Michigan Notebook: Truex leads first and second segments, sixth in final segment

Martin Truex Jr. earned two championship bonus points for winning segments one and two at Michigan International Speedway in the FireKeepers Casino 400. He was sixth in the final segment.

He also earned 10 points at the end of each segment to give him a total of 51 for the race. That was the second most in the field and he added fantasy points for 62 laps led. Both were second to the winner Kyle Larson.

Kyle Busch 7th at Michigan:

Kyle Busch finished seventh in the FireKeepers Casino 400 at Michigan International Speedway after a late-race caution spoiled an attempt to stretch his fuel mileage.

Busch stayed out on old tires along with a dozen other drivers. He was passed by Kyle Larson in the next-to-last restart. Once shuffled back into the pack, the dirty air dropped him to outside the top five.

Ricky Stenhouse Jr, gets first MIS Top-10:

Ricky Stenhouse Jr. finished eighth in the FireKeepers Casino 400 at Michigan International Speedway.

Stenhouse was certainly a dark horse. He qualified 21st and had had a best finish on this track of only 15th. That came three years ago and in the intervening races he finished in the 20s.

Dale Earnhardt Jr. rebounds for MIS Top-10:

Dale Earnhardt Jr. entered last June’s FireKeepers Casino 400 with a four-race streak of top-10s, but he was sidelined 61 laps into the show with an accident and finished 39th. He rebounded this week to finish ninth.

Earnhardt blew an engine last week at Pocono Raceway after missing a shift. This season has not gone according to plan. This is his third top-10 of the season and he has not yet been able to gain any momentum. Continue to be cautious in your approach to the No. 88.

Jimmie Johnson rounds out MIS Top-10:

Jimmie Johnson had to come from the back of the pack at Michigan International Speedway after rolling out a backup car. He climbed to 10th in the FireKeepers Casino 400.

Unfortunately, he only received three place-differential points from his official starting position of 13th and that made him minimally attractive at his salary cap level.

WRAPUP: Michigan and Gateway

By Anthony Ballantoni



The NASCAR Camping World Truck Series held its Drivin' for Linemen 200 at the 1.25-mile oval Gateway Motorsports Park (GMP) in Madison, IL on Saturday night. The Michigan International Speedway (MIS) hosted two NASCAR top series events this past weekend. The 2-mile oval in Brooklyn, MI featured the NASCAR XFINITY Series Irish Hills 250 on Saturday and the Monster Energy NASCAR Cup Series FireKeepers Casino 400 on Sunday. The results and upcoming scheduled events for the ARCA Racing Series, NASCAR Home Tracks and other covered series are also shown below.

Monster Energy NASCAR Cup Series (MENCS)
Time Trials: Kyle Larson (No. 42 Cars 3/Target Chevrolet SS) won the Coors Light Pole Award for the FireKeepers Casino 400 with a lap of 202.156 mph. This is his third pole in 126 MENCS races. It is his second pole and 10th top-10 start in 2017 and his first pole in seven races at MIS. Martin Truex Jr. (second) earned his 12th top-10 start of 2017 and his seventh in 23 races at MIS. Clint Bowyer (third) earned his fifth top-10 start at MIS and his seventh in 15 races this season. Erik Jones (14th) was the fastest qualifying Rookie of the Year contender.
Did not qualify: No one. Only 37 cars entered for 40 spots in lineup.

Results: Pole-sitter Kyle Larson led a race-high 96 laps and won the 200-lap FireKeepers Casino 400, his third victory in 127 MENCS races. This is his second victory and 10th top-10 finish in 2017. It is his second victory and fourth top-10 finish in eight races at MIS. Chase Elliott (second) posted his third top-10 finish in four races at MIS and his ninth top-10 finish in 2017. Joey Logano (third) posted his 12th top-10 finish in 18 races at MIS. Erik Jones (13th) was the highest finishing Rookie of the Year contender.

Standings: Kyle Larson leads the point standings by five points over Martin Truex Jr.

Top 16 - Chase Contenders:
1. Kyle Larson
2. Martin Truex Jr.
3. Kyle Busch
4. Kevin Harvick
5. Chase Elliott
6. Brad Keselowski
7. Jamie McMurray
8. Jimmie Johnson
9. Denny Hamlin
10. Joey Logano
11. Matt Kenseth
12. Clint Bowyer
13. Ryan Blaney
14. Kurt Busch
15. Ricky Stenhouse Jr.
16. Erik Jones

Next: Sunday, June 25, Toyota/Save Mart 350 at Sonoma Raceway (1.99-mile road course in California)
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NASCAR XFINITY Series (NXS)
Time Trials: MENCS regular Kyle Busch, driving the No. 18 NOS Energy Drink Toyota, won the Coors Light 21 Means 21 Pole Award for the Irish Hills 250 with a lap of 193.564 mph. This is his 60th pole in 332 NXS races. It is his third pole and third top-10 NXS start in 2017 and his second pole in ten NXS races at MIS. Brad Keselowski (second), another Cup regular, posted his fifth top-10 NXS start of 2017 and his fourth in seven NXS races at MIS. Elliott Sadler (third) posted his fifth top-10 start at MIS and his fourth in 13 races this season. William Byron (fourth) was the fastest qualifying Rookie of the Year contender.
Did not qualify: No one. Only 40 teams entered for 40 starting spots.

