Michigan International Speedway Data
Season Race #: 15 of 36 (06-14-15)
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
Top 10 Driver Ratings at Michigan
Greg Biffle 107.1
Jimmie Johnson 102.5
Matt Kenseth 101.3
Carl Edwards 100.5
Dale Earnhardt Jr. 98.0
Tony Stewart 95.8
Jeff Gordon 93.6
Joey Logano 91.8
Kevin Harvick 90.2
Kurt Busch 89.9
Note: Driver Ratings compiled from 2005-2014 races (20 total) among active drivers at Michigan International Speedway.
Qualifying/Race Data
2014 pole winner:
Kevin Harvick, Chevrolet
204.557 mph, 35.198 secs. 06-13-14
2014 race winner:
Jimmie Johnson, Chevrolet
143.441 mph, (02:47:19), 06-15-14
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
Quicken Loans 400 Driver Tale of the Tape
Greg Biffle (No. 16 Safety-Kleen Ford)
· Four wins, 10 top fives, 15 top 10s; one pole
· Average finish of 11.5
· Series-best Average Running Position of 8.9
· Series-best Driver Rating of 107.1
· 311 Fastest Laps Run, second-most
· 1,427 Green Flag Passes, eighth-most
· Average Green Flag Speed of 179.050 mph, second-fastest
· Series-high 3,265 Laps in the Top 15 (82.9%)
· Series-high 920 Quality Passes (passes of cars in the top 15 under green)
Kurt Busch (No. 41 Haas Automation Chevrolet)
· Two wins, four top fives, nine top 10s; two poles
· Average finish of 21.3
· Average Running Position of 14.9, 12th-best
· Driver Rating of 89.9, 10th-best
· 179 Fastest Laps Run, sixth-most
· 2,518 Laps in the Top 15 (63.9%), eighth-most
· 652 Quality Passes, 12th-most
Dale Earnhardt Jr. (No. 88 AMP Energy Chevrolet)
· Two wins, seven top fives, 12 top 10s; two poles
· Average finish of 15.6
· Average Running Position of 12.5, fifth-best
· Driver Rating of 98.0, fifth-best
· 197 Fastest Laps Run, fifth-most
· 1,549 Green Flag Passes, fourth-most
· Average Green Flag Speed of 178.673 mph, fifth-fastest
· 2,674 Laps in the Top 15 (67.9%), fifth-most
· 831 Quality Passes, fourth-most
Carl Edwards (No. 19 ARRIS Toyota)
· Two wins, nine top fives, 15 top 10s; one pole
· Average finish of 9.7
· Average Running Position of 11.4, second-best
· Driver Rating of 100.5, fourth-best
· 200 Fastest Laps Run, fourth-most
· 1,427 Green Flag Passes, eighth-most
· Average Green Flag Speed of 178.757 mph, third-fastest
· 2,967 Laps in the Top 15 (75.3%), third-most
· 861 Quality Passes, second-most
Jeff Gordon (No. 24 PANASONIC Chevrolet)
· Three wins, 19 top fives, 27 top 10s; six poles
· Average finish of 12.1
· Average Running Position of 13.5, seventh-best
· Driver Rating of 93.6, seventh-best
· 232 Fastest Laps Run, third-most
· 2,546 Laps in the Top 15 (64.6%), seventh-most
· 678 Quality Passes, ninth-most
Kevin Harvick (No. 4 Budweiser/Jimmy John's Chevrolet)
· One win, seven top fives, 12 top 10s; one pole
· Average finish of 13.0
· Average Running Position of 14.3, 10th-best
· Driver Rating of 90.2, ninth-best
· 153 Fastest Laps Run, ninth-most
· 1,581 Green Flag Passes, second-most
· Average Green Flag Speed of 178.365 mph, 10th-fastest
· 2,161 Laps in the Top 15 (54.9%), 11th-most
· 656 Quality Passes, 11th-most
Jimmie Johnson (No. 48 KOBALT Tools Chevrolet)
· One win, five top fives, 11 top 10s
· Average finish of 15.9
· Average Running Position of 11.5, third-best
· Driver Rating of 102.5, second-best
· Series-high 411 Fastest Laps Run
· 1,342 Green Flag Passes, 11th-most
· Series-best Average Green Flag Speed of 179.188 mph
· 2,857 Laps in the Top 15 (72.5%), fourth-most
· 766 Quality Passes, fifth-most
Kasey Kahne (No. 5 Great Clips Chevrolet)
· One win, eight top fives, 10 top 10s; two poles
· Average finish of 15.9
· Driver Rating of 89.0, 12th-best
· 178 Fastest Laps Run, seventh-most
· 1,553 Green Flag Passes, third-most
· Average Green Flag Speed of 178.475 mph, seventh-fastest
· 2,238 Laps in the Top 15 (56.8%), 10th-most
· 751 Quality Passes, sixth-most
Matt Kenseth (No. 20 Dollar General Toyota)
· Two wins, 12 top fives, 18 top 10s
· Average finish of 10.7
· Average Running Position of 11.6, fourth-best
· Driver Rating of 101.3, third-best
· 164 Fastest Laps Run, eighth-most
· 1,334 Green Flag Passes, 12th-most
· Average Green Flag Speed of 178.752 mph, fourth-fastest
· 2,989 Laps in the Top 15 (75.9%), second-most
· 833 Quality Passes, third-most
Brad Keselowski (No. 2 Miller Lite Ford)
· Three top fives, four top 10s
· Average finish of 14.8
· Average Running Position of 14.3, ninth-best
· Driver Rating of 89.0, 11th-best
· Average Green Flag Speed of 178.294 mph, 11th-fastest
Joey Logano (No. 22 Shell Pennzoil Ford)
· One win, two top fives, seven top 10s; one pole
· Average finish of 14.9
· Average Running Position of 14.3, eighth-best
· Driver Rating of 91.8, eighth-best
· Average Green Flag Speed of 178.486 mph, sixth-fastest
Tony Stewart (No. 14 Bass Pro Shops/Mobil 1 Chevrolet)
· One win, 12 top fives, 20 top 10s
· Average finish of 11.7
· Average Running Position of 12.6, sixth-best
· Driver Rating of 95.8, sixth-best
· 104 Fastest Laps Run, 11th-most
· Average Green Flag Speed of 178.377 mph, ninth-fastest
· 2,610 Laps in the Top 15 (73.7%), sixth-most
· 735 Quality Passes, seventh-most
Quicken Loans 400
By Micah Roberts
VegasInsider.com
If you look at the standings, it appears we have some parity as 10 different drivers have won through the first 14 NASCAR Sprint Cup races, but that's not necessarily the case as the series heads to Michigan International Raceway for Sunday’s Quicken Loans 400, the first of two races this season on the wide 2-mile D-shaped oval.
