The 2010 Brickyard 400

It's one of NASCAR's crown jewels and today it takes center stage when 43 drivers climb aboard their machines for a chance to kiss the bricks.
The 17th running of the Brickyard 400 isn't about point racing or trying to make the Chase, this is about joining the history books. First and foremost come a couple of drivers that are starting near the front of the field: Juan Pablo Montoya and Jimmie Johnson.
Montoya won the pole, the third of his career, on Saturday morning with a lap of 182.279 around the 2.5 mile track. Montoya is a strong favorite heading into the race where last year he led 116 laps and was well on his way to victory before getting a pit road speeding penalty. He's also a past winner at the track, he was the 2000 Indianapolis 500 champion and is ready for another chance to kiss the bricks.


If Montoya or teammate Jamie McMurray, who will start fourth, were to do so it would give their car owner Chip Ganassi a record three-peat in 2010. McMurray delivered Ganassi a Daytona 500 win in February and two months ago IndyCar Series driver Dario Franchitti won the Indianapolis 500.
Winning the Brickyard 400 today would make Ganassi the only owner to have ever won all three in the same year. He's currently the only one to have won the Daytona 500 and the Indy 500 in the same season.
However, there are a few more drivers that might have something to say about that.
Starting second will be defending four-time Sprint Cup Series champion, as well as back-to-back Brickyard 400 champion Jimmie Johnson. When Montoya received his speeding penalty last year, Johnson was right there to take advantage, winning his third career Brickyard 400.
Qualifying second has the No. 48 Lowe's team in high spirits as they try to become just the second team to win four times at Indianapolis. Johnson is also tied in bonus points with Denny Hamlin if the Chase were to start today. While he won't be thinking about that during the race, if Johnson were to get his sixth win of the year today it would be another big storyline.
A big storyline that teammate Jeff Gordon has been following is his winless streak, which has now hit 48 races. Gordon has been shut out of victory lane since April of 2009 at Texas, but has been running in championship form much of this season. He comes to the Brickyard as a four-time winner, looking for No. 5.
Gordon says there would be not better place to get his first win of the year than at a track that he loves to race on. He'll start eighth on the grid.
Then there's hometown hero Tony Stewart.
Growing up in Columbus, Indiana, Stewart never thought that he would get the chance to race at Indianapolis in a stock car. Coming from the open wheel ranks he, like Montoya, also had raced in the Indy 500, but never had the opportunity to win it.
In 2005 Stewart came back home and finally got the chance to kiss the bricks, and then did so again in 2007. Entering today's race the driver of the No. 14 Old Spice/Office Depot Chevrolet is in the same boat as Gordon, he hasn't won a race this season.
However, he's always a contender when it comes to Indy and he'll be ready to party today. Stewart will roll off 15th later today.
For the drivers that won't be contenders today, they will be point racing. Many are still trying to position themselves to make the Chase, while others are trying to maintain their Chase positions. The Brickyard 400 is a long race that will be about nutrition and teams can fall by the wayside.
There will be two important things to keep an eye on today: horsepower and surprises.
There's an old saying around the NASCAR garage, "the fastest car doesn't always win." At Indianapolis that won't be the case, drivers that unload fast will continue to be fast and they'll be the ones to deal with today. Montoya has shown his power all weekend, as has Johnson. Now isn't the time to hold back because passing is hard to do at Indy, drivers will be trying to get everything they can early on.
As for surprises, Indianapolis can make a drivers career. Kevin Harvick pulled off the win in 2003 to formally announce his presence in the sport. In 2005 Kasey Kahne was leading late in the race before Stewart ruined his career. Sometimes all it takes is for one big race for a driver to rise to the top, as McMurray did in Daytona this year.
Will another driver do the same today?
Whomever it may be, the emotion won't be lacking. Indianapolis is sacred ground and all 43 drivers know it. Walking into the speedway brings goosebumps and to win here, it may be the greatest day of their life. The weather is expected to be hot and the track will be slick, however it won't matter.
Be the first to the checkered flag, just like any other weekend. But today if you're the driver that does so, you'll be the one getting the sweetest kiss in sports.