Brickyard 400 News and Notes

Allstate 400 Preview
By Micah Roberts
VegasInsider.com

It seems like forever since the NASCAR Sprint Cup series ran a race even though it's only been one week off. At this time of the year, finding sports entertainment is scarce and NASCAR on the weekend is something for everyone to look forward to. However, the wait is well worth it in this instance considering the gem on the horizon is The Brickyard 400 at the storied racing grounds of The Indianapolis Motor Speedway.

This Sunday's Brickyard 400 will be the sixteenth NASCAR event held at the facility that has been the center of the racing world since 1909. Due to the historic nature of the track and most of the drivers childhood dreams centering around racing on the track, this race's prestige ranks right up there on par with the Daytona 500.

For some drivers, winning at The Brickyard is a dream fulfilled that may even surpass winning the Daytona 500. Six drivers on this weekend's entry list hail from Indiana, with two of them, Jeff Gordon and Tony Stewart, having won on the bricks.

Gordon won the inaugural Brickyard 400 in 1994 in his second year on the series. It was his second career win, but perhaps still remains the biggest win of his career because of how it launched him into mainstream America. At the same time, NASCAR also was in the beginning stages of evolving where they are today.

Over his career, Gordon has four career wins at Indy, twice as many as anyone else. He also has three career Daytona 500 wins, which is the highest rated and largest purse race of the season. Without actually committing to which race is most dear to him to not diminish either race, we'll do it for him just based on his roots. His family moved to Indiana when he was a kid to get him involved in more competitive racing with the eventual goal to race in the Indy 500 driving Indy cars.

Opportunities knocked from NASCAR and he ran with it; the rest is history. He never got that chance to run in the Indy 500, but the Brickyard 400 has suited him fine. In all stages of Gordon's career, he has won at Indy. He currently is in the longest drought from winning at Indy going on four years straight.

Tony Stewart was on the same path as Gordon in Indiana but went through with the plan of driving Indy cars where he won a season title in the IRL. His best performance in the Indy 500 was 5th in 1997. After a move to NASCAR, Stewart still raced in the Indy 500 but couldn't get the elusive win.

In 2005 Stewart finally lived out his dream of winning on the Bricks and proclaimed it his greatest win ever and that not even the Daytona 500 could beat it. Even before the win, Stewart stated his biggest prize was Indy. Two years later, Stewart won it again. He hasn't win the Daytona 500 yet, but it's likely the jubilation from that first win will never be matched, just as Gordon's won't.

A win this week by Stewart, who currently leads the standings in points, with his own team might rival his greatest win ever. His win last month at Pocono is a great measure to use in determining why he is the favorite to win this week.

We like to use Pocono as a barometer because the tracks are similar in distance and banking which means that whoever did well in June's Pocono's race should be just as good this week at Indy. Each track has long drag strips that require lots of horsepower. The sweeping tight turns also require similar setups in balance and weight distribution.

As an example of how correlated these tracks are, of the three different winners at both Pocono races and Indy last season, they were the only three drivers to finish in the top-10 in all three races. Kasey Kahne, Carl Edwards, and Jimmie Johnson stood alone as the most consistent set-ups and performances for all combined races and they were rewarded each with a win.

If we transfer last years finishes to this years June Pocono race, two drivers, Jimmie Johnson and Carl Edwards, stood out with top-10's in that race. One driver that barely missed making top-10's in all four races was Jeff Gordon who finished fourteenth in the June Pocono race last season.

After this years practice sessions at Pocono, the best cars looked to be Ryan Newman, who finished fifth, Jimmie Johnson, who finished seventh, and Tony Stewart, who ran with a backup car and started last but eventually won.

Ryan Newman is currently sitting seventh in points and could be a nice look this week at 30/1 odds. Unlike his teammate Stewart, Newman has a win in the Daytona 500, but doesn't have a Brickyard win. He too, like Gordon and Stewart, is from Indiana and had his career all set on track to become an Indy car driver but NASCAR came calling for him as well. Needless to say, Newman will be looking to make the most of his opportunity this week and build off the success they had in Pocono.

Carl Edwards led the most laps at Pocono this year and was waiting for Stewart to run out of fuel in the last few laps of the race so he could swoop in for the win. A poor pit sequence late in that race allowed Stewart to get ahead and stay for the remainder of the race. Even though none of Edwards success from last year has carried over on other tracks, Pocono remains the only one that is comparable. Jack Roush has never won at the Brickyard before and it would be very fitting to see the Cat in the Hat be able to mark off the Daytona 500 and the Brickyard 400 on his checklist of things to do in 2009.

Jimmie Johnson has won two of the last three Brickyard 400's and has everything pointing in his direction to possibly do it it again which is why he's a co-favorite to win the race with Stewart. He won last years race that was marred with tire issues throughout the race. He currently sits third in points and with races running out until the Chase starts, Johnson needs a couple more bonus points for winning races to set himself up nice. There will be no points racing here because he's firmly entrenched. It's all about the wins now!

A nice long shot look this week could be David Reutimann who is offered at odds of 60 to 1 or higher. He had a nice series of Pocono practices and finished third in the race. Based on the way this season has gone with long shots cashing in, including Reutimann's win at Charlotte, we can't look the other way as usual with some of the longer odds out there.

The one thing going against a long shot winning this week at Indy is that it just doesn't happen there. Of the fifteen races run there, only two have been by drivers that haven't won a season Championship. Ricky Rudd won in 1997 and Kevin Harvick won in 2003, and the rest are the best of the best. Despite all that, we'll go with Edwards this week, who we think will eventually win a title someday.

Top 5 Finish Prediction:
1) #99 Carl Edwards (10/1)
2) #24 Jeff Gordon (8/1)
3) #39 Ryan Newman (30/1)
4) #14 Tony Stewart (6/1)
5) #48 Jimmie Johnson (6/1)

Allstate 400 PreQ Forecast

It has been a very odd season for Carl Edwards. He has run well this year with nine top 10s and just four finishes outside the top 30 while sitting sixth in the point standings. Yet, the #99 Aflac Ford has not been to victory lane. This after winning nine races last season. Edwards is sure to go to victory lane at some point this season and erase that goose egg off the victory column but is sure has to be aggravating for Edwards. There is good news for him though as Edwards is the early week favorite to go to victory lane in one of the most prestigious races of the season – the Allstate 400 at the infamous Indianapolis Motor Speedway. Edwards has a pair of top 10s in four career starts at the track with a career best 2nd place finish last season for an average finish of 10th place. He has run very well on the flat-banked superspeedways in recent seasons as well averaging a 3rd place finish in his last four starts. Edwards would love to be kissing the bricks at the end of the race on Sunday and has a good chance to do so.

