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NASCAR in Indianapolis weekend preview

tyler auffhammer, the mountaineer, waynesville, n.c.
·5 min read

Jul. 29—This coming weekend, the two of NASCAR's three touring divisions — the Cup and Xfinity Series — will have the opportunity to turn left and right again.

The track set on all the team haulers' GPS is Indianapolis Motor Speedway, but for the second year in a row, it's not the 2.5-mile oval track. This year, NASCAR will be hitting the "Indy Road Course," which up until the 2021 season had been mainly reserved for Formula 1 and Grand Prix motorcycle racing.

Meanwhile, the Camping World Truck Series will head west just a few miles outside of the beltway on I-74 to Lucas Oil Indianapolis Raceway Park to kick off their Championship Playoffs.

Not only will the Cup, Xfinity and Trucks be on track, they be sharing the race weekend with the NTT Indy Car Series. Usually, NASCAR visits the speedway when the "residents" are away, but this weekend, the "residents" are home, too.

This is a "cross over weekend," which has been several years in the making and planning with the help of the series' newest owner Roger Penske, who owns the Indy Series, the Indianapolis Motor Speedway and Team Penske on the NASCAR side (home to Joey Logano (22), Ryan Blaney (12) and Austin Cindric (2)).

It is only fitting to let the hosts go first on Friday, when the NTT Indy Car Series hit the track for practice at 9:30 a.m. ET then qualifying at 1 p.m. ET.

Coverage for the NTT Indy Car practice and qualifying for fans that are interested will be on the Peacock app, and Indy Car TV for TV and on Indy Racing Network/SiriusXM Ch. 160 for radio.

In between Indy Car's practice and qualifying sessions on Friday, the Camping World Truck Series start their one day show with their practice session starting at 10:30 a.m. ET.

Coverage for the CWTS will be on FS1 for TV and Motor Racing Network/SiriusXM Ch. 90 for radio.

After the Indy Car drivers find out where they will start on Saturday, the NASCAR Xfinity Series will practice and qualify starting at 3 p.m. ET.

Coverage for the Xfinity Series Friday will be on the USA Network for TV and IRN/SiriusXM Ch. 90 for radio listeners.

Once NXS qualifying wraps up, it's time to switch the TV channel again back to FS1 at 4:30 p.m. for CWTS qualifying. Satellite radio listeners will not have to change anything as all weekend coverage for NASCAR will be on SiriusXM Ch 90. However terrestrial radio listeners will need to find their local MRN affiliate. (Which, for most of WNC and the Upstate, is 92.5).

The CWTS will then line up, pray, sing and fire their engines at 9 p.m. for the start of their Championship Playoffs at 9 p.m. in the 200-lap "TSport 200."

Who will be the first driver to secure safe passage to the next round of the playoffs? Can multi-time season winner Zane Smith (38) do it? Maybe John Hunter Nemechek (4) will get his second win of the season? Or will the old dog teach some new tricks and Matt Crafton (88) get the checkered flag?

Saturday's festivities will start early for the NTT Indy Car drivers with warm up laps starting at 8:15 a.m. so they can get ready for their race that starts after the NASCAR Cup Series practices and qualifies starting at 9:30 a.m.

Coverage for the Indy Car warm up will be on the Peacock app, and Indy Car TV for TV and IRN/SiriusXM Ch. 160 for radio. Coverage for the Cup Series will be on USA Network for TV and IRN/Sirius Ch. 90 for radio.

Then, at noon, turn the TV over to NBC for the NTT Indy Car Series will line up for their 85-lap "Gallagher Grand Prix." Radio Coverage for the Indy Car race will be on IRN/SiriusXM Ch. 160 for radio.

Could Marcus Ericsson (8) extend his points lead or will Will Power (12) take the points lead? Can Scott Dixon (9) get a second season win or will Josef Newgarden (2) get his fifth win? Tune in to find out.

Once the NTT Indy Car Series wraps up their race and gets their finishing order sorted, it will then be the NASCAR Xfinity Series drivers time to shine around the 2.439-mile, 14-turn Indy Road Course at 3:30 p.m. ET for their 62-lap "Pennzoil 150 at The Brickyard."

Coverage for the NXS will be on NBC for TV and IRN/SiriusXM Ch. 90 right after the Indy Car race, so it will be the radio listener's time to switch channels from Ch 160 to Ch. 90, while NTT Indy Car coverage will transition straight into Xfinity Series Coverage.

After all that racing, Sunday afternoon NASCAR will give fans even more racing with the Cup Series lining up for their 82-lap "Verizon 200 at the Brickyard" at 2:30 p.m. ET.

Coverage for the Cup Series will be also on NBC for TV and IRN/Sirius Ch. 90 for radio.

Will Chase Briscoe (14) have another good run this year and possibly become the 15th different winner, like he almost did last year until a late race incident with Denny Hamlin (11)? Or will the "Road Course Ace" strike again and Chase Elliott (9) get his fifth win of the 2022 season across the yard of bricks?

Tune in to find out.