Gifts for NASCAR Fans
Arguably, NASCAR has four crown jewel races. I say arguably because there is a debate as to whether or not the Brickyard 400 at the famed Indianapolis Motor Speedway deserves to be on that list. In the past, the racing product hasn’t been great. From 2021 to 2023, the race didn’t even take place on the big Brickyard oval; instead, it was run on the infield road course. But, in 2024, NASCAR brought it back with a bunch of pomp and circumstance. Veteran drivers such as Denny Hamlin has stated that one of the races he wants to win the most before he ends his career is the Brickyard 400. For drivers, it’s hollowed ground. Everyone in the garage holds it at the highest regards. For that reason, we’re going to count it as a crown jewel race today.
Today, July 27, 2025, the NASCAR Cup Series took to the famed Indianapolis Motor Speedway for the annual Brickyard 400. Did Hamlin capture the big one today? Was Ty Dillon able to continue his unlikely Cinderella story and win the million-dollar prize? Or was someone able to nab their first win at the Brickyard? Let’s break it down. Here’s everything that happened in the 2025 running of the Brickyard 400.
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The race restarted with Kyle Larson and Denny Hamlin on the front row. Larson took the lead, hoping to rebound after the disastrous Month of May he had at the track earlier in the year. Josh Berry started the round of green flag pit stops on Lap 117. Joey Logano became the new leader of drivers who were definitely good to go on fuel. However, a tire failure spoiled his chances to win The Captain his second Brickyard 400.
After Justin Haley and Brad Keselowski pitted, Bubba Wallace took over the race lead with Kyle Larson behind him. At 10 to go, Bubba had a four-and-a-half-second advantage over the Hendrick No. 5. Larson was gaining little by little as Wallace tried to save as much fuel as he could. Exactly what the No. 23 didn’t want to happen happened with six laps to go. The caution came out for reported rain in Turn 1. Coming to 3 laps to go, the race was red-flagged with Bubba Wallace leading and Larson in second.
NASCAR quickly started drying the track. The rains stopped and NASCAR gave the word to refire engines. We were looking at an overtime finish. On the first overtime restart, Wallace cleared Larson but Larson fought back. But before the field could take the white flag, a caution broke out for a crash involving Tyler Reddick and Zane Smith. They lined up again and restarted for the final time. Bubba got a great jump and cleared Larson heading into the first turn. As they cycled through turns 2, 3, and 4, Bubba stretched his lead. At the end of the day, the 23 team had just enough gas to make it to the finish.
With this win, Bubba Wallace locks himself into the NASCAR Playoffs. It was his first win in 100 starts and his first of 2025.
Pole winner Chase Briscoe dominated the opening stage. He led 29 of the opening 50 laps. The only laps he did not lead were during green flag pit stops. He went on to win the stage, scoring 10 stage points and 1 very valuable playoff point. Finishing behind him was his Toyota teammate, Bubba Wallace, who needed to collect all the points he could to stay above the playoff cutline. Kyle Busch, who entered today’s race 39 out, was in a similar boat. He finished the stage in 6th.
A plethora of drivers were on different strategies in Stage 2. While Chase Briscoe led a majority of the stage, the Penske Fords were doing things a bit differently. After a late-race caution, which saw Erik Jones hit the outside wall hard after a tire failure, Briscoe brought the leaders down pit road, shuffling up the running order once more. Ryan Blaney assumed the race lead as the laps in the second stage started to wind down. The race restarted, and Blaney and Larson battled. But, in the end, it was the No. 12 Penske Ford who was able to hold on and win the second stage.
Though he only led one lap, Denny Hamlin clocked the Xfinity Fastest Lap as his driver, Bubba Wallace, won the race. With this, he is awarded one additional bonus point. His time was 49.74.
The following are the unofficial results from the 2025 Brickyard 400. We will update this list once post-race inspection is completed and the results become official.
UPDATE: Post-race inspection is complete. It was all clear. The results are now official. The Nos. 17 and 20 cars will be taken to the NASCAR R&D center for further inspection.
The following drivers have all clinched playoff berths by winning this season.
These drivers are currently in the postseason on points.
The following drivers are currently on the outside looking in.
#6 Ty Gibbs vs. #32 Ty Dillon
Going into today’s race, the final race of the In-Season Challenge, Ty Gibbs was the overwhelming favorite. He started 5th while Ty Dillon started in the back. Though Gibbs faded as the race wore on, Dillon suffered nose damage, which not only hurt the aerodynamic factor of the car but also hurt the engine. Ty Dillon came over the radio and complained that his engine was skipping. Barring a disastrous turn of events, it looked like Gibbs had it in the bag. With a 21st-place finish, Ty Gibbs won the inaugural NASCAR on TNT In-Season Challenge.
That does it for the annual running of the Brickyard 400. What did you think of today’s race? What about Bubba getting the win? How is your Playoff bracket doing? We only have a handful of races left until the postseason! Also, what did you think of TNT’s NASCAR return? Are you looking forward to NBC taking over? Let us know what you think! Join the discussion on Discord or X, and remember to follow us on Instagram, Facebook, and YouTube for more updates.
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