It is not often that a “rookie” ranks in the top 10 on the PreQ forecast. Marcus Ambrose has done just that although he technically is not considered to be a rookie he is in his first full season in the Cup series. He has been running very well as of late with three top 10s in his last six starts and an 11th place finish last weekend at Chicagoland with an average finish of 13th place. He currently sits in 18th in the point standings and while it is highly doubtful he can make the Chase for the Championship he is in position to get the best of the rest award (13th in the point standings). Ambrose had a 22nd place finish in Indianapolis last season, which was just his second ever start at the Cup level. He is looking to improve upon that this weekend and with his current hot streak he could very well record another top 10 finish. Keep the #47 Kingsford Toyota in mind when setting you lineup for this race.

Like his teammate, Marcus Ambrose, David Reutimann is having a very good season. In just his second full season at the Cup level Reutimann recorded his first career win and currently sits 14th in the point standings. He could very easily be a contender in the Chase for the Championship but this track may but a damper on his attempt to make the Chase. In two career starts in Indianapolis he has failed to finish better than 30th position with an average finish of 34th place. He does not fair that well on the flat-banked superspeedways averaging a 20th place finish in his last four starts. Reutimann has shown plenty of improvement this season but gets the “Buyer Beware” label for the Allstate 400 at Indianapolis Motor Speedway.

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AllState 400 Driver Rating

Tony Stewart and Jeff Gordon both own multiple NASCAR Sprint Cup Series titles, multiple wins at Indianapolis Motor Speedway and the top two spots in the current series standings, respectively. Both drivers also appear primed for another championship run. And as NASCAR Sprint Cup teams prepare for Sunday’s Allstate 400 at The Brickyard, both return to a special place. An Indiana native, Stewart resides in Columbus and considers Indianapolis his home track. Gordon spent his formative racing years in Indiana. Aside from personal impacts, another victory in the Allstate 400 at The Brickyard would count not only as a standings boost for either driver, but also toward potential seeding in the Chase for the NASCAR Sprint Cup.

For Gordon, it would mean history. The four-time series champion leads all NASCAR drivers with four wins at Indianapolis (1994, 1998, 2001, 2004). A fifth win would tie him with Formula 1 great Michael Schumacher for most wins at the historic facility. He’s tied for second with A.J. Foyt, Al Unser and Rick Mears – Indianapolis 500 champions, all. As a kid growing up, I always dreamed about racing at Indy and thought those dreams had gone away when I was moving down south and starting my NASCAR career,” Gordon said. “I love the fact that the Brickyard 400 happens every August or July. And it's just a spectacular event.”

Stewart, a two-time series champion, has two Indianapolis victories (2005 and 2007). A third would mean another personal milestone in his first year of team ownership; even if Stewart-Haas Racing teammate and fellow Hoosier Ryan Newman wins, Stewart would score his first victory as an owner at his favorite track. Wins are crucial: Sunday’s Allstate 400 at The Brickyard marks the fourth event in the Race to the Chase, the 10-race stretch prior to the Chase for the NASCAR Sprint Cup. Drivers begin the Chase by having their point totals reset at 5,000, then are seeded according to the number of wins they accrued in the season’s first 26 events (10 bonus points for each win). Stewart has two wins thus far; Gordon has one.

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Allstate 400 HOT! Sheet

After the final bye week of the season, the series heads to the yard of bricks this weekend, and Kasey Kahne should have a smile on his face. He is riding a ton of momentum over the last four events. It started with his decisive victory at Infineon where he led the most laps before going to victory lane. That was followed up with a solid top 10 at New Hampshire and top 15 at Daytona. At Chicago he led a couple of laps before ending up 3rd. He has a couple of top 5s here and we're looking for another one this Sunday.

The man right behind him in the standings, Juan Pablo Montoya, is also one to be aware of. He has only finished outside the top 10 twice in the last eight races (30th Dover, 12th New Hampshire). The #42 team has a 7.8 average finish in the other six in that span. He has been one of the most consistent drivers this season as he has yet to post a DNF. He is coming off of a 10th place showing in Chicago, and is no stranger to the Indianapolis Motor Speedway as he is a former Indy 500 winner. He should be on your roster this weekend.

Fresh off of his claim of his second driver of the year award at the ESPYs, Jimmie Johnson looks to kiss the bricks for the second straight year. He comes in with four straight top 10s, and six of the last seven. He also keeps racing up the bonus points for leading. There have only been four races this season that the #48 car has not been posted as the leader at some point (both at Daytona, Richmond, and Infineon). He's an obvious choice each week.

At the very bottom of our sheet this year is a man fighting to get back in to the top 12 in the standings, Jeff Burton. It's been one trouble after another over the last five races as he has an astounding 28.8 average finish. He has finished on the lead lap only twice during that span. But it hasn't been because of operator error. At Chicago, he again got caught up in someone else's mess and was forced home in 37th. He's got a couple of top 10s in a row here, but you may want to shy away for now.

Also having to fight to get back into the top 12 is Greg Biffle. His slump doesn't go back quite as far, but it's still a slump nonetheless. His best finish in the last four races was 18th, something he did at both New Hampshire and Daytona. At Infineon, he struggled to a 28th place showing and at Chicago he started 35th and ended up 31st. He's not that far out of making the Chase so he'll be pulling out all the tricks to get there. But he gets our buyer beware label this week.

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Brickyard 400 - Practice Notes
By Micah Roberts
VegasInsider.com

The boys of NASCAR are out ripping again after a week off, and thank goodness. What a terrible week it was last week without the elite stock car drivers in the world going at. This week at Indianapolis Motor Speedway gives fans everywhere an extra bump in adrenaline for the week off because they have four practice sessions along with an early morning qualifying session on Saturday.

On Friday, the Cup series ran two of their practice sessions at Motor Sports’ ultimate racing facility which has been in existence since 1909. In the first practice round many of the drivers came out with their race trim on, which could be helpful in determining who will run well in Sunday’s Brickyard 400.

Because they still had an extra session on Friday before Saturday’s qualifying, most teams went all out with an early game plan of accumulating as much information as possible prior to Friday’s final session, which most reserved for Qualifying trim set-up.

In the first session, the most impressive of all the drivers was Juan Pablo Montoya who was sporting a retro paint scheme reminiscent of his 2000 Indy 500 win with Target on the side of his car splashed with a yellow swoop on the side.

Montoya ran the second fastest lap overall in the session while running eighteen laps. Montoya stands out early because he was fast throughout, and then just as good in the charts following the second run while in qualifying trim.

