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Wednesday, June 11, 2014

Week 15 Preview: Michigan

Michigan International Speedway

Quicken Loans 400


By Richard Tix

 As NASCAR leaves its only track on the schedule with just three turns, it heads back to a track with four and plenty of speed. The past few years its about this time that fans start mumbling about Dale Jr and how he needs a win on the season. The track that comes to most fans minds? Michigan International Speedway. That's because in 2012 he broke his win less streak here, not too mention he has had some other good runs in years past.

This year the story is different and the mumbling's are not about if he will finally get a win, but instead if he will win back-to-back? That's because Dale Earnhardt Jr just won his second race of 2014 at Pocono and will have the chance to win back to back races for the first time in his career.

Strategies will play a large role in the outcome of the Quicken Loans 400. By this time in the year a lot of guys are already locked into the Chase. With that being said, those same guys may look to stretch an end of race fuel run a bit longer because they already know they will be in the last 10 races.

Same can be said for the guys who don't have a win. Would a guy win less like Kasey Kahne try and stretch his fuel if he was in a position to win, which would virtually lock him into the Chase during a year that has been full of struggles? I bring up fuel in both cases because many years the June race (heck sometimes both June and August) come down to fuel mileage.

Check out these articles from last year. Preview and Review of the June race. 

Michigan International Speedway Garages (From August Race I attended)
Michigan Weekend 2013 (More from the Garages and my weekend, in August again)


The Good, Middle, and Bad
(This is just a review of each drivers recent past performance, generally about 5-10 past races)

The Good
  • Brian Vickers- This list will start out with an underdog. Vickers has no stats from MIS in the #55, but most would argue he is in better equipment then when he was in the #83. In 8 races with the 83 team he had 6 top 10's, 2 top 5's, and a win. He lone bad finish was his first one with the 83 team, 41st, his other non top 10 was 15th. Also to note, he had 3 Poles in arrow from 2008-09, so maybe he will get that mojo back after not running here since 2011. *This spot was more of a shout out with all the tough luck health issues he has had, his track record here is good.**
  • Greg Biffle- Roush Racing know's what theyre doing here, and Biffle has been a part of that. In his lat 10 here he has 7 top 10's, 5 top 5's, and 2 wins. The Biff has won 2 of the last 3 races at MIS.
  • Carl Edwards- Carl has 7 top 10's in the last 10 MIS races to go along with 4 top 5's. He hasn't been amazing here in the last 10 (zero wins) but he has contended and led at least a lap in 5 of them.
  • Extra Credit: Tony Stewart and Denny Hamlin
The Middle
  • Clint Bowyer- 6 straight top 10's, and 8 top 10s in the last 10 races. Yet, Clint hasn't been a big time contender at MIS for a win. So, it is very possible he will finish in the top 10, but it might be a stretch to think he will win.
  • Extra Credit: Dale Earnhardt Jr
The Bad
  • Kurt Busch- This maybe a stretch, but in the last 10 MIS races Kurt only has 3 top 10's. However 2 of those are top 5's and he has 2 Pole's in that time frame. Chance are he wont finish bad, but this is all by recent stats. Most of his troubles have been engine issues or crashes.
  • Jimmie Johnson- Luck has not been on JJ's side at MIS. His last three finishes are 40th, 28th, and 27th. In his last 10 starts at MIS he has 6 finishes of 22nd or higher. Bad luck or not, this is is a track that JJ has yet to win at in 24 tries. 
  • Aric Almirola- Only four career starts at MIS, so he doesn't have a lot of track record here, but he hasn't been anything special. He doesn't have a top 15 in any of those 4 starts, but also hasn't finished worse then 20th.
Track Stats
  • Cale Yarborough won the first race at MIS in 1969 and also two of the first three.
  • Ford has won four straight race at MIS. Joey Logano, Greg Biffle (twice)
  • The furthest back a driver has started a race from and won was 32nd in 2009 by Mark Martin.
  • A MIS race has been won 17 times from the Pole position, mot recently was the last MIS race won by Joey Logano.
  • Most cautions was 10 in 2006 and the race was won by Matt Kenseth. This is also the only MIS race that had double digit cautions in 89 races.


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