The 2020 Brickyard 400, branded as Big Machine Hand Sanitizer 400 Powered by Big Machine Records, is a NASCAR Cup Series race that was held on July 5, 2020 at Indianapolis Motor Speedway in Speedway, Indiana. It is the 27th running of the Brickyard 400. Contested over 161 laps—extended from 160 laps due to an overtime finish, on the 2.5-mile (4.0 km) speedway, it was the 16th race of the 2020 NASCAR Cup Series season.
| Race details[1][2][3][4][5][6] | |||
|---|---|---|---|
| Race 16 of 36 in the 2020 NASCAR Cup Series | |||
 2020 Brickyard 400 program cover | |||
| Date | July 5, 2020 | ||
| Location | Indianapolis Motor Speedway in Speedway, Indiana | ||
| Course |
Permanent racing facility 2.5 mi (4 km) | ||
| Distance | 161 laps, 402.5 mi (644 km) | ||
| Scheduled Distance | 160 laps, 400 mi (640 km) | ||
| Average speed | 123.162 miles per hour (198.210 km/h) | ||
| Pole position | |||
| Driver | Team Penske | ||
| Grid positions set by ballot | |||
| Most laps led | |||
| Driver | Kevin Harvick | Stewart-Haas Racing | |
| Laps | 68 | ||
| Winner | |||
| No. 4 | Kevin Harvick | Stewart-Haas Racing | |
| Television in the United States | |||
| Network | NBC | ||
| Announcers | Rick Allen, Jeff Burton, Steve Letarte and Dale Earnhardt Jr. | ||
| Nielsen Ratings | 4.343 million[7] | ||
| Radio in the United States | |||
| Radio | IndyCar Radio Network | ||
| Booth Announcers | Doug Rice, Pat Patterson and Jeff Hammond | ||
| Turn Announcers | Mark Jaynes (1), Nick Yeoman (2), Jake Query (3) and Chris Denari (4) | ||
The race was originally branded as the Big Machine Vodka 400 Powered by Florida Georgia Line, but was renamed due to Big Machine producing hand sanitizer in response to the COVID-19 Pandemic.[8]
This was the first NASCAR race without 4-time Brickyard 400 winner Jimmie Johnson since the 2001 New Hampshire 300.
Report
editBackground
editThe Indianapolis Motor Speedway, located in Speedway, Indiana, (an enclave suburb of Indianapolis) in the United States, is the home of the Indianapolis 500 and the Brickyard 400. It is located on the corner of 16th Street and Georgetown Road, approximately six miles (10 km) west of Downtown Indianapolis.
Constructed in 1909, it is the original speedway, the first racing facility so named. It has a permanent seating capacity estimated at 235,000 with infield seating raising capacity to an approximate 400,000. It is the highest-capacity sports venue in the world.
Considered relatively flat by American standards, the track is a 2.5-mile (4.0 km), nearly rectangular oval with dimensions that have remained essentially unchanged since its inception: four 0.25-mile (0.40 km) turns, two 0.625-mile long (1.006 km) straightaways between the fourth and first turns and the second and third turns, and two .125-mile (0.201 km) short straightaways – termed "short chutes" – between the first and second, and third and fourth turns.
Due to postponements stemming from the COVID-19 pandemic, the 2020 edition of the Brickyard 400 became part of a double-header weekend, as the IndyCar Series moved their GMR Grand Prix to July 4, the day before 400.[9] However, all races during the weekend were run with no fans in attendance.
In the lead up to the race, multi-time winner Jimmie Johnson announced he had tested positive for COVID-19 and was forced to withdraw. Justin Allgaier replaced Johnson for the weekend.[10]
Entry list
edit- (R) denotes rookie driver.
- (i) denotes driver who are ineligible for series driver points.
- Allgaier replaced Jimmie Johnson after Johnson tested positive for COVID-19.
Qualifying
editJoey Logano was awarded the pole for the race as determined by a random draw.