Greg Biffle was the first sessions leader in time, but did it with qualifying trim on the last of his seven laps run. In the second practice session, Biffle was 23rd quickest when most of the drivers were in qualifying trim.

Mark Martin was fastest in the second practice session which should make him a top candidate to win the pole position on Saturday. Martin ran only five laps in the final session, got the best time on lap five, and took the car to the garage to rest for Saturday.

Ryan Newman was very impressive during the first run as he settled in with the fifth fastest run while taking in 23 laps. The combination of quality a Pocono run last month which is a similar set-up, and Newman being from Indiana make him a nice choice early on to contend for Sunday’s checkers. Friday’s session were more a practice for qualifying than anything, but there was a lot of things that came out of both sessions that could be telling for the race on Sunday. Montoya stands out above all drivers as one who is doing better in times during race trim than what was expected.

The top drivers expected to do well coming into this weekend were Jimmie Johnson, Carl Edwards, Jeff Gordon, Tony Stewart, and Ryan Newman. Saturday’s two sessions will further divulge who will be good on Sunday. See you then!

Friday's 1st practice Speeds:
#16-Biffle 177.075
#42-Montoya 176.630
#21-Elliott 176.547
#83-Vickers 176.481
#39-Newman 176.187

Slowest: #75-Cope 167.202 and #34-Andretti 169.584
No speed listed: #08-Labonte
Incident: #48-Johnson scraped the wall and did very minor damage to the #48.

Friday's 2nd practice Speeds:
#5-Martin 180.643
#42-Montoya 180.151
#9-Kahne 179.860
#29-Harvick 179.727
#43-Sorenson 179.716

Slowest: #75-Cope 170.338 and #08-Labonte 172.236

Handicapping the Brickyard field
By Terry Blount
ESPN.com

What are the odds?

Can your favorite driver win the prestigious Allstate 400 at the Brickyard and kiss the bricks on the hallowed grounds of the Indianapolis Motor Speedway?

I'll give you my opinion of the chances for the good ones, the bad ones and every driver in between.

When 160 laps and 640 turns are completed at the Brickyard, the man standing in Victory Lane usually is one of the biggest names in NASCAR.

Usually, but not always. The event has given fans a few surprises since its inception in 1994. The biggest shocker probably was the 1997 victory by Ricky Rudd, the only single-car owner/driver to win the race.

Rudd played the fuel-strategy game to perfection to finish on top. Sunday is the 16th running of the event. This year could produce another owner/driver winner, but a Tony Stewart victory wouldn't shock anyone.

Bill Elliott's win in 2002 was a bit unexpected, even though he won a week earlier at Pocono, the track with the most similarities to Indy. But Elliott wouldn't have ranked as one of the favorites.

Kevin Harvick's victory one year later was his only win of the season. Ryan Newman, who won eight times that season, finished 11th after starting on the front row with Harvick.

So here goes. My odds won't jibe in lockstep with the Las Vegas betting line. Hey, what do they know?

Favorites

• Jimmie Johnson -- 9 to 5. He's won two of the past three Allstate 400s, although some might say you can throw out last year's results. Johnson prevailed in a series of 12-lap sprints of Tiregate, one of the most embarrassing moments in NASCAR history.

• Tony Stewart -- 2 to 1. No one other than Johnson or Stewart has gone to Victory Lane at Indy in the past four Allstate 400s. Stewart, the home-state hero, won in 2005 and 2007 driving for Joe Gibbs Racing.

Now he comes to Indy as the owner of Stewart-Haas Racing and the surprising Sprint Cup points leader. He's racing in equipment from Hendrick Motorsports, an organization that has six victories at the Brickyard.

• Jeff Gordon -- 3 to 1. He's the only NASCAR driver with four victories at Indy. A victory Sunday would tie Gordon with Formula One great Michael Schumacher's Indy record of five wins.

• Mark Martin -- 4 to 1. He's one of only two drivers who have competed in every Allstate 400 without winning one. But Martin has the best chance of his career to get it done. He's the season leader with four victories, including the race two weeks ago at Chicagoland Speedway.

Maybes

• Carl Edwards -- 10 to 1. He finished second last year, but Edwards has a few things going against him. He's racing for an organization -- Roush Fenway Racing -- that never has won at Indy.

Edwards also is winless this season, and a Ford driver hasn't won since February. But Edwards is due and so is Roush.

• Kasey Kahne -- 12 to 1. He won last month in the road course race at Sonoma. Why does that matter? Indy is often called a roval -- half road course, half oval -- because of its four tight turns. Kahne was second at Indy in 2005 and finished seventh last year.

• Ryan Newman -- 14 to 1. Newman has raced under the radar most of the season because his boss (Stewart) has garnered most of the attention. But Newman ranks seventh in the standings and has a car capable of finishing on top.

• Kyle Busch -- 15 to 1. Things haven't gone swimmingly for young Kyle of late, but never count him out. The big stage is where he excels. Busch has posted top-10s in three of his four Indy starts.

• Kurt Busch -- 16 to 1. He would love to be the first man to give team owner Roger Penske a NASCAR victory at Indy. Penske wouldn't have a problem finding Victory Lane. He's been there 15 times in the Indy 500.

• Denny Hamlin -- 17 to 1. Hamlin finished third last year at Indy. He's been hot lately. Hamlin has four top-5s in the past five races.

• Juan Pablo Montoya -- 18 to 1. He has a legitimate shot at becoming the first man to win both the Indy 500 and the Allstate 400.

Montoya is enjoying his best Cup season, finishing in the top 10 in five of the past six races. Montoya was involved in an accident at Indy last year, but he finished second in his first Cup start at the Brickyard in 2007.

Stranger things have happened

• Matt Kenseth -- 20 to 1. What started as perfection in 2009 with back-to-back victories has changed to a struggle just to make the Chase. But Kenseth can go 2-for-2 in the big ones if he wins Sunday. Kenseth can become the third driver to win the Daytona 500 and the Allstate 400 in the same season, joining Dale Jarrett (1996) and Johnson (2006).

• Greg Biffle -- 25 to 1. He's another driver operating under the Roush/Indy jinx. Biffle finished eighth last year, but he doesn't have a top-5 at Indy. He also hasn't posted a top-10 in the past four races, but Biff is highly motivated. He's the odd man out at the moment, only 10 points behind Kenseth for 12th.

• Marcos Ambrose -- 28 to 1. Ambrose is one of the biggest surprises this season, ranking 18th in his first full year in Cup. He finished 22nd last year at Indy in his second Cup start.

• Dale Earnhardt Jr. -- 30 to 1. NASCAR officials would be a lot happier if this was 3 to 1, but look how much more drama is involved this way. Indy is not one of Junior's better tracks. His best finish was sixth in 2006.

