NASCAR Cup Series

NASCAR drivers view an Indy win as career moment

Published Jul. 22, 2010 1:00 a.m. ET

Jeff Hammond

I don’t care if you have never won at Indianapolis Motor Speedway or if you’ve won there four times, everyone wants a Brickyard victory.

Let’s face it – it’s Indy. It’s like winning the Daytona 500. You can never get enough of a good thing. That’s what Indianapolis is – a good thing. It’s a historic thing. It puts you in a category all your own.

That’s what makes this race so important to everyone, not just the drivers. If you can come out of there with a win, it puts you in a very elite crowd. Sure winning there boosts your confidence, but it is even bigger than that. It’s an exclamation point on your career. It’s a jewel you just have to have. Going to and winning the Brickyard 400 NASCAR Sprint Cup race is so special when you consider all the incredible history at that race track.

This weekend I am really looking for and expect the Earnhardt Ganassi Racing cars to come off the truck strong. If Juan Pablo Montoya is not the class of the field the entire weekend, then I am going to be totally shocked.

I would wager that deep down in his heart, Juan Pablo probably feels Indy owes him one. I expect him to put everything on the line this weekend. If he doesn’t run well, I think that will also end any hope of being in the 2010 Chase for the Sprint Cup. So he has to win this weekend.

I am also expecting to see the Richard Childress Racing teams, especially that of Kevin Harvick, be really strong. Kevin is leading the points and won here before, so his confidence should be sky high. If Kevin doesn’t run well here, then I am going to be very much surprised.

I expect at least two of the Hendrick Motorsports drivers to run well at Indy. That would be Jimmie Johnson and Jeff Gordon. I just don’t think that Mark Martin and Dale Earnhardt Jr. have their acts together enough, just yet, to be considered a threat to win.

Indianapolis is like the kickoff for the second half of the NASCAR season. It’s like when we show up in Daytona in February. The entire winter project is geared up for being ready for the 500. After roughly the race at Charlotte Motor Speedway in May, the next big project is gearing things up for Indy. That’s the next big milestone that you want to be prepared for in the season.

So this weekend you will see the guys that have done their homework and clearly the guys that haven’t. This weekend will definitely go a long way in helping everyone see how the top 12 for the Chase is sorting out.

I think, for example, this is a big race for Kasey Kahne. He’s clearly been the fastest Ford, but unfortunately hasn’t enjoyed the best success record of the Ford camp. I see this weekend as a perfect opportunity for he and the team to not only showcase what they are made of, but chip away even more at making the Chase.