The legendary Brickyard

Most NASCAR drivers would agree that the second biggest race on the NASCAR schedule, only behind the Daytona 500, is the Allstate 400 at Indianapolis Motor Speedway. A lot of teams and drivers put a lot of focus on winning at the Brickyard and the winner of the race is usually a precursor to whomever ends up winning the Sprint Cup Title. My picks this week include the seasons dominant driver, the constant Brickyard favorite and the most consistent driver in NASCAR in the last two months.


Kyle Busch, No. 18 M&M's Toyota (Joe Gibbs Racing)
Two weeks ago: Won the LifeLock.com 400
Career at the Brickyard: 7.0 Avg. Finish, 1 top 5, 3 top 10's
Why he could win: Come on folks, Kyle Busch has been a serious threat to win almost every weekend so far this year. What makes you think this weekend is really going to be any different? He'll run up front and probably lead a good chunk of the race. Winning? He has a lot of other drivers to beat first.


Tony Stewart, No. 20 Home Depot Toyota (Joe Gibbs Racing)
Two weeks ago: 5th place finish in the LifeLock.com 400
Career at the Brickyard: 7.6 Avg. Finish, 2 wins, 4 top 5's, 6 top 10's
Why he could win: If you travel to Indianapolis you MUST consider Tony Stewart the odds on favorite no matter how well he has been running in the weeks leading up to the Allstate 400. There is no doubt that in his last season with Joe Gibbs Racing Stewart would love to add his third Allstate 400 trophy to his trophy case.


Matt Kenseth, No. 17 DEWALT Tools Ford (Roush Fenway Racing)
Two weeks ago: 7th place finish in the LifeLock.com 400
Career at the Brickyard: 13.2 Avg. Finish, 4 top 5's, 5 top 10's
Why he could win: In the last six races at Indy Kenseth has finished in the top 10 5 times, including two second place finishes (2003, 2006). Lets not forget he has been the most consistent driver in NASCAR in the last two or three months, earning 8 top 10's in his last 9 races. He's bound to win sooner or later, so why not this weekend at Indy?

My underdog this week is a past Allstate 400 winner and a past Sprint Cup Series Champion.

Bill Elliott, No. 21 Motorcraft Ford (Wood Brothers Racing)
Two weeks ago: 35th place finish in the LifeLock.com 400
Career at the Brickyard: 11.0 Avg. Finish, 1 win, 5 top 5's, 9 top 10's
Why he could win: Alright, so he probably won't win the race. Compete in the top 20 or maybe even make a run at the top 10? Sure, it could happen. In Elliott's first 11 races at Indy he finished in the top 10 an amazing nine times. Even if Awesome Bill is on his last leg that still makes him a legit threat in anyone's play book.