NASCAR Pre-race: ESPN's NSCS Countdown - 12:00pm/et

Television Race Coverage: ESPN, 1:00pm/et

In the Booth: Allen Bestwick, Dale Jarrett, Andy Petree
Pit Reporters: Dave Burns, Jamie Little, Vince Welch, Dr. Jerry Punch
NASCAR Countdown: Nicole Briscoe, Brad Daugherty, Rusty Wallace
ESPN Craftsman Tech Garage: Tim Brewer

SPEED's NASCAR Raceday Pre-Race Show: 10:00am/et with John Roberts, Kyle Petty, Kenny Wallace

Scheduled Race Re-Air Dates/Times:
Wednesday, August 3 at 12:00pm/et on SPEED

TV Listings, Links and Info:
Jayski's TV Listings Page
NASCAR on TV
Race Fan TV

This Week - IMS Racing Network and SiriusXM Satellite NASCAR Channel 90

imsproductions.tv

siriusxm.com

Track Specs:
Superspeedway: 2.5 mile quad-oval
Track/Race Length: 160 laps, 400 miles
Banking: turns: 9 degrees, 12 minutes; straights: 0 degrees
Frontstretch: 3,330 feet
Backstretch: 3300 feet
Short Shute(between turns 1 and 2/3 and 4) - 660 feet
Max Attendence: ~350,000
Grandstand seating capacity: 257,325
First NASCAR race (Brickyard 400): 1994
Track Opened: 1909

Race Festivities/Officials:
Grand Marshal: Ned Jarrett
Command to start engines: Mary Hulman George
Honorary Starter/Wave Green Flag: ?
Invocation: Rev. Howard Brammer
U.S.A. National Anthem: Rascal Flatts
America the Beautiful/God Bless America: Reba
Military Flyover: 4 Navy T-45 Goshawks

Websites:
Indianapolis Motor Speedway
Facebook - Inidanaplois Motor Speedway
Twitter - IndyTalk
Indy Speedway Visitor's Guide and Racing Information (unofficial)

July 2010: see my Indy Race Info page

2010 Race Winner: #1-Jamie McMurray, 136.054mph, started 4th

Race Record: Bobby Labonte, August 2000, 155.912mph

Slowest Race Record: Jimmie Johnson, July 2008, 115.117mph

Worst Starting Spot to Win: Jeff Gordon, August 2001, started 27th

Oldest Race Winner: Bill Elliott, 46 years, 9 months, 27 days, 8/4/2002

Youngest Race Winner: Jeff Gordon, 23 years, 2 days, 8/6/1994

2010 Pole Sitter: #42-Juan Pablo Montoya, 182.278mph, finished 32nd

Track Qualifying Record: Casey Mears, August 2004, 186.293mph

Oldest Pole Sitter: Mark Martin, 50 years, 197 days, 7/25/2009

Youngest Pole Sitter: Reed Sorenson, 21 years, 5 months, 24 days, 7/29/2007

PREVIOUS BRICKYARD 400 WINNERS:
YEAR-CAR#-DRIVER, MANU, AVE SPEED, STARTED
1994: #24-Jeff Gordon, Chevy, 131.977, 3rd
1995: #3-Dale Earnhardt, Chevy, 155.206, 13th
1996: #88-Dale Jarrett, Ford, 139.508, 24th
1997: #10-Ricky Rudd, Ford, 130.814, 7th
1998: #24-Jeff Gordon, Chevy, 126.772, 3rd (2)
1999: #88-Dale Jarrett, Ford, 148.194, 4th (2)
2000: #18-Bobby Labonte, Pontiac, 155.912, 3rd
2001: #24-Jeff Gordon, Chevy, 130.790, 27th (3)
2002: #9-Bill Elliott, Dodge, 125.033, 2nd
2003: #29-Kevin Harvick, Chevy, 134.554, 1st
2004: #24-Jeff Gordon, Chevy, 115.037, 11th (4)
2005: #20-Tony Stewart, Chevy, 118.782, 22nd
2006: #48-Jimmie Johnson, Chevy, 137.182, 5th
2007: #20-Tony Stewart, Chevy, 117.379, 14th (2)
2008: #48-Jimmie Johnson, Chevy, 115.117, 1st (2)
2009: #48-Jimmie Johnson, Chevy, 145.882, 16th (3)

Run all the Brickyard races: four drivers have run all 17 Brickyard 400's since it first ran in 1994:
#24-Jeff Gordon [4 wins]
#47-Bobby Labonte [1 win]
#5-Mark Martin [best 2nd once]
#31-Jeff Burton [best 5th once]

Five Current Race Tracks the NASCAR Sprint Cup Series runs on that #5-Mark Martin has not won a Sprint Cup race at:
Homestead: 0 for 12 with a best finish of 2nd in 11/2005
Daytona: 0 for 53 with a best finish of 2nd in 2/2007
Pocono: 0 for 49 with six finishes of 2nd, last in 8/2004
Indianapolis: 0 for 17 with a best finish of 2nd in 8/1998 and 7/2009
Kentucky: 0 for 1 with a best finish of 22nd in 7/2011
(plus Martin ran five races at Nashville and four races at Riverside and didn't win)(7-9-2011)

