The NASCAR Cup Series season moves to a crown jewel event, the Brickyard 400 on July 26 at Indianapolis Motor Speedway.
The in-season challenge final also takes place at IMS, with Ryan Blaney against Todd Gilliland. Blaney has shown good speed at IMS since the series' return to the 2.5-mile track, but Gilliland has finished sixth in back-to-back Indy races.
Bubba Wallace is the defending race winner.
Here are The Tennessean's expert picks for Sunday's NASCAR Cup Series race at Indianapolis Motor Speedway:
NASCAR predictions for Indianapolis Cup Series race: Here's who wins the Brickyard 400
Mike Organ's pick: Christopher Bell, No. 20 Joe Gibbs Racing Toyota
Bell has been on the cusp of winning all season, but his wrist injury and other factors have kept him from it. He’s been second in four of the last nine races and five total. He finally
gets over the hump at Indy where his average finish is eight.
Nick Gray's pick: Chase Elliott, No. 9 Hendrick Motorsports Chevrolet
Chase Elliott has been giving up points the last six weeks, sometimes through no fault of his own. (See: North Wilkesboro.) And how is it that Elliott has never won a crown jewel race? That changes this weekend.
Tom Kreager's pick: Ryan Blaney, No. 12 Team Penske Ford
Blaney may be the only NASCAR Cup driver that can keep a Toyota from winning this year's championship. He's been fast enough to compete with Denny Hamlin in other races. This is another week to close the gap in the standings.
This article originally appeared on Nashville Tennessean: NASCAR Indianapolis predictions 2026, expert picks for Brickyard 400 Cup race