• Brian Vickers -- 35 to 1. He's a talented young driver who just can't seem to get over the hump with the Red Bull team. Vickers is close to taking the next step in contender status. A win at Indy would be just the boost he and Red Bull need.

• Jeff Burton -- 40 to 1. He hasn't won this season and he's driving for a Richard Childress Racing team that can't get out of its own way in 2009.

• Kevin Harvick -- 45 to 1. Same problem as Burton, but Harvick at least knows what it feels like to win at Indy. Not likely to feel it this time.

• Clint Bowyer -- 50 to 1. But we'll cut you a deal and give you this whole RCR trio at 46 to 1.

Long shots

• Joey Logano -- 60 to 1. No rookie has won the Allstate 400. Gordon won the inaugural Indy race in his second Cup season.

• Martin Truex Jr. -- 70 to 1. Maybe next year at Michael Waltrip Racing, but not this year as a lame duck at Earnhardt Ganassi Racing. Montoya is the only EGR driver who might make that happen.

• David Reutimann -- 75 to 1. If it rains, he's your man. Reutimann got Cup win No. 1 this year in a rain-shortened victory at the Coca-Cola 600.

• Elliott Sadler -- 80 to 1. Sadler gets the new Dodge engine this weekend. That's bound to help, but it will take more than a shiny new motor to get this team to Victory Lane.

Too far-fetched to believe

• Bobby Labonte -- 85 to 1. He won this race nine years ago. Might as well be a thousand years ago.

• Reed Sorenson -- 88 to 1. Started first and finished fifth last year at Indy. Can he do that well again? Probably not.

• Sam Hornish Jr. -- 90 to 1. One of two drivers in the field who have won here in the Indy 500. But this ain't the Indy 500 and Hornish isn't going to Victory Lane in the No. 77 Dodge.

• A.J. Allmendinger -- 95 to 1. He definitely has the right name for the place.I don't think so

• Jamie McMurray -- 100 to 1. What happened to this guy? Only a few years ago he was one of the rising stars on NASCAR, seemingly destined for great things. Now he's an afterthought trying to keep his job.

• David Ragan -- 101 to 1. The other Roush Fenway driver (along with McMurray) who has no chance of winning.

• Casey Mears -- 125 to 1. To see a Mears go to Victory Lane again at Indy would be cool, but Casey is not his Uncle Rick and this isn't Indy car racing. Mears has been a major disappointment in his first year at RCR, but is it Casey or is it an organization on the slide?

• Robby Gordon -- 150 to 1. He's made more laps on this track than most drivers. Gordon has done the Indy 500/Coca Cola 600 double and he's had three top-5s in the Indy 500, but he doesn't have the team, car or ability to win this race.

• Michael Waltrip -- 175 to 1. Michael Waltrip Racing is vastly improved this season. But Mikey is done, ready to skip into semiretirement.

• John Andretti -- 200 to 1. The first man to do the double has one of the most famous names at the Brickyard. But the 40-year jinx of winless racing at Indy will continue for this family.
No chance in you know where

• David Stremme -- 300 to 1. Well, he is from Indiana.

• Paul Menard -- 350 to 1. His dad ran his share of Indy 500s as a team owner. But Dad's Indy experience won't help Paul in this one.

• Scott Speed -- 400 to 1. Might as well be Speed Racer while we're in fantasy land.

• Bill Elliott -- 500 to 1. Hard to believe he won here seven years ago. That was a different team and a much different situation for Awesome Bill.

• Terry Labonte -- 600 to 1. He has a free pass into the field as the most recent past Cup champion without a guaranteed spot. But he would need a golden pass from Zeus himself to win Sunday.

Just making laps

• The qualifiers -- 1000 to 1 for the whole lot. Eleven drivers are vying for seven available spots on the starting grid. They can make the race and get a sweet paycheck. More power to them. But they can't win.

Pick ‘n’ Previews: Brickyard Edition

There’s plenty to race for as the NASCAR Sprint Cup tour makes its 20th stop of the season. Just 100 points separate Ryan Newman (7th) and Greg Biffle (13th) as the race for the chase is on.

What’s more, drivers like Jeff Gordon will tell you there’s considerable bragging rights at stake in winning this race, held at the grandaddy of all race tracks, and home to the Indianapolis 500- the crown jewel of the IRL.

Track Facts

Indianapolis Motor Speedway held its first races in August of 1909. The NASCAR Winston Cup Tour made its debut at the famed venue on August 6, 1994. Jeff Gordon- who grew up in Pittsboro, Indiana won the inaugural Brickyard 400.

The 2.5 mile track is a rectangularly edged oval track. It features two longIMS by bbikerr1 straightaways of 3,300 feet on both the front and back stretches. The short straightaways “short shutes” measure 660 feet at both ends.

Indianapolis Motor Speedway is a darn close to flat track with 9 degrees banking in the turns and no banking on the straightaways.

Total capacity is 350,000. IMS can seat over 257,000 in the grand stands.

Top Performers

Jeff Gordon holds the record for career wins at Indy with 4. Tony Stewart and Jimmie Johnson have each won two- with Johnson winning in 2006 and 2008, Stewart took the checkered in 2005 and 2007. Race commentator Dale Jarrett also has two wins here.

With a pole run of 186.292 miles per hour, Casey Mears holds the qualifying record in a time of 48.311 seconds. He accomplished the feat on August 7, 2004 in a Dodge for Chip Ganassi. Jeff Gordon holds the track for career poles with 3.

On August 5, 2000, Bobby Labonte ran the fastest race for Joe Gibbs in a Pontiac. His speed? 155.912 miles per hour in a time of 2 hours, 33 minutes and 56 seconds.

The fewest caution flags waved in a NASCAR race here on August 5, 1995 when only one yellow flag came out for Dale Earnhardt’s victory. Strange as it may seem, it was NOT last year’s race that holds the record for the most cautions. 13 cautions came out twice- most recently on August 8, 2004 in Jeff Gordon’s fourth and last victory at the Brickyard.

A record 26 lead changes occurred in last year’s race won by Jimmie Johnson. only 9 occurred in the 2000 and 2004 events.

There were still 40 cars running at the finish of the 2008 race. The record for the fewest at the finish happened at IMS in 2004’s race.

Where & When To Catch The Action

The checkered flag is due to fly at 2:19 PM Eastern, 11:19 AM Pacific time on Sunday, July 26, 2009. ESPN takes the reins for providing the coverage. Play-by-play announcer is Dr. Jerry Punch, joined by analysts Andy Petree and Dale Jarrett. Host Allen Bestwick is joined in the studio by Brad Daughrty and Rusty Wallace. Dave Burns, Jamie Little, Mike Massaro and Shannon Spake serve as pit reporters.

