2026 Brickyard 400 Returns to Indianapolis
The NASCAR Cup Series will head to Indianapolis Motor Speedway in July 2026 for the Brickyard 400, marking the series’ annual visit to the historic 2.5‑mile oval. The event continues a tradition that began in 1994, when the series first raced on the track’s road course before moving to the oval in 2000.
Qualifying for the race will be decided by a single one‑lap run for every driver, with the resulting lap times determining the starting order. Unlike previous formats that used group sessions, the 2026 edition will feature each competitor taking an individual lap, and the full field will be ranked by those times.
The pole position was last claimed by Chase Briscoe during the 2025 edition, and he will be among the contenders for the front row in 2026. The qualifying order listed for the 2026 event includes names such as Casey Mears, Daniel Dye, Corey Heim, as well as high‑profile drivers including Denny Hamlin, Joey Logano, and others.
The field is expected to be competitive, with drivers like Chase Elliott, Kyle Larson, Ryan Blaney, and Christopher Bell also entered. The race will be broadcast live across the United States, and the schedule places the event in the prime summer slot, reinforcing Indianapolis’ status as a cornerstone of NASCAR’s calendar.
The Brickyard 400 remains the only NASCAR race held at Indianapolis each year, and the 2026 edition promises to blend historic tradition with a modern qualifying approach that emphasizes individual performance.