Counting Down To The Chase. Seven Races To Go.

Dale Earnhardt Jr., driver of the No. 88 Amp Energy/National Guard Chevrolet, leads a group of cars down the frontstretch during the NASCAR Sprint Cup Series Brickyard 400 at Indianapolis Motor Speedway on July 31, 2011 in Indianapolis, IN
Credit: Chris Graythen/Getty Images

After a much deserved week off, the series heads to Indianapolis for one of the most sought after trophy’s in the Sprint Cup series. Most drivers will tell you that this is the second most coveted race, second only to the Daytona 500. So, who has the best chance of taking this elusive trophy home?

Crown Royal Presents The Your Hero’s Name Here 400

Tony Stewart: Tony is my pick to come out on top this year for the third time in his career. The Indiana native really wants to win in his home state, and has finished in the top-10 here in seven of his last eight starts, and has two wins during that stretch.

Jeff Gordon: Jeff hasn’t had a lot of luck this season, but he leads all drivers with four career wins here. Although he hasn’t won here since 2004 he did finish runner-up last season. This could be the place that Jeff ends his winless streak.

Kevin Harvick: Kevin has a win under his belt here and finished 2nd in this race in 2010. He had a good race at Loudon, which should give this team a little bit of momentum heading to Indy.

Matt Kenseth: Matt has yet to get his first win here, but he has finished 2nd here twice. He has also finished in the top-10 in seven of his last 10 races and still leads the point standings with seven races left before the Chase.

Jimmie Johnson: Jimmie has won three of the past six races run at Indy, and has lead laps in five of those races. Jimmie is one of the most consistent drivers on the flat tracks, and should contend for the win once again this season.

Kasey Kahne: Kasey got his second win of the season last week at Loudon and moved into the top spot for one of the wildcards in the Chase. Kasey runs well on the flat tracks also and this team has really been gelling over the past couple of months.

Mark Martin: Mark is back in the #55 car this weekend for MWR. After taking off the last four races, Mark should be refreshed and ready to fight for his first win at the Brickyard. He has a pair of runner-up finishes here, with the last one coming in 2009.

Kyle Busch: Kyle had a great car at Loudon, but a penalty and a poor pit stop had him racing from behind all day. He has finished in the top-10 at Indy in five of the seven races he has run there and will get a win at this track before his career is over.

Denny Hamlin: Denny had the car to beat at Loudon last weekend, but a call for four tires late in the race cost him a lot of track position that he didn’t have the time to make up. He still finished 2nd in that race and he loves to run on the flat tracks.

Brad Keselowski: Brad has only run two races at Indy during his short career, but he has proven that he belongs in this series. He started well back in the pack at Loudon, but just kept on passing cars and came away with a top-5 finish.

Clint Bowyer: Clint is another driver that doesn’t get a lot of respect at this point of his career. He knows how to get around the flat tracks and knows how to stay out of trouble. He could be another surprise this weekend.

Yahoo Fantasy NASCAR Picks for Indianapolis Motor Speedway

Yahoo Driver Group A

• Tony Stewart
• Jimmie Johnson

Yahoo Driver Group B

• Kasey Kahne
• Clint Bowyer
• Mark Martin
• Paul Menard

Yahoo Driver Group C

• Sam Hornish Jr.
• Aric Almirola

My Top-5 For Indy

1. Tony Stewart
2. Jimmie Johnson
3. Jeff Gordon
4. Kasey Kahne
5. Matt Kenseth

Dark Horse: Paul Menard

Stay Away From: Dale Earnhardt Jr.