2024 NASCAR Cup Series Brickyard 400 Preview
Photo: Meg Oliphant/Getty Images
After its hiatus since 2020, NASCAR Cup Series action returns to the historic 2.5 mile oval at Indianapolis Motor Speedway this weekend. Coverage for the ‘Brickyard 400’ begins Sunday at 2:30PM EST on NBC.
Last year’s race took place on the Indy Road Course with Michael McDowell winning, leading 54 of 82 laps. It was his only win of 2023.
Best Bets for Cup
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Best Bets for Cup |
Denny Hamlin +400 | Top 5 -200 | Top 10 -550
Denny Hamlin enters this weekend as the favorite to win, after recording his first finish inside the Top 10 since June 2nd at Gateway, with a 2nd place finish at Pocono. In the last race on the Indy oval layout in 2020, Hamlin was leading with 7 laps to go when he cut a tire going into Turn 1, slamming the wall, and catching on fire. Hamlin has won every crown jewel in NASCAR except the Brickyard 400, something he’ll look to change this Sunday.
Kyle Larson +600 | Top 5 -120 | Top 10 -400
Kyle Larson last ran the Indy oval in 2019, where he crashed out in 33rd, but had prior success in his first three starts. Larson finished inside the Top 10 from 2014 to 2016 at Indianapolis, but that was with a different team and different car. He quietly finished 13th last weekend at Pocono, as he was rarely inside the Top 10. Larson will look to make more noise this weekend at the Brickyard.
Brad Keselowski +800 | Top 5 -105 | Top 10 -330
Brad Keselowski’s only trip to victory lane at the Brickyard came in 2018, after passing Denny Hamlin with two laps to go. Keselowski has three Top 5s and six Top 10s in his 11 starts at Indianapolis. He finished 7th last weekend at Pocono, giving him some confidence flowing through his veins heading into the Cup race this Sunday.
William Byron +1200 | Top 5 +150 | Top 10 -250
William Byron last won in the Cup Series at Martinsville, back in April. It feels like Byron’s been overdue for a win. He finished 4th last weekend at Pocono, his second Top 5 and third Top 10 in his last five races. Not to mention, the #24 car has won every race at Indianapolis with the year ending in 4…Jeff Gordon won in ‘94, ‘04, and ‘14. In the year 2024, it seems like superstitions might be looking at Byron’s way.
Tyler Reddick +1200 | Top 5 +150 | Top 10 -220
With a 6th place finish at Pocono, Tyler Reddick recorded his seventh Top 10 finish in his last eight starts. He’s running too good to not be rewarded with a trip to victory lane, Reddick finished 8th in his only start on the Indy oval in 2020, but he does have a win at the Indy Road Course in 2022. Reddick will look to become the first NASCAR driver to kiss the bricks winning the road course AND oval layout.
Ty Gibbs +1400 | Top 5 +210 | Top 10 -160
It was a blown motor that derailed Ty Gibbs last weekend at Pocono. He won the pole and led 21 laps in what seemed like the perfect track to score your first Cup win. The JGR cars have been fast at the Indy in the past, and Ty will look to kiss the bricks on the oval layout this time around.
Bubba Wallace +3000 | Top 5 +450 | Top 10 +110
Bubba Wallace finished inside the Top 10 last week after being fined $50K by NASCAR for his actions on the cool down lap after Chicago. Bubba has only had three starts on the Indianapolis oval and has finished 3rd in 2019 and 9th in 2020. Expect the Top 10 pace to continue for Bubba this weekend.