Next Race: Consumers Energy 400 The Place: Michigan International Speedway The Date: Sunday, August 12 The Time: 2:30 p.m. ET TV: NBCSN, 1:30 p.m. ET Radio: MRN, SiriusXM NASCAR Radio Distance: 400 miles (200 Laps); Stage 1 (Ends on Lap 60), Stage 2 (Ends on Lap 120), Final Stage (Ends on Lap 200) Going For Two in a Row It’s a good time to be Chase Elliott. Not only did the popular 22-year-old star pick up his first career Monster Energy NASCAR Cup Series win at Watkins Glen on Sunday, he is one of the top-ranked drivers at Michigan International Speedway, where the series moves this week for Sunday’s Consumers Energy 400 (2:30 p.m. ET on NBCSN, MRN, SiriusXM NASCAR Radio). Elliott has five top-10 finishes in five starts and his average finish of 4.6 in this race is twice as good as the next driver – Erik Jones, whose average finish is 10.33 in three starts. Among those with more than five starts, veteran Matt Kenseth is tops with an 11.34 average finish. Elliott finished runner-up in his first three races at the Michigan two-miler and has completed every lap of each race he’s run. A victory on Sunday would make him the first driver in 53 years to win his first two Cup races back-to-back on the schedule. Billy Wade was the last to do so in 1964 and NASCAR Hall of Famer Ned Jarrett did it in 1959. Elliott has three consecutive top-10 finishes in his No. 9 Hendrick Motorsports Chevrolet heading into Michigan. Youth on a Roll Not only did Elliott, 22, win at The Glen, four other drivers aged 26 or younger finished in the top eight. Daniel Suarez, 26; Erik Jones, 22; and Kyle Larson, 25 finished fourth, fifth and sixth, respectively. And 20-year old rookie William Byron was eighth. Ryan Blaney, 24, finished 11th. It’s the second consecutive week that NASCAR’s young stars have crowded the top-10 in a race finishing order and may well signal that the youth movement, so often a hot topic in the preseason, is now beginning to find its stride. Suarez (runner-up), Alex Bowman, 25, (third) and Byron (sixth) all had top-10 finishes – all career best days – at Pocono two weeks ago. Michigan is a good place for these drivers too. Larson has won three of the last four races and Elliott has three runner-up finishes in the last five races. Blaney led 15 laps at the June rain-shortened race in the Irish Hills and finished eighth. Big 3 Still Holding Strong For all the well-deserved props to Elliott for the win on Sunday at Watkins Glen, he still had to hold off two members of the “Big 3” for the victory. The race’s defending winner Martin Truex Jr. finished runner-up, closely challenging Elliott throughout the final laps. And championship points leader Kyle Busch finished third. Even six-time race winner Kevin Harvick rallied to a 10th-place finish – as both Busch and Harvick had to rally late because of mid-race issues. Truex, the defending Monster Energy Series champion and a four-time race winner in 2018, is looking for his first career Michigan victory. The driver of the No. 78 Furniture Row Racing Toyota was runner-up in this race last year – one of three second-place finishes he has at the track. Busch, a six-time 2018 winner, has three consecutive top-10 finishes at Michigan. His only career victory at the track came in this race in 2011. In the last 13 races, the driver of the No. 18 Joe Gibbs Racing Toyota has led only 64 laps. Harvick is coming off a real near-miss at Michigan, having led a race-best 49 laps in his No. 4 Stewart-Haas Racing Ford in the rain-shortened event in June – but he finished runner-up to his SHR teammate Clint Bowyer. Harvick now has four top-10 five finishes in the last six races there. His lone win came in this race in 2010 while he was still competing for Richard Childress Racing. Larson Lurking Kyle Larson may well feel he’s done everything BUT win in 2018. And with three of his five career wins coming at Michigan International Speedway, there may be no one more eager to get to the Irish Hills. Larson’s streak of three wins was snapped in the rain-shortened race earlier this summer when he finished 28th. He has led 141 of his career total (150 laps) at Michigan in the last four races there. The driver of the No. 42 Chip Ganassi Racing Chevrolet has only one top-10 finish (a sixth-place at Watkins Glen) since a ninth place at Kentucky Speedway four weeks ago and he hasn’t led a lap since his runner-up finish at Chicago, six races ago. Twice this year, he’s started on the pole (at Dover and Sonoma) and twice he’s led more than 100 laps but not gotten the trophy (200 at Bristol and 101 at Kansas). He has 12 top-10 and six top-five finishes in 22 races this season. Returning to the Scene of Triumph Clint Bowyer’s victory in the rain-shortened Michigan race earlier this summer was his first ever at the track in 24 previous starts and his second victory on the season – putting him in rarefied company as a multi-time winner. He joins “The Big 3” in that category this year – six-time winners Harvick and Busch and four-time winner Truex. Bowyer’s victory – his first top-20 finish since 2015 at Michigan – started a three-race streak of top-10 finishes on the schedule for the No. 14 Stewart-Haas Racing Ford team. He was third at Sonoma then fifth at Chicago. The pit strategy used for his Michigan win (two tires on the final pit stop) certainly made the difference and it was a big boost for the whole organization. His SHR team finished 1-2-3 – the first sweep for a team since Roush-Fenway Racing in 2008 at Dover, Del. “When we finished first with Kevin [Harvick] and Kurt [Busch] behind us, it was just awesome,’’ Bowyer still recalls fondly. “We got out and gave each other hugs. We were truly, genuinely happy for one another. That’s what it takes. That’s what it takes to push you to another level. “Working together, the communication, pushing each other each week. It’s not just Kevin, Kurt, Aric (Almirola) and I. It’s our teams, our crew chiefs, our pit crews, everybody who raises the bar for