Who Will Win?

As of this writing, qualifying has not yet occurred. That will occur at 10:10 Eastern time, 7:10 Pacific and will be broadcast on ESPN2. 6 of the 15 race winners at the Brickyard have come from the top three starting spots. Jeff Gordon had the farthest back starting position of a race winner when he won the 2001 race.

Having a gutsy car will be important for the long straights, but having good handling will be key in the flat turns. 1994 pole winner Rick Mast gives an interesting sense of the track on the Rowdy.com preview edition. He says you have to train yourself not to be fearful of gunning into the wall as you head to the turns, as your instincts may be to slow down going into the turns and that will cost precious track position.

When it comes to racy machinery, few would argue the Hendrick cars are the class of the field, as HMS cars have won 7 of 19 races, 9 if you include the Hendrick-supplied Stewart- Haas Racing team.

Among them, Mark Martin was fastest in second practice and he’s riding high off a Chicago win where his Chevy dominated. Dale Earnhardt Jr. may merit something of a dark horse consideration. The “88″ car ran a top 10 in Friday afternoon practice.

Jeff Gordon and Tony Stewart top the leaderboard when one looks at the last57970475 five years of racing at Indy. Both run 1-2. Oddly enough, 3-time defending champion and defending Brickyard winner Jimmie Johnson has 3 DNFs along with his two wins- a rare place where it’s “all or nothing at all” for Team “48.”

Nearly anywhere you go, you have to be aware of JGR’s Kyle Busch. While he has no Indianapolis wins, he does sport 3 top 10s in 4 starts. Teammate Denny Hamlin is also a solid runner with a pair of top 10 finishes in 3 IMS starts.

There are some interesting names showing up near the top of the practice starts. Thanks to his Indy car days, the surging Juan Pablo Montoya is not only familiar with the track, but he seems to have the car of late to match his skills. 1988 champion Bill Elliott, racing for the Wood Brothers is also running flat out strong in practice. In 2009, it seems as though less is more for the “21″ team as Elliott has been producing strong qualifying efforts and solid race finishes on a part-time schedule.

Some of the Dodge boys have been looking solid. Kurt Busch, Kasey Kahne and Reed Sorenson have all represented Penske and RPM well on the practice charts.

Greg Biffle was tops in morning practice, and that’s interesting as Roush- Fenway has no wins at Indianapolis. Could “The Biff” be the one to change that? Carl Edwards has had some solid finishes and he’s looking to break a 2009 dry spell. Bobby Labonte also registered a good time in practice in a Roush aligned Yates/HOF Ford.

This could be a real duel of a couple of old pros. Though he’s shown nothing brilliant in practice, Jeff Gordon has to be considered a threat because of his track record at Indianapolis and the HMS equipment runs. Tony Stewart is a momentum racer and he’s just been flat-out good all year. The idea that these two will battle it out for bragging rights in the Hoosier state is no reach at all.

From where I sit, I think these two are the ones to watch. At the same time, both Busch brothers could be factors and let’s not forget the recently hot Kasey Kahne and Juan Pablo Montoya- as both have a lot riding on this race.

It’s a safe pick, maybe boring in the minds of some, but I can’t get around Tony Stewart as my pick to win the race. The fiery competitor will ratchet it up an extra notch with its personal significance to the “Rushville Rocket.” “Mighty Mo” is on his side and I don’t think it will be leaving here.

I’ll go with the hometown pick, Tony Stewart, to be your race winner- with a load of fierce competition from Gordon, Johnson, Kurt and Kyle Busch, Martin and maybe even some running near the front by Dale Jr.

bump-drafts.com

Driver Handicaps: Indianapolis
Racingone.com

INDIANAPOLIS, Ind. - This weekend the NASCAR Sprint Cup Series heads to Indianapolis Motor Speedway for Sunday's Allstate 400. To help you make your fantasy racing picks, RacingOne brings you our weekly detailed look at some of the field for the 160-lap event.

Who's HOT at Indianapolis
• Jeff Gordon leads all drivers in wins (4), top 10s (12), laps led (440) and poles (3).
• Tony Stewart and Jimmie Johnson are the only other multiple winners.
• Mark Martin has the best average finish (7.2) in the last four races.
• Kevin Harvick, the 2003 winner, has finished in the top 10 in five of his eight starts.
• Kyle Busch has a 9.0 average finish in four starts.
• Denny Hamlin has the second-best driver rating in the last four races.

Keep an Eye on at Indianapolis
• Carl Edwards has a 10.2 average finish at IMS.
• Indianapolis is the site of one of Juan Pablo Montoya's five career top fives.
• Jeff Burton, who has led 123 laps, is coming off consecutive top 10s at IMS.
• Ryan Newman has the best average start (4.9) at IMS (8 races have been won within the top five).
• Kasey Kahne has finished seventh or better in three of his five starts at IMS.
• Matt Kenseth has finished in the top 10 in three of his last four Indy starts.

Qualifying Tidbits
There have been 12 different pole winners in the 15 Sprint Cup races at Indianapolis Motor Speedway. Jeff Gordon is the only active driver with multiple poles (1995, 1996 and 1999) in that span. Casey Mears is the current qualifying record holder with his 2004 lap of 186.293 mph. Nine races have been won from a top-10 starting position, most recently when Jimmie Johnson won from the pole in 2008. With qualifying starting at 10:10 a.m. (ET) on Saturday the draw usually plays a part on who will win the pole. Rain is currently in the forecast for Saturday morning.

RacingOne Staff Picks

Jeff Wackerlin: Tony Stewart
Pete Pistone: Ryan Newman
Rachael West: Mark Martin
Kym Opalenik: Jeff Gordon

Top 30 Driver Notes - Ordered by Current Standings

1. Tony Stewart: Two-time Allstate 400 winner; Has led 215 laps; Has finished in the top 10 in six of his 10 starts at IMS; Will race the same car (chassis No. 515) that won the All-Star race and participated in the Goodyear Indy tire test.

2. Jeff Gordon: Leads all drivers in wins (4), top fives (9), top 10s (12), average finish (8.6), laps led (440) at Indy; Has finished in the top five in last two starts; Last win came in 2004.

3. Jimmie Johnson: Scored second Allstate 400 win last year; Led 71 laps in 2008; Two crashes and one engine failure have relegated his average finish to 20.3 in seven starts.

4. Kurt Busch: Has posted an average finish of 21.0 in three Indy starts with Penske Racing; Best finish with Penske was a 12th in 2006; His three top 10s came with Roush Racing.