Results: MENCS regular Denny Hamlin (No. 11 Toyota), driving the No. 20 Hisense Toyota, won the Irish Hills 250, his 16th victory in 158 NXS races. This is his first victory and second top-10 NXS finish in 2017. It is his second victory and fifth top-10 finish in six NXS races at MIS. William Byron (second), the highest finishing Rookie of the Year contender, posted his first top-10 finish at MIS and seventh top-10 finish in 2017. Elliott Sadler (third) posted his eighth top-10 finish in 13 races at MIS. Pole-sitter Kyle Busch spun on the first lap and never led any laps. He finished the 125-lap event in fifth place.

Standings: Elliott Sadler leads the point standings by 21 points over Justin Allgaier.

Top 12 - Chase Contenders:
1. Elliott Sadler
2. Justin Allgaier
3. William Byron
4. Daniel Hemric
5. Brennan Poole
6. Ryan Reed
7. Darrell Wallace Jr.
8. Cole Custer
9. Matt Tifft
10. Michael Annett
11. Blake Koch
12. Dakoda Armstrong

Next: Saturday, June 24, American Ethanol E15 250 at Iowa Speedway (0.875-mile oval in Newton, IA)
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NASCAR Camping World Truck Series (NCWTS)
Time Trials: Chase Briscoe (No. 29 Brad Keselowski's Checkered Flag Foundation Ford F-150) won the 21 Means 21 Pole Award for the Drivin' for Linemen 200 with a lap of 136.828 mph. This is his second pole in eight NCWTS races and first at GMP. It is his fifth top-10 start in 2017. John Hunter Nemechek (second) posted his second top-10 start of 2017 and his second in four races at GMP. Christopher Bell (third) posted his second top-10 start at GMP and his seventh in eight races this season.
Did not qualify: No one. Only 30 entries for the 32 truck field.

Results: John Hunter Nemechek (No. 8 Chevrolet Silverado) won the Drivin' for Linemen 200, his fourth victory in 61 NCWTS races. This is his first victory and third top-10 finish in 2017. It is his first victory and third top-10 finish in four races at GMP. Pole-sitter Chase Briscoe (second), led a race-high 88 laps in the 160 lap event. It was his fourth top-10 finish in 2017. Johnny Sauter (third) posted his sixth top-10 finish in six races at GMP. 

Standings: Johnny Sauter leads the point standings by 38 points over Christopher Bell.

Top 8 - Chase Contenders:
1. Johnny Sauter
2. Christopher Bell
3. Matt Crafton
4. Chase Briscoe
5. Ben Rhodes
6. Grant Enfinger
7. Ryan Truex
8. Kaz Grala

Next: Friday, June 23, M&M’S® 200 at Iowa Speedway (0.875-mile oval in Newton, IA)
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NASCAR Home Tracks
K&N Pro Series-East: June 3, Memphis 125 at Memphis Int’l Raceway
Winner: Harrison Burton   -Pole: Chase Purdy    -Points Leader: Harrison Burton
Next: July 1 at Berlin Raceway (0.438-mile oval in Marne, MI)

K&N Pro Series-West: June 10, Toyota 150 at Colorado National Speedway
Winner: Chris Eggleston  -Pole: Chris Eggleston   -Points Leader: Todd Gilliland
Next: June 24, Carneros 200 at Sonoma Raceway (1.99-mile road course in California)

Pinty’s Series: June 17, CRS Express 300 at Autodrome Chaudiere (Vallee-Jonction, Quebec)
* Postponed due to expected rain to Friday, June 23rd
Points Leader: Kevin Lacroix

Whelen Modified Tour: June 14, Thompson 125 at Thompson (CT) Speedway Motorsports Park
Winner: Ryan Preece  -Pole: Donny Lia    -Points Leader: Timmy Solomito
Next: June 24, Buzz Chew Chevrolet-Cadillac 200 at Riverhead Raceway (0.25-mile oval in New York)

Peak Mexico Series: June 4, Northern Transportation GP at Tri-oval Int'l de Cajititlan
Winner: Ruben Rovelo   -Pole: Salvador de Alba Jr.   -Points Leader: Ruben Rovelo
Next: June 25, Sidral Aga 90 at the Autódromo de León (0.75-mile road course in Leon, Mexico)
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Other Series
ARCA Racing Series: June 16, Corrigan Oil 200 at Michigan Int’l Speedway
Winner: Brandon Jones   -Pole: Brandon Jones   -Points Leader: Austin Theriault
Next: June 23, Montgomery Ward 200 at Madison Int’l Speedway (0.5-mile oval in Oregon, WI)

Southern Modified Racing Series: April 14, Keller Williams Realty 125 at Caraway Speedway
Winner: Tim Brown   -Pole: Brandon Ward  -Points Leader: Brandon Ward
Next: July 1 at Hickory Motor Speedway (0.363-mile oval in Newton, NC)

EXIT Realty Modified Touring Series: June 17, MTS 125 at Riverhead (NY) Raceway
Winner: Ryan Preece   -Pole: Woody Pitkat  -Points Leader: Ryan Preece
Next: July 1 at Monadnock Speedway (0.25-mile oval in Winchester, NH)

Post-Race Fast Facts: FireKeepers Casino 400

Race Fast Facts

Michigan International Speedway

49th Annual FireKeepers Casino 400

Race Winner: Kyle Larson

Age: 24

Team: No. 42 - Cars 3/Target Chevrolet

Owner: Chip Ganassi Racing

Crew Chief: Chad Johnston

Kyle Larson won the 49th Annual FireKeepers Casino 400, his third victory in 127 NASCAR Monster Energy Cup Series races.
•        This is his second victory and 10th top-10 finish in 2017.
•        This is his second victory and fourth top-10 finish in eight races at Michigan International Speedway.

