TSport 200 (Craftsman Truck Series)
When: Friday, July 19, 8:30 p.m. ET (FS1, MRN and SiriusXM NASCAR Radio)
Where: Lucas Oil Indianapolis Raceway Park; Indianapolis, Indiana
Last Year’s Winner: Ty Majeski

The NASCAR Craftsman Truck Series kicks off the Indianapolis racing weekend with Friday night’s TSport 200 at Lucas Oil Indianapolis Raceway Park (LOIRP). All eyes will be on defending race winner Ty Majeski, who dominated last year’s event by leading 179 of 200 laps. Despite his past success, Majeski’s 2023 season has been challenging, with no wins and only five top-five finishes in 14 races.

The 0.686-mile short track will also host a crucial battle for Playoff positions. With just two races left before the Playoff field is set, several drivers find themselves in precarious positions. Defending series champion Ben Rhodes holds a slim 18-point cushion above the cut line, while Daniel Dye, Tanner Gray, and Stewart Friesen are separated by just four points as they vie for the final Playoff spots.
My Pick To Win: Christian Eckes

Pennzoil 250 (Xfinity Series)
When: Saturday, July 20, 3:30 p.m. ET (USA Network, IMS Network and SiriusXM NASCAR Radio)
Where: Indianapolis Motor Speedway; Indianapolis, Indiana
Last Year’s Winner: Kyle Busch (2019)

Saturday’s Pennzoil 250 marks the Xfinity Series’ return to the Indianapolis Motor Speedway oval. Historically, qualifying has played a crucial role in determining the winner, with seven of the last eight races won from a top-three starting position.

Justin Allgaier, the only former Indy oval winner in the field, will aim to recapture the magic of his emotional 2018 victory. “It’s great to be going back to the oval at Indianapolis,” Allgaier said. “This is such a special place. I grew up watching races here, and to be able to have the opportunity to go to Victory Lane again on the oval definitely means a lot.”

Allgaier leads the series with 11 stage wins this season but has translated that speed into just one victory so far. He’ll be looking to change that narrative in Saturday’s race.
My Pick To Win: Justin Allgaier

Brickyard 400 (Cup Series)
When: Sunday, July 21, 2:30 p.m. ET (NBC, IMS Network and SiriusXM NASCAR Radio)
Where: Indianapolis Motor Speedway; Indianapolis, Indiana
Last Year’s Winner: Kevin Harvick (2020)

The weekend culminates with Sunday’s NASCAR Cup Series race, marking the series’ return to the Indianapolis oval for the first time since 2020. This 30th anniversary running of the Brickyard 400 will also be the first time the Gen 7 car takes on the historic 2.5-mile track.

Denny Hamlin, coming off a strong second-place finish at Pocono, has his sights set on completing a career Grand Slam by adding an Indy oval victory to his impressive resume. Hamlin anticipates a challenging race, especially on restarts. “It’s going to be wild on restarts. I think you’ll have restarts very similar to Pocono, where guys are trying to fit in spots that are not there—and you’re talking about a track that is even narrower than what Pocono is,” he warned.

The race holds significant Playoff implications for drivers like Chase Briscoe and Michael McDowell. Briscoe, an Indiana native, sits 75 points below the cutoff line and likely needs a win to secure a Playoff berth. McDowell, last year’s winner on the Indianapolis road course, faces an even steeper climb at 152 points out of contention.

The return to the oval format has sparked mixed emotions among drivers, but the significance of the event is not lost on anyone. As McDowell put it, “As far as tradition and history—just the magnitude of the event—it’s different on the oval than it is on the road course.”
My Pick To Win: Joey Logano

With Playoff spots on the line and the prestige of kissing the bricks at stake, Sunday’s Cup Series race promises to be a thrilling conclusion to an action-packed weekend of NASCAR racing in Indianapolis.

Image: Mike Dinovo/ USA TODAY Sports