After taking a much needed week off, NASCAR returns to action this week at the Brickyard. This is the second most coveted trophy right behind winning the Daytona 500 in all of NASCAR and that means you won’t be seeing teams taking chances with their setups heading into this race. Every driver wants to win this weekend in the worst way and that will show on the track.
CROWN ROYAL PRESENTS THE JOHN WAYNE WALDING 400
Jeff Gordon: Jeff has won four races at this track and more importantly he has finished in the top ten in sixteen of his twenty starts here. Those are pretty good odds for him to score a lot of points this week. I am taking him to win this race because he has been very consistent all season and he really excels on this type of track.
Tony Stewart: Tony got into a Sprint car race for the first time since breaking his leg last year in one of the very same races and he went right to victory lane. That tells me that he is 100% healthy and he is heading to his home state this week. Tony has won a race at the Brickyard and wants to get his first win of the season and get qualified for the Chase. He won’t hold anything back this week.
Jimmie Johnson: After two terrible races in a row, I think this team goes back to what won them six championships and just make the correct adjustments to a good car this week. Jimmie has won four races here and would like to get his fourth win of the season and get back on track as we get closer to the start of the Chase. The Hendrick cars are always very good and there is no reason to try anything special this weekend.
Brad Keselowski: Brad would love to keep his momentum going and pick up his first win at Indy this week. The way the Penske cars have looked all season, Brad should have a great car and he is very good on the long flat tracks. I think he will be towards the front for most of the race and be in position to win at the end. I also look for him to qualify in the top five once again this week.
Kyle Busch: Kyle has yet to win at the Brickyard himself, but he has finished in the top ten in seven of the nine races he has run here. That makes him almost as good of a choice as Jeff Gordon to come away with another top ten finish and maybe a visit to victory lane for the first time in his career at this track. He is definitely on my team this week.
Kevin Harvick: Kevin won a race here back in 2003 and has finished in the top ten in seven of his thirteen starts at Indianapolis. This team has had fast cars all season and that could be enough to get Kevin another win here. I wish I could start all of the top tier drivers this week because that is just how good they are at this track, and like I said before, every driver wants to win this race.
Jamie McMurray: Jamie has won a race here in his career and has looked very good over the past month plus. This is the type of track that he runs very well at and is a good pick in the B group in Yahoo. This team has flown under the radar much of this season, but Jamie could pick up a win this week and qualify himself for the Chase. Once your in, you have a chance to be a champion.
Matt Kenseth: Matt would love to get his first career victory at this track this week. That would also guarantee him a spot in the Chase, although I don’t think he has to worry about that too much. He would however love to pick up some bonus points for winning a race when the Chase does start. This team is due for a win and I think they will get one before the Chase starts.
Kasey Kahne: Kasey is another driver who is looking for his first win of the season and at this track. He has finished in the top ten in half of the races he has run here and needs a win to make the Chase. This team doesn’t seem to be improving much as the season progresses and I’m not sure that they have what it takes to put an entire race together right now. They have a great driver and great equipment, but they don’t seem to be on the same page communication wise right now.
Denny Hamlin: Denny is always good at this type of track and should have the equipment he needs to get the job done this weekend. This is another team that hasn’t really stepped up their program throughout the season and they are hit and miss each week. However, this race means a lot to all of the drivers and I think this team comes with their A game this week.
YAHOO! FANTASY NASCAR PICKS FOR INDIANAPOLIS MOTOR SPEEDWAY
Yahoo Driver Group A
- Jeff Gordon
- Kyle Busch
Yahoo Driver Group B
- Tony Stewart
- Brad Keselowski
- Jamie McMurray
- Greg Biffle
Yahoo Driver Group C
- Kyle Larson
- Juan Pablo Montoya
MY TOP-5 OVERALL AT INDIANAPOLIS MOTOR SPEEDWAY
- Jeff Gordon
- Brad Keselowski
- Kyle Busch
- Tony Stewart
- Jimmie Johnson
Dark Horse: Paul Menard
Stay Away From: Kurt Busch