5. Denny Hamlin: Coming off his best Indy finish in third; Led 26 laps in 2008; His other top 10 came in his first track start in 2006.

6. Carl Edwards: Coming off first top five (second) at Indy; Has a 10.2 average finish in four starts; Has completed 100 percent of his laps attempted at Indy; Will debut a new car (chassis No. 669) in the Allstate 400.

7. Ryan Newman: Has best average start at 4.9; Only top 10 in eight starts came in 2002; Two crashes have relegated his average finish to 22.4; Will race the same car (chassis No. 494) that participated in the Goodyear Indy tire test three times.

8. Kasey Kahne: Coming off third top 10 at Indy with a seventh-place finish; Led 39 laps en route to best finish (second) in 2005; Only DNF was a crash in 2007.

9. Juan Montoya: Finished second in his Indy debut in 2007; A crash last season raised his average finish to 20.5; Will race the same car (chassis No. 819) that last finished 19th at Homestead.

10. Kyle Busch: Finished 15th in his first Indy start with Joe Gibbs Racing in 2008; Scored consecutive top 10s with Hendrick Motorsports in his three other starts; Combined to lead 39 laps in last three starts; Will race the same car (chassis No. 230) that last finished 19th at Atlanta.

11. Mark Martin: Will make first Indy start with Hendrick Motorsports; Posted an average finish of 8.5 in last two starts driving a Chevrolet; His five top-five finishes came in previous starts with Roush Racing; Has yet to lead a lap since 2003.

12. Matt Kenseth: Has finished in the top 10 five times in nine Indy starts; Best is a pair of runner-up finishes in 2003 and 2006.

13. Greg Biffle: Coming off second top 10 at Indy with an eighth-place finish; Has posted an average finish of 17.3 in six starts; Led only 11 laps in 2007.

14. David Reutimann: Has yet to finish inside the top 30 in two starts at Indy; Only finished 92 laps in first start due to an engine failure; Finished third last month at Pocono, a track with some similar characteristics.

15. Clint Bowyer: Has a 12.0 average finish in three starts; Best finish (fourth) came in 2006; Has completed every lap run at IMS; Will be racing the same car (chassis No. 277) that made its first laps in the Goodyear tire test at Indy.

16. Brian Vickers: Has posted an average finish of 31.5 in his two Indy starts with Team Red Bull; Finished 42nd last season due to engine failure; Best finish (third), and only top 10, came with Hendrick Motorsports in 2005.

17. Jeff Burton: Has made four starts at Indy with Richard Childress Racing; Coming off two consecutive top 10s; Only top five (fifth) came with Roush Racing in 1999; Only driver that has been running at the finish of all 15 Allstate 400s.

18. Marcos Ambrose: Finished 22nd in first start at Indy in 2008; Finished sixth last month at Pocono.

19. Jamie McMurray: Coming off first top 10 in three Indy starts with Roush Fenway Racing; Finished in the top 10 in first two starts with Ganassi Racing; Led 22 laps in his first start in 2003; He will race the same car (No. 617) that finished 21st at Lowe's Motor Speedway.

20. Joey Logano: Will be making his first start at Indy.

21. Dale Earnhardt Jr: Finished 12th in first Indy start with Hendrick Motorsports; Only top 10s in nine starts came with Dale Earnhardt, Inc. in 2001 and 2006; Led 33 laps in 2007, but an engine failure relegated him to a 34th-place finish; Will debut a new car (No. 556) in the Allstate 400.

22. Casey Mears: Will make first Indy start with Richard Childress Racing; Posted an average finish of 35.5 in last two starts with Hendrick Motorsports; Only top 10 (sixth) in six starts came in 2005 with Ganassi Racing; Has yet to lead a lap at Indy since leaving Ganassi.

23. Elliott Sadler: Coming off best finish (fourth) at Indy with Gillett Evernham; Led five laps in 2008; Only other top five (third) came with Yates Racing in 2004.

24. Martin Truex Jr: Has yet to finish in the top 10 at Indy; Best finish in four starts was 12th in 2007; Will debut a new car (chassis No. 040) in the Allstate 400.

25. Kevin Harvick: Winner of the 2003 Allstate 400; Has posted five top 10s in eight starts; Will race the same car (chassis No. 281) that finised 19th at Chicagoland.

26. Bobby Labonte: Winner of the 2000 Allstate 400; Will make first Indy start with Hall of Fame Racing; Posted an average finish of 25.0 in last three starts with Petty Enterprises; His five career top fives came with Joe Gibbs Racing.

27. AJ Allmendinger: Finished 10th in only Indy start in 2008; Will make first track start with Gillett Evernham.

28. Reed Sorenson: Only career Cup pole came at Indy in 2007; Only top 10 (fifth) in three starts came in the same event.

29. Sam Hornish Jr: Finished 21st in his first Indy start in 2008.

30. David Ragan: Has posted a 15.0 average finish in two starts; Best finish is a 14th; Will debut a new chassis (No. 668) in the Allstate 400.

Worth the Wait for Martin
Racingone.com

INDIANAPOLIS, Ind. - Mark Martin waited out a long rain delay on Saturday to top qualifying and win the pole for Sunday's 16th edition of the NASCAR Sprint Cup Series Allstate 400 at the Brickyard at Indianapolis Motor Speedway.

Rains forced officials to postpone the session by nearly four hours for rain, but once the track dried out qualifying was held on a sunny afternoon.

Martin turned a lap of 182.054 mph to grab the number one spot for Sunday's race.

The Hendrick Motorsports driver scored the 45th Sprint Cup pole of his career.

"It was sliding a lot more than expected," said Martin. "I was certainly disappointed with the driver of the car. We were really good at the end of practice yesterday and thought that we might really roll."

Juan Pablo Montoya, who is trying to become the only driver to win both the Indianapolis 500 and Allstate 400, will start outside the front row.

Dale Earnhardt Jr., who has been battling a stomach virus all weekend took fluid via IV Saturday morning, qualified third. Bill Elliott and David Reutimann rounded out the top five.

Brian Vickers, Tony Stewart, Kasey Kahne, Reed Sorenson and Clint Bowyer completed the first ten qualifiers.

Three drivers failed to qualify for Sunday's race: Max Papis, Sterling Marlin and Derrike Cope.

Sunday's Allstate 400 at the Brickyard will take the green flag at 2:10 p.m. ET.

Allstate 400 Odds and Predictions
by Christopher G. Shepard - 7/25/2009

NASCAR Sprint Cup Series points leader Tony Stewart and Jimmie Johnson have combined to win the past four Brickyard 400 events as NSCS continues after a mid-summer break last weekend, with the 16th Allstate 400 at Indianapolis Motor Speedway on Sunday at 12:30 p.m., televised by ESPN. Formerly known as the Brickyard 400, the annual 400-mile race is held at the historic Indianapolis Motor Speedway.