Chase Elliott (second) posted his third top-10 finish in four races at Michigan International Speedway. It is his ninth top-10 finish in 2017.

Joey Logano (third) posted his 12th top-10 finish in 18 races at Michigan International Speedway.

Erik Jones (13th) was the highest finishing rookie.

Kyle Larson leads the point standings by 5 points over Martin Truex Jr.

This is the 14th Monster Energy NASCAR Cup Series victory for Chip Ganassi Racing.

Fantasy Sleepers and Value Picks – Michigan International Speedway (FireKeepers Casino 400)

Daniel Suarez currently has eight-consecutive Top-20
finishes

Sleepers:

Kurt Busch: For the second week-in-a-row, Kurt Busch makes our list because he recently has picked up steam and speed – making him a strong fantasy sleeper at Michigan. He has four top-eight or better finishes in his last six races and he ranks 18th in fantasy points averaged over his last three races. Busch has been a #FantasyNASCAR-producing machine at Michigan as he has three wins, five top fives, 11 top 10s and 448 laps led. Since 2015, he has a place differential of +8.2.

Austin Dillon: It’s safe to say – AD is finally having the season we expected. He has three-consecutive top-13 or better finishes, including his win at Charlotte. He ranks ninth in fantasy points averaged over his last three races and looks to carry that into Michigan. Since 2015, Dillon has the ninth-best driver rating (90.3) among active drivers and owns an average finish of 12.0 in that span. Dillon has four-consecutive top-20 or better finishes at Michigan and has led 22 career laps there.

Erik Jones: Erik Jones is becoming a star right before our eyes. The Sunoco Rookie has had a terrific first season in the Monster Energy NASCAR Cup Series. As of late, Jones has three-consecutive top 15s – including a top-three finish at Pocono – his best finish of the season. He sits a flaming hot seventh in fantasy points averaged over his last three races. He’s decently affordable across most leagues for his close to dominate production. In one career NASCAR XFINITY Series race at Michigan, Jones placed fourth.

Daniel Suárez: Daniel Suárez is beginning to figure it out and right now, makes a case for a quality sleeper play from week-to-week. Suárez has eight-consecutive top-20 finishes and owns an average finish on the season of 15.9. He ranks 12th in fantasy points averaged over his last three races and his asking price makes him very appealing. Interesting note for Suárez at Michigan? It’s home to his first NASCAR national series victory. Suárez won at Michigan last season in the NASCAR XFINITY Series beating Kyle Busch.

Value Plays:

Chris Buescher: While his price varies in most leagues, if you can spare a little salary, Chris Buescher makes a strong value play. In eight of his last nine races, Buescher has had positive place differential of at least two or better. On the season, Buescher owns an average finish of 22.6, with an average place differential of +6.3. He currently ranks 15th in fantasy points averaged over his last three races. In this event last season, Buescher started 22nd and finished 20th.

Darrell Wallace Jr.: In his Monster Energy NASCAR Cup Series debut at Pocono Raceway last week, Bubba Wallace struggled with some penalties and ended up finishing 26th after starting 16th. The positive is his room for improvement and his price remains low enough in most leagues to take a safe gamble on him as a value play. In two career NASCAR XFINITY Series races at Michigan, Wallace has finishes of ninth (2016) and 15th (2015). For comparison-sake, Aric Almirola finished top-25 or better in four or his last five races at Michigan.

Michael McDowell: Let’s revisit Michael McDowell’s last four finishes in the Monster Energy NASCAR Cup Series. Starting most recently: 24th (Pocono), 19th (Dover), 19th (Charlotte) and 13th (Kansas). That is value across the board given his asking price. McDowell ranks 24th in fantasy points averaged over his last three races. On the season, McDowell owns an average finish of 23.7, with an average place differential of +1.1. He makes a quality value play this week at Michigan.

David Ragan: David Ragan is on pace for value play of the 2017 season. In nine of his last 10 races, Ragan has had positive place differential of +3 or better. On the season, Ragan owns an average finish of 24.4., with an average place differential of +5.6. Across most leagues the value is equitable for his asking price. In 20 career starts at Michigan, Ragan has two top 10s and owns an average finish of 21.6, with an average place differential of +4.

Statistical Advance: Analyzing the FireKeepers Casino 400

DAYTONA BEACH, FLORIDA – Below is a look at some of the top statistical performers at Michigan International Speedway in Brooklyn, Michigan going into the FireKeepers Casino 400 on June 18 (FS1, MRN and SiriusXM NASCAR Radio at 3 p.m. ET).
 