Sitting in the backyard of the motor city, this is always a huge race for bragging rights between competing manufacturers. In 91 total races since the series first started competing at Michigan in 1969, eight different manufacturers have won led by Ford with 34 wins followed by Chevrolet with 22. The new kids on the block, Toyota, have won four times, but have the longest drought of current cars since Kyle Busch won in 2011.
When Toyota made it's Cup debut in 2007, there were plenty of fans grumbling about a Japanese import entering what had traditionally been an American car series, but many got over it quickly when finding out that the Camry was made in Georgetown, Kentucky while half of the Ford Fusion was assembled in Sonora, Mexico.
After Toyota’s first win at Michigan in 2009 by Brian Vickers, they’ve been welcomed to the NASCAR club at Michigan where all the manufacturing executives sit in their luxury boxes rooting for their brand, but there still is no love lost. They all want to win badly, and the drivers and owners feel that pressure from the manufacturers more than any race during the season.
Chevy swept last season with Hendrick Motorsports’ Jimmie Johnson and Jeff Gordon. For Gordon, it was his third win 44 career starts and is the active leader with 1,058 laps led. For Johnson, it was his first win ever in 26 starts making it only four tracks he’s never won at -- Chicago, Watkins Glen, Kentucky and Homestead are the others. At the time of Johnson’s win, it was five straight wins on the season for the Hendrick brigade.
When looking at who is hot coming into this week’s race, you have to start with last weeks Pocono winner Martin Truex Jr. who has led the most laps in the past four races, which is no ordinary feat. The last to do it was Gordon in 2001 and he went on to win a championship.
Truex Jr. has been a model of consistency all season with 13 top-10 finishes in the 14 races, including all the horsepower tracks that are applicable to Michigan. Even though Michigan's sister track at Fontana is almost identical, they don’t run the same and we rarely see someone win at both during a season. The perfect example is Johnson winning five times at Fontana, but being so ordinary at Michigan, or rather experiencing lots of bad luck, with a 15.8 average finish.
But what is required on all the 1.5-mile tracks, Pocono, Fontana and Michigan is horsepower, so you can take a sampling from each of those seven races run already and get a quick read on who should run the best.
The driver who stands out the most is Kevin Harvick who has a win, five second-place finishes and a ninth at Charlotte among those seven races. He hasn’t won since March 15 at Phoenix, but he does have quite the recent history at Michigan finishing runner-up in the past four races. He also won his only race there in 2010. Like Truex Jr., he has 13 top-10 finishes to lead the series, but he's the only driver with 10 top-5 finishes -- two wins and eight second-places.
Harvick’s run is simply amazing, but for all his dominance, he’s still only got two wins which gives plenty of hope for bettors looking to play odds to win. This week you know he’s going to be fast again, but who wants to take 4-to-1 odds, and his win drought makes it easier to make a move on a few other drivers.
Right at the top of the list with best career Michigan average finishes are Carl Edwards (9.7), Matt Kenseth (10.6) and Greg Biffle (11.5) who all used to be teammates at Roush Fenway Racing and helped Jack Roush become the all-time winner among car owners at Michigan with 13. This is Roush’s home track and he takes competition here just as serious as all the Ford executives do, but it wasn‘t until last month that the team started to show some power that could compete with the elite teams. They had almost become a laughingstock of the series until Biffle finished second in the Coca-Cola 600. Edwards and Kenseth each won twice for Roush, but both drive for Joe Gibbs now. Biffle is a four-time winner, the last coming in 2013, and might be worth at stab at 100-to-1 to win.
