Sunday’s NASCAR race at the iconic Indianapolis Motor Speedway delivered exactly what you’d expect from the Brickyard 400. Those on the front row had a massive advantage, but we did get a few surprises today in Indianapolis.
Let’s dive into our winners and losers from the NASCAR race today at Indianapolis Motor Speedway in this crown-jewel race.
Winner: Corey Heim
Corey Heim has won two Cup Series races as a part-time driver in 2026, now including a crown-jewel victory in the Brickyard 400. Say what you want about the leader always having a big advantage at Indianapolis Motor Speedway in the Next Gen car, Heim beat 23XI Racing co-owner Denny Hamlin on the restart that determined the race. It’s also worth highlighting, in addition to his 58 laps led, that Heim got to piss off his rival Carson Hocevar by keeping him a lap down for a while. It’s already Heim Time in the Cup Series, and he won’t even be racing full-time until 2027.
Loser: Kyle Larson
The disastrous bad luck continues for the No. 5 team. A nice strategy called positioned Kyle Larson to take the lead late in Stage 1 and then disaster struck. The left-rear tire blew on the No.5, spinning it out and slamming into the wall for race-ending damage. That’s a last-place finish and a single point at Indianapolis Motor Speedway for Larson. He’s now scored just 46 total points in the last four races, so even earning a top-five spot ahead of The Chase now feels unlikely and the points differential for the 10-race chase will make winning the title that much harder for the reigning champ.
Winner: Joey Logano
The hot streak has finally arrived for Joey Logano and the No. 22 team. After placing ninth at EchoPark (43 points) and then winning at North Wilkesboro (73 points), Logano added a third-place finish on Sunday in the Brickyard 400. He’s now earned 150 points over the last three races, jumping from below the cutline to well above it. What’s the icing on the cake? Another win is likely on the horizon with all the short-track races coming up.
Loser: Chase Elliott
It was a Brickyard 400 to forget for Hendrick Motorsports. After Kyle Larson’s tire issue ended his day late in Stage 1, Chase Elliott experienced the same fate early in Stage 2. The No. 9 car’s right-rear tire went flat after contact from Ricky Stenhouse Jr., sending Elliott’s car into the wall. He had to limp it around the track and down pit road, with the wall contact causing enough damage to force the car to the garage. It put Elliott in a hole he could never recover from, recording a single point at Indianapolis with a 37th-place finish.
Winner: Michael McDowell
Coming into the NASCAR race today, Michael McDowell was 83 points below the cutline for The Chase. Stage points needed to be everything in these final regular-season races. So far, so good. McDowell earned the fourth-most stage points (11) in the Brickyard 400, narrowing the gap a bit. While he’s still a bit of a longshot to make it in, Sunday’s stage points keep his hopes alive.
Loser: Ryan Preece’s Crew Chief
The caution for debris with under 45 laps to go brought everyone down pit road, giving Ryan Preece’s team a chance to potentially be put in a position for a win. Naturally, a majority of the cars near the front took two tires to get off pit road quickly since track position is all that matters. Inexplicably, crew chief Derrick Finley decided to make a four-tire call and that effectively took him out of contention for the win.
Winner: Todd Gilliland
The Toddfather did it! Todd Gilliland is the winner of the NASCAR In-Season Challenge thanks to Juhn Hunter Nemechek accidentally taking out Ryan Blaney with 40 laps to go in the final stage. Gilliland was a few rows back of Blaney, likely knowing that his chances of winning the $1 million prize were evaporating in thin air. JHN changed that all. Gilly for the Milly!
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