Gamblers should keep in mind when figuring out who will be the driver to kiss the bricks this year that seven of the past 15 Brickyard 400 winners have gone on to win the Sprint Cup Championship, with Jeff Gordon and Johnson doing it twice. Johnson won the 400 and the NSCS title in 2006 and in ’08 while teammate Gordon won both in 1998 and 2001.

Who will win the 2009 Allstate 400?

Johnson is the defending champion, having won last year’s Allstate 400 from the pole while Gordon, who won the inaugural Brickyard 400 in 1994, has not won this race since 2004. However, if the recent IMS trend continues then it’s Tony Stewart (23rd last year) who will win on Sunday. But let’s take a closer look at the contenders before recommending a play on the hometown favorite Smoke.

Speaking of Smoke, you’ll recall last year’s race due to all the smoke coming from the blown tires. From a fan’s perspective last year’s Allstate 400 was one of the worst races of the year due to the interminable competition yellow flags that seemed to wave every six to eight laps due to excessive tire failures. This year Goodyear has promised they have fixed all that ailed the tires and fans should not expect this to happen again.

Even though he has finished in the Top 10 in five of the last nine races (including two second place finishes) and three Top-10s in the last four races at the Brickyard, Matt Kenseth found out he is losing DeWalt, his sponsor for the last 10 years. Kenseth looked like he was on a roll when this season opened, winning the first two races the Daytona 500 and the Auto Club 500.

While Kenseth has managed to stay within the Top 12 for the Chase, he has not done well recently. Two weeks ago at Chicagoland Kenseth finished 23rd and is now on the cusp of the Chase for the Sprint Cup in 12th place, 10 points in front of Greg Biffle but only 41 points from eighth place. While Kenseth is a great choice at IMS given his track record, I am wondering if the news that Kenseth has lost his main sponsor for 2010 will have an adverse effect on his confidence this Sunday. I am not the only one who feels this way as the odds of him winning this event are 22/1 -- and even at those odds I am going to pass backing the No. 17 Ford. In fact, I wouldn’t be surprised to see Kenseth fall out of the Top 12 by the end of the race.

Another driver who started well but has had trouble in the summer season is Kyle Busch. In four starts at Indianapolis Busch, who is set at 12/5, has no wins, one Top-5 and one Top-10 finish. Busch has three wins this season. Busch did win his sixth Nationwide race of the season last weekend, but he has been having a hard time translating those Nationwide victories into Sprint Cup wins. Last year “Rowdy” finished 15th at IMS in a year he dominated Sprint Cup races for the first three quarters of the season. Right now Busch sits at 10th place and could be in danger of falling out of the Chase, so I look for him to be in the lead pack for most of the race and perhaps even a Top-5 finish.

Carl Edwards, set at 12/5 to win this Sunday, finished second last year, but like “Rowdy” the No. 99 car was one of the three dominant cars of the entire season. However, this year things are different and Edwards has yet to win his first race of the season, a much different outcome than most experts predicted. Edwards doesn’t have the car he did last year and while he’s always a threat to win when he gets behind the wheel, I think this year that threat is somewhat less than it was last year. I am laying-off Edwards as well.

Johnson is in third place in the NSCS behind Jeff Gordon and Stewart and set as the 3/2 favorite to win back-to-back Allstate 400s. However, last year Johnson was the beneficiary of all those blown tires and excellent race management by Crew Chief Chad Knaus. In seven starts at IMS Johnson has two wins (and two Top-5s) to go along with his three Top-10s.

Jeff Gordon is set as the third favorite at 2/1 behind Stewart and Johnson, respectively. Despite his one win this season, Gordon has been the model of consistency, placing in the Top-10 in most of the races he’s raced this season and this has kept him in second place in the NSCS -- so expect to see the No. 24 Chevrolet in the Chase later on this year. At the Brickyard nobody is better and you should see Gordon running well during the 160 laps.

Now that I have looked at a few of the contenders I think I’ll stick with my gut and back Smoke, who has been consistently the best driver all season, to win for a few units.

Pick! Tony Stewart, No. 14, (9/5)

2009 Allstate 400 - Lucky Dog Long Odds Special

It’s been a tough year for Richard Childress Racing’s Jeff Burton. Now with the buzz about teammate Kevin Harvick leaving or staying RCR when Harvick’s contract expires, it will no doubt remove the media from too much coverage of Burton and will allow him to fly under the radar at a track where he has done well. Burton will attempt to get his third consecutive Top-10 finish on Sunday. Unfortunately for Burton, he was involved in a late race wreck at Chicagoland, which sent him from 15th to 17th in the NSCS. Burton won the pole in 2006 so he knows how to drive around the track very fast for one lap. We’ll see how he does for 160.

Pick! Jeff Burton, No. 31, (35/1)

2009 Allstate 400- Odds for Top 3 Finish

Kasey Kahne has never won at IMS in seven starts. However, Kahne came in seventh last year and won his last NASCAR race on June 28 at Infineon in Sonoma, California. The reason why I like Kahne, who is currently in eighth place in the NSCS standings, is because of the tire issue last year at IMS. After IMS Goodyear went back to Indianapolis to fix the problems with their tires. Guess which driver tested the tires at least six times at IMS? That is right, Kahne. I think this gives Kahne an edge over the other drivers this Sunday. Two weeks ago at Chicagoland Kahne finished third, exactly where I expect him to finish on Sunday.

Pick! Kasey Kahne, No. 9, 9/2

Docsports.com

Allstate 400 PostQ

One of the hottest drivers in the series jumps to the top of the PostQ forecast. Mark Martin, although he may not necessarily be on a season roll, he is the driver that has the most wins over the course of the season. Martin has been to victory lane four times this season after not having more than two wins in any season since 1999. He has a good chance of taking the checkered flag for the first time in his career at the Brickyard. Martin will lead the field to the green this Sunday afternoon while ranking 2nd on our Speed chart. The savvy veteran has had one of the best seasons of his career in his first season with Hendrick Motorsports. Look for yet another strong run out of the #5 CarQuest Chevrolet.

A driver that has been very silent in recent months looks to have a little life at Indy this weekend. Kyle Busch has not been running that well over the last nine races compared to the first 10 races of the season. Busch has three wins through the first 10 starts of the year. Since that time he has jut two top 10 finishes with zero wins as he has fallen to 10th in the point standings. Busch, however, has had a fast car through the practice sessions as he sits 5th on our Speed chart. He did not qualify that well but Busch does like this track as he also ranks in the 5th position in NASCAR’s Driver Rating category. Busch may be battling his former team for the win in the Allstate 400 at The Brickyard.