Starting Lineup
editRace
editStage Results
editStage One Laps: 50
| Pos | No | Driver | Team | Manufacturer | Points |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | 24 | William Byron | Hendrick Motorsports | Chevrolet | 10 |
| 2 | 20 | Erik Jones | Joe Gibbs Racing | Toyota | 9 |
| 3 | 3 | Austin Dillon | Richard Childress Racing | Chevrolet | 8 |
| 4 | 9 | Chase Elliott | Hendrick Motorsports | Chevrolet | 7 |
| 5 | 4 | Kevin Harvick | Stewart-Haas Racing | Ford | 6 |
| 6 | 11 | Denny Hamlin | Joe Gibbs Racing | Toyota | 5 |
| 7 | 21 | Matt DiBenedetto | Wood Brothers Racing | Ford | 4 |
| 8 | 18 | Kyle Busch | Joe Gibbs Racing | Toyota | 3 |
| 9 | 2 | Brad Keselowski | Team Penske | Ford | 2 |
| 10 | 14 | Clint Bowyer | Stewart-Haas Racing | Ford | 1 |
| Official stage one results | |||||
Stage Two Laps: 50
| Pos | No | Driver | Team | Manufacturer | Points |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | 4 | Kevin Harvick | Stewart-Haas Racing | Ford | 10 |
| 2 | 9 | Chase Elliott | Hendrick Motorsports | Chevrolet | 9 |
| 3 | 11 | Denny Hamlin | Joe Gibbs Racing | Toyota | 8 |
| 4 | 21 | Matt DiBenedetto | Wood Brothers Racing | Ford | 7 |
| 5 | 3 | Austin Dillon | Richard Childress Racing | Chevrolet | 6 |
| 6 | 42 | Matt Kenseth | Chip Ganassi Racing | Chevrolet | 5 |
| 7 | 18 | Kyle Busch | Joe Gibbs Racing | Toyota | 4 |
| 8 | 1 | Kurt Busch | Chip Ganassi Racing | Chevrolet | 3 |
| 9 | 95 | Christopher Bell (R) | Leavine Family Racing | Toyota | 2 |
| 10 | 14 | Clint Bowyer | Stewart-Haas Racing | Ford | 1 |
| Official stage two results | |||||
Final Stage Results
editStage Three Laps: 60
| Pos | Grid | No | Driver | Team | Manufacturer | Laps | Points |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | 11 | 4 | Kevin Harvick | Stewart-Haas Racing | Ford | 161 | 56 |
| 2 | 21 | 42 | Matt Kenseth | Chip Ganassi Racing | Chevrolet | 161 | 40 |
| 3 | 5 | 10 | Aric Almirola | Stewart-Haas Racing | Ford | 161 | 34 |
| 4 | 9 | 2 | Brad Keselowski | Team Penske | Ford | 161 | 35 |
| 5 | 30 | 41 | Cole Custer (R) | Stewart-Haas Racing | Ford | 161 | 32 |
| 6 | 7 | 18 | Kyle Busch | Joe Gibbs Racing | Toyota | 161 | 38 |
| 7 | 27 | 34 | Michael McDowell | Front Row Motorsports | Ford | 161 | 30 |
| 8 | 13 | 8 | Tyler Reddick (R) | Richard Childress Racing | Chevrolet | 161 | 29 |
| 9 | 17 | 43 | Bubba Wallace | Richard Petty Motorsports | Chevrolet | 161 | 28 |
| 10 | 1 | 22 | Joey Logano | Team Penske | Ford | 161 | 27 |
| 11 | 10 | 9 | Chase Elliott | Hendrick Motorsports | Chevrolet | 161 | 42 |
| 12 | 35 | 95 | Christopher Bell (R) | Leavine Family Racing | Toyota | 161 | 27 |
| 13 | 2 | 1 | Kurt Busch | Chip Ganassi Racing | Chevrolet | 161 | 27 |
| 14 | 29 | 13 | Ty Dillon | Germain Racing | Chevrolet | 161 | 23 |
| 15 | 19 | 38 | John Hunter Nemechek (R) | Front Row Motorsports | Ford | 161 | 22 |
| 16 | 22 | 14 | Clint Bowyer | Stewart-Haas Racing | Ford | 161 | 23 |
| 17 | 32 | 77 | Ross Chastain (i) | Spire Motorsports | Chevrolet | 161 | 0 |
| 18 | 16 | 3 | Austin Dillon | Richard Childress Racing | Chevrolet | 161 | 33 |
| 19 | 15 | 21 | Matt DiBenedetto | Wood Brothers Racing | Ford | 161 | 29 |
| 20 | 37 | 96 | Daniel Suárez | Gaunt Brothers Racing | Toyota | 160 | 17 |
| 21 | 34 | 27 | J. J. Yeley (i) | Rick Ware Racing | Ford | 160 | 0 |
| 22 | 40 | 78 | B. J. McLeod (i) | B. J. McLeod Motorsports | Chevrolet | 160 | 0 |
| 23 | 33 | 00 | Quin Houff (R) | StarCom Racing | Chevrolet | 159 | 14 |
| 24 | 28 | 53 | Garrett Smithley (i) | Rick Ware Racing | Chevrolet | 159 | 0 |
| 25 | 39 | 7 | Josh Bilicki (i) | Tommy Baldwin Racing | Chevrolet | 158 | 0 |
| 26 | 25 | 51 | Joey Gase (i) | Petty Ware Racing | Ford | 157 | 0 |
| 27 | 18 | 24 | William Byron | Hendrick Motorsports | Chevrolet | 156 | 20 |
