“It’s going to be an emotional weekend with Dale not being there and seeing Jeff back behind the wheel”.
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The NASCAR Sprint Cup Series will showcase its combination of speed and skill this weekend in the 23rd running of the Crown Royal Presents the Combat Wounded Coalition 400 at the Indianapolis Motor Speedway. He will sub in for the injured Dale Earnhardt Jr.
Gordon also acknowledged it will be unusual to race against Chase Elliott, who took over in Gordon’s familiar No. 24 auto after the 2015 season finale at Homestead.
Dillon tends to bring out the best of himself when NASCAR heads to the flat tracks. The top two points-earning drivers in each of Saturday’s two qualifying heats will be eligible to win a $100,000 bonus. But this challenge will be different for Gordon, said his teammate Jimmie Johnson.
The number of times Gordon gets to drive the No. 88 is indeterminate.
So forgive Stewart if he doesn’t get teary-eyed about his final run at the Brickyard.
Austin Dillon (176.235 mph) was seventh with the Fords of rookie Ryan Blaney (176.126 mph), Joey Logano (175.597 mph) and Chris Buescher (174.214 mph) rounding out the top 10. A Hendrick reunion one-two isn’t a bad way to go.
But even without one of NASCAR’s top drivers, IN fans will have two storied drivers to watch – Gordon’s comeback and what is supposed to be Tony Stewart’s grand finale on his home track. He is fourth in Driver Rating over the past five years at 105.3, leading 118 laps which is second only to Johnson. It’s not like the Indy 500 was a three-day show. As a No. 4 or 5 driver in DraftKings, he is a steal. It wouldn’t be surprising if Gordon uses a pit board with the Axalta logo. Tony Stewart owns the second-best average finish at Indy at 9.6.
Wouldn’t it be something, Stewart and Gordon, Gordon and Stewart, battling down the backstretch for a Brickyard victory? It’s just a very familiar place.
And NASCAR penalizes Matt Kenseth after failing a post race inspection at New Hampshire. Furthermore, he has seven top five’s and ten top ten results. He just hasn’t been able to get over the hump. “You don’t know how you are going to react to it”. Brad Keselowski ($9,800) has never won at the track in six career starts, but he has been a contender. If Harvick cannot find the speed he needs this weekend he can’t blame the auto he will be unloading.
Gordon’s public relations manager, Jon Edwards, pointed out a big mistake on his firesuit, which featured 2006, “07, 08” and ’09 as the years he won his four NASCAR Sprint Cup Series championships. Kyle Laron finished third at 183.767.
Jamie McMurray ($7,400) is another low-cost driver with a win under his belt at the Brickyard 400.
Denny Hamlin led the Best 10 Consecutive Lap Average with a speed of 177.938 miles per hour.
Fantasy NASCAR Expert Brian Polking will help you cash in on DraftKings. He is fresh off a dirt win at Eldora Wednesday night, now sets his sights on The Brickyard.
It will mark Gordon’s 798th career Sprint Cup start in a career that he believed would come to an end previous year at least in a full-time capacity. This hot-rod has accumulated his lone win, and three second place tallies.
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Don’t forget when Ricky Rudd raced with his swollen eyes taped open in the Daytona 500 or Richard Petty driving for weeks with a severe neck injury or the late Dale Earnhardt winning the pole at Watkins Glen with a broken collarbone.
