Indy Road Course Throwback: Chase Briscoe ruins Denny Hamlin's day
There aren’t many NASCAR moments to choose from as far as the Indy Road Course is concerned, but Denny Hamlin could tell you one. It was 2021, and Chase Briscoe, who had yet to serve a pass-through penalty, punted Hamlin off the course as he “fought” for the lead.
At the time the move didn’t make sense. Looking back on it, it really didn’t make sense. Chase Briscoe got put into the grass, due to contact with Denny Hamlin. Instead of serving his pass-through at the access road or waiting to enter the course, Briscoe raced for the lead.
Briscoe could get on Hamlin’s bumper and send him spinning out of the lead. Of course, AJ Allmendinger would go on to win this overtime showdown.
That win would be massive for Kaulig Racing and AJ Allmendinger. While it wasn’t a Brickyard 400 win, it was still a very meaningful race. With rumors that this is the final year of this configuration, at least for a little while, it will be interesting to see this race play out.
Denny Hamlin would tell you it was another race he was robbed of. And he’s probably right. Briscoe had no business making that move after driving through the grass. However, I’d be lying if I said it wasn’t entertaining. This year we have a field full of road course ringers that could lead to some very interesting results and potentially an even more entertaining finish than 2021.
Denny Hamlin and NASCAR full-timers face off with SVG again
For the first time since winning the Chicago Street Race, Shane van Gisbergen returns to NASCAR. He is pulling double duty by racing in the Truck Series at the Indianapolis Raceway Park for oval prep. However, the big show is the Verizon 200 on the Indy Road Course.
Denny Hamlin has been very high on SVG ever since that win. If you remember, Hamlin won the pole at Chicago. But the consistency of van Gisbergen won out in the end over the course of 75 laps.
Heading into the Verizon 200, SVG is favored over Hamlin to win the race. This will be a much more aggressive and physical race than Chicago. So, it will be interesting to see how the Supercars champion reacts.
Martin Truex Jr. is the favorite approaching the weekend. It will be interesting to see which manufacturer performs the best at Indy. Will Denny Hamlin and the Joe Gibbs Racing group have some fast Camrys again? Has RFK Racing and Ford just begun their winning way?