NASCAR: 5 Drivers Most Likely To Win At Indianapolis

Which NASCAR Cup driver will celebrate in Victory Lane at Indy? Will a veteran driver add another win to their 2017 resume?

NASCAR is rolling into the Indianapolis Motor Speedway this week and although everyone is engulfed in Silly Season talk, we must remember there is a race happening. There are still many winless drivers who are trying to secure a spot in the playoffs.

With only seven races left before the playoffs get underway, many drivers are still hoping to secure a spot. A total of 12 drivers have won a race this season with 11 of the 12 having locked up playoff sports, and five drivers have won multiple races.

As we head to Indianapolis, I have to not only acknowledge that this may be Dale Earnhardt Jr.’s last opportunity to win at the Brickyard, but which drivers are likely to take home the checkered flag. Below are the five drivers that I would bet on.

Jimmie Johnson

This guy will almost always make any list when it comes to winning. Johnson is a four-time winner at the Brickyard. He is one win shy of being the all-time wins leader at Indy in the Cup series, a record held by his former teammate, Jeff Gordon. Johnson’s first win at the Brickyard was 11 years ago in 2006. His most recent win was in 2012. Johnson has 3 wins so far this season.

Ryan Newman

Newman’s lone win this year was in Phoenix, the 4th race of the season way back in March. Since then, he has raced alrtigh. He has six top 10 finishes and three top 5 finishes this season. The 16-year veteran’s only win at the Brickyard was in 2013. You are probably scratching your head wondering why Newman is on this list. It is simple. The guy is from Indiana, and betting on a hometown guy is always safe.

Kyle Busch (My Pick)

Rowdy is a two-time winner at Indy in the Monster Energy Cup Series and a three-time winner in the Xfinity Series. He has not won a race this season, but he almost won in New Hampshire and might have had it not been for two speeding penalties on pit road. Busch has had a rough year so far thanks to continued lug nut violations, but I think all the adversity has him primed to drive into the winners’ circle at the Brickyard 400.

Kyle Larson (My Dark Horse)

Larson may not admit it, but there is a good chance he is mad at NASCAR. One week he was docked 35 points for rules violations, and the following week, he was stripped of the pole for more rules violation before a race during which he still drove the wheels off his car and came in 2nd place. Larson has so many 2nd place finishes this season that I stopped counting. What I know for sure is that he has won two races this season, has 12 top 10 finishes, nine top 5 finishes (all top 2’s), has sat on five poles and will more than likely win another one, two or three races before we get to Las Vegas for NASCAR’s Champion week.

Kevin Harvick

It has been 14 years since Harvick drove into Victory Lane at the Brickyard. Aside from Johnson, Busch, Newman, Paul Menard and Jamie McMurray, Harvick is the only active full-time Cup driver with a win at Indy. He only has one win this year, but he has 12 top 10 finishes, seven top 5 finishes, and three poles. Sure, there may be a few drivers with similar stats, but there is no other driver that has the moxie that Happy Harvick has to drive into Victory Lane.

Next: Kyle Busch: How Will People Remember His NASCAR Career?

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NASCAR: Five Drivers Most Likely To Win at Indianapolis

By T. Walker | Jul 21, 2017