2016 NASCAR Week 15 Preview: Michigan

FireKeepers Casino 400

Michigan International Speedway

By Richard Tix

This week NASCAR heads to one of the fastest tracks on the schedule. Last time NASCAR stopped at MIS they tried the "high drag" package and it lived up to its name, it was a major drag. The disappointing race (as well as how well Darlington went) was most likely a main reason NASCAR went with the lower downforce package.

So, finally MIS gets it's justice with the lower downforce package, will it pay dividends?

**This section is just a quick look at some of Cup drivers latest finishes. This is not a tool for fantasy purposes and NBTW only is looking at end results. No deep statistic's are involved, but rather it is just a quick way to get ready for the race and get caught up on who has finished well at each track**

The Good

• Matt Kenseth- Kenseth is a three time winner, won here the last time we were at MIS, and has back to back top 5's in Michigan. He hasn't had the longest stretch of dominating performances, but last time around he ran so well here it looks like it might continue.
• Joey Logano- Six straight top 10's. That's how well JoLo has done here lately. Joey is the new Roush at MIS (RFR used to dominate MIS). JoLo adds in a win and three top 5's during that same stretch.
• Kevin Harvick- One of the most interesting/crazy stats you will read today: In Harvick's last six races at MIS he has five, five runner up finishes. Seriously, five 2nd place finishes in six races? That's remarkable. Even crazier is he only lead laps in two of those five races he finished second. Maybe this time he gets a win?

The Middle

• Ryan Newman- in 29 MIS starts Newman has 12 finishes between 10th and 20th. Not much more says "stuck in the middle" as that stat does. In his last eight races here he finished between 11th and 18th six times. The other two finishes were 8th. Bad? Not really. Good? Not really. Ok then, right in the middle.

The Bad

• Kyle Busch- Kyle's last MIS top 10 was the first stop at Michigan in 2013. That was six races ago. His first, last, and only win at MIS was nine races ago and since it has all been bad news. He has only one top 10 and three top 15's in that time.
• Aric Almirola- Aric has eight career starts at MIS and has yet to notch a top 10 and only has one top 15. The top 15 rate really should be higher for Aric, but he isn't downright terrible here.
• Kurt Busch- Three career wins at MIS. Three and he makes this list.. He also has 12 finishes of 30th or higher and 15 of 20th or higher in 30 career races. He could win the race or he could finish 28th, its a huge roll of the dice.

About the Track: Michigan

Track Stats

• Cale Yarborough won the first race at MIS in 1969 and also two of the first three.
• 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 19 times from the Pole position including the last race in 2015 at MIS by Matt Kenseth
• 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.
• David Pearson has the most career MIS wins with 9. Cale Yarborough follows with 8
• Cale Yarborough has the most top 5 finishes with 21 followed by Richard Petty and Jeff Gordon (19).
• Mark Martin has the most career top 10's with 31, followed by Bill Elliott with 29.
• David Pearson has 10 career Poles at MIS (Cup leading)

Track Info

• Length: 2 miles
• Banking
• Turns: 18 degrees
• Start/Finish: 12 degrees
• Backstretch: 5 degrees

