With only five races left in the NASCAR Cup Series regular season, several storylines are shaping the championship race as the Brickyard 400 Presented by PPG approaches at Indianapolis Motor Speedway. Chase Elliott has made a remarkable rise, moving from fourth place and 104 points behind the leader to the top of the standings, holding a 16-point advantage over his Hendrick Motorsports teammate William Byron, whose recent performance has declined with an average finish of 25.33 over six events.
Denny Hamlin is aiming to complete a rare achievement by winning all four Crown Jewel races — Daytona 500, Coca-Cola 500, Southern 500, and Brickyard 400. Should he win again on Sunday, he would join legends like Dale Earnhardt Sr., Jeff Gordon, Kevin Harvick, and Jimmie Johnson in accomplishing this feat. Meanwhile, Bubba Wallace continues to hover on the playoff bubble, occupying either 16th or 17th place in the standings 23 times since the Next Gen era started, more often than any other driver.
Notable Performances and Records at the Indianapolis Event
Chase Briscoe, who won the pole position for both the Daytona 500 and the Coca-Cola 600 earlier this season, is in contention to secure a pole sweep for all three Crown Jewel events during the upcoming qualifying session. On a different note, Kyle Busch has experienced a challenging stretch, failing to lead the field in his past nine starts, tying a personal record that dates back to the 2005 season.
Victory lane at the Indianapolis Motor Speedway oval has proven difficult for drivers below the playoff cutoff line, with only Kasey Kahne breaking through in 2017 despite being 181 points out of contention at that time. As the season advances, this statistic underscores the challenge facing those fighting to break into the playoff positions late in the campaign.
Kyle Larson Favored to Win NASCAR Cup Series Championship
Regarding NASCAR Cup Series championship odds, Kyle Larson is the favorite to claim the title, holding +350 odds according to BetOnline Sportsbook. His recent form and consistent performances have positioned him well for his first championship since 2021. Close behind is Denny Hamlin, who has secured four wins this season, including the latest at Dover. Hamlin’s odds stand at +425, marking him as the second-choice pick to win the drivers’ championship.
This competitive landscape reflects an intense battle among top drivers as the season nears its conclusion, with Larson and Hamlin poised to be leading contenders alongside the surging Chase Elliott, who recently took the lead in the standings.
