This weekend marks the return of a legendary NASCAR event

This weekend marks both the return of a NASCAR crown jewel and also a new of track of sorts.

On one hand, this is the first Brickyard 400 in three years, and an event that once reflected NASCAR’s growth into a mainstream phenomenon in the 1990s. On the other hand, this will also be the fist time the seventh generation NASCAR Cup Series car has raced on the oval in Speedway, Indiana.

There’s real intrigue here and when factoring the current state of this car on road courses, it’s also a welcome addition to the schedule this season. Most importantly, drivers feel like they now have one of the biggest races of the season back.

They asked for it , they got it .

“I’m just happy we’re back on the oval because of the history and the meaning of the Brickyard 400,” said Kyle Larson on Saturday during media availabilities at Pocono. “I feel like when we went to the road course, we lost a crown jewel race.

“… I think it’s good for the sport being back on the oval; I think that race means a lot more on the oval. Happy to have a crown jewel race back, and hopefully we can have a good showing.”

So, what happened in the first place?

Constructed in 1909, the Indianapolis Motor Speedway was never intended to be raced by what modern motor vehicles have become. It’s also the most famous race course in the world and at best excels with the lightweight, high downforce modern IndyCar product.

It asks a lot from heavy NASCAR style cars.

“I know that the on-track product is what it is at Indy,” says Christopher Bell. “It’s a very unique racetrack but we need to be on the oval at Indy. It’s where we need to be.

“It’s going to be interesting to see how the race plays out. I think strategy is going to be a huge part of the race. I think Saturday qualifying is going to be a huge part of the race. On-track passes are going to be tough, I think, but it’s where we need to be for sure.”

The Brickyard 400 isn’t photo finishes and passing records. It has always required a total execution from everyone involved in a race team, a sentiment echoed by Denny Hamlin, one of the longest and loudest advocates for returning to the oval.

“Yeah, I mean if you’re crazy about side-by-side racing, it probably won’t be for you,” Hamlin said. “But it’s just a big event and you know, it’s still over time, some of the best cars with the best engines, best aerodynamics, best execution on pit road, all of those things equals a win at that track. There’s very many different ways you can win in NASCAR, right? It doesn’t always have to be through the normal competition that always happened.

“We’ve seen fuel mileage be a part of the last few winners and things like that. Indy will be no different. It’ll be an execution race. You’ll need to qualify well, but you just never know what can happen. Strategy is big there.”

There is some optimism that this current car can be more compatible for the oval than its predecessor was. It has less power, punches a larger hole in the air and was made with drafting in mind.

“I do hope that these cars have enough drag down the straightaway to create slingshot-like passes like what we have on the Indy Cars at that track,” Hamlin said. “The only thing that’ll limit that is I think our corner speed is just a hair too fast for the second-place guy to stay close enough to make that work.

“It’ll be tough, but I think on new tires, there’s a shot to see something pretty great. The purist needs to be looking at the strategy part of it.”

Either that, or potentially watch the Saturday Xfinity Series race for a potential future fix. That race will see those cars affixed with the superspeedway packaged used at Daytona, Talladega and Atlanta. This package will also be used again for the Xfinity Series at Michigan next month.

A similar package was used in 2017 and produced a four-wide stage finish, a record number of passes and a late battle in which William Byron held off Paul Menard.

But again, even if the racing doesn’t produce a stereotypical barn-burner, the consensus amongst the Cup Series roster is that Cup needs to race on the same configuration as the Indianapolis 500 and that fans need to better appreciate what goes into winning that race.

“Oh my gosh, I was so disappointed when it left and the race went to the road course,” said Brad Keselowski. “I felt like we lost a crown jewel of our sport, and it’s good to see it come back. I don’t know what the race will be like, but I know this is the place to have it.”

And again, that’s the consensus throughout the field, said Byron.

“Yeah, I mean I’m super excited,” Byron said. “I think this was a decision that a lot of drivers wanted. I think it will be difficult to pass, which isn’t abnormal with this car. But I think it will come down to strategy and execution; your qualifying and everything.

“I’m excited for it. I think the track is fun to make laps on. I’m sure it will be tricky with the Next Gen car.. probably a little bit edgy. But I think it will be everything we want as drivers, to be back on the oval with the history that it has.”

Matt Weaver is a Motorsports Insider for Sportsnaut. Follow him on Twitter .

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