Michigan International Speedway
Race	Date	Cars	Winner(s)	St	Make / Model
1969-24	6/15/1969	38	Cale Yarborough	4	'69 Mercury
1969-37	8/17/1969	44	David Pearson	1	'69 Ford
1970-19	6/7/1970	40	Cale Yarborough	4	'69 Mercury
1970-34	8/16/1970	40	Charlie Glotzbach	1	'69 Dodge
1971-23	6/13/1971	40	Bobby Allison	1	'69 Mercury
1971-36	8/15/1971	40	Bobby Allison	2	'69 Mercury
1972-14	6/11/1972	40	David Pearson	3	'71 Mercury
1972-22	8/20/1972	40	David Pearson	4	'71 Mercury
1973-16	6/24/1973	40	David Pearson	2	'71 Mercury
1974-15	6/16/1974	36	Richard Petty	4	'74 Dodge
1974-22	8/25/1974	36	David Pearson	1	'73 Mercury
1975-15	6/15/1975	36	David Pearson	3	'73 Mercury
1975-20	8/24/1975	36	Richard Petty	4	'74 Dodge
1976-15	6/20/1976	36	David Pearson	8	Mercury
1976-20	8/22/1976	36	David Pearson	1	Mercury
1977-15	6/19/1977	36	Cale Yarborough	4	Chevrolet
1977-20	8/22/1977	36	Darrell Waltrip	3	Chevrolet
1978-15	6/18/1978	36	Cale Yarborough	3	Oldsmobile
1978-20	8/20/1978	36	David Pearson	1	Mercury
1979-16	6/17/1979	36	Buddy Baker	3	Chevrolet
1979-21	8/19/1979	36	Richard Petty	5	Chevrolet
1980-16	6/15/1980	37	Benny Parsons	1	Chevrolet
1980-21	8/17/1980	37	Cale Yarborough	2	Chevrolet
1981-16	6/21/1981	37	Bobby Allison	4	Buick
1981-21	8/16/1981	36	Richard Petty	7	Buick
1982-15	6/20/1982	37	Cale Yarborough	4	Buick
1982-20	8/22/1982	38	Bobby Allison	10	Buick
1983-15	6/19/1983	37	Cale Yarborough	9	Chevrolet
1983-20	8/21/1983	37	Cale Yarborough	7	Chevrolet
1984-15	6/17/1984	40	Bill Elliott	1	Ford
1984-20	8/12/1984	40	Darrell Waltrip	7	Chevrolet
1985-14	6/16/1985	37	Bill Elliott	1	Ford
1985-18	8/11/1985	40	Bill Elliott	1	Ford
1986-14	6/15/1986	41	Bill Elliott	8	Ford
1986-19	8/17/1986	42	Bill Elliott	3	Ford
1987-14	6/28/1987	41	Dale Earnhardt	5	Chevrolet
1987-19	8/16/1987	40	Bill Elliott	3	Ford
1988-14	6/26/1988	41	Rusty Wallace	5	Pontiac
1988-19	8/21/1988	42	Davey Allison	4	Ford
1989-14	6/25/1989	40	Bill Elliott	2	Ford
1989-19	8/20/1989	40	Rusty Wallace	2	Pontiac
1990-14	6/24/1990	40	Dale Earnhardt	5	Chevrolet
1990-19	8/19/1990	41	Mark Martin	5	Ford
1991-14	6/23/1991	41	Davey Allison	4	Ford
1991-19	8/18/1991	40	Dale Jarrett	11	Ford
1992-14	6/21/1992	41	Davey Allison	1	Ford
1992-19	8/16/1992	41	Harry Gant	24	Oldsmobile
1993-14	6/20/1993	41	Ricky Rudd	2	Chevrolet
1993-20	8/15/1993	41	Mark Martin	12	Ford
1994-14	6/19/1994	42	Rusty Wallace	5	Ford
1994-21	8/21/1994	41	Geoffrey Bodine	1	Ford
1995-14	6/18/1995	42	Bobby Labonte	19	Chevrolet
1995-21	8/20/1995	42	Bobby Labonte	1	Chevrolet
1996-14	6/23/1996	40	Rusty Wallace	18	Ford
1996-21	8/18/1996	41	Dale Jarrett	11	Ford
1997-14	6/15/1997	43	Ernie Irvan	20	Ford
1997-21	8/17/1997	43	Mark Martin	2	Ford
1998-14	6/14/1998	43	Mark Martin	7	Ford
1998-21	8/16/1998	43	Jeff Gordon	3	Chevrolet
1999-14	6/13/1999	43	Dale Jarrett	6	Ford
1999-22	8/22/1999	43	Bobby Labonte	19	Pontiac
2000-14	6/11/2000	43	Tony Stewart	28	Pontiac
2000-22	8/20/2000	43	Rusty Wallace	10	Ford
2001-14	6/10/2001	43	Jeff Gordon	1	Chevrolet
2001-23	8/19/2001	43	Sterling Marlin	15	Dodge
2002-15	6/16/2002	43	Matt Kenseth	20	Ford
2002-23	8/18/2002	43	Dale Jarrett	8	Ford
2003-15	6/15/2003	43	Kurt Busch	4	Ford
2003-23	8/17/2003	43	Ryan Newman	2	Dodge
2004-15	6/20/2004	43	Ryan Newman	4	Dodge
2004-23	8/22/2004	43	Greg Biffle	24	Ford
2005-15	6/19/2005	43	Greg Biffle	25	Ford
2005-23	8/21/2005	43	Jeremy Mayfield	11	Dodge
2006-15	6/18/2006	43	Kasey Kahne	1	Dodge
2006-23	8/20/2006	43	Matt Kenseth	3	Ford
2007-15	6/17/2007	43	Carl Edwards	12	Ford
2007-23	8/21/2007	43	Kurt Busch	15	Dodge
2008-15	6/15/2008	43	Dale Earnhardt, Jr.	3	Chevrolet
2008-23	8/17/2008	43	Carl Edwards	27	Ford
2009-15	6/14/2009	43	Mark Martin	32	Chevrolet
2009-23	8/16/2009	43	Brian Vickers	1	Toyota
2010-15	6/13/2010	43	Denny Hamlin	7	Toyota
2010-23	8/15/2010	43	Kevin Harvick	8	Chevrolet
2011-15	6/19/2011	43	Denny Hamlin	10	Toyota
2011-23	8/21/2011	43	Kyle Busch	17	Toyota
2012-15	6/17/2012	43	Dale Earnhardt, Jr.	17	Chevrolet
2012-23	8/19/2012	43	Greg Biffle	13	Ford
2013-15	6/16/2013	43	Greg Biffle	19	Ford
2013-23	8/18/2013	43	Joey Logano	1	Ford
2014-15	6/15/2014	43	Jimmie Johnson	7	Chevrolet
2014-23	8/17/2014	43	Jeff Gordon	1	Chevrolet
2015-15	6/14/2015	43	Kurt Busch	24	Chevrolet
2015-23	8/16/2015	43	Matt Kenseth	1	Toyota