NASCAR at Indianapolis 2018: Start Time, Ticket Info, Lineup, Odds, TV Schedule

The 2018 Monster Energy NASCAR Cup Series is coming to a climax, and drivers will line up for a desperate dash on Sunday as the Big Machine Vodka 400 at the Brickyard brings an end to the regular season at Indianapolis Motor Speedway.

The Brickyard 400 will be the last stop before the 2018 playoffs get underway, and only a couple of places in the post-season schedule aren't accounted for thus far.

Kyle Busch and Kevin Harvick enter the fray as joint-favorites to emerge triumphant in the final race of the regular season, per OddsShark, with the former having been a back-to-back champion here in 2015 and 2016.

But the entire field will be ready to fight the favorites in Indianapolis as they face the prospect of seeing their 2018 NASCAR Cup Series campaign come to an abrupt end.

Read on for a preview of Sunday's race and a roundup of all the necessary television information, along with ticket details and the latest race odds.

Visit the official NASCAR website to check out the rest of the qualifying results and a look at the race lineup in full.

TV Schedule

TV: NBCSN/NBC

Start of Coverage: 9:15 a.m. ET

Green Flag: 2:09 p.m. ET

Ticket Info

Tickets for Sunday's race can be purchased via StubHub.com.

Big Machine Vodka 400 Odds Leaders

Kevin Harvick (+260; bet $100 to win $260)

Kyle Busch (+260) 

Martin Truex Jr. (+450) 

Kyle Larson (+650) 

Brad Keselowski (+1200) 

Joey Logano (+1600) 

Ryan Blaney (+1600)

Chase Elliot (+2200) 

Denny Hamlin (+2200) 

Erik Jones (+2200) 

Odds according to OddsShark.

Preview

The Brickyard 400 is a fitting crescendo for this part of the season, a miniature climax of sorts that brings the excitement of a season-ender with the comfort of knowing there's plenty of NASCAR to go in 2018.

Indianapolis Motor Speedway has hosted a collection of the sport's most memorable moments, and it was at last year's Brickyard 400 that joint-favorite Busch and Martin Truex Jr. shared some choice words after a scrap:

Busch is already safe in the post-season schedule with six wins alongside Harvick (seven wins), while Truex Jr. follows up on four wins this season. Denny Hamlin, Aric Almirola, Ryan Blaney and Kyle Larson are the only four drivers qualified for the playoffs who haven't won a race in 2018.

Joey Logano is among those 14 drivers already guaranteed to head into the playoffs following his win at the GEICO 500 earlier this year, and he's expecting fireworks as the race for the two remaining playoff places comes to a head, via Fox:

One key name who won't be present on the starting grid is Kasey Kahne, last year's Brickyard 400 winner who won't be back to defend his title in 2018 due to health concerns.

Kahne said that he was struggling to maintain consciousness for the last 100 laps of his race at the Bojangles' Southern 500 in Darlington, South Carolina, last Saturday, and he explained his decision to pull out of Sunday's showdown, via NBC:

Zach Horrall of the Indy Star reported on Friday that there was an 80 percent chance of rainfall at Speedway on Sunday, with up to an inch expected. The Brickyard 400 has never been postponed, said Horrall.

Organizers can move the race to Monday as a first alternative, while Sunday's race can be called after 100 laps are completed should weather interrupt proceedings, with the race leader at the time declared the winner.