In addition to the Joe Gibbs drivers, including two-time winner Denny Hamlin and Kyle Busch, you also want to pay close attention to what the Penske Racing team does in final practices on Friday. Team owner Roger Penske once owned this track, as well as the one in Fontana, and Brad Keselowski hails from Michigan and wants to win this race more than any other. He stole the Fontana race in March by leading only one lap, the last one, in overtime. His teammate Joey Logano won at Michigan in the fall of 2013.
Top-5 Finish Prediction:
1) #4 Kevin Harvick (4/1)
2) #41 Kurt Busch (8/1)
3) #48 Jimmie Johnson (6/1)
4) #78 Martin Truex Jr. (12/1)
5) #2 Brad Keselowski (10/1)
Chassis Selections
Jayski.com
#3-Austin Dillon: will pilot Chassis No. 507 in the Quicken Loans 400 at Michigan International Speedway. This Chevrolet SS was built new for the 2015 season and been utilized twice so far in 2015, with Dillon earning a 22nd-place finish at Kansas Speedway in May and a 20th-place finish at Texas Motor Speedway in April.
#4-Kevin Harvick: Chassis Information: Chassis No. 4-858: Kevin Harvick will pilot the No. 4 Budweiser/Jimmy John's Chevrolet SS built on Chassis No. 4-858 in the Michigan 400 NASCAR Sprint Cup Series race Sunday at Michigan International Speedway in Brooklyn. Built in 2014, Chassis No. 4-858 made its debut April 7 at Texas Motor Speedway in Fort Worth, where the car started third and finished 42nd after a mechanical problem. Chassis No. 4-858 made its second appearance in May at Charlotte (N.C.) Motor Speedway. Harvick started 11th and led 100 laps en route to a runner-up finish. In its final appearance of 2014, it started and finished third and led 104 laps at New Hampshire Motor Speedway in Loudon. Chassis No. 4-858 won its first start of 2015, when it started 18th and led 142 laps en route to the win at Las Vegas Motor Speedway in March. In its most recent appearance, Harvick started sixth, led 53 laps and finished second at Kansas Speedway in Kansas City in May.
#14-Tony Stewart: Chassis No. 14-710: This car debuted in April 2012 at Richmond (Va.) International Raceway. It qualified 22nd and led four times for 118 laps before a late-race caution canceled Stewart's two-and-a-half second lead and forced him to settle for a third-place finish. It was then tested June 6-7 at Pocono (Pa.) Raceway and again during a Goodyear Tire Test June 12-13 at Bristol (Tenn.) Motor Speedway. The July race at New Hampshire Motor Speedway in Loudon marked Chassis No. 14-710's second career start. There, a new tire compound from Goodyear confounded the No. 14 team, and they labored to a 12th place finish. The car returned to Richmond in September for its third career start, where it rallied from its 28th-place starting spot to lead 15 laps before finishing fourth. Its last start of 2012 came in October at Martinsville (Va.) Speedway where in its fourth career start, it qualified seventh and finished a disappointing 27th. With 2013 Chevrolet SS bodywork covering it, Chassis No. 14-710 returned to Martinsville in April. After rallying from its 26th starting spot to 10th by lap 200 and then hovering in or near the top-10 for the remainder of the race, Stewart found himself hung in the outside lane following a restart on lap 473. The final 27 laps of the 500-lap race around paperclip-shaped .526-mile oval proved arduous, as Stewart was stuck in the outside lane as the seemingly express lane to his left boxed him out of the preferred line. When the checkered flag dropped, Stewart was 17th. Chassis No. 14-710 sat idle until being tested at Richmond Aug. 26-27 with interim driver Mark Martin at the wheel in preparation for the track's Sept. 7 Sprint Cup race. The testing paid off as Martin scored a top-10 after starting 16th. Chassis No. 14-710 returned to Martinsville in October for its third start of 2013, its second with Martin and seventh overall, qualifying 21st and finishing 36th after an accident on lap 204 sent it to the garage for repairs. The car underwent a massive overhaul under the direction of crew chief Chad Johnston for the 2014 season. It made its first start of 2014 at Auto Club Speedway in Fontana, California, where with Stewart back in the driver's seat, it qualified 10th and recovered from a midrace spin that dropped it to last in the 43-car field to finish fifth. The Coca-Cola 600 at Charlotte was Chassis No. 14-710's ninth career start, and it had a quiet, but solid outing, finishing 13th. The car didn't race again until April 2015 at Texas Motor Speedway in Fort Worth, where in its first start of 2015, it qualified 11th and finished 24th. Michigan marks Chassis No. 710's 11th career start.
#27-Paul Menard: Chassis No. 508 has been selected for the Richard Childress Racing team to use in this weekend's Quicken Loans 400. This Chevrolet SS has seen action twice this season at Texas Motor Speedway (Start: 8 / Finish: 41) and Kansas Speedway (Start: 22 / Finish: 18).
#31-Ryan Newman: will drive chassis No. 511 in the Quicken Loans 400. This Chevrolet was utilized earlier this season at Charlotte Motor Speedway (Start: 19/Finish: 6).
#32-Mike Bliss: Crew Chief Clinton Cram will be bringing chassis GGR 815 to serve as the primary car for this weekends Quicken Loans 400. This chassis last ran at Kansas Speedway on May 9th with Joey Gase behind the wheel. Chassis GGR 289 will serve as the backup car.
