Brickyard 400
Location: Speedway, Ind.
Course: Indianapolis Motor Speedway
Format: 2.5-mile oval
Laps: 160
NASCAR Brickyard 400 Race Preview
This week the NASCAR Cup Series heads back to the Indianapolis Motor Speedway to race on the famed 2.5-mile oval. This is just the second time the series will race on the oval after NASCAR ran the road course between 2021 and 2023. Last year's race seemed to suit the current generation of car, producing better racing than the processional oval races seen at the track in prior years. Kyle Larson picked up the victory that day after multiple overtime restarts stretched fuel loads. This race is one of NASCAR's crown jewels and it is one of just five chances remaining for winless drivers to earn their way into the championship playoffs. Bubba Wallace enters the weekend on the playoff bubble with a 16-point margin back to Ryan Preece. Only four spots remain to be claimed should we see a first-time winner in the remaining races, which would only add more pressure to the shoulders of those trying to fight their way in on points.
Key Stats at the Indianapolis Motor Speedway
- Number of races: 28
- Winners from pole: 5
- Winners from top-5 starters: 14
- Winners from top-10 starters: 18
- Winners from 21st or lower starters: 3
- Fastest race: 155.912 mph
Previous 10 Brickyard Winners
2024 - Kyle Larson
2020 - Kevin Harvick
2019 - Kevin Harvick
2018 - Brad Keselowski
2017 - Kasey Kahne
2016 - Kyle Busch
2015 - Kyle Busch
2014 - Jeff Gordon
2013 - Ryan Newman
2012 - Jimmie Johnson
The Indianapolis Motor Speedway is a big 2.5-mile oval with four 90-degree turns and shallow banking. Traditionally, this is a difficult track to make passes on, but last season's return to the oval seemed to suit the new car by opening more room in the turns for passing opportunities. As with other large ovals, the long lap can create a fuel-mileage race. Last year, multiple incidents in the final laps and a late red flag pushed fuel mileage to the limit, taking some of the afternoon's fastest cars out of contention in the final miles as they were forced to head to pit road for fuel. Calling the correct strategy, saving enough fuel throughout each stint, and maximizing track position will be the focus of teams throughout Sunday's race. Most winners in this race's history have started inside the top 10, but cautions and fuel mileage have produced some opportunities for those deeper in the order to visit Victory Lane, but that has been the exception versus the norm. Only two current drivers have won this race, which leaves the door wide open for a new face to visit Victory Lane at the Brickyard Sunday afternoon.
RotoWire NASCAR DFS Tools
DraftKings Value Picks for the Brickyard 400 (Based on Standard $50K Salary Cap)
DraftKings Tier 1 Values
Denny Hamlin - $11,000
Ryan Blaney - $10,700
Kyle Larson - $10,500
Chase Elliott - $10,000
DraftKings Tier 2 Values
Tyler Reddick - $9,700
Christopher Bell - $9,500
Chase Briscoe - $9,300
Chris Buescher - $9,000
DraftKings Tier 3 Values
Joey Logano - $8,800
Ty Gibbs - $8,600
Brad Keselowski - $8,400
Kyle Busch - $8,100
DraftKings Long-Shot Values
Alex Bowman - $8,000
Austin Cindric - $7,100
Noah Gragson - $5,800
Ricky Stenhouse Jr. - $5,700
NASCAR DFS Picks for the Brickyard 400
Ryan Blaney - $10,700
Tyler Reddick - $9,700
Ty Gibbs - $8,600
Kyle Busch - $8,100
Austin Cindric - $7,100
Ricky Stenhouse Jr. - $5,700
While Denny Hamlin may be the favorite this week, winning back to back races in this series is a very tough thing to do. Rather than using salary space on a driver facing that level of difficulty, try taking a look at Ryan Blaney (DK $10,700, FD $11,500), a driver that has been on a good run of form and is due for a win. Team Penske often calls superb strategy races, and Ford cars have shown to be the most fuel efficient on track. Those characteristics, coupled with Blaney's speed, should be a potent combination Sunday. Blaney finished third in this race last season and grabbed a top-10 last week to take some confidence into this weekend. Toyotas were also very fast at this track last year, and Tyler Reddick (DK $9,700, FD $12,500) took advantage of it. He led 40 laps from pole in this race last season before finishing second to Kyle Larson. Reddick is still winless in 2025, but with two top-fives and three top-10s from the last four races, it may just be a matter of time until he returns to Victory Lane. His speed in this race last season suggests that could happen this weekend.
