The Monster Energy NASCAR Cup Series will race the FireKeepers Casino 400 at Michigan International Speedway on Sunday, June 18th at 3 pm ET. Coverage begins at 2 pm ET on FOX Sports 1, MRN and SiriusXM NASCAR Radio
Drivers will race 400 miles over 200 laps with Stage 1 ending on lap 60, Stage 2 on lap 120 and the last Stage ending on the last lap 200.
What to Watch For: Ryan Blaney, 23, tries to win again after picking up his first career victory at Pocono.
Kyle Larson attempts to win his second straight Michigan race after earning his first career checkered flag at the two-mile track last August.
Joey Logano attempts to defend his win in last year’s FireKeepers Casino 400. He has visited Victory Lane at Michigan twice.
Ten different drivers have won Monster Energy NASCAR Cup Series races this season. Notable competitors still searching for a win include: Dale Earnhardt Jr., Kevin Harvick, Kyle Busch, Denny Hamlin and Matt Kenseth.
Sunoco Rookie of the Year contender Erik Jones, from Byron, Michigan, attempts to build on his career-best third-place finish at Pocono.
Keep an eye on Sunoco Rookie of the Year frontrunner Daniel Suarez who won his first career NASCAR national series race at Michigan last season on his way to the XFINITY Series championship.
Short Strokes
His car may be blue, but Martin Truex Jr. isn’t. With a lap at 198.385 mph, Truex topped the speed chart in Saturday’s first Monster Energy NASCAR Cup Series practice. Truex is running the light blue Auto-Owners Insurance paint scheme this weekend. The last time he represented that sponsor, Truex won at Kansas.
Late in Saturday’s final practice, Brad Keselowski surged to the top of the board with a lap at 197.401 mph. Team Penske teammate Joey Logano was fourth fastest. Those two drivers left the track considerably happier than AJ Allmendinger, who clobbered the wall near the exit from Turn 2 in the final minute of practice. “Did he kill it?” crew chief Ernie Cope radioed to spotter Coleman Pressley. The team immediately opted for a backup car, and maybe that’s a good thing. Allmendinger was 28th fastest in final practice.
Blaney Captures First Monster Energy NASCAR Cup Series Win at Pocono
Wood Brothers Racing’s Ryan Blaney passed Kyle Busch with ten laps to go in Sunday’s Axalta presents the Pocono 400 at Pocono Raceway and held Kevin Harvick off the rest of the way to earn his first career victory.
At 23 years, 5 months, 11 days, Blaney is the youngest first-time winner since Trevor Bayne (20 years, 1 day) won the 2011 Daytona 500. Bayne’s victory in The Great American Race was also the last triumph for Wood Brothers Racing, which boasts 99 overall wins.
With the win, the No. 21 Ford driver virtually guarantees himself a spot in the playoffs. On the season, he has three top-fives and five top-tens. He owns eight playoff points via his victory and three stage wins.
Blaney joins Kyle Larson as the second alumnus of the NASCAR Next initiative to win a Monster Energy NASCAR Cup Series race. Overall, 13 former NASCAR Next drivers have made an appearance in the Monster Energy NASCAR Cup Series.
Blaney will go for his second straight win in Sunday’s FireKeepers Casino 400 at Michigan International Speedway. He made his first career Monster Energy Series start at the two-mile oval in 2015 and recorded his track career-best fourth-place finish there last August.
The Monster Energy NASCAR Cup Series has had three first-time winners in five races – Ricky Stenhouse Jr. (Talladega), Austin Dillon (Charlotte) and Blaney (Pocono) – for the first time since 2007: Casey Mears (Charlotte), Martin Truex Jr. (Dover) and Juan Pablo Montoya (Sonoma).
Michigan Man: Erik Jones Comes Home after Logging Career-Best Finish
Erik Jones sped to a career-best third-place showing on Sunday at Pocono – his first career top-five showing in the Monster Energy NASCAR Cup Series. He also led a personal-high 20 laps.
The Byron, Michigan, native, who trails Daniel Suarez for first in the Sunoco Rookie of the Year standings by eight points, will attempt to close the gap when he returns to his home state for Sunday’s FireKeepers Casino 400.
