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Wednesday, June 8, 2016

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


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