NASCAR 2018 Race 15: Michigan FireKeepers Casino 400 race thread

[dara]

Schedule:

Friday, June 8
ON TRACK: MICHIGAN
— 11:30 a.m.-12:20 p.m.: Monster Energy NASCAR Cup Series practice, FS2
— 1:05-1:55 p.m.: NASCAR Xfinity Series practice, FS2
— 3:05-3:55 p.m.: NASCAR Xfinity Series final practice, FS2
— 4:10 p.m.: Monster Energy NASCAR Cup Series Pole Qualifying, FS1


Saturday, June 9
ON TRACK: MICHIGAN
— 9:05-9:55 a.m.: Monster Energy NASCAR Cup Series practice, FS1
— 10:05 a.m.: NASCAR Xfinity Series Pole Qualifying, FS1
— 12-12:50 p.m.: Monster Energy NASCAR Cup Series final practice, FS2
— 1:30 p.m.: NASCAR Xfinity Series LTi Printing 250, FOX

Sunday, June 10
— 2 p.m.: Monster Energy NASCAR Cup Series FireKeepers Casino 400, FOX

Distance 400 miles (640 km)
Laps 200

Stage 1: Lap 60
Stage 2: Lap 120
Race: Lap 200



Track Specs:
Superspeedway: 2.0-mile D-shaped oval
Banking: turns: 18 degrees; straights: front stretch 12 degrees, backstretch 5 degrees
Backstretch Length: 2,242 feet
Frontstretch Length: 3,600 feet
73 feet wide with 10-foot apron in turns, 45 feet wide with 12-foot apron on straightaways
Pit lane is 50 feet wide and contains space for 44 individual pit areas
Pit Road Speed: 45mph
Seating Capacity: 71,000 [down from 84,000(2012), 108,000(2011) and 137,243(2006)]
Opened: 1968

Pit Stalls:
Length: 34 feet
Width: 21 feet


Track Records & Stats

August 2017 Race Winner: #42-Kyle Larson, 162.730mph, started 12th
June 2017 Race Winner: #42-Kyle Larson, 150.903mph, started 9th
Track Race Record: Dale Jarrett, June 1999, 173.997mph (no cautions)
Slowest Track Race Record: Richard Petty, 107.583mph, 8/24/1975
Oldest Race Winner: Harry Gant, 52 years, 7 months, 6 days, 8/16/1992
Youngest Race Winner: Joey Logano, 23 years, 2 months, 24 days, 8/18/2013
Worst Starting Spot to Win: Mark Martin, started 32nd, 6/14/2009

August 2017 Pole Winner: #2-Brad Keselowski, 203.097mph, finished 17th
June 2017 Pole Winner: #42-Kyle Larson, 202.156mph, finished 1st
New Track Qualifying Record: #24-Jeff Gordon, August, 206.558mph (after repave 2012)
Old Track Qualifying Record: #12-Ryan Newman, June 2005, 194.232mph (before repave 2012)
Oldest Pole Winner: Mark Martin, 53 years, 7 months, 8 days, 8/17/2012
Young Pole Winner: Joey Logano, 23 years, 2 months, 22 days, 8/16/2013

Most Wins: 9 - David Pearson
Most Poles: 10 - David Pearson
Most Top 5s: 21 - Cale Yarborough
Most Top 10s: 27 - Jeff Gordon

[dara]

Starting Order:

Thanks 4me2c...

1. Kurt Busch
2. Brad Keselowski
3. Kyle Busch
4. Kevin Harvick
5. Joey Logano
6. Aric Almirola
7. Ricky Stenhouse Jr.
8. Erik Jones
9. Ryan Blaney
10. Denny Hamlin
11. Ryan Newman
12. Clint Bowyer
13. Chase Elliott
14. William Byron
15. Paul Menard
16. Austin Dillon
17. Martin Truex Jr.
18. Chris Buescher
19. Matt Kenseth
20. Jimmie Johnson
21. Alex Bowman
22. Daniel Suarez
23. Michael McDowell
24. Jamie McMurray
25. AJ Allmendinger
26. Kyle Larson
27. David Ragan
28. Bubba Wallace
29. Kasey Kahne
30. Matt DiBenedetto
31. Ty Dillon
32. Corey Lajoie
33. Ross Chastain
34. Gray Gaulding
35. BJ McLeod
36. Landon Cassill
37. DJ Kennington
38. Timmy Hill
39. Garrett Smithley

Kurt Busch was moving Friday. The 39-year-old won the pole for the FireKeepers Casino 400 with the fastest lap on the track (35.405 seconds) since Jeff Gordon set the record in 2014.

This is Busch's second pole of the season (Texas).

"This one was fun because I could trust the car and I knew I needed to go after it hard," Busch told FS1 after qualifying. "Just watching all the Fords in practice I knew we had a shot at it."

Brad Keselowski will start second while Kyle Busch will be third and Kevin Harvick fourth.

If Kyle Larson is going to win his fourth race in a row at Michigan, he will have to work his way up from well back. The 25-year-old driver qualified 26th Friday and will have his work cut out for him Sunday. The last eight winners at Michigan in a non-rain-shortened race have started from the top 12 positions.

However, Larson started last at Kansas earlier this year, and the two tracks run similarly, so he will not be completely out of his comfort zone going for his first win of the season at the FireKeepers Casino 400, which can be seen at 2 p.m. ET Sunday on Fox.

[dara]

FYI, I won't be on-line for the start and finish of the race, due to a family event.

[4me2c]

Enjoy the "Family Time"...! (Very Important)...!

"There is no other non-restrictor plate track in NASCAR that is as fast as Michigan International Speedway."

1)...Kyle Larson
2)...Martin Truex Jr.
3)...Brad Keselowski

[ranagee]

Kevin Harvick(favorite)
Martin Truex JR.
Kyle Busc

[crazed 9.6]

love the stats and the whole opening race thread post that you been adding on these race threads this year dara
Cool stuff, thnx


Nice addition too 4me2c .. Michigan is fast

[carlosman]

*Joey Logano
Kyle Busch
Kevin Harvick

[82harley]

Kyle Busch***
Martin Truex Jr.
Kevin Harvick

[Orziz]

Truex Jr *
Kyle Busch
Kyle larson

[4me2c]

love the stats and the whole opening race thread post that you been adding on these race threads this year dara
Cool stuff, thnx


Nice addition too 4me2c .. Michigan is fast

"Freaky Fast"...!