The Numbers for the Brickyard 400:
1 - fewest cautions (8/5/95)
2 - races won from the pole; three from the front row in previous 17 events
3 - most poles (Jeff Gordon)
3 - races won from outside a top-20 starting position
4 - most wins at IMS (Jeff Gordon)
4 - drivers with more than one win
4 - fewest caution laps (8/5/95)
5 - fewest leaders (8/5/00)
6 - number of jet dryers available for track drying this weekend at IMS
9 - fewest lead changes (three times, most recent 7/26/09)
10 - different race winner at IMS
11 - fewest laps led by race winner (Dale Jarrett, 8/3/96)
13 - most cautions (8/8/04)
14 - fewest cars on lead lap at finish (8/5/00)
14 - different pole winners at IMS
26 - most lead changes (7/27/08)
27 - fewest cars running at finish (8/8/04)
36 - most cars on lead lap at finish 7/27/08)
41 - most cars running at finish (7/27/08)
52 - most caution laps (7/27/08)
150 minutes - approximate amount of time it takes to dry the 2.5-mile track
124 - most laps led by race winner (Jeff Gordon, 8/8/04)
2011 Caution Update
4 - number of races extended beyond scheduled distance in 2011 (Daytona1, Darlington, Charlotte, Daytona2)
4 - fewest cautions this season (Fontana and Pocono)
16 - most cautions this season (Daytona1)
147 - number of cautions in the first 19 races of 2011; total includes 68 for accidents, 34 for debris and 22 for spins
697 of 5,596 - number of laps under caution in 2011
962.311 of 7,634.858 - miles under caution in the first 19 races
(Provided by Darnell Communications for Dodge Motorsports)(7-27-2011)

At Indianapolis Motor Speedway:
• Indianapolis Motor Speedway has existed since 1909, and is the original "Speedway," the first racing facility to incorporate the word in its name.
• With a permanent seating capacity for more than 250,000-plus people and infield seating that raises capacity to an approximate 400,000, it is the largest and highest-capacity sporting facility in history.
• There have been 17 NASCAR Sprint Cup Series races at Indianapolis Motor Speedway since the first race, in 1994.
• Four drivers have competed in all 17 races: Jeff Burton, Jeff Gordon, Bobby Labonte and Mark Martin.
• Rick Mast won the first pole, in 1994.
• Jeff Gordon won the 1994 inaugural race.
• There have been 14 different pole winners.
• Jeff Gordon leads all pole winners, with three.
• 10 drivers have won, led by Jeff Gordon, with four victories.
• Jimmie Johnson (three), Dale Jarrett and Tony Stewart (two each) are the other multiple winners.
• Hendrick Motorsports has won seven races, more than any other organization.
• Nine races have been won from a top-five starting position.
• The furthest back a race winner has started at Indianapolis was 27th, by Jeff Gordon in 2001.
• Two drivers have won from the pole: Kevin Harvick in 2003 and Jimmie Johnson in 2008.
• Dale Jarrett (1996), Jimmie Johnson (2006) and Jamie McMurray (2010) are the only drivers to win both the Daytona 500 and the Brickyard 400 in the same season.
• Tony Stewart (8.2), Jeff Gordon (9.4) and Kevin Harvick (9.9) are the only active drivers to average a top-10 finish.
• Three of the last five Indianapolis races ending under green had a margin of victory under one second.
• 14 of the 17 races have been won by a past, reigning or future NASCAR Sprint Cup champion. The only three that were not: Ricky Rudd in 1997, Kevin Harvick in 2003 and Jamie McMurray in 2010.
• The winner of the Indianapolis race has won the championship in the same year eight times in the 17 years the NASCAR Sprint Cup Series has raced there: 2009: Jimmie Johnson; 2008: Jimmie Johnson; 2006: Jimmie Johnson; 2005: Tony Stewart; 2001: Jeff Gordon; 2000: Bobby Labonte; 1999: Dale Jarrett; 1998: Jeff Gordon. (NASCAR)(7-26-2011)

For news, stats, records and more about this race track, see: Jayski's Indianapolis Motor Speedway Track News/Rumors/Links page

Practices:
Friday, July 29, 1:00 - 2:30 pm/et, TV-SPEED
Friday, July 29, 3:15 - 4:30 pm/et, TV-SPEED

Happy Hour 'Final' practice: Saturday, July 30, 10:00 - 11:30am/et, TV-ESPN2

Qualifying: 2 laps for positions 1-42, Saturday, July 30 at 2:10 pm/et, TV-ESPN2, no re-air scheduled.