#33-TyDillon: will pilot chassis No. 512 for this weekend's Quicken Loan's 400. This brand new chassis prepared by Richard Childress Racing will see track action for the first time during the practice session on Friday morning.
#41-Kurt Busch: Chassis No. 837: Kurt Busch will pilot Chassis No. 837 in Sunday's Michigan 400 at Michigan International Speedway in Brooklyn. Formerly a No. 10 chassis for Stewart-Haas Racing (SHR) teammate Danica Patrick, Chassis No. 837 debuted in May 2014 at Kansas Speedway in Kansas City, where Patrick had one of the best outings of her career as she started ninth and finished seventh. Its next event was in June at Kentucky Speedway in Sparta, where Patrick started 10th and finished 21st. Chassis No. 837 was then tested Aug. 25 and 26 at Chicagoland Speedway in Joliet, Illinois before being used at the same racetrack for September's race, in which Patrick started 18th and finished 19th. Chassis No. 837 saw its first laps of 2015 at Auto Club Speedway in Fontana, California, where Busch qualified the car on the pole and led six times for 65 laps en route to earning a third-place finish. It was most recently raced last month at Kansas, where Busch started and finished eighth.
#47-A.J. Allmendinger: Chassis 501: "We raced this car at Fontana (Auto Club Speedway) and at Charlotte (Motor Speedway)," crew chief Brian Burns said.
NASCAR Odds and Betting Preview
By Micah Roberts
Sportingnews.com
Chevrolet has won the past two NASCAR Sprint Cup races at Michigan International Speedway, and it’s favored to win again in Sunday's Quicken Loan 400 – the top-five drivers on the oddsboard are guys with bow-ties. However, in 91 Cup races on the two-mile D-shaped track, Ford – with 34 wins – has the all-time lead among the eight manufacturers that have battled for bragging rights in the Motor City’s backyard. Chevrolet has 22 wins, and Toyota has four.
Here’s a driver-by-driver breakdown for this weekend’s race, with opening odds from the Westgate Las Vegas Super Book:
KEVIN HARVICK 7/2: All this guy does is finish first or second. In 14 races this season, he's had 10 top-two finishes (two wins), and the second-place theme has been huge for him at Michigan, as he comes in riding a four-race runner-up streak at the track – two for Richard Childress Racing and two for Stewart-Haas Racing. He won at Michigan in 2010, but probably most important for this race is what he's done on the seven horsepower tracks this season. At Fontana, Pocono and the five 1.5-mile layouts, he's been the most impressive in practice, and that’s translated to race day with six top-two finishes among those races. Michigan requires lots of horsepower, and Harvick has consistently had the most, which is why his odds are so low here. The good news for bettors looking elsewhere is he hasn't won a race since March 15 at Phoenix.
JIMMIE JOHNSON 6/1: He took the checkers in this race last year, marking his first-ever win at Michigan in 24 starts, but he'd been close several times only to have something go wrong in the late stages. In 26 starts, he has a 15.8 average finish with only five top-fives. It's one of his least successful tracks on tour, but his series-leading four wins through 14 races makes him one of the top contenders to finish just ahead of Harvick again.
KURT BUSCH 8/1: Even though history has shown that Michigan doesn’t correlate well with its near-identical sister track at Fontana, you still have to respect what Busch did at Fontana on March 22, when he led the most laps and dominated, but had the misfortune of late cautions take away his leads. He settled for a disappointing third. He's a two-time winner at Michigan, with the last victory in 2007.
MARTIN TRUEX JR 10/1: After leading the most laps in the four straight races, he finally got his due at Pocono, becoming the 10th driver to win this season. The last driver to lead the most laps in four straight races was Jeff Gordon in 2001, and he went on to win his fourth and final championship. Only Gordon and Harvick have 13 top-10 finishes in the 14 races this season, showing just how good the No. 78 single-car team from Denver has been in 2015. He's averaged only an 18th-place finish at Michigan over 18 career starts, but you can throw that all out the window because this team is dialed in more than anyone, including Harvick. If you’re thinking championship, the Westgate has him at 10-to-1 odds.
DALE EARNHARDT JR 10/1: Prior to his four wins last season, the only two wins Junior had for Hendrick Motorsports were at Michigan (2008, 2010). In 31 career starts here he's averaged a 15.6 finish and has led 354 laps. He finished fifth and seventh in the two races last season. On the seven big horsepower tracks, he's finished sixth or better six times, with his worst finish being 11th at Pocono last week.
BRAD KESELOWSKI 12/1: The Michigan native has 17 Cup wins, but none on his home track. His best finish here was second-place during his championship season in 2012. Last year, he finished third and eighth, but his team is nowhere near having the edge it had in 2014, when they were considered one of the teams to beat on the big horsepower tracks. He did win at Fontana's two-mile layout, but basically stole that one from Kurt Busch with a huge assist to multiple cautions. However, the win was classic Keselowski, as he made the daring move when the opportunity presented itself. He led one lap – the last one. Still, the team has been off a bit all season.
JOEY LOGANO 12/1: 2013 Michigan winner with a 14.9 average finish in 12 starts. He's finished ninth or better in his past four starts and comes off a solid fourth-place finish at Pocono last week. He was the last Ford to win at Michigan and looks to be its top candidate to win on Sunday as well.
