The NASCAR Cup Series tackles its third crown jewel race of the season on July 26.
The Brickyard 400 takes place at Indianapolis Motor Speedway, on the schedule for the third straight season since returning to the docket in 2024.
Carson Hocevar is on the pole, with Daniel Suarez also on the front row.
Defending race winner Bubba Wallace starts 29th.
The in-season challenge tournament concludes this weekend, with Ryan Blaney facing Todd Gilliland. Blaney starts 13th, while Gilliland will roll off in 36th.
Follow along with the Tennessean's NASCAR race updates below:
NASCAR Cup Series race at Indianapolis live updates, highlights, live leaderboard for the Brickyard 400
LIVE LEADERBOARD: Full field leaderboard of NASCAR Cup Series Brickyard 400
Lap 23: Chase Elliott also pits
Chase Elliott
pits from 24th, as he was starting to fall behind on lap times. This is a little closer to splitting the stage in half.
Lap 19: Austin Dillon pits early
Austin Dillon pits much earlier than was the plan with the time he was losing to the field. He told his team to tighten the race car no matter what.
I'd expect at least a few cars to run long, to about Lap 40 or so on a full tank, given that track position is key. Tire falloff is fairly minimal even as drivers feather the throttle to stretch their fuel.
Lap 11: Austin Dillon losing several spots
Austin Dillon just had a lap about three seconds off the pace and has lost several spots back into 31st.
"I'm (expletive) sideways!" Dillon says on the radio.
"Get these tires off as soon as possible," Dillon said later.
Lap 4: Carson Hocevar's lead is already 2.5 seconds
Carson Hocevar already has a 2.5-second lead as the field stretches out. William Byron is the biggest mover so far, up six positions to 15th from the green flag.
Lap 1: Green flag!
The Brickyard 400 is green. Carson Hocevar gets a good jump and has the lead. Daniel Suarez is second, but Tyler Reddick is ready to pounce.
Chase Elliott, Bubba Wallace, Christopher Bell among contenders starting outside top 20
It's a big day for strategy, especially for those starting toward the back of the field.
Chase Elliott, Bubba Wallace and Christopher Bell are among the possible contenders starting outside the top 20. All three will have to make some track position up on pit road as much as on the track.
Engines fired at Indy
Engines have fired at Indianapolis. 160 laps, 400 miles today.
Sunny and warm day at IMS.
Jimmie Johnson will use No. 48 number for 2027 Daytona 500
Jimmie Johnson will drive in his final Cup Series race next year at the 2027 Daytona 500, and he'll use the No. 48 number.
Rick Hendrick announced on TNT's pre-race show that Johnson will be loaned the No. 48 number he is synonymous with during the 2027 season opener. Johnson will still drive a Legacy Motor Club Toyota entry.
Alex Bowman will use another number for that race.
One more race. One more incredible moment.
— Jimmie Johnson (@JimmieJohnson) July 26, 2026
Hendrick Motorsports is loaning me the No. 48 for my final Cup Series start in the 2027 DAYTONA 500. I’m beyond grateful to Rick, @Alex_Bowman, @TeamHendrick and @AllyRacing for making this possible.
I never imagined this could… pic.twitter.com/N1hg9yaKQf
Carson Hocevar on the pole; full NASCAR Cup Series Brickyard 400 starting lineup
The top 10:
- Carson Hocevar, No. 77 Spire Motorsports Chevrolet
- Daniel Suarez, No. 7 Spire Motorsports Chevrolet
- Tyler Reddick, No. 45 23XI Racing Toyota
- Ty Gibbs, No. 54 Joe Gibbs Racing Toyota
- Denny Hamlin, No. 11 Joe Gibbs Racing Toyota
- Michael McDowell, No. 71 Spire Motorsports Chevrolet
- Corey Heim, No. 67 23XI Racing Toyota
- Alex Bowman, No. 48 Hendrick Motorsports Chevrolet
- AJ Allmendinger, No. 16 Kaulig Racing Chevrolet
- Kyle Larson, No. 5 Hendrick Motorsports Chevrolet
Find the full starting lineup here.
NASCAR race radio coverage: How to listen to NASCAR Cup race at Indianapolis
The Brickyard 400 will be aired on the radio by the IMS Radio Network. IMS Radio has affiliates all across the country, including 102.5-FM in Nashville, and their feed can also be streamed on NASCAR.com as well as the NASCAR app. The race can also be heard on SiriusXM NASCAR Radio, channel 90.
NASCAR Indianapolis TV schedule, start time
- Green Flag Time: Approx. 1:20 p.m. CT on Sunday, July 26
- Track: Indianapolis Motor Speedway (2.5-mile rectangular oval) in Speedway, Indiana
- Length: 160 laps, 400 miles
- Stages: 50 laps, 50 laps, 60 laps
- TV coverage: TNT
- Radio: IMS Radio (102.5-FM The Game in Nashville)
- Streaming: HBO MAX app for full broadcast feed and in-car cameras (subscription required); NASCAR.com and SiriusXM on Channel 90 for audio (subscription required)
The Brickyard 400 will be broadcast nationally on TNT. Other streaming options for the race include HBO MAX for the full broadcast and in-car cameras for each driver.
Recent NASCAR Cup Series Brickyard 400 winners
- 2025: Bubba Wallace
- 2024: Kyle Larson
This article originally appeared on Nashville Tennessean: NASCAR Cup Series race at Indianapolis: Live updates, highlights, leaderboard for Brickyard 400
