Contested over 161 laps—extended from 160 laps due to an overtime finish, on the 2.5-mile (4.0 km) speedway, it was the 16th race of the 2020 NASCAR Cup Series season.

It is located on the corner of 16th Street and Georgetown Road, approximately six miles (10 km) west of Downtown Indianapolis.

Due to postponements stemming from the COVID-19 pandemic, the 2020 edition of the Brickyard 400 became part of a double-header weekend, as the IndyCar Series moved their GMR Grand Prix to July 4, the day before 400.

In the lead up to the race, multi-time winner Jimmie Johnson announced he had tested positive for COVID-19 and was forced to withdraw.

Rick Allen, Jeff Burton, Steve Letarte and Dale Earnhardt Jr. covered the race from the booth at Charlotte Motor Speedway.