend's race will feature a new rules package and teams will get over four hours of track time on Friday. Be sure to check back with MRN.com for the practice speeds.
MRN.com Staff Picks
Jeff Wackerlin: Kevin Harvick
Pete Pistone: Jimmie Johnson
John Singler: Ryan Newman
Driver Notes - Ordered by Top 20 in Average Finish in the Five Races at Indianapolis
Kyle Busch: Is the only driver that has finished in the top 10 in each of the last five races. Busch has finished second in two of the last three races, including last season's race. Busch is the hottest driver as of late on the circuit as he's won three of the last four races.
Kyle Larson: Finished seventh last season his first track start. In the last five races of the season, Larson has finished 15th or worse, including three consecutive finishes of 31st or worse.
Jeff Gordon: Is coming off his fifth win in 21 starts. Gordon led 40 laps last season en route to the win, which marked his fourth consecutive finish of seventh or better. Gordon participated in the Indy Goodyear tire test in April.
Tony Stewart: Finished 17th last season to snap a streak of five consecutive top fives. Stewart, who is a two-time winner at The Brickyard, will return in the same car (chassis No. 938) that he finished 21st with in the Coca-Cola 600 at Charlotte Motor Speedway.
Ryan Newman: Finished 11th last season in first track start with Richard Childress Racing. Newman won the 2013 Brickyard 400, which marked one of three top 10s in 14 starts. This weekend, Newman will return in the same car (chassis No. 511) that he last finished 18th with at Michigan International Speedway. He leads all drivers with a 7.1 average start.
Greg Biffle: Posted five consecutive top 10s from 2008-2012. Biffle has made 12 overall starts, posting an average finish of 13.2.
Kasey Kahne: Is coming off two consecutive top 10s. Kahne led 70 laps last season and finished sixth.
Kevin Harvick: Won the pole and finished eighth last season in first track start with Stewart-Haas Racing. Harvick won in 2003 for one of seven top 10s when he drove for Richard Childress Racing. This weekend, Harvick will be back in one of his best cars (chassis No. 841). Harvick has combined to lead 265 laps and post a 1.7 average finish with this chassis, including a win at Phoenix International Raceway from the pole.
Jimmie Johnson: Has scored four wins in 13 starts with the last coming in 2012. Johnson led 99 laps en route to that win and then followed it up with a second-place run in 2013 after leading 73 laps. His 173 laps led in the last five races leads all drivers.
Matt Kenseth: Has finished in the top five in his two track starts with Joe Gibbs Racing, but has yet to lead a lap. In his previous 13 starts with Roush Fenway Racing, Kenseth led 39 laps and posted seven top 10s.
Dale Earnhardt Jr.: Has finished in the top 10 in his last three starts. Earnhardt's only top five in 15 starts came in 2012, in fourth.
Jamie McMurray: Has posted a 15.3 average finish since winning in 2010.
Clint Bowyer: Has yet to finish in the top 10 in three track starts with Michael Waltrip Racing. Bowyer's best finish with the team came in 2012, in 15th. He did post two top-five finishes in his previous six starts with Richard Childress Racing.
Denny Hamlin: Finished third last season to equal his best finish in nine starts. Overall, Hamlin has a 15.3 average finish and 75 laps led.
Brad Keselowski: Has posted a 14.0 average finish in five starts. Keselowski finished ninth in 2011 and 2012, which marks his best finish.
Paul Menard: Has posted a 20.0 average finish in the last three races since winning in 2011. Menard's win came in his first track start with Richard Childress Racing. This weekend, he will return in the same car (chassis No. 485) that he last finished 15th with at Richmond International Raceway.
Carl Edwards: Will be making first track start with Joe Gibbs Racing. Edwards posted three top 10s and an average finish of 13.4 in his 10 starts driving for Roush Fenway Racing.
Joey Logano: Has finished in the top 10 in his two track starts with Team Penske. Last year Logano finished led 10 laps and finished fifth for his first top five in six overall starts.
