The final NASCAR Cup Series broadcast on TNT in 2026 spent much of the afternoon emphasizing what a victory at Indianapolis means to the drivers.
Fans can debate whether the Brickyard 400 deserves to be called a crown jewel, but there is no questioning how highly the race is regarded inside the garage. Every driver wants to kiss the bricks.
Just ask Denny Hamlin.
The Brickyard remains one of the few major races Hamlin has never won, and it is clearly a box he wants to check before his career comes to an end.
That sense of urgency carried into Sunday’s race, as teams tried several different strategies to put themselves in position for the final run.
After winning the opening stage, Ty Gibbs led the field to the green flag to begin the final stage, with Hamlin alongside him. Corey Heim, however, appeared to be in one of the strongest positions following another quick stop from the No. 67 team.
With 50 laps remaining, every contender still needed to make one final pit stop. The next green-flag cycle appeared likely to decide the race.
It never arrived.
The fourth caution of the afternoon came out for debris on the frontstretch, sending the leaders down pit road. Heim beat Hamlin off pit road and took control of the race as he chased his second career Cup Series victory.
Heim led the field back to green with 43 laps remaining, but Hamlin powered ahead entering Turn 1. Behind them, the field stacked up, triggering a chain-reaction crash when John Hunter Nemechek turned Ryan Blaney and collected Riley Herbst.
The caution also helped teams stretch their fuel windows closer to the finish.
Hamlin brought the field back to green on Lap 127, but Heim nailed the restart and cleared him entering Turn 1. Christopher Bell, Joey Logano and Chase Briscoe also slipped past Hamlin, dropping him to fifth.
From there, the race became a three-car battle.
Heim led Bell by roughly half a second with 25 laps remaining, but the No. 67 began reporting a loose condition. Bell slowly closed the gap while Logano continued clicking off some of the fastest laps on the track.
With 10 laps remaining, all three drivers were separated by less than one second.
Bell pulled within two-tenths of Heim but struggled to get any closer. Logano remained within striking distance until Heim made his first major mistake with three laps to go, missing the entry to Turn 1 and allowing Bell to reach his rear bumper.
Bell drafted Heim down the frontstretch with two laps remaining and made a move entering Turn 1. Heim held him off, and Bell slid up the track, losing momentum and allowing Logano to close.
Heim took the white flag needing four perfect corners.
He delivered all four.
Corey Heim won the Brickyard 400, becoming a NASCAR crown jewel winner despite competing on a part-time schedule.
The victory was Heim’s second in only 15 career Cup Series starts, making him the fastest driver in NASCAR’s Modern Era to record his first two Cup victories. He reached the milestone quicker than future champions Jimmie Johnson, Kevin Harvick and Tony Stewart.
The win also gave 23XI Racing its second consecutive Brickyard 400 triumph. Heim became the second-youngest winner in the race’s history, trailing only Jeff Gordon, who also earned his second career Cup victory in the inaugural Brickyard 400.
Heading into today’s finale of the In-Season Challenge, all eyes were on Ryan Blaney as he was the clear favorite heading into the battle against Todd Gilliland. Blaney ran better than Gilliland for much of the race. However, on Lap 120, a caution occurred that flipped the Champions Round of the In-Season Challenge on its head. After a stacked-up restart, Ryan Blaney got turned by John Hunter Nemechek. This sent the 12 into the wall and Blaney received major damage in the incident. This included a bent wheel as Blaney reported that the car was pulling to the right. This put the advantage to win the In-Season Challenge in No 25 seed, Todd Gilliland’s hands.
Despite Blaney’s damage, the race wasn’t over yet. With 10 laps to go, Todd Gilliland found himself running 24th. Ryan Blaney wasn’t too far back in 26th. He was desperately trying to run him down to win the Million-Dollar Prize. In the end, with the racing conditions being what they were and the car’s inability to pass, Todd Gilliland went on to finish 24th over Blaney’s 26th, winning the Million-Dollar In-Season Challenge.
Stay close to the on-track action this weekend and every weekend by following our Race Weekend Dashboard for everything you need to know before, during, and after the race. Share your thoughts by joining the discussion on Discord or X, and follow us on Instagram, Facebook, and YouTube for further updates.