Ty Gibbs (DK $8,600, FD $9,500) heads into this week's race on his best run of form of the season. His three top-10s from the last three races have cut his gap to the playoff positions to 52 points. Like the other Toyotas, he was fast last year at Indianapolis, too. He qualified sixth last year but only finished 23rd. That pace and his recent stretch of race finishes make him a top consideration for this race. Veteran Kyle Busch (DK $8,100, FD $7,500) is one of this race's former victors. He won the 2015 and 2016 editions of this race and started on pole three consecutive years from 2016-2018. He started 34th and finished 25th last season with Richard Childress Racing, but did manage to lead five laps. His experience and success at this track are worth adding to fantasy rosters for what could be a strategic race.
With Ford's fuel efficiency and Penske's strategy calls, Austin Cindric (DK $7,100, FD $6,800) could be in store for a good weekend, too. The former Daytona 500 winner and playoff competitor had a rough stretch of three races before finishing 16th at Dover last week. He is looking to build toward the playoffs and impressively finished seventh in this race last season despite starting all the way back in 38th. Ricky Stenhouse Jr. (DK $5,700, FD $4,800) should also be top of mind considering his 11th-place finish last season. That result was no fluke considering he started ninth and scored stage points in both segments that afternoon. That was his best race at this track since finishing 12th back in 2016.
NASCAR Best Bets for the Brickyard 400
Odds via DraftKings Sportsbook as of 6:00 PM ET Friday
Race Winner - Chase Elliott +900
Top-Five Finish - Ryan Blaney +100
Top-10 Finish - Kyle Busch +110
Winning Manufacturer - Ford +265
Denny Hamlin and Kyle Larson are co-favorites to win this year's Brickyard 400, but Chase Elliott shouldn't be overlooked given his recent form and being your new points leader. Elliott has taken a step forward in his ultra-consistent finishes this season and is now leading laps and running inside the top five. He dominated the early distance at Dover and heads to Indianapolis with four finishes of sixth or better from the last five races. Last season, Elliott started third and finished 10th in this race, and fans should expect him to be in the fight at the front again this week. With nearly twice the payout of Hamlin or Larson, Elliott offers wagerers significantly more value this week.
Ryan Blaney is also knocking on the door of another victory. His Ford gets great fuel mileage and he was competitive at the Brickyard last season. In that race, Blaney started seventh and finished third, scoring stage points in both segments, and running inside the top five the majority of the distance. When comparing long 2.5-mile oval tracks, Blaney also stands out. Just a few races ago at Pocono, Blaney was the third-place finisher despite starting that race 20th. His eighth-place result a week ago at Dover will also give him some momentum to hopefully finish inside the top five Sunday.
From a top-10 perspective, fans might want to consider Kyle Busch. He didn't fare well at this track last season, but he is a two-time Brickyard winner. He knows how to get around the place quickly. On top of that, Busch now has a little run going for himself. He was 11th a week ago at Dover and finished in the top 10 in the two races before that. Busch's combination of experience, success at Indy, and current run of form make him a contender for a top-10 with positive odds for doing so.
Lastly, Ford, in comparison to the other two manufacturers, offers fans great odds as winning manufacturer. Sure, Chevrolet and Toyota had good outright speed at Indianapolis last season, but Ford drivers were equally in the mix. Blaney was the highest Ford finisher at third and three other Ford drivers finished in the top 10. This isn't a track like Dover where Ford hasn't been competitive, and if Sunday's race turns into a fuel-mileage game, Ford has the advantage. With better odds than Chevrolet and Toyota, that isn't a bad wager to take advantage of.