Monster Energy NASCAR Cup Series Top 30 in the 2017 Driver Standings Rank Driver Points Race Wins Playoff Points 1 Martin Truex Jr. 584 2 18 2 Kyle Larson 583 1 8 3 Kevin Harvick 480 0 3 4 Kyle Busch 463 0 4 5 Brad Keselowski 454 2 12 6 Chase Elliott 438 0 2 7 Jimmie Johnson 421 3 15 8 Jamie McMurray 418 0 0 9 Denny Hamlin 386 0 2 10 Clint Bowyer 369 0 0 11 Joey Logano 362 1 1 12 Ryan Blaney 360 1 8 13 Matt Kenseth 359 0 1 14 Kurt Busch 331 1 5 15 Ricky Stenhouse Jr. 325 1 5 16 Ryan Newman 322 1 5 17 Erik Jones 322 0 0 18 Trevor Bayne 303 0 0 19 Daniel Suarez 300 0 0 20 Austin Dillon 287 1 5 21 Kasey Kahne 274 0 0 22 Ty Dillon 247 0 0 23 Dale Earnhardt Jr. 229 0 0 24 Paul Menard 218 0 0 25 Chris Buescher 204 0 0 26 Aric Almirola 188 0 0 27 Michael McDowell 186 0 0 28 AJ Allmendinger 183 0 0 29 David Ragan 177 0 0 30 Danica Patrick 175 0 0 MICHIGAN-SPECIFIC STATISTICS Ryan Blaney (No. 21 Wood Brother Racing Ford Fusion) ·       One top five, one top 10 ·       Average finish of 17.250, 11th-best ·       Average Running Position of 14.452, 10th-best ·       Driver Rating of 84.6, 13th-best ·       7 Fastest Laps Run, third-best ·       Average Green Flag Speed of 179.167, 13th-fastest ·       432 Laps in the Top 15 (58.5), 12th-most ·       102 Quality Passes, 12th-most Kurt Busch (No. 41 Stewart-Haas Racing Ford Fusion) ·       Three wins, five top fives, 11 top 10s; two poles ·       Average finish of 19.500, 12th-best ·       Average Running Position of 14.819, 11th-best ·       Driver Rating of 89.8, ninth-best ·       186 Fastest Laps Run, second-best ·       Average Green Flag Speed of 179.211, 12th-fastest ·       2875 Laps in the Top 15 (61.5), ninth-most ·       778 Quality Passes, sixth-most Kyle Busch (No. 18 Joe Gibbs Racing Toyota Camry) ·       One win, four top fives, six top 10s ·       Average finish of 20.417, 13th-best ·       Average Running Position of 17.502, 13th-best ·       Driver Rating of 85.7, 12th-best ·       155 Fastest Laps Run, series-best ·       Average Green Flag Speed of 179.552, 10th-fastest ·       2751 Laps in the Top 15 (58.8), 11th-most ·       774 Quality Passes, eighth-most Dale Earnhardt Jr (No. 88 Hendrick Motorsports Chevrolet SS) ·       Two wins, eight top fives, 14 top 10s; two poles ·       Average finish of 13.217, sixth-best ·       Average Running Position of 13.019, sixth-best ·       Driver Rating of 96.0, fifth-best ·       205 Fastest Laps Run, eighth-best ·       Average Green Flag Speed of 179.850, fifth-fastest ·       2977 Laps in the Top 15 (66.5), sixth-most ·       933 Quality Passes, second-most Chase Elliott (No. 24 Hendrick Motorsports Chevrolet SS) ·       Two top fives, two top 10s ·       Average finish of 2.000, series-best ·       Average Running Position of 4.300, series-best ·       Driver Rating of 125.1, series-best ·       68 Fastest Laps Run, 13th-best ·       Average Green Flag Speed of 180.730, series-fastest ·       391 Laps in the Top 15 (97.8), series-most ·       59 Quality Passes, 13th-most Denny Hamlin (No. 11 Joe Gibbs Racing Toyota Camry) ·       Two wins, six top fives, ten top 10s ·       Average finish of 15.182, eighth-best ·       Average Running Position of 13.940, ninth-best ·       Driver Rating of 89.4, 10th-best ·       110 Fastest Laps Run, sixth-best ·       Average Green Flag Speed of 179.471, 11th-fastest ·       2697 Laps in the Top 15 (63.1), eighth-most ·       816 Quality Passes, fifth-most Kevin Harvick (No. 4 Stewart-Haas Racing Ford Fusion) ·       One win, ten top fives, 15 top 10s; one pole ·       Average finish of 11.292, third-best ·       Average Running Position of 13.230, seventh-best ·       Driver Rating of 94.0, sixth-best ·       213 Fastest Laps Run, 11th-best ·       Average Green Flag Speed of 179.684, seventh-fastest ·       2779 Laps in the Top 15 (59.4), 10th-most ·       776 Quality Passes, seventh-most Jimmie Johnson (No. 48 Hendrick Motorsports Chevrolet SS) ·       One win, five top fives, 12 top 10s ·       Average finish of 16.042, ninth-best ·       Average Running Position of 12.116, third-best ·       Driver Rating of 100.0, third-best ·       449 Fastest Laps Run, fifth-best ·       Average Green Flag Speed of 180.222, second-fastest ·       3299 Laps in the Top 15 (70.5), third-most ·       869 Quality Passes, third-most Kasey Kahne (No. 5 Hendrick Motorsports Chevrolet SS) ·       One win, eight top fives, ten top 10s; three poles ·       Average finish of 16.625, 10th-best ·       Average Running Position of 15.397, 12th-best ·       Driver Rating of 88.2, 11th-best ·       187 Fastest Laps Run, fourth-best ·       Average Green Flag Speed of 179.571, ninth-fastest ·       2613 Laps in the Top 15 (55.9), 13th-most ·       846 Quality Passes, fourth-most Matt Kenseth (No. 20 Joe Gibbs Racing Toyota Camry) ·       Three wins, 14 top fives, 20 top 10s; one pole ·       Average finish of 11.042, second-best ·       Average Running Position of 11.220, second-best ·       Driver Rating of 102.2, second-best ·       255 Fastest Laps Run, 12th-best ·       Average Green Flag Speed of 179.958, third-fastest ·       3599 Laps in the Top 15 (77.0), second-most ·       990 Quality Passes, series-most Brad Keselowski (No. 2 Team Penske Ford Fusion) ·       Five top fives, eight top 10s ·       Average finish of 12.333, fourth-best ·       Average Running Position of 12.632, fourth-best ·       Driver Rating of 93.3, eighth-best ·       80 Fastest Laps Run, 10th-best ·       Average Green Flag Speed of 179.645, eighth-fastest ·       2033 Laps in the Top 15 (69.1), fourth-most ·       550 Quality Passes, ninth-most Kyle Larson (No. 42 Chip Ganassi Racing Chevrolet SS) ·       One win, two top fives, three top 10s ·       Average finish of 14.167, seventh-best ·       Average Running Position of 13.683, eighth-best ·       Driver Rating of 94.0, seventh-best ·       60 Fastest Laps Run, seventh-best ·       Average Green Flag Speed of 179.857, fourth-fastest ·       775 Laps in the Top 15 (68.1), fifth-most ·       223 Quality Passes, 11th-most Joey Logano (No. 22 Team Penske Ford Fusion) ·       Two wins, four top fives, 11 top 10s; three poles ·       Average finish of 12.625, fifth-best ·       Average Running Position of 12.633, fifth-best ·       Driver Rating of 97.0, fourth-best ·       141 Fastest Laps Run, ninth-best ·       Average Green Flag Speed of 179.788, sixth-fastest ·       2017 Laps in the Top 15 (64.2), seventh-most ·       505 Quality Passes, 10th-most The Monster Energy NASCAR Cup Series 2017 Top 16 at Michigan International Speedway Rank Driver Races Poles Wins Top Fives Top 10s DNFs Average Finish Driver Rating 1 Martin Truex Jr 22 0 0 5 7 1 16.5 83.5 2 Kyle Larson 6 0 1 2 3 1 14.2 94.0 3 Kevin Harvick 32 1 1 10 15 1 12.7 94.0 4 Kyle Busch 24 0 1 4 6 3 20.4 85.7 5 Brad Keselowski 15 0 0 5 8 0 12.3 93.3 6 Chase Elliott 2 0 0 2 2 0 2 125.1 7 Jimmie Johnson 30 0 1 5 12 3 16.4 100.0 8 Jamie McMurray 28 0 0 1 7 2 17.9 73.6 9 Denny Hamlin 22 0 2 6 10 3 15.2 89.4 10 Clint Bowyer 22 0 0 1 11 1 17.1 79.6 11 Joey Logano 16 3 2 4 11 1 12.6 97.0 12 Ryan Blaney 4 0 0 1 1 0 17.2 84.6 13 Matt Kenseth 35 1 3 14 20 1 10.4 102.2 14 Kurt Busch 32 2 3 5 11 8 20 89.8 15 Ricky Stenhouse Jr 8 0 0 0 0 0 23 62.4 16 Ryan Newman 31 1 2 5 8 2 16.7 78.8 * – Based on last 24 races at Michigan International Speedway (2005 – 2016). 2017 Stage Winners / Drivers with Playoff Points Track Stage 1 Winner Stage 2 Winner Stage 3 Winner Race Winner Following Race #14 Daytona Kyle Busch Kevin Harvick N/A Kurt Busch Drivers Points Atlanta Kevin Harvick Kevin Harvick N/A Brad Keselowski Martin Truex Jr. 18 Las Vegas Martin Truex Jr. Martin Truex Jr. N/A Martin Truex Jr. Jimmie Johnson 15 Phoenix Joey Logano Chase Elliott N/A Ryan Newman Brad Keselowski 12 Auto Club Kyle Larson Martin Truex Jr. N/A Kyle Larson Kyle Larson 8 Martinsville Martin Truex Jr. Chase Elliott N/A Brad Keselowski Ryan Blaney 8 Texas Ryan Blaney Ryan Blaney N/A Jimmie Johnson Ryan Newman 5 Bristol Kyle Larson Martin Truex Jr. N/A Jimmie Johnson Kurt Busch 5 Richmond Matt Kenseth Brad Keselowski N/A Joey Logano Ricky Stenhouse Jr 5 Talladega Brad Keselowski Denny Hamlin N/A Ricky Stenhouse Jr Austin Dillon 5 Kansas Kyle Busch Ryan Blaney N/A Martin Truex Jr. Kyle Busch 4 Charlotte Kyle Busch Martin Truex Jr. Denny Hamlin Austin Dillon Kevin Harvick 3 Dover Martin Truex Jr. Martin Truex Jr. N/A Jimmie Johnson Chase Elliott 2 Pocono Kyle Busch  Kyle Larson  N/A  Ryan Blaney  Denny Hamlin 2 Michigan Joey Logano 1 Sonoma Matt Kenseth 1 Michigan International Speedway Data Season Race #: 15 of 36 (06-18-17) Track Size: 2-miles Banking/Turn 1 & 2: 18 degrees Banking/Turn 3 & 4: 18 degrees Banking/Frontstretch: 5 degrees Banking/Backstretch: 2 degrees Frontstretch Length:  3,600 feet Backstretch Length:  2,242 feet Race Length: 200 laps / 400 miles Stage 1 and 2 Length: 60 laps (each) Final Stage Length: 80 laps Top 10 Driver Ratings at Michigan Chase Elliott............................ 