If one had a word to describe the Indianapolis Motor Speedway–it has to be ‘iconic.’ NASCAR first ran at the 2.5-mile IMS oval back in 1994. However, NASCAR moved away from the grounds in 2021 when the attendance waned. 

Brickyard is special for Jeff Gordon. He has claimed five wins here, and it’s even his hometown, making the place extra special. As such, he knows the challenges that could affect the drivers racing there. He is returning to his hometown, not as a driver now, but in a different role—vice chairman of Hendrick Motorsports. And he has some helpful tips for the drivers going into the race. 

Jeff Gordon’s golden advice to success at IMS!

Jeff Gordon has a new role to fit in at Hendrick Motorsports. And right now, he has a well-set-up office at Hendricks. He proudly displays some of the select memorabilia in his office, of which, he has many. From his final NASCAR helmet to charity recognitions and mementos from key partners like Pepsi or Chevrolet.

But there is one award, a single trophy sitting among them all—the 1994 Brickyard 400 trophy in his office. This win changed his life and changed the way he would go down in history. Jeff Gordon said, “This win was the launching pad for myself, my team, and the whole sport. That day changed my life. I went from a kid trying to make it at the highest level to ‘I’ve arrived.'”

Jeff Gordon is one of the winningest drivers NASCAR has seen ever since, so keeping everything would crowd the office— an excellent decision on him to cut it down. Given Gordon’s experience of not just racing, but winning on this track five times, he has plenty of helpful advice to give the drivers today. Although he did warn with a, “it’s incredibly intense” warning! 

Gordon knows Indianapolis like the back of his hand. And he has a favorite aspect of Indianapolis: its challenging conditions. According to him, acing here is all about the balance – between speed and control. He said, “These long straightaways mean you need a lot of power in the car to get through them. Then, you have to have a car that can slow down and navigate through these four very unique corners, each with different characteristics. What’s the car going to do when you turn in, and when you accelerate? How you approach your entry speed is all about getting out of turn 2 and turn 4 with as much speed as possible to carry down those long straightaways.”

All in all, he is excited that the race is coming back down at Indianapolis yet again and wants to see the drivers and the car in action racing at the oval and tackling it. As far as tips go, he added another non-negotiable element to nail the race. He said, “Qualifying is going to be important for track position, and how the strategy plays out, as well as how restarts unfold, will be incredibly intense.” When it comes to the competition, his team has some of the best drivers who can ace the track. But that’s not to say they don’t have competition!

Who can win at Indianapolis?

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The first leg of the Indianapolis race has been done and dusted and Ty Majeski won his first win for the season for the Truck Series. It was a tough battle between Corey Heim and Christian Eckes, but both didn’t have the last laugh because as they were battling themselves, Ty Majeski took the win. Now for the cup series, just five races remain, meaning every driver is trying their best. Whether in the bubble or not, everyone wants to secure their place in the playoffs. Here are some favorites who are favored to win this weekend. 

William Byron

William Byron, right now, stands at fifth in the regular season standings and is just 57 points behind the race leader Chase Elliott. He has three wins and in Indianapolis; he has a career-best finish of fourth. Although he has enough wins to be comfortable, another never hurt.

Brad Keselowski

Brad Keselowski is a veteran and he, too, finished fourth the last time he raced the track back in 2018. He also has six career top-ten finishes at the track, so definitely has some solid experience and good runs. Plus, he has already locked himself to the playoffs by winning in Darlington earlier this year. Hence, he has less pressure and is a strong contender to win the race.

Ryan Blaney

Reigning champion, Ryan Blaney, has a more than better chance. Given that Blaney won the Pocono race, he has the momentum. Although he struggled to win earlier at the competition, he has now won two of the last five races! Not just that, he has finished within the top ten in four of those five, making him a serious threat. 

Kyle Larson

Kyle Larson is no stranger to the podiums and while he might be not getting those wins from a few races, it doesn’t mean he isn’t a threat. He is a threat every week, and now, he is a mere three points away from Chase Elliott. He led five laps the last time NASCAR raced the Oval at Indianapolis but finished in 33rd place. But his season’s results are too good to discount him from a plausible entry for the win.

Denny Hamlin

Finally, the driver with considerable odds of winning the Indianapolis race is Denny Hamlin. He was in a little slump, but in Pocono, he had speed and was a force to be reckoned with. Hamlin finished second and just barely lost the race. Moreover, he has never won at Indianapolis but does have five career top-five finishes. In his recent podcast, he talked about how badly he wants to win in Indianapolis; it is, after all, an iconic track. And adding it to his already colorful resume is a goal.

Who do you think will ace in the Indianapolis race? Let us know!