INDIANAPOLIS (AP) — Denny Hamlin had another bittersweet moment at Indianapolis Motor Speedway on Sunday.
Sure, one of his 23XI Racing drivers, Corey Heim, reached victory lane at a crown jewel race. Again. But for Hamlin, it also was a brutal reminder about how frustrating the Brickyard 400 has been for him. Eighteen starts, no wins and another top-five finish.
The good news: All is not lost.
The 45-year-old Hamlin heads into a rare midseason weekend off still leading in points, as one of four drivers locked into the playoffs and second in wins as everyone else spends the next four races trying to fill the other 12 playoffs spots. In the meantime, Hamlin can start game-planning to add the other missing link on his resume — winning a Cup championship.
“I haven’t really thought too much about the future,” Hamlin said in Indianapolis when asked about possibly retiring after next season. "Obviously, (Joe Gibbs Racing) has good plans set in place and whatnot. So, no, I haven’t put any more thought into or second thoughts or anything like that. So, its just really riding the wave of week to week right now and continue trying to get more wins.”
The timing for a break couldn't be better for Hamlin or some other top contenders.
Tyler Reddick owns a season-best five wins and is second in points, but hasn't won since Kansas in April. The 23 XI driver finished 10th in Sunday's race after qualifying third.
Ryan Blaney is third, but had his streak of 11 consecutive top-11 finishes snapped on Indy's 2.5-mile oval after he was caught up in a late, nine-car crash that dropped him to 26th and cost him the $1 million In-Season Challenge prize.
Hamlin's teammate, Ty Gibbs, clinched the fourth playoff spot by earning points in each of the first two stages, leading the second-most laps (46) and finishing 12th at the Brickyard.
Pole winner Carson Hocevar produced his second top 10 in three weeks, but that came after posting just two top 10s in the eight weeks prior to Atlanta. He's fifth in the standings.
Even previous series champs have not been immune from problems.
In addition to Blaney, the 2023 champ, Chase Elliott, the 2020 Cup winner, has finished outside the top 10 in eight consecutive races, and defending Cup champ Kyle Larson's winless streak reached 46 thanks to a flat left rear tire that sent him hard into the wall at Indy. Elliott finished 37th Sunday while Larson was last in the 39-car field.
Still, Elliott is sixth, Larson is eighth and both know they still have time to get things right.
“Storylines can change quick as we all know,” Elliott said. “So three weeks of running good and y'all will be talking about how these guys are championship favorites.”
Once the break ends, though, everyone knows the intensity and pressure will crank up again quickly. They'll head to Iowa on Aug. 9, then Richmond and New Hampshire where the practice sessions will be extended from 25 to 50 minutes before the regular-season finale at Daytona. That's when the 16 playoff contestants embark on a nerve-wracking 10-week shootout for the title.
For many, the 0.875-mile oval also will be a welcome site because many started racing on short tracks.
“I grew up on a three-eighths mile asphalt track similarly shaped to Iowa,” said Ross Chastain, who is trying to fight his way into the playoffs despite having no wins and ranking 21st. “I feel like that's much more what I just ran for so much of my childhood on. So that feels more natural to me than the big oval here (in Indy)."
But for drivers, the break also is a reminder of the high-stakes game still to come — especially for someone like Hamlin, whose partnership with Michael Jordan with 23XI has helped extend his legacy even as he continues chasing two of the Cup's biggest prizes.
“It’s great that we’ve been able to make the changes that we’ve had and built this race team into championship contenders, and it’s exceeded really all the expectations I’ve had for it in such a short amount of time,” Hamlin said. " It’s certainly an honor to be amongst a lot of sport greats.”
AP auto racing: https://apnews.com/apf-AutoRacing
Corey Heim celebrates after winning a NASCAR Cup Series auto race at Indianapolis Motor Speedway in Indianapolis, Sunday, July 26, 2026. (AP Photo/Michael Conroy)
Crew members perform a pit stop on driver Denny Hamlin's car during a NASCAR Cup Series auto race in North Wilkesboro, N.C., Sunday, July 19, 2026. (AP Photo/Chuck Burton)
Denny Hamlin drives into Turn 1 during a NASCAR Cup Series auto race in North Wilkesboro, N.C., Sunday, July 19, 2026. (AP Photo/Chuck Burton)
BUENOS AIRES, Argentina (AP) — International Monetary Fund Managing Director Kristalina Georgieva praised Argentine President Javier Milei’s austerity policies and reform agenda Monday, saying they have restored market confidence in a country long regarded as a serial defaulter on its sovereign debt.
