Contested over 160 laps, it was the twentieth race of the 2013 NASCAR Sprint Cup Series season.

Indianapolis Motor Speedway is a four-turn rectangular-oval track that is 2.5 miles (4.023 km) long.

[7] During the first practice session, Juan Pablo Montoya, for the Earnhardt Ganassi Racing team, was quickest ahead of Kurt Busch in second and Austin Dillon in third.

[8] Joey Logano, Harvick, Martin Truex Jr., Kenseth, and Earnhardt Jr. rounded out the top ten quickest drivers in the session.

[8] In the final practice session for the race, Kurt Busch was the quickest of the forty-five drivers who participated.

[10] Ryan Newman clinched his fiftieth career pole position, with a record speed of 187.531 miles per hour (301.802 km/h).

[12] Kurt Busch, Kahne, Montoya, Jeff Gordon, and Ambrose completed the first ten positions on the grid.