Chase Briscoe is 31st in the NASCAR Cup Series standings and only has three race left in the regular season to qualify for the playoffs by winning a race. Steven Senne/Associated Press
INDIANAPOLIS — Chase Briscoe grew up dreaming of driving into Victory Lane at Indianapolis Motor Speedway.
He needs it now.
With three races left in NASCAR’s regular season, Briscoe finds himself among a large group of drivers who are almost in a must-win situation going into the Brickyard 200 on Sunday as they try to make it into 16-driver Cup Series playoffs.
“I feel like if I’m in position, I’m definitely going to be aggressive here,” Briscoe said before Saturday’s qualifying. “I do think this weekend is probably my best opportunity to be up in the mix.”
Briscoe acknowledges he hasn’t been happy with his No. 14 Ford lately, and throughout the weekend, many drivers have complained about their speeds. Daniel Suarez won the pole ahead of defending race winner Tyler Reddick, while Briscoe qualified in 13th position.
With 12 of the top 16 in points already owning a win this season, the safest way into the playoffs is winning one of the next three races, and that’s exactly what Briscoe, who grew up about 90 miles southwest of the speedway, intends to do.
He finds himself in good company.
Chase Elliott, the 2020 Cup champion and last year’s regular-season points leader, started the weekend in 22nd place in points but will start third on Sunday. Austin Cindric, the son of longtime Team Penske president Tim Cindric, also needs help to make the cut for the second straight year. He started the weekend ranked 21st and qualified 20th.
“I think it’s a great opportunity, probably one of our best within our own control in the next three weeks,” Cindric said. “We’re not off to an exceptional start, but I would say with the strengths and our package, I would say this is probably one of the best (chances) in our control.”
Who else is trying to make it?
The soon-to-be retiring Kevin Harvick is 12th in the standings but hasn’t clinched a playoff spot because he’s winless this year. If the three-time Brickyard winner can add a fourth title to his resume, it would assure him of one more chance to earn a second Cup title.
“Indianapolis Motor Speedway has been a great place in my racing career,” Harvick said. “To come close to living out that childhood dream of winning races at the Brickyard and the success we’ve had here has been pretty special to me. It’s fun to have celebrated that I’m able to come back one last time is something I’ll enjoy.”
This week’s two biggest debates have focused on the speedway.
While many drivers have been asked whether the race should continue on the road course that has been used since 2021 or whether it should return to the track’s historic 2.5-mile oval, the answer, as usual, has been almost unanimous.
“The oval, just for the prestige, is my preference,” Denny Hamlin said. “I just think that we’re crossing over the (yard of) bricks going the wrong direction. I think once we get back going the right direction, we’ll have another big event.”
The other answer isn’t quite so clear – whether the Cup and IndyCar Series should continue racing on the same weekend in Indianapolis.
“Hopefully it’s something, whether here or somewhere else, that can continue,” former IndyCar driver and television analyst James Hinchcliffe said. “Ultimately, it’s about the fans, right? I think it’s a great opportunity for fans to get to see the two best series in North America run together. As a fan of the sport, I love this weekend.”
NEW PLAN
William Byron started the weekend second in points and with a series-high four victories. But he wasn’t happy when he learned he’d be starting from the back of the field because his car failed inspection three times. He also will start the race with a drive-thru penalty.
“It stinks, but it’s what we got,” he said. “Luckily, we have four wins and a bunch of bonus points to fall back on and we’re not under any pressure to start the race. You’re going to be out there pretty much by yourself, so it’s going to be pretty peaceful. I mean, it just feels like I’m in the lead, but I’m not.”
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