MONSTER ENERGY NASCAR CUP SERIES: BIG MACHINE VODKA 400 (one hundred sixty laps, four hundred miles around a 2.5-mile quad-oval), Indianapolis Motor Speedway; Indianapolis. TV: Sunday, 2 p.m. ET (Green flag approx. 2:20 p.m. ET) – NBCSN (Radio: The Indianapolis Motor Speedway Radio Network).
THIS WEEK: One of NASCAR’s signature races will run for the second time in September, and a win at The Brickyard is still one of the most coveted in the game. The 2. Five-mile quad-oval is tailored for incredible racing with open-wheel motors, but NASCAR has been a bit of a slog there, and attendance has diminished from greater than 2 hundred 000 to much less than 50,000 in recent years. But the list of winners is largely a who’s who of NASCAR royalty, and, being the final race earlier than the playoffs start, a win would be vital to many. This might be the 26th of 36 races in the season, and this is the twenty-sixth time going for a walk in the race at Indy. Brad Keselowski gained the ultimate season. Erik Jones notched his first win of the season Sunday at Darlington.
With one race to head, 14 of the 16 playoff spots were claimed. … Seven-time champion Jimmie Johnson is 18th in the standings and is eighteen factors out of the playoffs, in the back of Daniel Suarez and Ryan Newman, who are tied at 16th. If there’s a primary-time winner at Indy from out of doors, the pinnacle 14 that isn’t Suarez, Newman, or fifteenth-place Clint Bowyer, they are all in danger of missing the playoffs. *Kyle Busch leads the Cup standings with 983 factors, accompanied by using *Joey Logano (919), *Denny Hamlin (877), *Kevin Harvick (864), *Martin Truex Jr. (862), *Keselowski (832), *Kurt Busch (790), *Chase Elliott (780), Kyle Larson (714) and Ryan Blaney (710) rounding out the top 10. *Alex Bowman (675), *Jones (694), William Byron (683), and Aric Almirola (674) are eleventh-14th and now locked into the playoffs. Bowyer (625), Suarez (617), Newman (617), and Johnson (599) are 15th through 18th, respectively, and fighting it out for the final two spots.
BEST BETS: Kyle Busch is the fave once more, this time at three/1, observed via Harvick and Hamlin at 6/1. Truex and Jones are 8/1. Keselowski and Logano are 10/1, with Larson at 12/1. Johnson has received this race four times and is 60/1. Newman gained at the Brickyard in 2013 and is 8/1 on Sunday.
TV: Saturday, 4 p.m. ET (Green flag approx. Four:20 p.m. ET) – NBCSN (Radio: The Indianapolis Motor Speedway Radio Network).
THIS WEEK: The 25th of 33 races in the season, the collection is set to run its eighth race at Indianapolis Motor Speedway. There are two races left for the Xfinity complete-timers in the normal season earlier than the playoffs start at Richmond on Sept. 20, with 12 drivers inside the playoffs. Justin Allgaier received this final year as a full-time Xfinity driving force, and William Byron did the same in 2017. Cole Custer won Saturday’s race at Darlington. *Tyler Reddick leads the standings with 1,062 points, observed with the aid of *Christopher Bell (1,011), *Custer (926), Allgaier (890), *Austin Cindric (858), *Chase Briscoe (829), Noah Gragson (801), *Michael Annett (745), Justin Haley (735) and John Hunter Nemechek (682) rounding out the pinnacle 10. Brandon Jones is 11th (669), and Ryan Sieg is twelfth (647), with Sieg’s nearest pursuer 119 points back. *Denotes race winner and a playoff berth—standings in step with NASCAR.com.
NASCAR GANDER OUTDOORS TRUCK SERIES
THIS WEEK: The Trucks are taking their 2d of weekends off after 18 of 23 races in the season and one race to move inside the Round of eight. Seven drivers are vying to be inside the Round of 6, with Brett Moffitt already punching his ticket with wins in each of the remaining races. The next race is in Las Vegas on Sept. 13. *Moffitt leads the Truck standings (2, a hundred thirty-five factors) observed with the aid of Ross Chastain (2,113), Stewart Friesen (2,091), Matt Crafton (2,090), Austin Hill (2,089), Grant Enfinger (2,087), Johnny Sauter (2,0.5), and Tyler Ankrum (2,073) rounding out the eight drivers vying for the championship.
