No tire problems, J.J.'s win proves IMS belongs on Cup schedule

INDIANAPOLIS -- All this year's Allstate 400 at the Brickyard had to do to surpass last year's race was to run more than 10 laps under the green flag.

Sunday's 16th running of NASCAR's annual trek to Indianapolis Motor Speedway had much more.

As has been the case since stock cars first made their appearance at Indianapolis in 1994, there wasn't much side-by-side racing on display.

Although there were a few flashes of passing for position scattered around the spacious 2½-mile track, the lumbering Sprint Cup cars still struggle to navigate the flat layout at Indianapolis.

But the history of this race has been one of drama and storylines and Sunday's edition featured more of the same.

The absence of any of the tire issues that plagued last year's race and gave NASCAR, Goodyear and the track a public relations nightmare topped the list.

After an exhausting test schedule that included nearly 14,000 miles of research and development to fix the problems of a year ago, tires weren't a consideration virtually all weekend long.

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"Without a question Goodyear and NASCAR deserve all the credit in the world for what they did in 12 months time," said third-place finisher Tony Stewart and one of the tire manufacturer's harshest critics at times over the years. "We were able to race today and put on a good show for the fans. That says a lot for what they did from where we were here last July."

The absence of tire issues at the Brickyard is good news. (Getty Images)

Juan Pablo Montoya's quest to become the first driver in history to win the Indianapolis 500 and Brickyard 400 had to be next on the list. The talented former open-wheel star looked like he had the field completely covered until disaster struck on what would have been his final regular pit stop.

When Montoya was pegged for speeding on pit road it ended his run at the record book and although a 12th-place finish kept him in contention for a spot in the Chase, it was little consolation.

"It kind of sucks," Montoya said. "I was on the lights [under the speed limit] every time. Once it happens, you can't change it. It's pretty frustrating. I was cruising. The car was stupid fast."

Most everyone agreed with Montoya and felt that without some kind of intervention, running him down was out of the question.

"Yeah, I mean, I firmly believe if that didn't happen, we were all going to have a hard time with him for sure," Stewart said. "He never really was challenged all day. I know what he's feeling like. It's got to make him sick inside 'cause, I mean, to be able to accomplish what he would have accomplished today, just a remarkable feat. And he had the car and he had the talent to do it today. He just made a mistake and it cost him."

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While Montoya can take some solace in the fact that despite his disappointment he still maintains a spot inside the Chase cutoff, the same can't be said for Kyle Busch.

A cut tire and subsequent trip into the wall handed Busch a 38th-place finish and a freefall to 14th in the Cup standings, two spots outside the Chase field.

"I think it's pretty self-explanatory that we're trying to fight for a spot in the Chase and this is obviously frustrating because I don't know if it was our cars, the tire or what," said Busch, who somewhat surprisingly addressed his disappointing day, something he hasn't done in recent months.

That brings us to the guy standing in Victory Lane for the third time in the last four years. Jimmie Johnson's improbable win once again reinforces how dominant the 48 team can be and that a run for a fourth consecutive championship is something everyone can be assured will happen come Chase time.

"This is a title contending team, of course it is," Johnson said. "We fully expect to be in the hunt for a championship once again come the fall. But right now to win here at Indianapolis is just an amazing feat and we're going to relish what we accomplished today."

What NASCAR and the Indianapolis Motor Speedway accomplished on Sunday was showing once again that stock car racing deserves to be at the world's most famous racetrack.

Declining attendance, a drop in the hype that the race enjoyed in its early years and last season's fiasco added up to a lot of skepticism about not just the 2009 edition of the race but its future.

Sunday's race should answer any question whether NASCAR can put on an intriguing race at the Brickyard. It will never be mistaken for the close action of a Martinsville or a Bristol, but the Sprint Cup Series at Indianapolis Motor Speedway does have a unique flavor of its own.