Menard wins Brickyard 400: #27-Paul Menard won the Brickyard 400 Sprint Cup Series race at Indianapolis Speedway for his 1st career win, becoming the 4th first time Sprint Cup race winner in 2011. Menard is the first driver to get his first career win in the Brickyard 400. The win was the 52nd for a car running the #27 and first since Jimmy Spencer won at Taladega in July 1994.
#24-Gordon, going for his 5th Brickyard 400 win, finished 2nd, followed by #78-Smith (his 2nd career top five), #1-McMurray (last years Brickyard 400 winner), #17-Kenseth, #14-Stewart, #16-Biffle, #5-Martin, #2-Keselowski and #18-Busch.
Pole sitter, #6-Ragan finished 23rd and points leader going in to the race, #99-Edwards, finished 14th and maintains a 12 point lead over #29-Harvick.
There were 22 lead changes among 13 drivers; 5 cautions for 22 yellow flag laps. The attendance is listed as 138,000, down a tad from 140,000 last year.
Scheduled Race Re-Air: SPEED, Wednesday, August 3 at 12:00pm/et
See race results, awards, laps led and more on Jayski's Indianapolis Race Results/Awards page.(7-31-2011)

Race Fast Facts - Indianapolis:
#27-Paul Menard won the 18th Annual Brickyard 400 presented by BigMachineRecords.com, his first victory in 167 NASCAR Sprint Cup Series races.
Menard is the first driver to win his first career race at Indianapolis Motor Speedway. He is the fourth different first-time winner this season, the most since 2007.
This is his sixth top-10 finish in 2011.
This is his first top-10 finish in five races at Indianapolis Motor Speedway.
The Menard family has a long history at Indianapolis Motor Speedway, but this is the first Indy win in a Menards-sponsored car.
#24-Jeff Gordon (second) posted his 14th top-10 finish in 18 races at Indianapolis Motor Speedway. It is his ninth top-10 finish in 2011.
#78-Regan Smith (third) posted his first top-10 finish in four races at Indianapolis Motor Speedway.(NASCAR Statistics)(7-31-2011)

2011 Sprint Cup Driver Championship Points Standings:
[after Indianapolis, race 20 of 36]:
rank, car#, driver, points, behind
1) #99-Carl Edwards [1 win], 682
2) #48-Jimmie Johnson [1 win], 671, -11
3) #29-Kevin Harvick [3 wins], 670, -12
4) #18-Kyle Busch [3 wins], 666, -16
5) #17-Matt Kenseth [2 wins], 666, -16
6) #22-Kurt Busch [1 win], 664, -18
7) #24-Jeff Gordon [2 wins], 630, -52
8) #39-Ryan Newman [1 win], 618, -64
9) #14-Tony Stewart, 609, -73
10) #88-Dale Earnhardt Jr., 606, -76
wild cards
11) #11-Denny Hamlin [1 win], 587, -95 [11th in points, 1 win]

12) #27-Paul Menard [1 win], 553, -129 [14th in points, 1 win]
others
16) #6-David Ragan [1 win], 546, -136 [16th in points, 1 win]
Two race winners are not inside the top-20: #2-Keselowski is 21st, 16 pts out of 20th; #78-Smith is 26th, 76 pts out of 20th
NOTE: wild cards are drivers not in the chase with a win as long as they are in the top-20 in points, then if no wins by drivers points
See drivers championship points standings on Jayski's Drivers Points Standings page.(7-31-2011)

Indianapolis Notes-n-Nuggets:
" This is Paul Menard's first Cup Series victory in his 167th race. He is the 181st driver to win a Cup Series race.
" Paul Menard is the 14th different race winner in 20 races in 2011.
" Paul Menard is the first driver to score his first career victory at Indy. The win came in his fifth Indy start.
" One year ago, Paul Menard was ranked 23rd after 20 races, this year he is 14th.
" Paul Menard is the 11th different driver to win in 18 Cup races at Indy. Menard's previous best Indy finish was 14th (2010).
" This is Richard Childress Racing's 98th Cup Series victory, tying the Wood Brothers for fifth all time.
" Richard Childress Racing earned its fourth victory in 2011 and third victory at Indy.
" Chevrolet scored its ninth win in 2011, the most by any manufacturer this season.
" Chevrolet has won 13 of the 18 Indy Cup races, including the past nine.
" Jeff Gordon (second) has scored top-10 finishes in 14 of the 18 races at Indy, the most by any driver.
" This is Regan Smith's (third) first finish better than 31st at Indy.
" Jamie McMurray (fourth) posted his best finish in 2011 and first top-five of the season.
" Matt Kenseth (fifth) earned his fifth top-five finish at Indy.
" Tony Stewart (sixth) has scored top-10 finishes in seven of the past eight Indy races. Stewart extended a 13-race streak of lead-lap finishes at Indy (longest).
" Greg Biffle (seventh) has top-10 finishes in his past four Indy races. This is Biffle's first top-10 finish in the past seven races in 2011.
" Mark Martin (eighth) has finished 11th or better in the past seven Indy races.
" Carl Edwards (14th) has scored top-15 finishes in his past four Indy races.
" Jeff Burton (35th) extended an 18-race streak of running at the finish at Indy (longest).
.(Racing Recall/nascar.com)(8-1-2011)

