Catching up where we left off… the Sprint Cup Series enjoyed an off-weekend, but it’s back to business this weekend at the historic Indianapolis Motor Speedway.

Race #4 of 10 in “The Race To The Chase” after which the top 12 in the point standings will qualify to compete in “The Chase For The NASCAR Sprint Cup” championship.

Photo Credit: Rusty Jarrett/Getty Images for NASCAR

13 of 15 NASCAR Sprint Cup Series races @ The Brickyard have been won by a past Cup champion. The winner of Sunday’s race @ The Brickyard might be a good gauge as to who the next NASCAR champion will be. Seven times has a driver won @ The Brickyard and went on to win the championship that year. Jimmie Johnson won last year on his way to his third consecutive championship. Jeff Gordon & Tony Stewart have also accomplished that feat. Gordon won @ IMS during his 1998 and 2001 championship run. Stewart scored his first Brickyard win in 2005 and won his 2nd championship that year.

Tony Stewart, Jeff Gordon and Jimmie Johnson currently sit 1-2-3 in the point standings.

Tony Stewart considers IMS to be his “hometown” track. He grew up in nearby Columbus, IN. He has 2 wins. This will be the 1st time @ The Brickyard for Stewart to show up driving the #14. A number he chose to take in honor of A.J. Foyt, a 4 time Indianapolis winner. “We’ve been running well, and I feel good this weekend,” Stewart said. “I feel like this is as good a shot as we have ever had.” Stewart hasn’t finished worse than 7th over the past 7 races.

Jeff Gordon is a 4 time Brickyard 400 winner. He’s tied for 2nd for the most wins in the track’s history right beside Foyt, Al Unser and Rick Mears. One more win would tie Gordon with Formula 1′s Michael Schumacher for the most wins at the 2 and a half mile oval. “As a kid growing up, I always dreamed about racing at Indy and thought those dreams had gone away when I was moving down south and starting my NASCAR career,” Gordon said. “I love the fact that the Brickyard 400 happens every August or July. And it’s just a spectacular event.” Gordon also leads all Cup drivers with 3 poles, 9 top-5′s and 12 top-10′s  @ IMS.

There will be 2 Indy 500 winners in the field for Sunday’s Brickyard 400: Juan Pablo Montoya and Sam Hornish Jr.

Last year’s event has been referred to as “Tiregate”. Goodyear has since conducted 7 tire tests @ IMS with 30 teams putting in over 13,000 miles on the 2 and a half mile oval. The  general consensus is that everything should be a-o.k. on Race Day.

TV coverage for the Allstate 400 at the Brickyard Sunday begins at 12:30 on ESPN.

For the starting line-up, click here.