MATT KENSETH 12/1: He's a two-time Michigan winner, but the last one came in 2006. He was a 50/50 proposition to finish in the top-five on this track with Roush Fenway Racing, but since moving to Joe Gibbs Racing he's been very ordinary with a 17th-place average in four starts. However, add all 31 starts together and his 10.6 average finish is second best among all active drivers. For whatever it's worth, he did lead 43 laps at Fontana in March.
JEFF GORDON 12/1: He won from the pole last season, ending a 13-year drought at Michigan. He's got only three wins in 44 starts here, but has averaged a 12th-place finish and is the active leader with 1,058 laps led. He is the all-time track leader in runner-up finishes with eight, just one more than Darrell Waltrip. While the Chevrolet executives have plenty of drivers to root for, the No. 24 will be the sentimental favorite for most during his swan song season.
KYLE BUSCH 15/1: He's in a tough situation with 12 races to go before the Chase. Does he go all out for the win every time out or does he race for points and try to wait until he really, really has a car capable of winning? He's 151 points behind 30th-place, the mark he has to hit before he can even think about being eligible for Chase, and then he's got to win a race. Time is running out, and he's been hit-or-miss to the extreme at Michigan – he won here in 2011 but has finished 31st or worse three straight times.
DENNY HAMLIN 15/1: He's visited victory lane at Michigan after this June race in 2010 and 2011, but since then has been 20th or worse in five of seven starts. On multiple occasions this season, we have seen him lead laps on the big horsepower tracks, including at Fontana where he led 56 rounds. His team has the luxury of a win already, so it can work off several different set-ups to get the right formula to be at maximum strength during the Chase.
KASEY KAHNE 15/1: He won at Michigan in 2006 and has been 16th or better in his past three starts here, but his body of work this season at the 1.5-mile tracks, Fontana and Pocono is very un-Kahne-like and very un-Hendrick-like: no top-fives and one top-10 (Texas). His speeds during practice sometimes make us think he's going to be a contender, and then he's like "gotcha!' He's probably more upset than any of his backers, but until he shows something on a big horsepower track, he might be best left alone, especially at only 15-to-1.
CARL EDWARDS 18/1: He didn't live up to his practices at Pocono with a 15th-place finish, but we still can't ignore his Coca-Cola 600 win, which ended the Harvick-Johnson 1.5-mile track domination after eight races. Beyond what we think we know about Edwards this season, we have to consider what he's done in the past, which adds up to two wins and a 9.7 average – tops among active drivers. The negative on him is that he finished 23rd in both races last season, but that was for a sinking RFR ship. Despite a sluggish effort at Pocono, this team is still jelling and learning each other. He's certainly a better wager than Kahne at 15-to-1.
KYLE LARSON 20/1: His performance last season at Michigan was the epitome of his young two-year career, as he finished eighth and 43rd. Do we call him fire-and-ice, hot-and-cold, love-and-hate or just fool's gold? He teases us with outstanding practices and then disappoints on race day. The funny thing is that he's raised expectations for himself so much that most expect a win any day, and we’re let down when it doesn't happen. Eighth at Pocono was outstanding, but we wanted more. Is that fair? Probably not. The wide sweeping turns of Michigan suits his style.
JAMIE McMURRAY 30/1: He doesn't have a win this season, but 2015 might be the finest of his career. Based purely on points, he'd be seventh in the standings. Since wins are the main criteria for postseason positioning, McMurray is the first driver in, as he sits 11th with the most points among non-winners. In 24 career starts, he's averaged a 19th-place finish at Michigan. He finished 12th and 14th last season. Unfortunately, he's the active leader with the most starts (24) without a win at Michigan.
PAUL MENARD 40/1: In 17 career Michigan starts, he's averaged an 18.4 finish with a career best of fourth-place. But he's finished fourth in four separate occasions, including the past three. He's a great match-up play this week.
RYAN NEWMAN 60/1: The 'Rocket' won here in 2003 and 2004 for former track owner and his then-car owner Roger Penske, but finished 36th or worse in last season’s two starts. He may not be a driver to bet on this week, but he's certainly a driver to watch for entertainment purposes, as he'll be hunting down the No. 47 (AJ Allmendinger) like a hungry wolf set on revenge after getting wrecked at Pocono last week.
GREG BIFFLE 60/1: A staple at 100-to-1, his odds have been decreased because of four Michigan trophies, most among active drivers. Since NASCAR started keeping its loop data in 2005, Biffle (107.1) has a substantial edge at this track over the next best driver. He last won here in 2013, and it was his second straight win on the track. He's helped Jack Roush to a track-best 13 wins for Ford, but things haven't been so good in 2015. However, there is plenty of reason to believe he can pull off the upset at the home track of the 'Cat in the Hat' this week, beginning with a second-place finish at Charlotte last month, as well as winning a Sprint Showdown segment. For the Ford executives at the track, Biffle and Roush are the sentimental choices to win and worth a small wager at 60-to-1.
TONY STEWART 60/1: As a kid kid, I hated watching greats Steve Carlton and Tom Seaver wind down their careers with multiple teams and allow guys who had no shot at hitting them eight years prior to tee off. I experienced the same thing as a fan with Darrell Waltrip at the end of his career in the No. 66 K-Mart car. I don't want to see that with Stewart, but it's happening. His only win at Michigan came in 2000, but he's averaged an 11th-place finish over 30 starts.
