Verizon 200 at the Brickyard Preview and Best Bet
NASCAR Cup Series: Verizon 200 at the Brickyard
Sunday, August 15, 2021 at 1 p.m. ET (NBC) at Indianapolis Motor Speedway in Indianapolis
Race Info
While Sunday's NASCAR Cup Series competition does not enjoy the same level of prestige as the Indianapolis 500, the venue in which Sunday's race will be run does enjoy a historically developed and unique degree of prestige.
Indianapolis's Motor Speedway, which was first constructed in 1909, is literally the largest sports venue in this world.
Known as the Big Machine Hand Sanitizer 400 last year, this year's upcoming race will take place on Sunday afternoon at the road course of the Indianapolis Motor Speedway.
For this racing event, drivers must complete a total of 82 laps.
As has normally been the case, there are three stages for this event.
Stage 1 elapses upon completion of the 15th lap. Stage 2 ends after the 35th lap. The rest of the race is devoted to Stage 3.
Just like in previous weeks, an entry list has been published.
So unless something unexpected occurs, we already know who will participate in this competition.
There are going to be a couple more drivers/teams than usual. 39 drivers and teams are listed on the entry list.
What has not been the norm is the implementation of qualifying in order to determine starting position.
A predetermined formula has typically been employed in order to establish which driver will start at what position.
Sunday represents an exception to this more recently cemented norm probably because Sunday will mark only the second time in which NASCAR Cup Series competitors participate in the road course of Indianapolis's motor speedway.
In addition to the qualifying, there will be one practice session.
Qualifying and practice sessions are important for drivers to evaluate because they offer the opportunity to see how drivers fare on, navigate, and handle the track.
Practice will take place on Saturday morning starting at 11:05 a.m. Qualifying will begin on Sunday at 9:05 a.m. ET, about four hours before the race begins.
Track Info
Drivers will compete on the road course of Indianapolis's motor speedway.
In terms of surface, this course is made of the conventional asphalt material, but it also consists of brick.
Each lap is 2.43 miles long. So in completing 82 laps, drivers will have completed just about 200 laps.
Since it is a road course, there is no banking. There are also a fair number of turns -- 13 to be exact.
One benefit for drivers and for bettors from this race taking place on the road course is the increased ease with which NASCAR drivers can pass.
On Indianapolis's traditional oval, drivers have complained a lot more about how difficult it is to pass. This difficulty is at least softened on the road course, such that starting position is not critical.
Driver To Avoid
More road courses are being added to NASCAR's Cup Series circuit.
Given these additions, we are able to more clearly observe which drivers tend to fare well or fare poorly on road courses.
One driver who is impossible to like on road courses in Brad Keselowski.
He has finished outside the top 10 in his last four races on a road course. In two of those races, he actually had the benefit of starting in the top 10.
In his last race both overall and on a road course, he finished 35th after starting in first.
Bad performances have been normal for him especially lately.
My Guy
I like Kyle Busch, who shows strong overall racing form as he's finished top-four in five of his last six competitions.
While his road racing statistics look alarming in his career, these statistics reflect his performances over the course of his career.
However, he is strongly improving on road courses, where he's achieved three straight top-five finishes.
At the available odds, we must be thrilled to support Busch, who I expect to win given his strong form and improvement on road courses.
Best Bet: Kyle Busch To Win (Odds TBA)
NASCAR Cup Series: Verizon 200 at the Brickyard
Sunday, August 15, 2021 at 1 p.m. ET (NBC) at Indianapolis Motor Speedway in Indianapolis
Race Info
While Sunday's NASCAR Cup Series competition does not enjoy the same level of prestige as the Indianapolis 500, the venue in which Sunday's race will be run does enjoy a historically developed and unique degree of prestige.
Indianapolis's Motor Speedway, which was first constructed in 1909, is literally the largest sports venue in this world.
Known as the Big Machine Hand Sanitizer 400 last year, this year's upcoming race will take place on Sunday afternoon at the road course of the Indianapolis Motor Speedway.
For this racing event, drivers must complete a total of 82 laps.
As has normally been the case, there are three stages for this event.
Stage 1 elapses upon completion of the 15th lap. Stage 2 ends after the 35th lap. The rest of the race is devoted to Stage 3.
Just like in previous weeks, an entry list has been published.
So unless something unexpected occurs, we already know who will participate in this competition.
There are going to be a couple more drivers/teams than usual. 39 drivers and teams are listed on the entry list.
What has not been the norm is the implementation of qualifying in order to determine starting position.
A predetermined formula has typically been employed in order to establish which driver will start at what position.
Sunday represents an exception to this more recently cemented norm probably because Sunday will mark only the second time in which NASCAR Cup Series competitors participate in the road course of Indianapolis's motor speedway.
In addition to the qualifying, there will be one practice session.
Qualifying and practice sessions are important for drivers to evaluate because they offer the opportunity to see how drivers fare on, navigate, and handle the track.
Practice will take place on Saturday morning starting at 11:05 a.m. Qualifying will begin on Sunday at 9:05 a.m. ET, about four hours before the race begins.
Track Info
Drivers will compete on the road course of Indianapolis's motor speedway.
In terms of surface, this course is made of the conventional asphalt material, but it also consists of brick.
Each lap is 2.43 miles long. So in completing 82 laps, drivers will have completed just about 200 laps.
Since it is a road course, there is no banking. There are also a fair number of turns -- 13 to be exact.
One benefit for drivers and for bettors from this race taking place on the road course is the increased ease with which NASCAR drivers can pass.
On Indianapolis's traditional oval, drivers have complained a lot more about how difficult it is to pass. This difficulty is at least softened on the road course, such that starting position is not critical.
Driver To Avoid
More road courses are being added to NASCAR's Cup Series circuit.
Given these additions, we are able to more clearly observe which drivers tend to fare well or fare poorly on road courses.
One driver who is impossible to like on road courses in Brad Keselowski.
He has finished outside the top 10 in his last four races on a road course. In two of those races, he actually had the benefit of starting in the top 10.
In his last race both overall and on a road course, he finished 35th after starting in first.
Bad performances have been normal for him especially lately.
My Guy
I like Kyle Busch, who shows strong overall racing form as he's finished top-four in five of his last six competitions.
While his road racing statistics look alarming in his career, these statistics reflect his performances over the course of his career.
However, he is strongly improving on road courses, where he's achieved three straight top-five finishes.
At the available odds, we must be thrilled to support Busch, who I expect to win given his strong form and improvement on road courses.
Best Bet: Kyle Busch To Win (Odds TBA)
