Jimmie Johnson has the COVID. As of Friday, he was experiencing no symptoms, and his wife was experiencing only allergy-like symptoms, but both have tested positive. Johnson, of course, won’t be racing today. Justin Allgaier will drive the 48 car in his stead.
Today’s contest at the Brickyard (that’s what the NASCAR folks call Indianapolis—the track, not the whole city) is Allgaier’s first Cup Series race since 2016. He’s made only one top ten in 76 career starts. In other words, don’t expect him to be a factor today, but also—he’ll be driving a pretty nice racecar getting to sit in for Hendrick instead of competing for the lower-level teams he drove for from 2013-2016. So maybe he’ll have a good day.
Personally, with NASCAR failing to manufacture any obvious storylines for today (yet—they may have been setting the stage last week, as you’ll soon see if you don’t remember), I’ll be keeping an eye on Kyle Busch. Partially because he hasn’t won yet this year but he’s one of the sport’s best drivers, meaning a victory from him is probably inevitable, and partially because he gets into some rumbles. Last weekend, Ryan Blaney took him out, and while it’s unclear what Busch thought of that, there’s the possibility of some retribution, whether it be intentional or merely convenient (convenient for us, the viewers—not convenient at all for Blaney).
If it isn’t Busch, and it isn’t another of the regulars, a feel-good option (@NASCAR listen to me here) would be Ryan Newman. Indiana’s own Ryan Newman, who looked like he might’ve died at the Daytona 500. Get that man in the playoffs, NASCAR, and have him clinch it in his own state.
That’s all I’ve got. Good luck out there, viewers.