RYAN BLANEY 100/1: He finished a career-best fourth at Talladega, but it's been a rocky ride for the famed No. 21 Wood Brothers Ford in four other starts. By the way, David Pearson, former driver of the No. 21, has the most all-time wins (9) at Michigan. As for Blaney this week, you can take solace that he ran 160 laps within the top-15 during the Coca-Cola 600, but he still finished 42nd, just like he did at Texas. Because it's Michigan with a Penske Racing alliance, maybe we get a better result. The No. 21 Ford paint scheme will look as sharp as any on the track.
CLINT BOWYER 200/1: He certainly doesn't look like he's winning any time soon, as his odds suggest, but Bowyer is a scrapper who will scratch-and-claw his way to the best result possible. This guy knows how to turn lemons into Lynchburg Lemonade, and at Michigan he's has finished 10th or better in eight straight races.
AUSTIN DILLON 200/1: He had some success in 2013 part-time duties with 11th and 14th-place finishes at Michigan, but he finished 30th and 22nd here last year.
DAVID RAGAN 300/1: The No. 55, with Brian Vickers in 2009, became the first Toyota to win at Michigan, much to the chagrin of the Motor City. But they're not exactly foreigners – the Camry is built in Georgetown, Kentucky. And no one says much about the Ford Fusion being partly assembled in Sonora. Mexico. Ragan has a career-best third-place finish at Michigan, but that was for RFR in its hey-day (2008). His best finish in the last six starts has been 23rd – twice.
ARIC ALMIROLA 300/1: He had a rough go of it last week at Pocono with an engine problem, but has averaged a 20th-place finish in six starts at Michigan.
RICKY STENHOUSE JR 300/1: He finished a career-best 15th last fall at this track, and he's got Roush and Ford in his corner. The No. 17 won twice here for Roush with Kenseth.
DANICA PATRICK 300/1: This is one her best tracks with an average finish of 17.8. Her career-best came as a rookie with a 13th, and she was 17th and 18th last season.
AJ ALLMENDINGER 500/1: He finished 13th last fall, but he's got a big target on him this week. Despite admitting to guilt in wrecking Newman, payback is coming from "The Rocket'. Because it's someone at the bottom of the standings (Allmendinger 22nd), Newman won't feel bad about retaliating. Of course, Newman could just be trying to ruin Allmendinger's week with fear as a lesson.
TREVOR BAYNE 500/1: The good news is he's driving the No. 6 for RFR, which Mark Martin drove to four wins at Michigan. The bad news is that he's averaged a 25th-place finish in eight Michigan starts and a 27th-place finish this season.
TY DILLON 500/1: Solid outing last week at Pocono with a career-best 18th-place finish. This will be his first shot at Michigan.
FIELD 300/1: Rather than making this ridiculous bet that has no shot, if you’re looking to make a bunch for a small amount, try Biffle at 60-to-1. At least you have a shot with some backing between a car owner that wants nothing more to win at home and also NASCAR's best loop driver.
Driver Handicaps: Michigan
By: Jeff Wackerlin
Racingone.com
MRN.com's detailed notes and statistics to help you set your fantasy racing lineup for Sunday's Quicken Loans 400 at Michigan International Speedway.
Who's HOT at Michigan
• Kevin Harvick has finished second in the last four races and led the most laps (63) in this event last year.
• Clint Bowyer, who will have a new crew chief this weekend, is the only driver that has finished in the top 10 in the last eight races.
• Jimmie Johnson finished in the top 10 in both races last season, including a win in this event.
• Dale Earnhardt Jr. has posted four top 10s, including a win, in the six races since Michigan was resurfaced.
• Joey Logano has led 187 laps and posted an average finish of 5.5, including one win, in his four track starts with Team Penske.
• Jeff Gordon, who won the race last August, posted a 3.5 average finish and combined to lead 104 laps in the two races last season.
• Brad Keselowski (8.3) and Paul Menard (9.5) each rank in the top five in average finish in the last six races.
• Greg Biffle, who leads all drivers with four wins, has a 7.5 average finish in his last six starts, but failed to lead a lap in the two races last year.
Who to Keep an Eye On at Michigan
• Like last weekend when he went to Victory Lane, Martin Truex Jr. will debut a new car in the Quicken Loans 400. In the past four races this season, Truex has combined to lead 454 laps.
• Ryan Newman (13.3) and Carl Edwards (13.5) each rank in the top 10 in average finish among drivers that have raced in all six events since Michigan was resurfaced.
• Kurt Busch won the pole, led 65 laps, and finished third at Auto Club Speedway in March, his first start at a 2-mile track with crew chief Tony Gibson.
• Although they didn't get the finishes they wanted, Joe Gibbs Racing teammates Denny Hamlin and Matt Kenseth combined to lead 99 laps at Auto Club in March with the current rules package.
• Tony Stewart's best finish of the season on asphalt surfaced track came at Auto Club, in 14th. He has a 12.5 average finish in his last four Michigan starts.