Austin Dillon: Finished 10th last year to lower his average finish to 18.0 in two starts. This weekend Dillon will pilot a new car (chassis No. 512) in the Crown Royal Presents the Jeff Kyle 400. Dillon was able to test and get data for the high-drag package at Chicagoland Speedway last week.
Martin Truex Jr.: Has posted one top 10 in 10 starts. Truex finished 25th last season in his first track start with Furniture Row Racing. Truex, who won at the 2.5-mile Pocono Raceway in June, participated in the Indy Goodyear tire test in April.
Brickyard 400 Practice Notes
By Micah Roberts
Sportingnews.com
NASCAR gave the Sprint Cup teams 285 minutes of practice time between three sessions on Friday to figure out the best set-up under the new high drag package for Sunday’s Brickyard 400, but drivers and crews still don’t have that setup completely dialed in yet, meaning it will be a work in progress on race day.
This makes things a little more difficult to handicap with odds to win, driver match-ups and for those playing daily fantasy — which by the way is also 100 percent gambling. You come in this race not knowing the whole story. It’s not quite the crap shoot of a restrictor-plate race, but all the elements needed to give a driving the proper rating just isn’t there. If the drivers and crews are uncertain how things are going to run, then how the heck can anyone else?
"To me the restart is where this package is going to play a bigger role than in practice," 2010 Brickyard 400 winner Jamie McMurray told the media following Friday's second practice. "The thing with practice is that as you start to catch the car in front of you, typically their car is not very good. So, when you see somebody catching you fairly quick you pull in so you can work on it and get your car better. I really haven’t been within 10 car lengths of anyone in front of me."
McMurray said there's supposed to be over 100 horsepower drag advantage to the car in back, meaning there should be some serious sling shot moves around the turns, but he hasn't seen it yet.
"I honestly think until we get into the race on Sunday that it’s hard to get anyone’s true opinion on what we are going to have. To me on Sunday when you get two cars side-by-side with this package the guy in third is going to have an extra engine. It’s going to be crazy the amount of speed that he is going to have. I don’t know, the restarts are going to be pretty wild, I think.”
With the spoiler raised up to nine-inches, it's slowing the cars down on the straightaways, but it also allows the drivers to come in and out of all four corners with more throttle, which should create a lot more passing. The higher spoiler also made drivers visibility in the rear-view mirror difficult.
Only six drivers led laps at Pocono where passing was extremely difficult, and Pocono is a track that can be compared the most with Indy. When NASCAR made the aero-package changes at Kentucky after seeing most of the previous 1.5-mile tracks this season be dominated by a select few, there was all kinds of passing. I think we'll see something similar here with one of the more exciting Brickyard races we've witnessed in the 22 years NASCAR has been going to Indianapolis.
More passing means less domination in theory, which in turn means there's less of a favorite to win. It would be ridiculous to take 4-to-1 odds on Kevin Harvick even though he is our top rated driver this week just because there are more unaccounted for opposed to other races. There was almost something good to say about most every driver during Friday's three practice sessions, and at the same time, other than Harvick and Jimmie Johnson, there was also some negative things about those same drivers.
The teams that have shown the most horsepower this season on the big tracks are going to be good again this week, but the advantage is far less because of the drag. We've seen 17 of the 21 Brickyard races won by past Sprint Cup champions and the past 12 have been won by Chevrolet, but if Clint Bowyer won on Sunday, it wouldn't really come as shock to me because Michael Waltrip Racing found some speed during the second session Friday, as did teammate David Ragan. If that wild scenario happened, it would be Toyota's first win on the bricks.
If I could only make two wagers for Sunday's race it would be on four-time Indy winner Jimmie Johnson and Kasey Kahne, who led a race-high 70 laps at Indy last season. During the final practice session, Kahne had the best 10-consecutive lap average, which means he's going to be good on the long runs and has his entry and exit plan through the turns figured out well.