2010 Brickyard 400 Predictions – Betting Preview + Picks + Odds
Preview: NASCAR drivers will tell you that racing at Indianapolis Motor Speedway, home of the Indy 500, is second only in excitement and prestige to NASCAR’s own Daytona 500. It once seemed unthinkable that stock cars would compete on the track renowned for open-wheel racing, but NASCAR debuted on this flat 2.5-mile track back in 1994.
Race: The Brickyard 400 at Indianapolis Motor Speedway
Date: Sunday, July 25, 2010
Time: 1:19 PM EST (scheduled green flag)
TV: 1:00 PM EST on ESPN
With just one Cup race a year at IMS since then, there are now 16 Brickyard races in the books – of those, 11 have been won by Chevy drivers, three by Fords, and one each by Dodge and Pontiac; Toyota has never been to Victory Lane in this event.
Qualifying for Sunday’s race takes place Saturday morning.
Safe Bets:
1. Jimmie Johnson (2/1): 2-to-1 might be the lowest odds I’ve seen for a driver in any race this season, but it’s understandable in this case. Johnson ‘flat’ knows how to get around this track, pun intended. He’s won two straight and three of the last four Brickyard races. Jimmie has had a couple of bad finishes here, finishing 35th or worse in three of his eight starts.
The question Sunday will be whether Johnson can avoid mishaps during the race. He ran second and fifth in Friday’s two practice sessions.
2. Juan Pablo Montoya (12/1): I’m going out on a limb a bit with this pick, as Montoya is not as much of an odds-on favorite as, say, Jeff Gordon or a Tony Stewart, and he’s never won an oval race in NASCAR Cup. But JPM paced both practice sessions Friday and, of course, has plenty of open-wheel seat time here including a rookie win in the 2000 Indy 500.
In three Brickyard starts, Montoya has finishes of 2nd and 11th with one DNF.
Dark Horse:
1. Ryan Newman (25/1): Newman is an Indiana native and would love nothing more than to win in front of his hometown fans. He was 18th in first practice Friday, but moved up to 7th in second practice.
Ryan’s best finish at the Brickyard was a 4th in 2002; he ran 14th here last year. Newman said, “The speedway means so much to me personally, just because it’s the speedway and all the history of auto racing here. 
It’s really special. I’m just happy to be back with friends and family and at a great race track and doing our best to win what I think is the second biggest race of the year.”
Summary: Indy is described by drivers as a technical track where passing is at a premium. The crew chiefs will play an important role, not only in helping cars role through corner, but in calculating fuel mileage as the race winds down.
Race: The Brickyard 400 at Indianapolis Motor Speedway
Date: Sunday, July 25, 2010
Odds to win 2010 Brickyard 400 Nascar Race
Jimmie Johnson 7/2
Denny Hamlin 8/1
Jeff Gordon 8/1
Kyle Busch 8/1
Tony Stewart 10/1
Juan Pablo Montoya 10/1
Kevin Harvick 12/1
Kurt Busch 12/1
Jeff Burton 15/1
Clint Bowyer 20/1
Kasey Kahne 20/1
Matt Kenseth 25/1
Carl Edwards 25/1
Greg Biffle 25/1
Jamie McMurray 30/1
David Reutimann 30/1
Mark Martin 30/1
Joey Logano 35/1
Martin Truex Jr 35/1
Ryan Newman 40/1
Dale Earnhardt Jr 40/1
AJ Allmendinger 75/1
Travis Kvapil 100/1
Bobby Labonte 100/1
Scott Speed 100/1
Paul Menard 100/1
Regan Smith 100/1
Elliott Sadler 100/1
Sam Hornish Jr 100/1
Marcos Ambrose 100/1
David Ragan 100/1
Reed Sorenson 100/1
Brad Keselowski 100/1
Field (Any Other Driver) 100/1
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Becca Gladden is a freelance writer and race handicapper specializing in NASCAR.