Top-35 in Owner Points and guaranteed a starting spot at Pocono:
#71 moves into the top-35, and #7 team drops out after finishing last at Indy.
32) #36-Blaney/TBR, 289, +50
33) #32-Bliss/FAS Lane, 285, +46
34) #13-Mears/Germain, 282, +43
35) #71-Lally/TRG, 249, 10 points ahead of 36th
these teams / drivers will need to qualify by speed:
36) #7-Gordon/Wimmer/RGM, 239, 10 points out of top 35
37) #38-Kvapil/Front Row, 226, -23
38) #21-Bayne/Wood Brothers, 218,-31
The teams are NOT locked in past the next race as the owners points change after each race.
For the owner points standings, see my Owners Points Standings page.(7-31-2011)

Penalty Report / Infraction Sheet - Indianapolis:
Car#, Lap, Infraction, Flag, Penalty, Lap Assessed
#11 Pre-Race to the rear, W, Tail of Field, Engine
#56 Pre-Race to the rear, W, Tail of Field, Transmission
#14, 25, Commitment Line Violation, G, pass thru, 27
#32, 26, Commitment Line Violation, G, pass thru, 29
#00, 50, Pitting before pit road is open, Y, tail end, garage
#27, 51, Outside half of the pit box tire violation/Team member not in contact with the outside tires, Y, tail end, 54
#47, 95, Removing equipment from assigned pit area, Y, stop and go / tail end, 96
#36, 95, Speed-Exiting pits, Y, tail end, 98
#9, 117, Jumping the restart, G, pass thru, 119, changing lanes before start finish
#51, 120, Pitting before pit road is open, Y, tail end, 126
#13, 120, Pitting before pit road is open, Y, tail end, 126
#32, 120, Pitting before pit road is open, Y, tail end, 126
#78, 121, Pitting before pit road is open, Y, tail end, 126
#21, 121, Pitting before pit road is open, Y, tail end, 126
#83, 121, Pitting before pit road is open, Y, tail end, 126
#99, 121, Pitting before pit road is open, Y, tail end, 126
#16, 121, Pitting before pit road is open, Y, tail end, 126
#47, 121, Pitting before pit road is open, Y, tail end, 126
#34, 121, Pitting before pit road is open, Y, tail end, 126
#22, 121, Speed-Entering pits, Y, tail end, 126
#22, 121, Pitting before pit road is open, Y, tail end, 126
(NASCAR Statistics)(7-31-2011)

Pit Road Times
Indianapolis Motor Speedway
Brickyard 400
Provided by NASCAR Statistics
Sun, July 31, 2011 @ 05:00 PM Eastern

Lucky Dogs - Who got a lap back on each caution at Indianapolis: (and their finish)
Caution 1: #34-Gilliland, 33rd
Caution 2: #9-Ambrose, 34th
Caution 3: #32-Bliss (still down 1 lap), 32nd
Caution 4: #32-Bliss, 32nd
Caution 5: #71-Lally, 26th
(7-31-2011)

Race Coverage of the Brickyard 400 Sprint Cup Series race at Indianapolis Motor Speedway is scheduled for Sunday, July 31, 2011.
Television (TV): ESPN at 1:00 pm/et; NSCS Countdown pre-race show at 12:00 pm/et; green flag approx 1:19pm/et
Radio: IMS Radio Network and Sirius XM Satellite NASCAR Radio 90
Scheduled Race Re-Airs:
SPEED, Wednesday, August 3 at 12:00pm/et

Pit Stall Selections: The selections of pit stalls for the Brickyard 400 Sprint Cup Series race at Indianapolis Motor Speedway have been made.
Pole sitter #6-Ragan chose pit stall 1 [as do most pole sitters].
Outside pole sitter #4-Kahne took pit stall 9, the first pitstall with an opening behind it.
#48-Johnson, who starts 3rd took the 17th pit stall, the 2nd stall with an opening in front of it.
The 43rd and final pit stall was taken by #5-Martin, who starts 12th.
To see where the drivers/teams pit stall is, see the pit selection chart on the Pit Stall Selection chart.(7-30-2011)

NASCAR Green-White-Checkered Race Procedure: NASCAR allows a maximum of three restart attempts prior to the White Flag under NASCAR's Green-White-Checkered flag finish. If the leader has taken the White Flag and the caution flag is displayed, the field is frozen and the race will not be restarted. Previously, there was only one restart attempt. The procedure applies to all three national series. See rule and notes on the Green-White-Checker rule page.(2-11-2010)

Wave-around rule: The wave-around rule dictates that cars under penalty at the time of the caution are ineligible for the wave around.(10-11-2009)

See Jayski's - 2011 Sprint Cup Race Results Page for pole winner, race winner with speed and starting/finishing position, links to race results, drivers & owners points, pit stall selections, qualifying results/starting lineup, practice speeds and chase stats as well as link to race track and race information page for each race

