NASCAR Sprint Cup at Indy: Jamie McMurray and 10 Top Contenders to Win

Indianapolis Motor Speedway (aka the Brickyard), a place where legends are made. All drivers arrive at the track hoping they'll be the ones to kiss the bricks, but who are the 11 drivers that have a chance to win the Brickyard 400 on July 31?

It's time to take a look at past performances of Sprint Cup drivers to try and find the magical one that will find himself with his crew at the start/finish line after the race.

Jamie McMurray

Jamie McMurray comes back to the track this year with defending the Brickyard title on his mind.

JMac won the race last year but it isn't the only time the driver has done well at the track. He also finished sixth here in 2008.

McMurray hasn't done too well this season with only two top 10s and one pole, but if he can find even part of the magic he had last year at NASCAR's tracks, he should be a contender.

Jimmie Johnson

We're coming up to a series of tracks that Jimmie Johnson seems to use as Chase practice, and Indianapolis seems to be one of his favorites. In fact, Johnson loves it so much that he's only let two other drivers win at this track in the last five years.

While his non-wins over the last five runnings have seen Johnson outside the top 20, with his domination at this track he really can't be left out.

Tony Stewart

Tony Stewart has kissed the bricks twice here with the last time being in 2007 (he also won in 2005). Stewart also has a Brickyard 400 pole flag from 2002.

In 2009, Stewart finished third behind Jimmie Johnson and finished fifth last year. Stewart's teammate got a win last weekend at New Hampshire, and now it's Stewart's time to step up to the plate and bring a 2011 trophy home for Stewart-Haas Racing.

Jeff Gordon

Jeff Gordon joins the list of multi-winners here with wins in 1994 (the first running of the race), 1998, 2001 and 2004. He also has multiple Indy pole flags hanging up in his house.

But just because he's quit winning at Indy the last few years doesn't mean he's out of the picture, as he finished third in 2007 and ninth in 2009.

Gordon knows his way around the track and is the winningest driver here in the NASCAR series. To leave him off this list would be suicide.

Juan Pablo Montoya

Indy 500 winner Juan Pablo Montoya has had a love/hate relationship with this track in NASCAR over the last few years.

Last year, Montoya won the pole but an accident found him finishing in the 32nd spot, in 2009 he was barely out of the top 10 with an 11th-place finish (he started second) and 2008 found him finishing 39th with another accident (13th-place start). But in 2007, he finished second (after starting second).

Montoya qualifies fairly well at this track (as can be seen above) and if he can get over his bad luck, he should finally be able to pull off an Indy 500/Brickyard 400 double.

Kevin Harvick

Kevin Harvick grabbed the pole here in 2003 and never looked back, winning the race. But Harvick's performances here over the last few years put him on my list more than the win because he has done pretty dang well at this track since 2003.

In 2007, Harvick finished seventh, 2009 was a sixth-place finish and last year he finished second. If that isn't enough, Harvick has three wins this season and 10 top 10 finishes. This could be his year to kiss the bricks again.

Mark Martin

While Mark Martin doesn't have a win here, he does have a pole from 2009 and good finishes to back up that pole.

In 2007, Martin finished sixth, he pulled off 11th-place finishes in both 2008 and 2010 and finished second the year he won the pole.

Granted, Martin only has five top 10 finishes in 2011 but this could be the place he gets that elusive win before leaving Hendrick Motorsports at the end of the year.

Jeff Burton

The "mayor of the garage" hasn't done too well this year with no top 10s and no poles, but Jeff Burton usually runs pretty well at Indy.

Granted, he doesn't have a win here, but he did capture the pole in 2006 and has been pretty consistent at the track with only one finish out of the top 10 since 2007 (a 25th-place finish).

A miracle turn around of his season probably isn't in the cards for Burton, but his successes at the track could lead to a win that may put at least a little more pep in the No. 31 team's step.

Carl Edwards

Admittedly, Carl Edwards hasn't run as well here as some of the others on the list, but he has had a good season thus far and has taken back the points lead.

Edwards has had two top seven finishes here since 2008, including a second to Jimmie Johnson, but he has also had an 18th (2007) and a 15th (2009) in recent years.

One of the things that is pushing me to put him on my list is that he is the points leader and is having a good season with 13 top 10 finishes this year. If he keeps it up, I think he will be Johnson's main challenge for the championship, and with his form—even though he only has one win—I think he could pull off his first victory in the Brickyard 400.

Matt Kenseth

Mr. Consistency has shown just that at the Brickyard during his career. Matt Kenseth currently comes into this race with 10 top 10 finishes this season and has a good record here with two 10th-place finishes and a 12th-place finish in the last four years.

While Kenseth will need to step up his game to win this race, potentially being in a three-way tie for first going into the Chase if he gets one more win may be just the motivation he needs.

Greg Biffle

Greg Biffle comes into the Brickyard 400 with two top five finishes in the last two years and an eighth-place finish in 2008. Even in 2007, he finished in the top 15 with a 15th-place finish.

Biffle is currently 15th in points with only one top five, but he has been able to improve his car every time he's run here so a win isn't totally out of the question, or even close to it. While Biffle is slated for a second-place run if his previous two years are indicators (fourth in 2009 and third in 2010), I think he'll be able to skip that second place spot and go straight for Victory Lane if he can keep up his form at this track.

The one worry I have is his performance this year so far, but I think winning the Brickyard 400 could be in the cards for this driver.