Samwise NASCAR Cup Series Newsletter
Thursday, July 23, 2026
Hamlin Arrives at Indianapolis as Brickyard Favorite With Title in Sight
Denny Hamlin enters Sunday's Brickyard 400 presented by PPG as the race favorite at +350 at DraftKings Sportsbook as of July 22, per Fox Sports. Hamlin leads the Cup Series standings with four wins and a series-best 863 laps led through 21 races, carrying a 90 percent probability of securing the No. 1 Chase seed per Racing Insights. Despite four third-place finishes in 17 Brickyard starts, Hamlin has never won at Indianapolis. Kyle Larson is listed at +600 as one to watch, having finished second to defending winner Bubba Wallace at Indianapolis last year. Larson has eight top-five and 11 top-ten finishes in 2026 without a win.
Sources: Fox Sports Share ↗ ✉︎ Email 💬 Text
USA Sports Unveils Broadcast Team and Plan for Final 14 NASCAR Cup Races
USA Sports held a Zoom teleconference Wednesday to unveil its broadcast team and coverage plan for the final 14 NASCAR Cup Series races of 2026, including The Chase. Leigh Diffey calls play-by-play, joined by analysts Jeff Burton and Steve Letarte. Dale Jarrett and Brad Daugherty will host pre-race coverage from the USA Sports Pit Box. Pit reporters include Marty Snider, Kim Coon, Dave Burns, and Trevor Bayne. USA Sports coverage begins Aug. 9 at Iowa Speedway on USA Network at 3:30 p.m. ET. Crown-jewel races at Daytona, Talladega, Martinsville, and Homestead-Miami air on NBC, with the Nov. 8 Championship finale on NBC.
Sources: NASCAR.com Share ↗ ✉︎ Email 💬 Text
Statistical Advance: Late-Race Drama Defines the Brickyard 400 at Indianapolis
Jayski's statistical advance for Sunday's Brickyard 400 highlights tendencies at Indianapolis that favor late-race boldness over raw speed. The driver who led the most laps won only three of the last ten Brickyard 400s. Six of the last eight races went to overtime, and the final lead change came within the last eight laps in five of those eight editions. Final green-flag stretches have lasted nine laps or fewer in each of the last eight races. Defending winner Bubba Wallace, Brad Keselowski, and Kyle Larson are the only active Brickyard winners. Denny Hamlin has never won at Indianapolis despite four third-place finishes across 17 Brickyard starts.
NASCAR Releases Qualifying Group Draw for Brickyard 400 Weekend at Indianapolis
NASCAR has released the qualifying group draw for Saturday's Cup Series session at Indianapolis Motor Speedway, establishing which drivers attempt their laps first in the two-round format. Cup Series qualifying is scheduled for 1:30 p.m. ET Saturday on truTV, with practice on Friday at 1 p.m. ET on truTV. The weekend marks the 22nd points-paying race of the 2026 Cup season, with the field locked in since fewer than 40 cars entered. Defending Brickyard 400 winner Bubba Wallace, series points leader Denny Hamlin, and In-Season Challenge finalists Ryan Blaney and Todd Gilliland headline a 39-car field at the 2.5-mile oval.
Sources: NASCAR.com Share ↗ ✉︎ Email 💬 Text
Front Row Motorsports Expects Noah Gragson to Return in 2027
Front Row Motorsports General Manager Jerry Freeze said Wednesday the organization expects Noah Gragson to remain with the team beyond 2026, per Jayski. Gragson drives the No. 10 Ford for the three-car operation, which also fields Todd Gilliland in the No. 34 and Zane Smith in the No. 38. Gilliland recently signed a contract extension to return in 2027, and Gragson is expected to follow. Front Row enters Indianapolis with Gilliland as the team's highest-profile driver this weekend, as the No. 34 Ford pilot battles Ryan Blaney in the Champions Round of NASCAR's In-Season Challenge for a $1 million prize during Sunday's Brickyard 400.
Days of Thunder Sequel Moves Forward With Tom Cruise Set to Return
Paramount is moving forward with a Days of Thunder sequel, with Tom Cruise set to return and Jerry Bruckheimer producing, per Jayski. Jonathan Levine is in talks to direct the follow-up to the 1990 NASCAR film starring Cruise as driver Cole Trickle. Will Staples is writing the script, and filming is tentatively planned for early 2027. The project gained momentum following the critical and commercial success of the recent F1 film, which Bruckheimer also produced. NASCAR Hall of Famer Jeff Gordon, a longtime friend of Cruise, confirmed the sequel appears to be in development. Bruckheimer noted that Cruise wants to make another Days of Thunder.
Sources: Jayski Motorsport.com Share ↗ ✉︎ Email 💬 Text
Cup Series Standings (Top 16)
After Race 21 — North Wilkesboro
1. Denny Hamlin — 842 pts
2. Tyler Reddick — 774 pts
3. Ryan Blaney — 755 pts
4. Ty Gibbs — 708 pts
5. Chase Elliott — 634 pts
6. Kyle Larson — 616 pts
7. Carson Hocevar — 598 pts
8. Chase Briscoe — 587 pts
9. Chris Buescher — 585 pts
10. Christopher Bell — 574 pts
11. Daniel Suárez — 558 pts
12. William Byron — 546 pts
13. Bubba Wallace — 531 pts
14. Shane van Gisbergen — 516 pts
15. Joey Logano — 511 pts
16. Austin Cindric — 495 pts
Manufacturer Standings
Mid-season data
1. Toyota — 547 pts
2. Chevrolet — 495 pts
3. Ford — 409 pts
Curated by JD · samwise.agency
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