David Ragan wins Brickyard 400 pole: #6-David Ragan [in the Ned Jarrett special paint scheme] won the Coors Light pole for the Brickyard 400 Sprint Cup Series race at Indianapolis Motor Speedway with a speed of 182.994mph for his 2nd pole of the season and of his career. #4-Kahne starts 2nd followed by #48-Johnson, #22-Busch, #2-Keselowski, #43-Allmendinger, #42-Montoya, #24-Gordon, #17-Kenseth and #99-Edwards.
The go-or-go homers who made the race (8): #21-Bayne,#37-Speed, #66-McDowell, #87-Nemechek, #60-Skinner, #71-Lally, #50-Bell and #23-Terry Labonte [using the past champions provisional].
The go-or-go homers who failed to qualify for the race (5): #30-Stremme, #38-Kvapil, #46-Darnell, #55-Yeley and #77-Wimmer.
See the starting lineup, qualifying speeds and notes on my Indy Starting Lineup/Qualifying Results page.(7-30-2011)

Qualifying Fast Facts - Indianapolis:
#6-David Ragan won the Coors Light Pole Award for the 18th Annual Brickyard 400 presented by BigMachineRecords.com with a lap of 49.182 seconds, 182.994 mph.
This is his second pole in 166 NASCAR Sprint Cup Series races. His last pole came at Texas in April of this season.
This is his second pole and eighth top-10 start in 2011.
This is his first pole in five races at Indianapolis Motor Speedway. His previous best starting position was 16th in 2008.
#4-Kasey Kahne (second) posted his 11th top-10 start of 2011 and his sixth in eight races at Indianapolis Motor Speedway.
#48-Jimmie Johnson (third) posted his sixth top-10 start at Indianapolis Motor Speedway. It is his eighth in 20 races this season.(NASCAR Statistics)(7-30-2011)

Coverage of Qualifying for the Brickyard 400 Sprint Cup Series race at Indianapolis Motor Speedway is scheduled for Saturday, July 30, 2011 at 2:10pm/et.
Television (TV): ESPN2, 2:00pm/et
Jayski.com: Jayski's Qualifying Page
Qualifying Re-Air: none scheduled

Qualifying Order for the Brickyard 400 Sprint Cup Series race at Indianapolis Motor Speedway is posted. 48 cars/drivers are listed. Go-or-go homers are now mixed in with the top-35 drivers, slowest by fastest in first practice.
The first of the drivers scheduled to go out is #77-Wimmer, slowest in practice.
The final driver scheduled to go out is #17-Kenseth, who was fastest in first practice.
Qualifying order is set by the first practice session, with slowest driver going out by speed and the fastest going out last. The non-top 35 drivers are now mixed in with the top-35 in owners points, slowest to fastest.
See the full qualifying order on the Indianapolis Qualifying Page.(7-29-2011)

Happy Hour practice for the Brickyard 400 Sprint Cup Series race at Indianapolis Motor Speedway is being over, after 90 scheduled minutes, the top 5, slowest, notes:
#16-Biffle 182.587
#4-Kahne 182.441
#22-Busch 181.829
#6-Ragan 181.800
#99-Edwards 181.514
slowest: #23-TLabonte 173.554 & #36-Blaney 175.200
no speed: #66-McDowell
Qualifying Order [2:00pm/et on Saturday, ESPN2] was set by the first practice.
See fastest speeds, average speeds, best 10 lap average, laps run and more on the Indy Practice Speeds Page.(7-30-2011)

Happy Hour Practice rank for the non top-35 drivers at Indy:
if things stay the same, these eight drivers would make the race:
#21-Trevor Bayne, 15th fastest overall
#37-Scott Speed, 25th
#30-David Stremme, 32nd
#38-Travis Kvapil, 35th
#55-J.J. Yeley, 36th
#71-Andy Lally, 37th
#87-Joe Nemechek, 38th
#23-Terry Labonte [PC], 47th but makes field thru past champ prov
these drivers would miss the race if the order stayed the same:
#46-Erik Darnell, 40th
#50-T.J. Bell, 42nd
#77-Scott Wimmer, 43rd
#60-Mike Skinner, 45th
#66-Michael McDowell, 48th, no speed
[PC] = [past champion and order, 1 is more recent champ]

Second Friday practice for the Brickyard 400 Sprint Cup Series race at Indianapolis Motor Speedway is over, after 81 minutes, the top 5, slowest, notes:
#16-Biffle 178.310
#56-Truex Jr. 178.172
#48-Johnson 177.669
#13-Mears 177.289
#29-Harvick 177.249
slowest: #38-Kvapil 172.058 & #77-Wimmer 172.358
notes: #11-Hamlin lost an engine late in the session.
Qualifying Order [2:00pm/et on Saturday, ESPN2] was set by the first practice.(7-29-2011)

