Indianapolis Motor Speedway
Speedway, IN, USA
Track History
The Indianapolis Motor Speedway is the most famous racing facility on Earth, a 2.5-mile rectangular oval that has been the home of the Indianapolis 500 since 1911 and became part of the NASCAR Cup schedule in 1994. The Brickyard 400 was a watershed moment for the sport, a validation that stock cars belonged on the same hallowed ground as the open-wheel machines that had defined the venue for eight decades. The narrow yard of bricks at the start-finish line, all that remains of the original surface, carries a significance that no other piece of pavement in motorsport can match. The flat, angular corners and long straightaways create a racing style unlike any other oval on the schedule, where aerodynamic efficiency and horsepower matter enormously and the draft can make or break a race. The Cup Series has raced on both the oval and the road course at Indianapolis, each configuration presenting entirely different challenges. Kissing the bricks after a victory remains one of the most iconic celebrations in all of sports.
Written by Richard R. Glover, NASCAR Reference
Top Drivers at Indianapolis Motor Speedway
Kyle Busch leads all drivers at Indianapolis Motor Speedway with 6 wins across 25 starts.
All-time stats across Cup, O'Reilly & Trucks (min 3 starts)
| Driver | Races | Wins | Avg Finish |
|---|---|---|---|
| Kyle Busch | 25 | 6 | 11.3 |
| Jeff Gordon | 23 | 5 | 10 |
| Jimmie Johnson | 19 | 4 | 17.4 |
| Kevin Harvick | 24 | 3 | 7.8 |
| Tony Stewart | 18 | 2 | 9.7 |
Race Winners (1994-2026)
Indianapolis Motor Speedway has crowned 23 different Cup Series winners since 1994.
| Year | Race | Winner |
|---|---|---|
| 2026 | Brickyard 400 | Corey Heim |
| 2026 | NASCAR O'Reilly Auto Parts Series Race at Indianapolis | Carson Kvapil |
| 2025 | Brickyard 400 | Bubba Wallace |
| 2025 | NASCAR Xfinity Series at Indianapolis | Connor Zilisch |
| 2024 | NASCAR Xfinity Series at Indianapolis | Riley Herbst |
| 2024 | Brickyard 400 | Kyle Larson |
| 2020 | Big Machine Hand Sanitizer 400 powered by Big Machine Records | Kevin Harvick |
| 2019 | NASCAR XFINITY SERIES AT THE BRICKYARD | Kyle Busch |
| 2019 | Big Machine Vodka 400 at the Brickyard | Kevin Harvick |
| 2018 | Big Machine Vodka 400 at the Brickyard | Brad Keselowski |
| 2017 | NASCAR XFINITY SERIES AT THE BRICKYARD | William Byron |
| 2017 | Brantley Gilbert Big Machine Brickyard 400 | Kasey Kahne |
| 2016 | NASCAR SPRINT CUP SERIES AT THE BRICKYARD | Kyle Busch |
| 2016 | NASCAR XFINITY SERIES AT THE BRICKYARD | Kyle Busch |
| 2015 | NASCAR SPRINT CUP SERIES AT THE BRICKYARD | Kyle Busch |
| 2015 | NASCAR XFINITY SERIES AT THE BRICKYARD | Kyle Busch |
| 2014 | NASCAR Nationwide Series at the Brickyard | Ty Dillon |
| 2014 | Brickyard 400 | Jeff Gordon |
| 2013 | NASCAR Nationwide Series at the Brickyard | Kyle Busch |
| 2013 | Brickyard 400 | Ryan Newman |
| 2012 | NASCAR Nationwide Series at the Brickyard | Brad Keselowski |
| 2012 | Brickyard 400 | Jimmie Johnson |
| 2011 | Brickyard 400 | Paul Menard |
| 2010 | Brickyard 400 pres. by Golden Corral | Jamie McMurray |
| 2009 | Brickyard 400 pres. by Golden Corral | Jimmie Johnson |
| 2008 | Allstate 400 at the Brickyard | Jimmie Johnson |
| 2007 | Allstate 400 at the Brickyard | Tony Stewart |
| 2006 | Allstate 400 at the Brickyard | Jimmie Johnson |
| 2005 | Allstate 400 at the Brickyard | Tony Stewart |
| 2004 | Brickyard 400 | Jeff Gordon |
| 2003 | Brickyard 400 | Kevin Harvick |
| 2002 | Brickyard 400 | Bill Elliott |
| 2001 | Brickyard 400 | Jeff Gordon |
| 2000 | Brickyard 400 | Bobby Labonte |
| 1999 | Brickyard 400 | Dale Jarrett |
| 1998 | Brickyard 400 | Jeff Gordon |
| 1997 | Brickyard 400 | Ricky Rudd |
| 1996 | Brickyard 400 | Dale Jarrett |
| 1995 | Brickyard 400 | Dale Earnhardt |
| 1994 | Brickyard 400 | Jeff Gordon |
Race Dynamics
Intermediate tracks reward balanced setups and consistent speed over long runs. Track position and pit strategy are crucial. Drivers with strong average running positions at similar 1.5-mile tracks tend to be the most consistent performers.
Top Rated Drivers at Indianapolis Motor Speedway
Top-rated drivers at Indianapolis Motor Speedway based on the NR-Rating Elo system, measuring historical performance at this specific track.
NR-Rating Elo rankings based on track-specific performance
| Rank | Driver | Elo Rating | Races |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Denny Hamlin | 1679 | 745 |
| 2 | Chase Briscoe | 1605 | 204 |
| 3 | Chris Buescher | 1579 | 389 |
| 4 | Ryan Blaney | 1568 | 402 |
| 5 | Chase Elliott | 1560 | 382 |
| 6 | Christopher Bell | 1559 | 240 |
| 7 | William Byron | 1555 | 312 |
| 8 | Tyler Reddick | 1544 | 242 |
| 9 | Bubba Wallace | 1544 | 315 |
| 10 | Daniel Suarez | 1526 | 347 |
Similar Tracks
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