• Kyle Busch's crew chief Adam Stevens will call his first Cup race at Michigan, but did crew chief XFINITY Series races at MIS with Busch and Joey Logano, posting a 3.8 average finish and one win (Logano). Busch will return to the XFINITY Series this weekend (Chris Gayle, crew chief).
MRN.com Staff Picks
Jeff Wackerlin: Kevin Harvick
Pete Pistone: Kevin Harvick
John Singler: Joey Logano
Driver Notes - Ordered by Top 20 in Average Finish (More than one start) in Last Five Races at Michigan
Kevin Harvick: Has finished second in the last four races and led 63 laps from the pole last year in this event. Harvick, who also finished second at the 2-mile Auto Club Speedway this season, won at Michigan in 2010 with Richard Childress Racing. This weekend, Harvick returns in the same Stewart-Haas Racing chassis (No. 858) that he led 142 laps with en route to the win at Las Vegas Motor Speedway. He most recently led 53 laps and finished second with this car at Kansas Speedway.
Paul Menard: Has finished fourth in his last three starts. Menard also has the best average finish (5.2) in the four races at 2-mile tracks dating back to last season. This weekend, Menard will return in the same car (chassis No. 508) that he most recently finished 18th with at Kansas Speedway.
Clint Bowyer: Is the only driver that has finished in the top 10 in the last eight races. Bowyer, who finished 30th in the spring at the 2-mile Auto Club Speedway, will make his first start this weekend with crew chief Billy Scott.
Brad Keselowski: Finished in the top 10 in both races last season. Keselowski is the latest winner at a 2-mile track, winning at Auto Club Speedway in March.
Greg Biffle: Has finished in the top 10 in five of the last six races, including two wins. Biffle has failed to lead a lap in his last four starts at a 2-mile track (Auto Club and Michigan) and has a 25.5 average finish in that span.
Joey Logano: Has finished in the top 10 in his last four starts, including a win in the 2013 August race. Logano combined to lead 115 laps last year at Michigan and finished seventh at the last 2-mile track, Auto Club Speedway, in March.
Ryan Newman: Posted a 13.0 average finish in his first two track starts with Richard Childress Racing last season. Newman, who finished fifth at the 2-mile Auto Club Speedway in March, will return in the same car (chassis No. 511) that he finished sixth with at Charlotte Motor Speedway.
Kasey Kahne: Has finished in the top 10 in three of his six starts with Hendrick Motorsports, including a fifth-place run last year in this event. Kahne has a 19.8 average finish in his last four starts at 2-mile tracks, including a 17th-place finish at Auto Club Speedway with crew chief Keith Rodden.
Carl Edwards: Finished 23rd in both races last year in final track starts with Roush Fenway Racing. Edwards finished 13th at Auto Club Speedway in March, his first 2-mile track start with Joe Gibbs Racing. Edwards is a two-time Michigan winner with his last coming in 2008.
Tony Stewart: Has finished in the top 10 in seven of his 10 track starts with Stewart-Haas Racing. Stewart did post his best finish on an asphalt-surfaced track this year at the 2-mile Auto Club Speedway in March, in 14th. This weekend, Stewart will return in the same car (chassis No. 710) that he finished 24th with at Texas Motor Speedway.
Danica Patrick: Has yet to finish in the top 10 in four starts, 17.8 average finish. Overall, Patrick has yet to finish in the top 10 in seven starts at 2-mile tracks. She finished 19th at Auto Club Speedway in March.
Dale Earnhardt Jr.: Has finished in the top 10 in four of the last six races, including a win in this event in 2012. Earnhardt Jr. is tied for second in average finish (7.5) in the four races at 2-mile tracks (Auto Club and Michigan) dating back to last season.
Matt Kenseth: Only top 10 in four track starts with Joe Gibbs Racing came in this event in 2013. Last year, Kenseth posted a 26.0 average finish at Michigan. Kenseth led 43 laps at the 2-mile Auto Club Speedway in March, but finished 31st.
AJ Allmendinger: Has posted a 18.0 average finish in three track starts with JTG Daugherty Racing. This weekend, Allmendinger will race the same car (chassis No. 501) that he finished 34th with at Auto Club Speedway.
Jeff Gordon: Combined to lead 104 laps and posted a 3.5 average finish, including a win in the August race, last season. Gordon has the second-best average finish (7.5) in the last four races at 2-mile tracks, including a 10th-place run at Auto Club Speedway in March.
Jamie McMurray: Last of four top 10s came in 2008. McMurray finished 21st at Auto Club Speedway in March to give him a 13.2 average finish in the last four races at 2-mile speedways dating back to last season.
Austin Dillon: Has posted a 20.2 average finish in five starts. This weekend, Dillon will return in the same car (chassis No. 507) that he last finished 22nd with at Kansas Speedway.
Ricky Stenhouse Jr.: Has yet to lead a lap or finish in the top 10 in seven starts at 2-mile tracks (Auto Club and Michigan). Stenhouse is coming off his best Michigan finish, in 15th.
Denny Hamlin: Is coming off first top 10 (seventh) since winning this event in 2011. Hamlin led 56 laps in March at the 2-mile Auto Club Speedway, but finished 28th.
Martin Truex Jr.: Will look to continue his hot streak this weekend after a disappointing two races at Michigan last season. Like last weekend when he went to Victory Lane, Truex will debut a new car in the Quicken Loans 400. In the past four races this season, Truex has combined to lead 454 laps.