2nd Friday Practice rank at Indy for the non top-35 drivers:
if things stay the same, these eight drivers would make the race:
#66-Michael McDowell, 12th fastest over
#37-Scott Speed, 16th
#60-Mike Skinner, 20th
#46-Erik Darnell, 33rd
#50-T.J. Bell, 36th
#55-J.J. Yeley, 37th
#23-Terry Labonte [PC], 38th
#87-Joe Nemechek, 40th
these drivers would miss the race if the order stayed the same:
#21-Trevor Bayne, 41st
#71-Andy Lally, 42nd
#30-David Stremme, 44th
#77-Scott Wimmer, 47th
#38-Travis Kvapil, 48th
[PC] = [past champion and order, 1 is more recent champ]

First Friday practice for the Brickyard 400 Sprint Cup Series race at Indianapolis Motor Speedway is being over, after 75 scheduled minutes, the top 5, slowest, notes:
#17-Kenseth 181.203
#4-Kahne 181.178
#11-Hamlin 181.050
#99-Edwards 180.658
#6-Ragan 180.404
slowest: #77-Wimmer 169.383 & #23-TLabonte 169.514
Qualifying Order [2:00pm/et on Saturday, ESPN2] will be set by the first practice.
See fastest speeds, average speeds, laps run and more on the Indy Practice Speeds Page.(7-29-2011)

First Friday practice rank for the non top-35 drivers at Indy:
if things stay the same, these eight drivers would make the race:
#21-Trevor Bayne, 24th fastest overall
#66-Michael McDowell, 29th
#60-Mike Skinner, 31st
#30-David Stremme, 34th
#46-Erik Darnell, 35th
#38-Travis Kvapil, 36th
#55-J.J. Yeley, 37th
#23-Terry Labonte [PC], 47th, but has past champ prov to use
these drivers would miss the race if the order stayed the same:
#87-Joe Nemechek, 39th
#50-T.J. Bell, 42nd
#37-Scott Speed, 43rd
#71-Andy Lally, 44th
#77-Scott Wimmer, 48th
[PC] = [past champion and order, 1 is more recent champ]

Another new twist to the qualifying format: Starting at Kentucky Speedway, there will be a rain-out qualifying procedure change for all three NASCAR national series. If first practice is run, but qualifying is unable to take place, the starting lineup will be based on speeds from the car's fastest lap from the first practice, with top-35 cars in owner points no longer segregated from the non-top 35 cars. Previously, the top 35 cars lined up in front of all other eligible car owners.(NASCAR)(7-7-2011)

The Entry List for the Brickyard 400 Sprint Cup Series race at Indianapolis Motor Speedway is posted, 48 teams/drivers [for 43 spots] are listed, including:
Not in top 35 of owners points:
#21-Trevor Bayne (38/11)(2011 race winner)
#23-Terry Labonte (0/0) (1996 champion)
#30-David Stremme (44/8)
#37-Scott Speed (39/19)
#38-Travis Kvapil (37/19)
#46-Erik Darnell (40/19)
#55-J.J. Yeley (54/1)
#50-T.J. Bell (51/5)
#60-Mike Skinner (43/19)
#66-Michael McDowell (42/19)
#71-Andy Lally (37/19)
#77-Scott Wimmer (53/3)
#87-Joe Nemechek (41/19)
In the event that qualifying is cancelled:
the eight who would make it [8]: #'s 23,21,71,38,37,46,87,66
missing the race would be [5]: #'s 60,30,50,77,55
See the full entry list at my Jayski's Indianapolis Entry List.(7-25-2011)

2011 Sprint Cup Driver Championship Points Standings:
[after New Hampshire, race 19 of 36]:
rank, car#, driver, points, behind
1) #99-Carl Edwards [1 win], 652
2) #48-Jimmie Johnson [1 win], 645, -7
3) #22-Kurt Busch [1 win], 641, -11
4) #29-Kevin Harvick [3 wins], 637, -15
5) #18-Kyle Busch [3 wins], 632, -20
6) #17-Matt Kenseth [2 wins], 626, -26
7) #24-Jeff Gordon [2 wins], 587, -65
8) #39-Ryan Newman [1 win], 586, -66
9) #88-Dale Earnhardt Jr., 577, -75
10) #11-Denny Hamlin [1 win], 570, -82
wild cards
11) #6-David Ragan [1 win], 524, -128 [13th in points, 1 win]
12) #14-Tony Stewart, 570, -82 [11th in points]
Two race winners are not inside the top-20: #2-Keselowski is 23rd, 25 pts out of 20th; #78-Smith is 27th, 90 pts out of 20th
NOTE: wild cards are drivers not in the chase with a win as long as they are in the top-20 in points, then if no wins by drivers points
See drivers championship points standings on Jayski's Drivers Points Standings page.(7-17-2011)

