This race tests positive for irony. The Big Machine Hand Sanitizer 400, part of the NASCAR Cup Series, will run this Sunday at the Indianapolis Motor Speedway. Kevin Harvick, who won in 2019, is favored to take it this year too.

From the Truth-Is-Stranger-than-Fiction Department: Like so many events in 2020, this one seems like a cosmic joke: On Sunday, July 5 at 4 p.m. ET, the Big Machine Hand Sanitizer 400 will run at the iconic Indianapolis Motor Speedway.

The 400.5-mile, 160-lap race will be broadcast on NBC and live-streamed on NBC Sports.

Part of the 2020 NASCAR Cup Series, the race (better known as the Brickyard 400) has Kevin Harvick the moneyline favorite to win at +400, with Denny Hamlin close behind and two-time Brickyard winner Kyle Busch ranking third, followed by Martin Truex Jr. driving for Joe Gibbs Racing, and Team Penske drivers Brad Keselowski and Joey Logano.

Harvick is pretty much uncontested as far as the bookies are concerned. The defending Brickyard champ, driving the No. 4 Ford for Stewart Haas Racing, has an average finish of 8.9, and his first and second finishes at Pocono last weekend should set him up for Indy, the famously challenging 2.5-mile oval characterized by flat straights and tight corners.

Here are the odds as of Thursday, July 2, per William Hill.

• Kevin Harvick 4-1
• Denny Hamlin 4-1
• Kyle Busch 9-2
• Martin Truex Jr. 15-2
• Brad Keselowski 9-1
• Joey Logano 12-1
• Ryan Blaney 12-1
• Chase Elliott 15-1
• Erik Jones 22-1
• Kurt Busch 28-1
• Alex Bowman 30-1
• Aric Almirola 30-1
• William Byron 35-1
• Matt DiBenedetto 40-1
• Clint Bowyer 40-1
• Jimmie Johnson 50-1
• Christopher Bell 75-1
• Tyler Reddick 100-1
• Ryan Newman 100-1
• Austin Dillon 125-1
• Ricky Stenhouse Jr. 125-1
• Matt Kenseth 125-1
• Chris Buescher 300-1
• Bubba Wallace 300-1
• Cole Custer 300-1
• John Hunter Nemechek 1000-1
• Ryan Preece 1500-1
• Michael McDowell 2000-1
• Ty Dillon 2000-1
• Daniel Suarez 2500-1
• Timmy Hill 5000-1
• Brennan Poole 5000-1
• Quin Houff 5000-1
• J. Yeley 5000-1
• Corey Lajoie 5000-1
• Joey Gase 5000-1
• Garrett Smithley 5000-1

It should be neck and neck with Harvick and Hamlin (l.), who duked it out last weekend in the Poconos—Harvick edging Hamlin at the Pocono Organics 325 on June 27, and Hamlin beating Harvick at the Poconos 350 the next day.

Ironically, track officials won’t have to keep much hand sanitizer around on Independence Weekend, as this race—which had hoped to open to the public—will be held without spectators.

According to a statement from track officials, “While the state of Indiana plans to enter Stage 5 of its ‘Back on Track Indiana’ plan on July 4, opening sporting events to fans with social distancing, Marion County—home to IMS—moved to Stage 3 ten days after the rest of the state, and we cannot be confident that it will be ready to move to Stage 5 by the holiday weekend.

“This approach follows national trends for larger communities, and we must follow those guidelines and the leadership and judgement of our city and state officials during this challenging time.”

And so it goes in 2020. What a long, strange trip it’s been.

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Points to Ponder

These active drivers have already won the Brickyard 400:

• Jimmie Johnson (2006, 2008, 2009, 2012)
• Kevin Harvick (2003, 2019)
• Kyle Busch (2015, 2016)
• Ryan Newman (2013)
• Brad Keselowski (2018)

Busch owns Toyota’s only race wins. Ford-powered cars won in 2018 and 2019. Kasey Kahne’s 2017 victory is Chevrolet‘s most recent.

Four of the last seven Brickyard 400s have been won from the front row. Seven of the last eight have been won from the Top 5 rows. The Top 12 in owner’s points have the best shot at a win on July 5.

Place a $20+ future to win the Big Machine Hand Sanitizer 400 at WilliamHill.com. If you lose your bet but your selected driver wins Stage 1 or Stage 2, you earn a 200% bonus on the qualifying stake. Bet must be placed before the start of the race.