CUP: Gordon, Stewart Or Johnson This Time?

Sprint Cup

CUP: Gordon, Stewart Or Johnson This Time?

Collectively Jeff Gordon, Tony Stewart and Jimmie Johnson have eight victories in the Allstate 400 at the Brickyard...

Tom Jensen | Posted July 23, 2009 Speedway, IN

In the prior 15 editions of the Brickyard, Jeff Gordon, Jimmie Johnson and Tony Stewart have combined to win this race eight times. (Photo: Getty Images)

Sometimes, when putting together SPEEDtv.com’s weekly list of five drivers to watch, it’s hard to come up with clear-cut favorites. This week is not one of those times.

On Sunday, a field of 43 NASCAR Sprint Cup drivers at Indianapolis Motor Speedway will contest the 16th running of the Allstate 400 at the Brickyard, a race second in prestige only to the Daytona 500. In the prior 15 editions of the Brickyard, Jeff Gordon, Jimmie Johnson and Tony Stewart have combined to win this race eight times. In the last five years, all three drivers have won at the Brickyard, Gordon once and Stewart and Johnson twice each.

Not coincidentally Stewart, Gordon and Johnson are 1-2-3 in the NASCAR Sprint Cup points standings right now. Hmm, hmm … who should be considered the favorites this weekend?

Uh, that would our Big Three. So here we go with this week’s Five To Watch.

1. TONY STEWART, Stewart-Haas Racing You could argue that Gordon, who has four wins, ought to be at the top of the list here. But Stewart has had a magical first year as co-owner/driver of SHR and has won two of the last four Brickyard races. So that earns him the pole position this week, at least in our rankings.

Stewart, of course, is an Indiana native, so this track holds even more importance for him than it does for most racers. “It would be that much more special to win it as a team owner, too,” he said. “It's been so much fun working with this group of guys, and even if I didn't win it, if Ryan (Newman) won the race, I would have the same feeling of gratification just being a part of it and being able to help Ryan realize his dream. I think it would mean just as much to be the winning car owner for Ryan as it would be for me to win it as a driver and owner, also.”

2. JEFF GORDON, Hendrick Motorsports While not technically a Hoosier, Gordon spent his teenage years living in Indiana while he raced Midgets and Sprint Cars all over the Midwest. And he is the only four-time Allstate 400 at the Brickyard winner, having triumphed here in the first race in 1994 and again in 1998, 2001 and ’04. He’s had a great season this year and is due to win the big one again.

“The Brickyard is always special,” said Gordon. “It is just for me such an important race for us. For me and my career, I am just so thrilled and excited that I have won at the Brickyard. I still feel that way. It is still an extremely important race for us to go and compete at. I think it is still important for motorsports, important for NASCAR.”

3. JIMMIE JOHNSON, Hendrick Motorsports You want the definition of hit or miss? In his last five Brickyard appearances, the three-time defending NASCAR Sprint Cup champion has two victories. In the three he didn’t win, Johnson’s finishes were 39th, 38th and 36th, which suggests that on Sunday, he’ll either be in Victory Lane or the back of the field.

“When you pull on the track, it takes your breath and you’re trying to understand where you’re at and what you’re doing,” said Johnson. “But, when you have a chance to actually race in the event that’s there that weekend, if it’s the 500 or the Brickyard 400, it’s amazing the experience and how it changes in your mind. The track is a tricky track. Clouds blow over, it changes the track dramatically, and speed, and how the car handles. All four corners are different and technical.”

4. DENNY HAMLIN, Joe Gibbs Racing Having identified the obvious favorites, it’s time to look at a couple of dark horses. Hamlin loves flat tracks, which is why he runs well at places like Pocono, New Hampshire and Indy, where he has an excellent average finish of 11.667. That bodes well for his chances here.

5. KASEY KAHNE, Richard Petty Motorsports In five Brickyard starts, Kahne has finished second, fourth and seventh. He could be a real dark horse this time around.

So what will the keys be? Track position, as always will be critical on Sunday. But the real trick will be figuring out whether it’ll be Stewart, Gordon or Johnson in victory lane this time around.

Tom Jensen is the Editor in Chief for SPEEDtv.com, the former Executive Editor of NASCAR Scene and a contributing Editor for TruckSeries.com. He is the author of ?Cheating: The Bad Things Good NASCAR Nextel Cup Racers Do In Pursuit of SPEED,? and has appeared on television and radio shows to discuss NASCAR racing. Jensen is the past President of the National Motorsports Press Association. Jensen is the 1997 National Motorsports Press Association Writer of the Year and has won numerous national and state awards for news reporting, columns and feature writing. The Answer Man is back at SPEEDtv.com. Tom Jensen answers your questions during every race week and looks forward to hearing from you - please e-mail it to

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