| 28 | 6 | 11 | Denny Hamlin | Joe Gibbs Racing | Toyota | 153 | 22 |
| 29 | 38 | 66 | Timmy Hill (i) | MBM Motorsports | Toyota | 153 | 0 |
| 30 | 3 | 88 | Alex Bowman | Hendrick Motorsports | Chevrolet | 132 | 7 |
| 31 | 20 | 17 | Chris Buescher | Roush Fenway Racing | Ford | 99 | 6 |
| 32 | 12 | 12 | Ryan Blaney | Team Penske | Ford | 96 | 5 |
| 33 | 23 | 20 | Erik Jones | Joe Gibbs Racing | Toyota | 73 | 13 |
| 34 | 14 | 6 | Ryan Newman | Roush Fenway Racing | Ford | 60 | 3 |
| 35 | 26 | 15 | Brennan Poole (R) | Premium Motorsports | Chevrolet | 24 | 2 |
| 36 | 24 | 47 | Ricky Stenhouse Jr. | JTG Daugherty Racing | Chevrolet | 20 | 1 |
| 37 | 4 | 48 | Justin Allgaier (i) | Hendrick Motorsports | Chevrolet | 17 | 0 |
| 38 | 8 | 19 | Martin Truex Jr. | Joe Gibbs Racing | Toyota | 16 | 1 |
| 39 | 31 | 32 | Corey LaJoie | Go Fas Racing | Ford | 15 | 1 |
| 40 | 36 | 37 | Ryan Preece | JTG Daugherty Racing | Chevrolet | 14 | 1 |
| Official race results | |||||||
Race statistics
edit- Lead changes: 11 among 9 different drivers
- Cautions/Laps: 9 for 43
- Red flags: 1 for 11 minutes and 17 seconds
- Time of race: 3 hours, 16 minutes and 5 seconds
- Average speed: 123.162 miles per hour (198.210 km/h)
Media
editTelevision
editNBC Sports covered the race on the television side. Rick Allen, Jeff Burton, Steve Letarte and Dale Earnhardt Jr. covered the race from the booth at Charlotte Motor Speedway. Marty Snider and Kelli Stavast handled the pit road duties on site. Rutledge Wood handled the features from the track.
| NBC | ||
|---|---|---|
| Booth announcers | Pit reporters | Features reporter |
| Lap-by-lap: Rick Allen Color-commentator: Jeff Burton Color-commentator: Steve Letarte Color-commentator: Dale Earnhardt Jr. |
Marty Snider Kelli Stavast |
Rutledge Wood |
Radio
editIndianapolis Motor Speedway Radio Network and the Performance Racing Network jointly co-produced the radio broadcast for the race, which was simulcast on Sirius XM NASCAR Radio, and aired on IMS or PRN stations, depending on contractual obligations. The lead announcers and two pit reporters were PRN staff, while the turns announcers and one pit reporter were from IMS.
| PRN/IMS Radio | ||
|---|---|---|
| Booth announcers | Turn announcers | Pit reporters |
| Lead announcer: Doug Rice Announcer: Pat Patterson Announcer: Jeff Hammond |
Turn 1: Mark Jaynes Turn 2: Nick Yeoman Turn 3: Jake Query Turn 4: Chris Denari |
Brad Gillie Brett McMillan Michael Young |
Standings after the race
edit
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References
edit- ^ "2020 schedule". Jayski.com. Jayski's Silly Season Site. January 17, 2020. Retrieved June 11, 2020.
- ^ "Indianapolis Motor Speedway". NASCAR.com. NASCAR Media Group, LLC. January 3, 2013. Archived from the original on July 17, 2015. Retrieved June 11, 2020.
- ^ "Entry List" (PDF). Jayski.com. Jayski's Silly Season Site. June 30, 2020. Retrieved June 30, 2020.
- ^ "Starting Lineup". NASCAR.com. NASCAR Media Group, LLC. July 2, 2020. Retrieved July 2, 2020.
- ^ "Brickyard 400 Results". NASCAR.com. NASCAR Media Group, LLC. July 5, 2020. Retrieved July 5, 2020.
- ^ "Points standings" (PDF). Jayski.com. Jayski's Silly Season Site. July 5, 2020. Retrieved July 5, 2020.
- ^ "Brickyard 400 ratings". ShowBuzzDaily. Mitch Metcalf. Archived from the original on July 8, 2020. Retrieved July 8, 2020.
- ^ Horrall, Zak (June 24, 2020). "Big Machine Answers Need, Helps Public during Pandemic with New Hand Sanitizer Product". Indianapolis Motor Speedway. Retrieved 21 August 2024.
- ^ Malsher, David (June 30, 2020). "Daly, Pagenaud: IndyCar, NASCAR double-header at IMS is "awesome"". Motorsport.com. Motorsport Network. Retrieved July 3, 2020.
- ^ Utter, Jim (July 3, 2020). "Jimmie Johnson tests positive for COVID-19, to miss Brickyard 400". Motorsport.com. Motorsport Network. Retrieved July 3, 2020.