Top-35 in Owner Points and guaranteed a starting spot at Indianapolis:
No changes in the top-35, the #7 lead remains at 7 points over #71.
32) #36-Blaney/TBR, 275, +44
33) #32-Bliss/FAS Lane, 273, +42
34) #13-Mears/Germain, 267, +36
35) #7-Wimmer/RGM, 238, 7 points ahead of 36th
these teams / drivers will need to qualify by speed:
36) #71-Lally/TRG, 231, 7 points out of top 35
37) #38-Kvapil/Front Row, 226, -12
38) #21-Bayne/Wood Brothers, 204,-34
The teams are NOT locked in past the next race as the owners points change after each race.
For the owner points standings, see my Owners Points Standings page.(7-17-2011)

Chassis selections for Indianapolis: see the list of many teams and what chassis were selected by the team to run at Indianapolis Motor Speedway:
#1-Jamie McMurray: Crew Chief Kevin Manion and the Bass Pro Shops / Tracker Boats Chevy team will bring Chassis #1112 to the track for the first time in a race this season when the NSCS heads to Indianapolis Motor Speedway. This only other track time that this car has seen was back in June for the Goodyear tire test at Kansas Speedway.
#2-Brad Keselowski: The #2 Miller Lite Dodge Charger team will race chassis PRS-748 during Sunday's Brickyard 400 at Indianapolis Motor Speedway (IMS). Keselowski drove this chassis to a second-place finish in the All-Star Showdown at Charlotte Motor Speedway in May. The finish propelled him into the All-Star race, where he posted an 18th-place result.
#5-Mark Martin: crew chief Lance McGrew has chosen Hendrick Motorsports Chassis No. 5-679 for Sunday's race at the Brickyard. This is a brand new chassis that never has been raced or tested. Quaker State will adorn the hood of the #5 Chevrolet for the third time this season.
#6-David Ragan: Primary Chassis RK-777 is a brand new chassis with the backup chassis RK-711 last ran at Darlington and finished 21st. Recent NASCAR Hall of Fame inductee, Ned Jarrett, will be featured on the #6 UPS Ford this weekend. UPS has transformed the look of David Ragan's car to resemble the car design Jarrett drove during his 1965 championship season. UPS employee, Gerald Goldman, will serve as an honorary member of the UPS team this weekend in Indy. Goldman has been a mechanic with UPS for 21 years and will have his name featured on the C-Post of David Ragan's #6 UPS Ford.
#9-Marcos Ambrose: The #9 RPM team has prepared chassis No. 703 for the 400-mile event at Indianapolis Motor Speedway. This Stanley Ford Fusion has been run previously this season at Kansas. Australian Word of the Week: Servo = Gas Station.
#14-Tony Stewart: Chassis No. 14-671 is a brand new racecar that has only been tested in the wind tunnel. The Brickyard 400 at Indianapolis Motor Speedway will mark the first time Chassis No. 14-671 turns a wheel on the track.
#17-Matt Kenseth: will run primary chassis RK-741 which last raced at Kentucky, this weekend Kenseth will pilot the #17 Crown Royal Ford.
#18-Kyle Busch: Chassis No. 315 is a brand new chassis that is slated to see action for the first time in Sunday's Brickyard 400 at Indianapolis Motor Speedway.
#20-Joey Logano: and the #20 Home Depot Team elected to bring a new chassis, #316, this weekend to compete at IMS. The back-up chassis is #303 that Logano tested on the Thursday of Kentucky and most recently ran at Michigan International Speedway in June. The Home Depot associates from store #3662 in Steele Creek, N.C. The store number will ride along with Logano this weekend in Indianapolis. Steele Creek is located just outside of Charlotte, the hub of NASCAR race teams.
#22-Kurt Busch and his Steve Addington-led Shell-Pennzoil "Double-Deuce" Dodge Team will be racing their "PRS-757" Dodge Charger in this weekend's Brickyard 400. "We're taking a '757' to Indy and that sounds pretty cool," chuckled crew chief Addington, alluding to the popular passenger airplane with the same number. "As stiff as the competition is out there these days, we know we'll need it. It's another one of the new Shell-Pennzoil Dodge Chargers to come out of our Penske shop and Kurt just loves having these new cars under him. We want to be the first to bring home that big Brickyard 400 winner's trophy to Penske Racing." (A side note: The Boeing 757 was known for its advanced technology and exceptional fuel efficiency. Could this be an omen in case this weekend's race becomes a fuel-mileage battle? Stay tuned&) The "PRS-749" Shell-Pennzoil Dodge (Richmond car) will serve as the backup.
#27-Paul Menard will pilot Chassis No. 364 from the Richard Childress Racing NASCAR Sprint Cup Series stable. This #27 Menards/ Nibco Chevy is a brand new addition to the RCR fleet for the 2011 season and will make its first paces this weekend at Indianapolis Motor Speedway.
#29-Kevin Harvick: will race chassis No. 304 from the Richard Childress Racing NASCAR Sprint Cup Series stable. The 29 Jimmy John's team has utilized this car twice so far in 2011, scoring a sixth-place finish at Bristol (3/20) and a 17th-place finish at Darlington (5/7) after late-race contact. Harvick also drove chassis No. 304 four times in 2010, earning finishes of third (Richmond, 5/1), fifth (New Hampshire, 6/27), ninth (Richmond, 9/11) and 13th (Phoenix, 4/10). Jimmy John's Gourmet Sandwiches returns as primary sponsor on the #29 Chevy this weekend at Indianapolis Motor Speedway. In Jimmy John's last race as primary sponsor, Harvick drove the #29 Jimmy John's Chevy to Victory Lane after making a last-lap pass at Auto Club Speedway in March.
#31-Jeff Burton will race Chassis No. 367 from the Richard Childress Racing NASCAR Sprint Cup Series stable in this weekend's Brickyard 400. This is a brand new Caterpillar Chevy that will be put through its first competitive paces this weekend.
#33-Clint Bowyer: will pilot chassis No. 368 from the Richard Childress Racing NASCAR Sprint Cup Series stable. This is a brand new #33 Cheerios/Hamburger Helper Chevy that will turn its first laps during opening practice on Friday at the Brickyard.
#36-Dave Blaney: will once again run the No. 293 chassis this weekend in the Brickyard 400. TBR purchased the chassis from Richard Childress Racing. Jeff Burton drove the chassis prior to its debut with TBR at Kentucky Speedway. At Kentucky, rain gave the team the 32nd-place starting spot after posting fast lap times in practice and qualifying. A pit stop issue and flat tire relegated Blaney to a 33rd-place finish.
#39-Ryan Newman the Brickyard 400 will be the first start for Chassis No. 39-677. The new chassis for the #39 Stewart-Haas Racing (SHR) team was wind-tunnel tested this month and will turn its first laps on track at Indianapolis Motor Speedway on Friday..
#42-Juan Pablo Montoya: will race chassis #1107 for the first time this season at Indianapolis Motor Speedway. This #42 Target Chevy chassis was tested earlier this season at the Goodyear tire test at Indianapolis Motor Speedway. The #42 Target team has made a crew chief change, naming Jim Pohlman interim crew chief heading into this weekend's Brickyard 400.
#43-A.J. Allmendinger: The #43 RPM team has prepared chassis No. 752 for this weekend's event at Indianapolis Motor Speedway. This Best Buy Ford Fusion has been run previously this season at Texas and Charlotte. This weekend will be Greg Irwin's first race as the new crew chief of the #43 Best Buy Ford driven by Allmendinger. Prior to joining Richard Petty Motorsports, Erwin held the crew chief position with the #16 team at Roush Fenway Racing.
#48-Jimmie Johnson: will pilot chassis No. 681 at Inidanapolis, a brand new chassis. Johnson finished 16th in backup chassis No. 623 at Las Vegas Motor Speedway in March.
#88-Dale Earnhardt Jr.: Crew chief Steve Letarte and the #88 team will unload Hendrick Motorsports Chassis No. 88-617. Earnhardt last raced this chassis to a seventh-place finish in the 600-mile event at Charlotte Motor Speedway in May.
#99-Carl Edwards: The #99 Scotts Ortho team will be bringing chassis RK-768 to Indy. This Ford previously raced at Kansas in June where Edwards finished fifth.
(from team PR's/sites if reported)(7-29-2011)

