Allstate 400 at the Brickyard

Who Will Win?

Gordon

Jerry Bonkowski:Tony Stewart may be defending champion in the Allstate 400 at the Brickyard, but that doesn't mean he's a lock to repeat. His struggles this season and the recent controversy he has been involved in leave Stewart looking vulnerable. Everything went his way in last year's Brickyard, but it won't this year. Jeff Gordon is the man to beat Sunday. He has won this race four times and knows that track perhaps better than any other Cup driver, Stewart included. Also don't be surprised if Kevin Harvick, Kyle Busch or Kasey Kahne (who has run fourth and second there the last two years) wins on Sunday.

Bob Margolis: Everybody says they want to win at Indy, whether it be in an Indy car or a stock car. And some drivers assert that a win at Indy would be the biggest win of their career. Just ask Tony Stewart. But one driver I've talked to really wants to win at Indy this year: Kasey Kahne. He has finished fourth and runner-up in his two attempts at the Brickyard, and last year's battle to the wire between himself and Stewart was one of the highlights of the season. This year could be a repeat performance, but with Stewart chasing Kahne instead. By the way, Kahne’s team owner Ray Evernham has told everyone in the shop if there's one race he wants to win this year, it's the Brickyard – and he's been pulling out all the stops to make it a reality. Race winner: Kasey Kahne.

Jon Baum: This should be Stewart's race to win, and one would think being at the Brickyard would allow the defending race winner to focus and stay out of trouble. And maybe he indeed will do just that. But until he shows his luck is improving and he can run a clean race, I'll stay away from the No. 20 and instead go with Gordon to win this one.

Thomas Hocker: A week has passed since Stewart picked off Bowyer and Edwards, and the Indiana native returns home for the Brickyard. Stewart has had some time to cool down, and being 10th in the standings, look for the No. 20 to mind his business this week. He's the defending champion at Indianapolis, and if he can avoid trouble and keep his temper in check, I see a repeat and thrust back toward the top of the standings.

Dan Beaver: It's hard to bet against Gordon at Indy. His four victories are head and shoulders above the rest, and he’s been a fixture in victory lane at this track by winning in the inaugural event and as recently as 2004. When he misses, it's not by much, as he has finished outside the top 10 only twice in 12 races there. In fact, in addition to the most victories among Cup drivers, he holds Indy's record for the most top-fives (seven), most top-10s (10) and most laps led (433).

Top Storyline

Stewart

Jerry Bonkowski: Stewart's win last year in the Allstate 400 at the Brickyard was one of the most emotional triumphs NASCAR has seen in a long time. It also helped propel Stewart to the top of the standings – a position he would hold for 14 of the following 15 weeks, ultimately culminating in his second Cup championship in four seasons. Stewart is in a much different situation this year. He is clinging to 10th place in the standings, has finished 25th or worse in four of his last six starts, and could conceivably miss the Chase if things don't come around. All eyes will be on the driver of the No. 20 on Sunday to see if he can add some much-needed points to his Chase quest.

Bob Margolis: For several drivers sitting on the Chase bubble, this is crunch time with no room for mistakes. Included are Greg Biffle, Carl Edwards, Kurt Busch and Denny Hamlin. Biffle and Edwards are looking like long shots for the Chase, and all four drivers need to finish in the top five to continue to have any shot. Then there is Mark Martin, who has finished in the top 10 only once in the past seven races. Martin has been good at Indy in the past and he will need a strong finish to stop his team's free-fall. By the way, what has happened to the once dominant Roush Racing organization?

Jon Baum: The winner of this race went on to win the Cup championship each season from 1998 to 2001. It happened again last year with Tony Stewart, signaling a possible start to another Brickyard Cup title streak. In other words, don't expect to see a dark horse take the checkers first on Sunday.

Thomas Hocker: With the Cup drivers off last week, it went somewhat unnoticed that racing legend Benny Parsons was diagnosed with lung cancer and will begin chemo treatment immediately. The 65-year-old Parsons is the 1973 Cup champion and a current racing analyst for NBC/TNT. He also is the radio voice of one of the best weekly radio shows, "Fast Talk with Benny Parsons." He will remain in the booth during treatments, and surely there is a collective "get well soon" from all race fans to Parsons and his family.

Dan Beaver: Tires. I had the honor of attending the 1994 Brickyard 400 as a fan, sitting at the end of the frontstretch during the inaugural race and watching those 3,500-pound stock cars roar toward the turn on four tiny tires – compared to Indy cars and their wide rubber and feather-light chassis. I swore there was no way the tires would grip. With a brand new tire compound this week that is not used on any other tracks, the drivers are wondering the same thing. NASCAR has given the teams one extra test session this week, but any tire problems that develop won't show until the intense contest of the race.

From The Source

Dave Blaney: "Going to Indianapolis is always amazing. Even though we've been going there for quite a while now, it's still such a huge event for NASCAR being at a track with that much historic significance. You can't help but feel optimistic about the weekend when you drive through the tunnel. I don't care if you're new to NASCAR or if you've been racing 100 years, you can't help but be thankful you've been given the opportunity to be there."