NASCAR News: Brickyard 400 Faces Intense Scrutiny After Controversial Finish

The NASCAR Brickyard 400 at the Indianapolis Motor Speedway concluded under a cloud of controversy last Sunday, which has sparked intense debates across the sport’s community. Central to the contention was the penultimate restart where Kyle Larson overtook Ryan Blaney before he went on to claim the victory, leading to allegations of unfairness and potential regulatory oversights.

The incident occurred when Larson, from the advantageous inside lane, passed Blaney who had recently assumed the lead following Brad Keselowski’s pit stop due to a fuel shortage. Critics questioned the legitimacy of the restart, accusing Larson of prematurely accelerating which, if true, violated NASCAR’s rules.

Blaney’s frustration was palpable. He commented over the radio, as quoted by Bro Bible:

“There’s no way they should’ve let that go green. That’s ridiculous. They just GAVE it to him [Kyle Larson]. It’s f***ing over, I’m on the top. I ain’t gonna win from the top. Gave it to f***ing golden boy. Son of a b****.”

Kyle Larson, driver of the #5 HendrickCars.com Chevrolet, and Ryan Blaney, driver of the #12 Menards/Atlas Ford, race during the NASCAR Cup Series Brickyard 400 at Indianapolis Motor Speedway on July 21, 2024 in Indianapolis,…

Justin Casterline/Getty Images

The race’s outcome has since been dissected with the release of new SMT data, which tracks speed and timing from Larson’s, Blaney’s, and third-place Todd Gilliland’s cars. The data indicates that all three drivers accelerated nearly simultaneously during the restart. Yet, Larson’s car achieved a higher speed at the crucial moment, hinting at a possible slight edge in his favor, likely enabled by his starting position more so than a clear rule infraction.

Chronological order.

Larson is orange. Blaney is green.

Top number is MPH.
Bottom number is Throttle %.

You can also see Larson restarts in 1st gear vs Blaney in 2nd. And has fresher tires. Which should definitely help his launch.

Here’s the evidence. You be the judge? pic.twitter.com/Fv1fnolxBm

— Couch Racer (@CouchRacerShop) July 23, 2024

Nevertheless, the release of the detailed SMT data has not settled the debate. It’s provided an analytical basis for further discussions, which have spilled over to social media.

2024 Brickyard 400 Results

Kyle Larson (Hendrick Motorsports, Chevrolet)Tyler Reddick (23XI Racing, Toyota)Ryan Blaney (Team Penske, Ford)Christopher Bell (Joe Gibbs Racing, Toyota)Bubba Wallace (23XI Racing, Toyota)Todd Gilliland (Front Row Motorsports, Ford)Austin Cindric (Team Penske, Ford)Daniel Suarez (Trackhouse Racing, Chevrolet)Noah Gragson (Stewart-Haas Racing, Ford)Chase Elliott (Hendrick Motorsports, Chevrolet)Ricky Stenhouse, Jr. (JTG Daugherty Racing, Chevrolet)Carson Hocevar (Spire Motorsports, Chevrolet)Austin Dillon (Richard Childress Racing, Chevrolet)Corey LaJoie (Spire Motorsports, Chevrolet)Ross Chastain (Trackhouse Racing, Chevrolet)Michael McDowell (Front Row Motorsports, Ford)Zane Smith (Spire Motorsports, Chevrolet)Cody Ware (Rick Ware Racing, Ford)Ty Dillon (Richard Childress Racing, Chevrolet)Justin Haley (Rick Ware Racing, Ford)Brad Keselowski (RFK Racing, Ford)Chris Buescher (RFK Racing, Ford)Ty Gibbs (Joe Gibbs Racing, Toyota)Chase Briscoe (Stewart-Haas Racing, Ford)Kyle Busch (Richard Childress Racing, Chevrolet)Ryan Preece (Stewart-Haas Racing, Ford)Martin Truex, Jr. (Joe Gibbs Racing, Toyota)Erik Jones (LEGACY MOTOR CLUB, Toyota)John Hunter Nemechek (LEGACY MOTOR CLUB, Toyota)Daniel Hemric (Kaulig Racing, Chevrolet)Alex Bowman (Hendrick Motorsports, Chevrolet)Denny Hamlin (Joe Gibbs Racing, Toyota)Jimmie Johnson (LEGACY MOTOR CLUB, Toyota)Joey Logano (Team Penske, Ford)Josh Berry (Stewart-Haas Racing, Ford)Harrison Burton (Wood Brothers Racing, Ford)AJ Allmendinger (Kaulig Racing, Chevrolet)William Byron (Hendrick Motorsports, Chevrolet)BJ McLeod (MBM Motorsports, Ford)