125.1 Matt Kenseth.......................... 102.2 Jimmie Johnson...................... 100.0 Joey Logano............................. 97.0 Dale Earnhardt Jr...................... 96.0 Kevin Harvick............................ 94.0 Kyle Larson............................... 94.0 Brad Keselowski........................ 93.3 Kurt Busch................................ 89.8 Denny Hamlin............................ 89.4 Note: Driver Ratings compiled from 2005-2016 races (24 total) among active drivers at Michigan International Speedway. Qualifying/Race Data 2016 pole winner: Joey Logano, Ford 199.557 mph, 36.080 secs. 06-10-16 2016 race winner: Joey Logano, Ford 134.241 mph, (02:58:47), 06-12-16 Track qualifying record: Jeff Gordon, Chevrolet 206.558 mph, 34.857 secs. 08-17-14 Track race record: Dale Jarrett, Ford 173.997 mph, (2:17:56), 06-13-99 t Michigan International Speedway: History ·       Michigan International Speedway sits on more than 1,400 acres in the "Irish Hills" of Southeastern Michigan. Ground-breaking took place on Sept. 28, 1967. ·       The first Monster Energy NASCAR Cup Series race at Michigan was held June 15, 1969 – won by Cale Yarborough at a speed of 139.254 mph. ·       The track was known as Michigan Speedway during the time Roger Penske was the primary owner (1996-99). ·       The first MENCS race was 500 miles in length; the second was scheduled for 600. The track was re-measured to 2.04 miles for the last race in 1970 and both races in 1971 – with the race distance being 402 miles. All other races have been scheduled for 400 miles. ·       The 2-mile speedway underwent a repave in 2012. ·       There have been 95 Monster Energy NASCAR Cup Series races at Michigan International Speedway since the first race there in 1969. Other than 1973, which had just one race, there have been two races each season since 1969. Starts ·       381 drivers have competed in at least one Monster Energy NASCAR Cup Series race at Michigan International Speedway; 284 in more than one. ·       Bill Elliott leads the series in starts at Michigan with 61. ·       Matt Kenseth leads all active series drivers in starts with 35. ·       Jimmie Johnson leads all active drivers in the Monster Energy NASCAR Cup Series in average starting position at Michigan with a 9.467. ·       A total of 38 drivers have made their first series start at Michigan International Speedway. ·       Landon Cassill (6/13/2010) is the only active Monster Energy NASCAR Cup Series driver to make his first career start at Michigan International Speedway. Poles ·       47 different drivers have won Coors Light poles at Michigan, led by David Pearson with 10. ·       Kasey Kahne and Joey Logano lead all active drivers in poles at Michigan with three each. ·       Donnie Allison won the inaugural Coors Light pole at Michigan in 1969 with a speed of 160.135 mph.  ·       Seven drivers have won consecutive Coors Light poles at Michigan. David Pearson holds the record for most consecutive poles at Michigan with five; fall 1976 through 1978. Most recent driver to post consecutive poles at MIS - Joey Logano’s last season sweep. ·       Youngest Michigan pole winner: Joey Logano (08/16/2013 – 23 years, 2 months, 23 days). ·       Oldest Michigan pole winner: Mark Martin (08/19/2012 – 53 years, 7 months, 10 days). ·       Nine different manufacturers have won a pole at Michigan in the MENCS; led by Ford (27 poles) and followed by Chevrolet (26), Mercury (10), Dodge (nine), Pontiac (eight), Toyota (five), Buick (three), Plymouth (two) and Oldsmobile (one). Wins ·       37 different drivers have won in the Monster Energy NASCAR Cup Series at Michigan International Speedway, led by David Pearson with nine wins. ·       Kurt Busch and Matt Kenseth lead all active MENCS drivers with three each.   ·       NASCAR Hall of Famer Cale Yarborough won the inaugural Monster Energy NASCAR Cup Series race at Michigan International Speedway driving for the Wood Brothers in a Mercury. ·       Eight drivers have posted consecutive wins at Michigan International Speedway. Bill Elliott (1985 sweep and 1986 sweep) holds the record for the most consecutive wins in the series at Michigan with four. ·       Ryan Newman (2003-2004) is the only active driver to win consecutive series races at Michigan. ·       Youngest Michigan winner: Joey Logano (08/18/2013 – 23 years, 2 months, 25 days). ·       Oldest Michigan winner: Harry Gant (08/16/1992 – 52 years, 7 months, 6 days). ·       Roush Fenway Racing has the most wins at Michigan in the Monster Energy NASCAR Cup Series with 13: Mark Martin (four), Greg Biffle (four), Carl Edwards (two), Matt Kenseth (two) and Kurt Busch (one). ·       The top six winning MENCS organizations at Michigan are Roush Fenway Racing (13), Wood Brothers Racing (11), Joe Gibbs Racing (eight), Hendrick Motorsports (eight) and Team Penske (eight). ·       Eight different manufacturers have won in the Monster Energy NASCAR Cup Series at Michigan; led by Ford with 35 victories; followed by Chevrolet with 24, Mercury (12), Dodge (nine), Toyota (five), Buick (four) Pontiac (four) and Oldsmobile (two). ·       20 of the 95 (21.1%) Monster Energy NASCAR Cup Series races at Michigan have been won from the Coors Light pole; the most recent won from the pole - Joey Logano (June 2016). ·       The Coors Light pole position is the most proficient starting position in the field, producing more winners (20) than any other starting position at Michigan International Speedway.     ·       28 of the 95 (29.5%) Monster Energy NASCAR Cup Series races at Michigan have been won from the front row: 20 from the pole and eight from second-place. ·       56 of the 95 (58.9%) Monster Energy NASCAR Cup races at Michigan have been won from a top-five starting position. ·       71 of the 95 (74.7%) Monster Energy NASCAR Cup races at Michigan have been won from a top-10 starting position. ·       Seven of the 95 (7.4%) Monster Energy NASCAR Cup Series races at Michigan have been won from a starting position outside the top 20 – most recent: Kurt Busch (started 24th) in June, 2015. ·       The deepest in the field that a race winner has started at Michigan is 32nd, by Mark Martin in the spring of 2009. ·       Among the 11 active series Michigan winners, Kevin Harvick (19), Kyle Busch (13) and Joey Logano (10) all made 10 or more attempts before their first win. ·       Jamie McMurray has made the most series starts (28) among active drivers at Michigan without a win.  Additional Finishing Position Stats ·       Jeff Gordon leads the series in runner-up finishes at Michigan with eight; followed by Darrell Waltrip with seven and Kevin Harvick with six. ·       NASCAR Hall of Famer Cale Yarborough leads the series in top-five finishes at Michigan with 21; Matt Kenseth leads all active drivers with 14.    ·       NASCAR Hall of Famer Mark Martin leads the series in top-10 finishes at Michigan with 31. Matt Kenseth leads all active drivers with 20. ·       Chase Elliott leads all active drivers in the MENCS in average finishing position at Michigan with a 2.0. Below are the top 10 active drivers in the series in average finish at MIS: Active Drivers Average Finish Chase Elliott 2.0 Matt Kenseth 10.4 Brad Keselowski 12.3 Joey Logano 12.6 Kevin Harvick 12.7 Kyle Larson 14.2 Denny Hamlin 15.2 Kasey Kahne 15.6 Dale Earnhardt Jr 15.8 Jimmie Johnson 16.4 Track/Event Specific Stats ·       Since the advent of electronic scoring the closest margin of victory (MOV) in the Monster Energy NASCAR Cup Series at Michigan International Speedway was the June 10, 2001 race won by Jeff Gordon over Ricky Rudd with a MOV of 0.085 second. ·       Below are the top five closest MENCS margins of victories at Michigan: Margin of Victory Race Winner Runner-Up Date 0.085 Jeff Gordon Ricky Rudd 6/10/2001 0.131 Matt Kenseth Dale Jarrett 6/16/2002 0.168 Dale Jarrett Mark Martin 8/18/1996 0.270 Bobby Labonte Jeff Gordon 6/18/1995 0.281 Denny Hamlin Matt Kenseth 6/19/2011 ·       There have been four Monster Energy NASCAR Cup Series races resulting in NASCAR Overtime at Michigan International Speedway: Date Scheduled No. of Laps Actual No. of Laps NASCAR Overtime Laps Race Winner 8/19/2012 200 201 1 Greg Biffle 8/21/2011 200 203 3 Kyle Busch 6/15/2008 200 203 3 Dale Earnhardt Jr 8/21/2007 200 203 3 Kurt Busch ·       Five of the 95 (5.2%) Monster Energy NASCAR Cup Series races at Michigan International Speedway have been shortened due to weather conditions: Date Scheduled No. of Laps Actual No. of Laps No. of Fewer Laps Race Winner 6/14/2015 200 138 -62 Kurt Busch 6/18/2006 200 129 -71 Kasey Kahne 8/19/2001 200 162 -38 Sterling Marlin 6/11/2000 200 194 -6 Tony Stewart 8/17/1969 300 165 -135 David Pearson ·       Qualifying has been cancelled due to weather conditions in the Monster Energy NASCAR Cup Series at Michigan International Speedway four times: June, 1985; June, 1990; August, 2004; June, 2008.     ·       Cale Yarborough leads the series in laps led at MIS with 1,308. Jimmie Johnson leads all active drivers in the Monster Energy NASCAR Cup Series in laps led at Michigan with 687 laps led in 30 starts. Below are the top five active lap leaders at Michigan in the MENCS: Active Drivers Laps Led Laps Completed % of Laps Led Jimmie Johnson 687 5,589 12% Kurt Busch 448 5,500 8% Matt Kenseth 443 6,680 7% Joey Logano 356 2,997 12% Dale Earnhardt Jr 353 6,353 6% Female Competitor Stats ·       Four female drivers have competed at Michigan International Speedway in the NASCAR Sprint Cup Series: Janet Guthrie, Robin McCall, Shawna Robinson and Danica Patrick. Of the four female drivers to compete at Michigan, Guthrie has the best finish (10th).   Driver Starting Position Finishing Position Date Danica Patrick 23 23 8/28/2016 Danica Patrick 25 21 6/12/2016 Danica Patrick 23 25 8/16/2015 Danica Patrick 19 16 6/14/2015 Danica Patrick 14 18 8/17/2014 Danica Patrick 27 17 6/15/2014 Danica Patrick 28 23 8/18/2013 Danica Patrick 37 13 6/16/2013 Patrick Averages 24.5 19.5 Shawna Robinson 32 34 6/10/2001 Robinson Averages 32.0 34.0 Robin McCall 29 33 8/22/1982 Robin McCall 35 29 6/20/1982 McCall Averages 32.0 31.0 Janet Guthrie 18 27 8/20/1978 Janet Guthrie 15 10 8/22/1977 Janet Guthrie 12 26 6/19/1977 Guthrie Averages 15.0 21.0 NASCAR in Michigan ·       There has been a total of 142 NASCAR national series races among four tracks in the state of Michigan. Track Name City MENCS NXS NCWTS Total Races Michigan International Speedway Brooklyn 95 25 17 137 Grand River Speedrome Grand Rapids 2 0 0 2 Michigan State Fairgrounds Detroit 2 0 0 2 Monroe Speedway Monroe 1 0 0 1 Totals 100 25 17 142 ·       The first Monster Energy NASCAR Cup Series race in the state of Michigan was at Grand River Speedrome in Grand Rapids, Michigan on 7/1/1951 – won by Marshall Teague from the pole in a Hudson. Michigan Drivers In NASCAR ·       98 drivers in NASCAR national series history have their home state recorded as Michigan. ·       Nine of the 98 have won at least one race in NASCAR’s national series. Driver MENCS NXS NCWTS Brad Keselowski 23 35 1 Paul Goldsmith 9 0 0 Johnny Benson 1 3 14 Erik Jones 0 8 7 Tim Fedewa 0 4 0 Butch Miller 0 2 1 Tracy Leslie 0 1 0 Jack Sprague 0 1 28 Bob Keselowski 0 0 1 Monster Energy NASCAR Cup Series Milestones Drivers Has Needs Milestones Jamie McMurray 524 1 Become the 37th MENCS driver all-time with 525 or more starts Jimmie Johnson 83 1 Tie Bobby Allison and Darrell Waltrip for fourth on MENCS all-time wins list Kyle Busch 38 1 Tie Tim Flock (39) for 18th on all-time MENCS wins list Matt Kenseth 38 1 Tie Tim Flock (39) for 18th on all-time MENCS wins list Kevin Harvick 35 2 Tie Bobby Isaac (37) for 21st on MENCS all-time wins list Kurt Busch 29 3 Tie Dale Jarrett (32) for 24th on all-time MENCS wins list Denny Hamlin 29 3 Tie Dale Jarrett (32) for 24th on all-time MENCS wins list Brad Keselowski 23 2 Tie Joe Weatherly, Jim Paschal (25) for 31st on all-time MENCS wins list Ryan Newman 51 3 Tie Bill Elliott for eighth on the all-time MENCS poles list Jimmie Johnson 35 1 Tie Rusty Wallace and Rex White for 17th on all-time MENCS poles list Kasey Kahne 27 1 Break the tie with Terry Labonte to become solely 25th on all-time MENCS poles list Denny Hamlin 24 1 Break the tie with Alan Kulwicki to become solely 28th on all-time MENCS poles list Kevin Harvick 48 1 Break the tie with Lee Petty and become solely 10th on all-time MENCS second-place finishes list Jimmie Johnson 46 2 Tie Lee Petty and Kevin Harvick for 10th on all-time MENCS second-place finishes list Matt Kenseth 29 1 Tie Ricky Rudd for 25th on all-time MENCS second-place finishes list Matt Kenseth 174 2 Tie Bill Elliott for 19th on the all-time MENCS top-five finishes list; become 20th driver with 175 or more top fives. Dale Earnhardt Jr 149 1 To become the 24th driver to post 150 or more MENCS top-five finishes AJ Allmendinger 49 1 To post his 50th career MENCS top-10 finish Jimmie Johnson 18,618 382 To become the ninth driver in series history to lead 19,000 or more laps Matt Kenseth 11,419 581 To become the 15th MENCS driver all-time to lead 12,000 or more laps Kevin Harvick 10,755 245 To become 17th MENCS driver all-time to lead 11,000 or more laps Kurt Busch 8,867 133 To become 20th MENCS driver all-time to lead 9,000 or more laps Ryan Newman 4,739 261 To become 40th MENCS driver all-time to lead 5,000 or more laps