The Sports Lowdown For All Your News and OpinionsThe big news this weekend, was that it was Tony Stewart’s last ever Brickyard 400. The Indiana boy took part in his final race at Indianapolis Raceway, aiming to win his 50th NASCAR race. He won here in 2005 and 2007 and was looking to do so again. Last year, the winner of the Brickyard 400 went on to win the Sprint Cup, as Kyle Busch did that particular double in 2015.
He came into this one in 6th place in the standings after winning three times this season, including back to back wins in Martinsville and Texas. He was 80 points behind the Sprint Cup standings leader, Kevin Harvick. Harvick led the standings despite only having won once this year, with that coming in Race 4 in Phoenix. Brad Keselowski and Kurt Busch were his closest challengers. They were the only three to have amassed over 600 points so far in 2016.
Friday’s first practice session saw Jimmie Johnson top the standings with a 48.864 lap time, more than four tenths quicker than anybody else. Denny Hamlin and Casey Mears were the only other drivers to go under the 50 second mark in first practice. Kyle Busch span his car in the morning session after slight contact with Patrick Carpentier in Turn 2. He then went fastest in the second session. He beat Johnson’s time, posting a 48.749. Only Kevin Harvick also beat JJ’s time in the second session.
Saturday saw the qualifying session for the Brickyard 400, with a familiar face taking the pole position for Sunday’s race. Kyle Busch took pole by .023 seconds from his teammate, Carl Edwards. Denny Hamlin qualified 4th to make it three cars in the top four for Joe Gibbs Racing. In his last race at the Indianapolis Motor Speedway, Tony Stewart qualified 3rd to give himself a great shot at a 50th NASCAR Sprint Cup victory.
It would be that man again who would win the race. Kyle Busch went on to win the race form pole position, and after doing the same in the XFINITY Series 250, he became the first man to sweep the poles and race victories in both national series in the same weekend. He withstood challenges from four restarts in the final 18 laps in what was a prolonged race of 425 miles instead of 400. He becomes the second man to win back-to-back Sprint Cup Races at Indianapolis, with only Jimmie Johnson also doing the same (2008-2009).
Johnson would finish 3rd in the 2016 race, with Matt Kenseth following Busch home for a Joe Gibbs Racing 1-2 finish. Denny Hamlin qualified 4th, and finished the race in 4th, with Kyle Larson in 5th. In what is possibly the final time Tony Stewart (11th) and Jeff Gordon (13th), filling in for Dale Earnhardt Jr., would race together, the two drove round one more time side-by-side.
Kevin Harvick still leads the standings with 671 points, having finished in the top 20 in every race he has reached the chequered flag this season. With four victories, Brad Keselowski (647) sits in 2nd place in the standings, 24 points behind. Kurt Busch (627) is a further twenty points behind, with Joey Logano (606) and Kyle Busch (601) the only men over the 600 point mark. Carl Edwards (593), Martin Truex Jr (573), Jimmie Johnson (552), Matt Kenseth (545) and Denny Hamlin (542) round out the top ten.
Next weekend sees the NASCAR circus move to Pocono Raceway for the Pennsylvania 400.
