NASCAR visits the Michigan International Speedway which has become one of the fastest tracks on the circuit. [credit Robert Laberge/Getty Images]
By Dan Margetta and John Wiedemann
The NASCAR Sprint Cup Series makes its first stop in the Irish Hills of Michigan as the Michigan International Speedway hosts the Quicken Loans 400 on Sunday afternoon.
Quicken Loans 400 Michigan International Speedway 400 miles (200 laps) Sunday, June 15, 1 pm ET TNT, 12 pm ET
MRN, Sirius XM Ch. 90
The Michigan circuit is a high banked 2-mile track that has been recently repaved and with the cars running unrestricted, it has produced the fastest speeds on the tour.
Drivers will enter Michigan’s wide corners at over 200mph and with plenty of room, they will often find themselves racing four wide around the facility.
Once again, horsepower will be a key factor in the race and here are some drivers to watch this weekend…
Greg Biffle
Dan Margetta: “The Biff” is in desperate need of a win and Michigan is a great place to make that happen. Even when things appear to be down, Roush-Fenway Ford drivers always seem to run well at Michigan and Biffle has four victories at Michigan, including two out of his last three starts here. He’s listed at 20-1 odds in Las Vegas for this race, but don’t be surprised if he’s right there challenging for the win this week, especially now that it appears the drama concerning his future has subsided.
Jimmie Johnson
John Wiedemann: Without the incident in pit lane last weekend, we could be talking about four in a row for Jimmie Johnson this weekend at Michigan. But, Michigan is amazingly a track that Johnson has not yet won at. With an average finish of 16.8 and a fourth-best driver rating it seems like Michigan is not one of the tracks that Johnson highlights on the schedule at the beginning of the season. The stats are strange when you compare them next to Auto Club Speedway in California which is nearly a copy of Michigan. In California Johnson has five wins and twelve top-3 finishes. No such luck in Michigan, the last three races resulted in finishes of 27th or worse with two of those races seeing Johnson exit with engine woes. Johnson did lead laps in all of those races and seems to love proving doubters wrong recently so I wouldn’t be shocked to see him capture his first Michigan victory.
Joey Logano
DM: Joey Logano was the winner the last time the NASCAR Sprint Cup Series raced in Michigan and he should be ready for another strong performance especially considering how much horsepower the Penske Fords have been showing this season. With two wins already this season, Joey Logano has definitely lived up to the potential that brought him to the series in 2009. Las Vegas puts him at 8-1 to win this weekend and he’s a strong bet to run up front and contend.
Brad Keselowski
JW: Joey Logano’s teammate is looking for his first win at the track in his home state. You know that Brad Keselowski is aching to get to victory lane at Michigan International Speedway and party hard. Keselowski has second and third place finishes at Michigan in nine starts but an average finish of 16.9. Like his teammate, the power of the Penske Ford engine should benefit him greatly this weekend. Add the fact that Keselowski and the #2 team seem to have gotten back on track after a brief lull and put together two runner-up finishes at the last two events. This might just be shaping up to be a great weekend for the Michigan based Keselowski family and a great father’s day present for Brad’s dad, longtime racer Bob Keselowski.
Matt Kenseth
DM: Matt Kenseth comes into Michigan listed at 10-1 odds by the Vegas odds makers, mostly due to the #20 team’s inability to dominate races like they did last season. What is overlooked however, is that the team is running strong and stringing together some respectable finishes. They’re just not leading as many laps this year. Kenseth should be in contention in Michigan as it is one of his stronger tracks and he does have multiple victories here. They stumbled a bit last week and the qualifying performance needs improvement, but if they run strong off the truck and start near the front, Michigan could provide the breakthrough they need to put their first mark in the win column in 2014.
Kevin Harvick
JW: Kevin Harvick quietly sneaks up into contention just when you are not thinking about him and I am predicting a Kevin Harvick win this weekend. There are other multi-time Michigan winners that could be listed here like Denny Hamlin, Jeff Gordon, Carl Edwards and Harvick’s teammate Kurt Busch, but I have a feeling it is going to be the number four car in victory lane. Harvick won at Michigan in 2010 while driving for Richard Childress Racing. Kevin also has three runner-up finishes including both races at Michigan last season. Bad luck this season has plagued the team and turned Harvick into a hit or complete miss when the checkers wave. I’m telling you, this weekend Harvick will hit it out of the park.
Dale Earnhardt Jr.
DM: Ironically, Dale Jr. has been the only Hendrick Motorsports driver to find success at Michigan recently. Until this season, it was the only place he won at, scoring victories in 2008 and 2012. With the resurgence this season, Earnhardt should have plenty of confidence entering Michigan this week and he’s tabbed at 10-1 odds in Vegas. The Pocono win from last week should also provide some momentum and I’m sure “Junior Nation” will be quite vocal from the grandstands. If he can avoid the bad luck that seems to plague the Hendrick drivers at Michigan, Dale Jr. could rattle off two in a row this weekend.
Austin Dillon
JW: Austin Dillon is truly one to watch this weekend. Michigan could be the turnaround that this team needs. Dillon had a solid start to the season but has fallen back over the last few weeks. Currently in fourteenth in the point standings, Dillon would be on the bubble to make the Chase just two points ahead of Clint Bowyer. Michigan is one of the tracks that Dillon has the most “Cup” experience on with three starts behind the wheel. Finishes of 24th, 11th and 14th in those races help bolster the hope that Dillon can turn the season around at Michigan and start climbing the standings.
Kyle Larson
DM: Remember Kyle Larson’s charge to a second place finish at California? Michigan is a sister track to the California circuit and it has plenty of room which should suit Larson’s style of using the whole race track to find speed. While he has logged laps here in the ARCA and Nationwide Series, Larson’s making his Cup start at Michigan and is listed at 25-1 odds to win. Considering his success in California and the way the team has been racing near the front so far this season, Kyle Larson, as a rookie, should be considered a contender this weekend to possibly score his first career Cup victory.
Juan Pablo Montoya
JW: He’s back! With the IndyCar Series having an off weekend, Juan Pablo Montoya returns to the NASCAR Sprint Cup Series to race in a third Team Penske Ford. Montoya has raced at Michigan fourteen times in the Cup series and scored three top-ten finishes plus an eleventh place run last August. Why does Montoya have a shot at victory this weekend? Two answers – Team Penske and Speed. Penske driver Joey Logano qualified on the pole last August at almost 204 mph and drove to victory lane in the race. During Goodyear tire testing in April, drivers hit a reported 217 mph on the straight-aways. You know that Montoya loves to go fast, including in the pit lane, so if he can avoid mistakes, he just might be in contention when the checkers fly.