Jones has made one start in Michigan in both the XFINITY and Camping World Truck Series. He finished third in the 2015 Truck race and fourth in last year’s XFINITY contest.
Homecoming King: Brad Keselowski Still Searching for First Michigan Win
Brad Keselowski would like nothing more than to win in his home state in Sunday’s Fire Keepers Casino 400 at Michigan International Speedway – a track where he’s never visited Victory Lane.
A win would make Keselowski the ninth active driver to win in his home state: Kyle Larson (California), Kevin Harvick (California), Kyle Busch (Nevada), Jimmie Johnson (California), Denny Hamlin (Virginia), Ryan Newman (Indianapolis), Austin Dillon (North Carolina) and Aric Almirola (Florida).
“I would say it’s a weekend that is circled every year on our calendar and one where we’ve had a lot of success but haven’t been able to break through for that first win,” Keselowski said. “So I feel like with the season we’re having this year, we have a great opportunity of checking that box off.”
In 15 starts at Michigan, Keselowski claims five top-fives, ten top-tens and a 12.3 average finish. He holds a streak of six straight top-ten finishes at his home track.
Keselowski sits fifth in the Monster Energy NASCAR Cup Series points standings (130 markers below leader Martin Truex Jr.). He ranks third in the series with 12 playoff points from his two victories and two stage wins.
Logano Speedy in Wolverine State
Last season, Joey Logano was the only driver to win a Coors Light Pole Award with a lap of more than 200 MPH (201.698). He achieved the feat at Michigan International Speedway – a track where he’s been successful throughout his career.
In 16 starts at Michigan, Logano has logged two wins, four top-fives, 11 top-tens and a 12.6 average finish. He has produced a top-ten showing in his last eight races at the two-mile track and is the defending winner of the FireKeepers Casino 400.
Kyle Larson Returns to Site of First Win
Kyle Larson kicked NASCAR’s youth movement into full gear last August when he led 41 laps and held off fellow young gun Chase Elliott to win the Pure Michigan 400 at Michigan International Speedway for his first career Monster Energy NASCAR Cup Series victory.
Larson will go for his second consecutive triumph at the two-mile track in Sunday’s FireKeepers Casino 400 at Michigan International Speedway. In last year’s June Michigan race, he placed third.
The No. 42 Chevrolet driver will also attempt to regain the points lead from Martin Truex Jr., who he trails by just one marker. On the season, Larson has one win, five top-fives, nine top-tens and an 8.4 average finish. He also has three stage wins and eight playoff points.
Many Monster Energy Stars Still Searching for First Wins
Ten drivers have already won Monster Energy NASCAR Cup Series races this season. This could be the year a driver must win to make the playoffs.
Many of NASCAR’s established stars are still searching for wins, including: Kyle Busch, Dale Earnhardt Jr., Kevin Harvick, Denny Hamlin, Matt Kenseth, Kasey Kahne and Jamie McMurray. Even winless young stars like Chase Elliott, Erik Jones and Daniel Suarez are threats to visit Victory Lane each week.
The winless 2017 drivers who have triumphed at Michigan are Kenseth (three times), Earnhardt (two), Hamlin (two), Kyle Busch (one) and Kahne (one).
Suarez Looks To Extend Sunoco Rookie of the Year Lead
at Location of First National Series Win
Keep an eye on Daniel Suarez this weekend. Suarez shot past 2015 Monster Energy NASCAR Cup Series champion (and teammate) Kyle Busch with two laps left in last year’s NASCAR XFINITY Series race at Michigan to become the first Mexican-born driver to win a national series race.
Right now he leads the Sunoco Rookie of the Year standings by eight points over Erik Jones. Suarez boasts a 9.8 average finish over his last four starts and produced a career-best sixth-place showing at Dover two weeks ago.
Also Noteworthy…
Catch the Michigan Parade Lap through the MISCAMPING.com Infield Campground: For the first time in NASCAR history, the driver parade lap will make its way through a NASCAR track’s infield campground as part of the pre-race festivities on Father’s Day. Fans can catch the Michigan parade lap through the MISCAMPING.com Infield Campground.