Ragan Predicts Speed, Excitement at New-Look Brickyard 400
April 26, 2017 | By Paul Kelly, IMS
Strategy, track position and a fast car always have formed the blueprint for victory at the Brickyard 400, due to the long straightaways and narrow, relatively flat corners of the Indianapolis Motor Speedway.
But Monster Energy NASCAR Cup Series driver David Ragan thinks the competition in the 24th annual Brickyard 400 on Sunday, July 23 at IMS will be feistier than usual due to the lower-downforce car specifications and stage racing format introduced this season.
Ragan was one of four NASCAR drivers participating in a Goodyear tire test April 25-26 on the 2.5-mile oval at IMS, as the tire manufacturer and teams continued to prepare for one of the marquee races on the Cup Series schedule. Ragan drives the No. 38 Front Row Motorsports Ford.
“The Brickyard, there’s something special about it,” Ragan said. “There’s only a number of guys who have won. I’m not saying that the other races don’t mean as much, but winning is a big thing here at Indy. You always get a little more pep in your step and excitement building up to the Brickyard weekend.
“Indianapolis has got a lot of history. It’s a challenging racetrack. It’s a very fast racetrack. We’re entering the corners at over 200 mph. For stock cars, that’s a lot of speed to carry into those tight corners. For me, it’s one of the top two or three races of the year.”
The Brickyard 400 will have a different look this season, like all of races on the Monster Energy NASCAR Cup Series, due to the introduction of stage racing. Races are divided into three stages, with points awarded to the top 10 in the first two stages and to all finishers at the end of the final stage.
Stages at the Brickyard 400 will end at Laps 50, 100 and 160. Caution periods follow the first two stage finishes, increasing strategic options.
So far, stage racing has increased the aggression and competition between drivers at much earlier points of races than in the past. Ragan expects that trend to continue at the Brickyard.
“It makes the drivers be a little more aggressive at different times of the race,” Ragan said. “Usually as a driver, you’re just feeling the car out (early in the race). You don’t push the car to the limit where you’re out of control. You’re just looking to get to the end.
“But with the stage racing, it pays points to the top 10. If you’re running 12th or 14th, you’re going to be very aggressive to try and get into that top 10. And if you’re in that top 10, you’re going to be very aggressive to try to stay there. I think that brings some extra drama and excitement.”
Stage racing also could jumble the running order and create an opportunity for a surprise winner due to good fortune with caution periods, Ragan said.
“We can pit here and not lose a lap,” Ragan said. “That’s a cool thing for the drivers and crew chiefs because we can pit early and get off-sequence and try to get that track position and time a caution at the right time. I think the stage racing will break up that 400-mile race pretty good.”
Ragan also thinks NASCAR’s new aerodynamic package for the Cup Series will increase the challenge for drivers and lead to more passing.
Downforce was reduced from 2,100 pounds to 1,600 pounds on the cars through changes to the rear spoiler, front splitter and deck fin. Modifications to rear steer settings and a new tire rule – teams must start the race using the tires on which they qualified – were also made.
“They’ve got a really good tire for July,” Ragan said. “It’s a little bit softer than what we had last year. It will give the tires a little more grip and will be a little faster with the aero package than we have, but it also will have some fall-off. So hopefully you’ll see some guys who conserve some tires a little bit make some passes later in the run.”
Ragan, from Unadilla, Georgia, hopes he is one of those drivers making late passes for one of the most coveted victories in stock car racing. He has two career victories in the Cup Series, in the July race at Daytona in 2011 and the May race at Talladega in 2013. But he admits winning the Brickyard 400 would be special.
“For Front Row Motorsports to contend and to have a fast car, that would be huge,” Ragan said. “That would be our biggest win to date. That trophy, I’m sure, would be displayed in front of a couple of other trophies in the shop.”
Tickets are on sale now at IMS.com for all three days of the Brickyard 400 event weekend, July 21-23. Kids 15 and under are free all three days when accompanied by an adult General Admission ticket holder. Visit IMS.com for more information about the Brickyard 400 weekend.