Drivers to Watch - Michigan
By Sportsbook.ag
After Martin Truex Jr. finally added a win to his impressive 2015 campaign last week at Pocono, the drivers will head to Michigan International Speedway for the Quicken Loans 400. The two-mile, D-shaped oval track features 18-degree turns and is typically the fastest running venue on the series as qualifying speeds come in greater than 200 MPH. The course also holds the record for the highest average speed when Dale Jarrett ran at an average speed of 173.997 MPH in his 1999 victory.
Overall, there has been 10 different men who have been able to come away victorious at this particular event more than once and it was Cale Yarborough who did so the most with six wins between 1969 and 1983. Three men (Greg Biffle, Dale Earnhardt Jr., Denny Hamlin) will be looking to win for the third time here when they start their engines on Sunday afternoon and it will be Jimmie Johnson, who had previously struggled at this venue, who is defending his 2014 title here. His win helped Hendrick Motorsports tie with both Roush Fenway Racing and Wood Brothers Racing at six wins when going in this race.
Let’s look over the entrants list for this week and find some racers who could be taking the checkered flag when it is all over with.
Drivers to Bet
Kevin Harvick (7/2) - Harvick is once again taking care of business with ease this year and currently sits in second in the Sprint Cup standings with a top-nine finish in all but one of his races. He’s been the runner-up in five of the last seven races and has finished in second nine times this year with his two victories coming early in the season at Las Vegas and Phoenix. In the last 10 years, Harvick leads all other racers on this track with an average finish of 10.2 and has been amongst the top-five in each of his last four visits here. The 39-year-old has been at the top of the leaderboard each and every week and it should be no different in Michigan this weekend.
Joey Logano (12/1) - Logano is still looking for another win on the season since taking the Daytona 500 to kick it all off and has been close many times with at least 17 laps led in eight events since the victory. He has done better than 13th in all but two of his races this year and is coming off yet another strong performance last week when he came in fourth at Pocono. Logano also has four poles this year and is constantly putting himself in the position to win. He has not won this particular event before, but was the youngest victor on this track when he took the Pure Michigan 400 back in 2013 at the age of 23 and did so after taking the Coors Light Pole. Logano shows no signs of slowing down and the youngster should once again be on top with the best in the sport on Sunday.
Jamie McMurray (30/1) - This is somewhat of a contrarian choice as McMurray has never really run well at this track in the past, and in the last 10 years he has participated in 18 events with an average finish of 18.7 and just three top-10s. Despite that, he could put up a career-best showing this week as he is having his best year since 2004 and is running hot coming into this race with two straight seventh place finishes where he has improved on his pole position each time. The 39-year-old has seven career NASCAR victories to his name, but has not won since 2013 despite his solid performances since that time. He was able to claim the All-Star Race last year, though, and should be considered a top contender as he looks to conquer a course which has eluded him frequently in the past.
Greg Biffle (60/1) - This is clearly one of Biffle’s favorite places to race as evidenced by his four career wins on the track and a total of 15 top-10s in his 24 attempts. He won both Michigan events in back-to-back years between 2012 and 2013 as he has four top-fives in this particular race since 2005. His driver rating of 110.2 here is best in the series and he also leads all other drivers in average running position (8.3), average green flag speed (177.840 MPH) and laps spent in the top-15 (3,047, 86.1%). He’s done no worse than 17th over his last six times out in 2015 and that included a nice runner-up in Charlotte and five poles of seventh or better. Four of his 19 career wins came on this track, so it is clear that Biffle feels comfortable in Michigan and therefore should be a factor when all is said and done.
Austin Dillon (200/1) - Dillon has just one top-10 on the year, but is coming off a strong showing in Pocono where he led for the first time on the year, eventually finishing in 19th place. He was also solid in his other race on a wide two-mile speedway this year, getting 16th and improving on his pole position of 21st. Dillon seems comfortable with the top speeds expected in Michigan and in his two visits here has placed in the top-20 with a strong seventh coming back in 2013. Each time his qualifying speed exceeded 200 MPH and that will be expected once again for the 25-year-old to earn himself a solid start and a chance at another top-20 finish.
Sportsbook.ag - Odds to win Quicken Loans 400
Kevin Harvick 4/1
Jimmie Johnson 5/1
Kurt Busch 8/1
Dale Earnhardt Jr. 10/1
Martin Truex Jr. 10/1
Brad Keselowski 12/1
Jeff Gordon 12/1
Joey Logano 12/1
Matt Kenseth 12/1
Denny Hamlin 15/1
Kasey Kahne 15/1
Kyle Busch 15/1
Carl Edwards 18/1
Kyle Larson 20/1
Jamie McMurray 30/1
Paul Menard 40/1
Greg Biffle 60/1
Ryan Newman 60/1
Tony Stewart 60/1
Ryan Blaney 100/1
Field (Any Other Driver) 100/1
Austin Dillon 200/1
Clint Bowyer 200/1
Aric Almirola 300/1
Danica Patrick 300/1
David Ragan 300/1
Ricky Stenhouse 300/1
AJ Allmendinger 500/1
Trevor Bayne 500/1
Ty Dillon 500/1