Tire: Goodyear Eagle Speedway Radials:

Tire: Goodyear Eagle Speedway Radials: Left-side -- 1,450; Right-side -- 1,450

Set limits: 7 sets for practice/qualifying and 10 sets for the race

Tire Codes: Left-side -- D-4472; Right-side -- D-4476

Tire Circumference: Left-side -- 87.3 in.; Right-side -- 88.4 in.

Technical Inspection Inflation:
Left Front -- 26 psi; Left Rear -- 26 psi;
Right Front -- 36 psi; Right Rear -- 36 psi

Minimum Recommended Inflation:
Left Front -- 16 psi; Left Rear -- 16 psi;
Right Front -- 37 psi; Right Rear -- 33 psi

Estimated Pit Window: Every 28-31 laps, based on fuel mileage.

Notes: While NASCAR Sprint Cup Series teams ran this same left-side tire at Indianapolis Motor Speedway last year, it is teamed with a new right-side tire . . . this right-side tire code (D-4476) features the same compound that was run at Indianapolis last year, with a slight construction change to bring it into line with what is being run at other tracks. . . this tire set-up came out of a Goodyear tire test at IMS on May 3-4 . . . teams and drivers that participated in that test were the No. 21 Wood Brothers Racing Ford with Roush-Fenway Racing driver Greg Biffle driving, No. 22 Penske Racing Dodge with Kurt Busch, No. 27 Richard Childress Racing Chevrolet with Paul Menard, No. 42 Chip Ganassi Racing Chevrolet with Juan Pablo Montoya and No. 56 Michael Waltrip Racing Toyota with Martin Truex Jr. . . . IMS is the only track at which either of these two tire codes are scheduled to be run . . . as on all NASCAR ovals greater than one mile in length, Sprint Cup teams are required to run inner liners in all four tire positions at Indianapolis . . . air pressure in those inner liners should be 12-25 psi greater than that of the outer tire.