It has been a very confusing time for Jeff Burton. Burton has dropped all the way to 17th in the point standings as he has posted just one top 10 finish in the last nine races. He has also posted five finishes of 25th place or worse in that same span and has looked no better this weekend. He will start the race in the 38th position while ranking even worse on our Speed chart in the 39th position. Burton still ranks in our top 20 due to his 3rd place ranking in NASCAR’s Driver Rating category but with the way he has been running lately and the look of his car this weekend we would strongly suggest avoiding the #31 Caterpillar Chevrolet for this race.

profantasysports.com

Happy Hour at the Brickyard
By Micah Roberts
VegasInsider.com

There were originally two practice sessions scheduled Saturday for Sunday's All-State 400 at the Brickyard, but due to a lengthy rain delay prior to qualifying, one session was cut short leaving only happy hour as a means for the drivers and teams to get their final race trims straight.

Many of the teams in Friday's practice session utilized those two sessions keying primarily on their qualifying trim knowing they still had two sessions on Saturday to get their race set-up.

Needless to say there was a mad scramble for many of the teams to get prepared and tinker for the final time until race day, in particular to do so early on in the session because the track temperature at that time was closest to race day conditions.

Right out of the gate, Jimmie Johnson and Carl Edwards laid down the two fastest laps early in happy hour. They were the only two drivers to crack speeds of 176 until a few more much later in practice when the track was cooler and faster.

Before Saturday's qualifying not many would have been surprised by either running so fast, but after Edwards came in with a qualifying lap time that only five others drivers were worse than, things weren't so upbeat in the Edwards camp.

The two drivers are also linked as being the only drivers that have finished in the top-10 during the last four combined consecutive races of Pocono and Indianapolis. Because of the similarities in banking, turns, and long straight-aways, the teams that are dialed for one track are generally good on the other.

Tony Stewart falls into the Pocono-Indy category as well, however it isn't for excellence in four straight races, it's simply for winning the last one.

Stewart's Pocono coupled with his great qualifying session, and 11th fastest lap in happy hour times make him one of the favorites to win Sunday. Being from Indiana and a two-time winner on the track is a small bonus as well. The last driver to win at Pocono and Indy back to back was Bill Elliott in 2002.

Pole sitter Mark Martin ran the fifth quickest lap late in the session, but more importantly had great average lap times early and throughout. Martin will be looking for his first Indy win ever in 15 career starts. His best finish has been second place.

Ryan Newman is an Indiana native just like his boss, Tony Stewart, had the fastest lap overall in happy hour.

Prior to gaining the top speed, Newman still was sitting fourth for most of practice in conditions closer to race time. Newman also fit's the profile of having a great all around Pocono race last month in both practice and the race itself with a fifth.

Jeff Gordon is another Indiana native, depending on what race he's running, who had a good final practice with the twelfth fastest lap and fast average lap times. The four-time Brickyard 400 winner has the look of a winner this week just like he did prior to his Brickyard wins in 2001 and 2004 when he didn't dazzle anyone then after practices.

Kasey Kahne finished ninth fastest in practice and continued his momentum from Friday's late practice where he was third fastest.

Kahne finished 15th at Pocono in June, but didn't have the practice times like he has this week.

If we go back to last season, Kahne joined Edwards and Johnson as the only drivers to finish in the Top-10 in all three races of Indy-Pocono. In each one of those races, each one of the three drivers captured a win. Kahne looks like he should be in that top tier category this week.

Denny Hamlin started his career out by sweeping Pocono in 2006, but hasn't captured anymore there since despite having cars capable. This week at Indy, Hamlin had the best overall average lap times in happy hour, a huge stat for showing who will be the best equipped on long runs. He ran the second quickest lap in the final minutes of practice.

He was equally spectacular, if not better, in Pocono's practice sessions but failed to capitalize as he fell out early.

Top 10 Happy Hour Times:
1) #39 Ryan Newman 176.706 mph-AVG 37 laps @ 172.875
2) #11 Denny Hamlin 176.678 mph-AVG 38 laps @ 173.719
3) #48 Jimmie Johnson 176.571 mph-AVG 39 laps @ 172.668
4) #99 Carl Edwards 176.571 mph-AVG 35 laps @ 172.585
5) #5 Mark Martin 176.049 mph-AVG 39 laps @ 173.056
6) #83 Brian Vickers 176.012 mph-AVG 37 laps @ 172.776
7) #20 Joey Logano 175.871 mph-AVG 43 laps @ 172.777
8) #18 Kyle Busch 175.829 mph-AVG 22 laps @ 173.467
9) #9 Kasey Kahne 175.757 mph-AVG 43 laps @ 172.829
10) #16 Greg Biffle 175.517 mph-AVG 38 laps @ 172.725

Top Rated Drivers for All-State 400 at The Brickyard following all Indy practice and qualifying sessions using a slight mix of recent history at Pocono and Indy:
1) #48 Jimmie Johnson
2) #99 Carl Edwards
3) #14 Tony Stewart
4) #11 Denny Hamlin
5) #39 Ryan Newman
6) #5 Mark Martin
7) #9 Kasey Kahne
8) #24 Jeff Gordon
9) #42 Juan Pablo Montoya
10) #18 Kyle Busch

Brickyard 400 Preview and Predictions
By Smooth44

Last year's event was easily the worst of 2008 when major tire issues forced race officials to throw up a caution flag every 9 laps in an effort to cut down the number of blowouts and crashes. The frequent flags caused a major disruption and prevented drivers from getting into rhythm. Goodyear has worked hard to fix the problems and is confident their efforts are successful. But how the new tires respond to the racing surface still remains an unknown. Last year's debacle has forced NASCAR to commit extra time and resources in hyping this event, an event that is extremely important to them because it's the 2nd biggest race on the circuit. Aside from the tire issues adding to the interest and excitement of this year's race is the double file re-start NASCAR has implemented for the green flags. The excitement of the re-starts will only be enhanced by the narrow straightaways and tight turns. Leading to my predictions is a piece of history we can not ignore - since the inception of this event in 1994 seven times the winner of this event has gone on to win the Cup. This leads to an automatic play on Tony Stewart and Jeff Gordon. With Stewart and Gordon currently ranked 1 and 2 respectively the seem like one of likely candidates to win the Cup. I also like Mike Martin sitting at the pole position and feel Carl Edwards can surprise as a long shot.

Recap:
1. Tony Stewart (6 to 1)
2. Jeff Gordon (10 to 1)
3. Mike Martin (5 to 1)
4. Carl Edwards (11 to 1)