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Weekly Columns by JD Hellman

Weekly Columns by Jonathon Masters

Take all the elements of racing at Daytona, Talladega, and Texas, shake them together, and you might get a sense of the significance of the Brickyard 400 to NASCAR Cup drivers this Sunday at Indianapolis Motor Speedway.There's no question that winning the Brickyard 400 has become one of the biggest goals circled on any driver's or crew chief's calendar over the past 23 years.Sure, Indianapolis Motor Speedway is known more for the Indy 500, but the Brickyard 400 has matched its rise in popularity with a unique legacy and history of its own. It has unquestionably become one of the NASCAR Cup's biggest crown jewels.Admittedly, fan interest in the Brickyard has dropped off significantly over the last decade, going back to when Goodyear had its embarrassing tire fiasco in the 2008 Brickyard.Will this year's race continue that slide in terms of in-person attendance or TV ratings? Let's not forget that two of the sport's biggest stars and regional favorites -- Jeff Gordon and Tony Stewart -- are officially retired and will miss the 400 for the first time in their careers.Gordon has a record six Brickyard wins, while Stewart has two. It will be interesting to see if there's yet another significant drop-off in ratings or attendance, knowing neither Gordon nor Stewart will be behind the wheel.Anyway, there's plenty to talk about this weekend's action. Let's check out five of the top storylines:You may love him or hate him, but it's a sure bet that all eyes will be upon Busch for a number of reasons. First, his last NASCAR Cup win was in last year's Brickyard 400. Second, Busch has won the last two Brickyard 400s and is looking to become only the third driver to win a race three or more times consecutively. Busch is also going for his third straight Xfinity Series win in Saturday's Lilly Diabetes 250. It has been a long time since a driver came into race weekend having won the last four races held at a particular track, so Busch's two Cup and two other Xfinity races stand out.This is the last time Dale Jr. will race a Cup car in the Brickyard 400. And he's still seeking his first Brickyard triumph. His father was a previous Brickyard winner, and it would fill one of the few remaining voids in Junior's career if he can finally capture this NASCAR crown jewel. Even more importantly, Earnhardt has just seven races remaining to win a race and qualify for this year's and his last NASCAR Cup playoffs. One thing about the Brickyard 400 is it's much like races at Talladega and Daytona -- without the plates at Indy, though -- where anyone can win, even the most unexpected such as Paul Menard several years ago. If Earnhardt wins, he can not only remove some pressure from his shoulders but also turn his focus to one thing for the remainder of the season: winning his first and only Cup championship.Even though Fords have won eight of the first 19 Cup races this season, they've struggled of late for pure speed on 1.5-mile and larger racetracks. The biggest team looking for speed is Team Penske, whose driver Brad Keselowski has dropped from third to eighth in the Cup standings in the last eight races. It's been even worse for Keselowski's teammate Joey Logano. Since he won at Richmond (which ultimately was discarded due to a post-race inspection violation ), Logano has dropped from fifth to 13th. Seven of those 10 races have resulted with finishes from 21st to 37th. Logano is much like Earnhardt: If he hopes to make the playoffs, he has to win one of the next seven races.Saturday's Lilly Diabetes 250 will be one of the most unique races ever seen in the Xfinity Series. Several modifications, including the use of restrictor plates, the implementation of oversized aero ducts, a larger rear spoiler, and adjusted splitter, will be implemented for the first time ever. The changes are expected to make the racing closer and tighter, but there may be an underlying element that NASCAR will evaluate them to see if they may also apply them to the Brickyard 400, perhaps as early as next year's race.Team Penske has won 16 Indianapolis 500s over the years. But when it comes to the Brickyard 400, Roger Penske's NASCAR team has not won on this iconic track. Sure, Logano and Keselowski have had some decent runs at the Brickyard over the years, but they've never been able to finish and seal the deal.