4 current NASCAR drivers who have won the most crown jewel Brickyard races

On its 30th anniversary, NASCAR's Brickyard 400 has returned to the 2.5-mile Indianapolis Motor Speedway Oval. After the crown jewel race was shifted to the 2.439-mile road course at IMS in 2021, the NextGen cars will mark their first run on the rectangular oval since their inception in 2022.

Jeff Gordon is the winningest driver at the Indianapolis Motor Speedway. After triumphing in the inaugural running of the crown jewel race in 1994, the 4x Cup Series champion amassed five wins on the track, with his last one coming in the 2014 Brickyard 400. Two years after securing his fifth IMS victory, Gordon ran his final race at the Martinsville Speedway in 2016.

Six active NASCAR drivers have registered the crown jewel race win to their name, from which three dominated the IMS Oval, and the others showcased their supremacy on the Indianapolis road course. With that, let's explore the four winningest Brickyard drivers who are still racing.

#1. Jimmie Johnson, NASCAR regular season rank- 37

Jimmie Johnson (Image: Imagn)

The 7x Cup Series champion parted ways with full-time racing as the 2020 season concluded. But in addition to being the co-owner of Legacy Motor Club, Jimmie Johnson has kept himself an active NASCAR driver running part-time for his team's #84 Toyota, which participated in five races this season.

Five years after debuting in 2001 at the Charlotte Motor Speedway, Johnson bagged his first Brickyard 400 win in 2006, which also marked the legendary driver's maiden Cup Series championship year. Since then, he has raked in four wins at the Indianapolis Motor Speedway and is shy of one win to level his stat with Jeff Gordon.

#2. Kyle Busch, NASCAR regular season rank- 18

Kyle Busch (Image: Getty)

The Richard Childress Racing driver's current Cup Series season lacks the signs of a championship so far, with five DNFs already tainting his pursuit. However, he's no stranger to winning races and his 231 NASCAR wins are a testament to it. Of six drivers who tamed the IMS Oval, Busch is at par with Tony Stewart and Dale Jarrett with two Brickyard 400 wins in his arsenal.

Over a decade after registering his first Cup race at the Las Vegas Motor Speedway in 2004, Kyle Busch sealed back-to-back wins on the 2.5-mile oval in 2015 and 2016 after braving race overtimes during both years. The #8 Chevy driver is the winningest full-time NASCAR driver to have most Brickyard 400 wins.

#3. Brad Keselowski, NASCAR regular season rank- 9

Brad Keselowski (Image: Imagn)

The RFK Racing driver has secured three crown jewel race wins- the Coca-Cola 600, the Southern 500, and the Brickyard 400. But he's yet to etch his name as the Daytona 500 winner and claim all trophies. Like Busch, it took a decade for Brad Keselowski to achieve his first crown jewel triumph at the 25th running on the Indianapolis Motor Speedway.

Despite starting in sixth place on the grid and being nowhere near the leader during the first two stages, the then-Team Penske driver regained his momentum and placed his #2 Ford in victory lane after upsetting the likes of Erik Jones, Denny Hamlin, and Kevin Harvick.

#4. Michael McDowell, NASCAR regular season rank- 22

Michael McDowell (Image: Getty)

Even though the Front Row Motorsports driver claimed the 2023 Verizon 200 at the Brickyard race win and not the Brickyard 400, both are deemed as a crown jewel race. A fourth-place start failed to hinder the Arizonian's pursuit as he reigned supreme in Stage 1 and placed his #34 Ford second in Stage 2.

Furthermore, after making his final overtake on Lap 53, Michael McDowell didn't look back until he made his trip to victory lane. Last year's win marked McDowell's second crown jewel race triumph after his first came from the 2021 Daytona 500.

Upon NASCAR's return to the IMS for the 30th running of the crown jewel race, it will be interesting to see if Jimmie Johnson becomes the winningest active driver of the Brickyard 400, or if Kyle Busch can end his season's woes with a much-needed win, or if Brad Keselowski equals Busch's record, or if Michael McDowell defends his victory.