Georgieva, the first IMF head to visit Buenos Aires in eight years, expressed confidence that Argentina could meet its debt obligations. As the fund’s largest debtor with about $58 billion in outstanding IMF loans, Argentina faces a key repayment period beginning next year, when Milei is expected to seek reelection.
“Argentina is in a much stronger position, and this is the result of the government’s hard work and the perseverance and sacrifice of the Argentine people,” Georgieva said at a news conference alongside Economy Minister Luis Caputo.
Georgieva recalled that Argentina’s debt was among the first issues discussed when she took over as IMF managing director in 2019.
“We were debating whether the country would be able to keep up with servicing its debt obligations to everyone. That is not the question we should be asking today,” she said.
Georgieva’s visit comes as Argentina’s economic outlook has improved, with bond prices rising, central bank reserves increasing and inflation falling. Annual inflation has slowed to 33%, down sharply from 210% when Milei took office in late 2023. Last week, Moody’s upgraded Argentina’s sovereign credit rating, months after similar upgrades by S&P and Fitch.
“What we have today is a much healthier picture,” Georgieva said. “Market confidence has returned.”
Georgieva is scheduled to visit Vaca Muerta on Tuesday, one of the world’s largest reserves of unconventional oil and natural gas. Its development is expected to become one of Argentina’s main sources of foreign-currency earnings in the coming years.
Georgieva also said she sees no need for additional IMF disbursements before the 2027 presidential election.
“We may be on a good track for Argentina to join the club of emerging markets that have borrowed from the Fund, reformed their economies and borrowed no more,” Georgieva said.
Investors are closely watching Argentina’s ability to meet its upcoming debt payments. The country will begin repaying principal on its IMF loans in September, adding to its interest payments, while its broader foreign-currency debt obligations are set to rise sharply in 2027.
Caputo has said the government expects to cover those payments with funding from multilateral lenders, proceeds from privatizations and domestic borrowing rather than by returning to international capital markets.
Despite the improving economic indicators, Milei has faced declining approval ratings as his austerity policies have coincided with weak consumer spending, stagnant wages, rising household debt and a modest increase in unemployment.
The president’s declining popularity has raised questions about his prospects for reelection in 2027 and increased investor uncertainty over whether his economic reforms would continue under a future administration.
Asked about that possibility, Georgieva acknowledged that these risks are best managed "by building strong policies during the time we have now ... policies that inspire confidence among the people of the country and the international community.”
Georgieva also said Argentina still has work to do in areas including construction, expanding credit for small businesses and mortgages, and reducing informal employment.
President of the International Monetary Fund Kristalina Georgieva waves as she leaves the Economy Ministry after a meeting with Argentina Economy Minister Luis Caputo, left, in Buenos Aires, Argentina, Monday, July 27, 2026. (AP Photo/Gustavo Garello)
President of the International Monetary Fund Kristalina Georgieva leaves the Economy Ministry after a meeting with Argentina Economy Minister Luis Caputo in Buenos Aires, Argentina, Monday, July 27, 2026. (AP Photo/Gustavo Garello)
President of the International Monetary Fund Kristalina Georgieva, right, and Argentina Economy Minister Luis Caputo arrive at the Economy Ministry for a meeting in Buenos Aires, Argentina, Monday, July 27, 2026. (AP Photo/Gustavo Garello)
President of the International Monetary Fund Kristalina Georgieva, right, and Argentina Economy Minister Luis Caputo arrive at the Economy Ministry for a meeting in Buenos Aires, Argentina, Monday, July 27, 2026. (AP Photo/Gustavo Garello)
President of the International Monetary Fund Kristalina Georgieva, right, and Argentina Economy Minister Luis Caputo pose for a photo as they arrive at the Economy Ministry for a meeting in Buenos Aires, Argentina, Monday, July 27, 2026. (AP Photo/Gustavo Garello)