everybody involved. It’s cool to see.” And after back-to-back 11th-place finishes – at Pocono and Watkins Glen – Bowyer wants to close out the regular season in title-contention form. He has 10 top-10 finishes on the season and six top-fives but crashed out in two of the last five races (at Daytona and at New Hampshire). Change of Pace Former Monster Energy Series champion and Michigan native Brad Keselowski has long anticipated celebrating a win in the Michigan International Speedway victory circle. And uncharacteristically winless late in the regular season, this weekend would be a perfect place to score that first Cup win there. Keselowski has seven top-10 finishes in the last nine Michigan races. He won the pole position for this race last year and led a race-best 105 of the 202 laps but finished 17th. The driver of the No. 2 Team Penske Ford has led at least a lap in three of the five races leading up to this week’s Michigan stop, but he’s had two DNFs in the last five races – three finishes of 32nd or worse. His only top-15 in that span was a third at Kentucky Speedway four races ago. The previous top-10 was a sixth-place at Michigan eight races ago. Still, he remains well within the Playoff threshold in 10th-place. He has 11 top-10 finishes on the season and led 323 laps, but he has five DNFs – equal to a career-high total (2017). Closer and Closer Seven-time Cup champion Jimmie Johnson didn’t win Sunday, but he was the among the very first to congratulate his young teammate Chase Elliott on the win. The victory marked the 250th for the championship Hendrick Motorsports organization and Johnson has contributed 83 of those wins. He’d love to get 84 NOW. It’s been a career-long 36-race winless streak for Johnson and the sport’s best is ready to regain form. Judging by the past few weeks, it appears Johnson’s No. 48 Chevrolet team is poised. In the last five races, Johnson has run 43 laps in either first or second place on track – that’s more front-running laps than the previous 17 races combined. And Johnson shows up in Michigan having led the most laps (687) there of any active driver – nearly 200 more laps out front than anyone else in the field. His lone win came in 2014, but Johnson has more reason to feel optimistic. Of all drivers to win on two-mile tracks such as Michigan, Johnson’s seven-victory total puts him in some esteemed company joining NASCAR Hall of Famers Richard Petty and Bill Elliott. “I’m beyond happy for Chase and proud of the effort and strides we have been making at Hendrick Motorsports – what a great win for this company,’’ Johnson said after the big weekend at Watkins Glen. “I’m looking forward to carrying that momentum with us to Michigan this weekend.” Sunoco Rookie Race Last weekend was a big milestone for first-time winner Chase Elliott, but it was also an important day for Sunoco Rookie of the Year contender William Byron, whose eighth-place finish at Watkins Glen gave him his first back-to-back weeks of top-10 finishes. He was a career-high sixth place at Pocono two weeks ago. Byron returns to Michigan with a nice feather in his cap. He is the only driver to have run 100 percent of his laps among the top-15. He finished 13th at the track in June and the driver of the No. 24 Hendrick Motorsports Chevrolet has a nice record at the two-miler. He was fourth in the 2016 NASCAR Camping World Truck Series race here and runner-up last year in the NASCAR Xfinity Series race. Bubba Wallace similarly arrives in Michigan feeling optimistic. He won the Camping World Truck Series race at the track last year and one of his two top-20 finishes (19th) in the last eight Monster Energy Series races came earlier this summer here as well. Next Race: Rock N Roll Tequila 170 presented by Amethyst Beverage The Place: Mid-Ohio Sports Car Course The Date: Saturday, August 11 The Time: 3 p.m. ET TV: NBCSN, 2:30 p.m. ET Radio: MRN, SiriusXM NASCAR Radio Distance: 170 miles (75 laps); Stage 1 (Ends on Lap 20), Stage 2 (Ends on Lap 40), Final Stage (Ends on Lap 75) Strong Chance Mid-Ohio Sees Sixth Different Winner In As Many Races The NASCAR Xfinity Series has been competing on the multi-elevation road course known simply as the Mid-Ohio Sports Car Course since 2013, and each event since has produced a different winner, five in total. Only one of the former Mid-Ohio Xfinity Series winners, Justin Marks (2016), is entered in the Rock N Roll Tequila 170 Presented by Amethyst Beverage this weekend, making the chances fans get to see a sixth different winner stout. The five different Xfinity winners at Mid-Ohio are A.J. Allmendinger (2013), Chris Buescher (2014), Regan Smith (2015), Justin Marks (2016) and Sam Hornish Jr. (2017). As noted, Marks is the only former winner entered this weekend. He has been tapped by Chip Ganassi Racing to pilot the No. 42 Chevrolet Camaro with crew chief Mike Shiplett. Marks has made four series starts at Mid-Ohio in his Xfinity career posting one win, three top 10s and an average finish of 7.8. He finished ninth in this event last season. This Saturday’s race at Mid-Ohio will be Marks series season debut, his last start was at Road America last season; where he started fifth and finished fourth. Katherine Legge to Make NASCAR Xfinity Series Debut Popular IMSA sports car driver Katherine Legge will attempt to make her NASCAR Xfinity Series debut this weekend with JD Motorsports in the No. 15 Chevrolet Camaro in the Rock N Roll Tequila 170 Presented by Amethyst Beverage at Mid-Ohio Sports Car Course on Saturday, August 11 at 3 p.m. ET on NBCSN, MRN and SiriusXM NASCAR Radio. Legge hails from Guilford, England, and cut her teeth competing in open-wheel and sports car racing all over the world. Though this weekend will be her first behind the wheel of a stock car, she has competed at Mid-Ohio before, finishing runner-up in the IMSA GTD class earlier this season. Legge’s aspirations in NASCAR don’t end with the Xfinity Series, her ultimate goal is to go Cup racing. “What I’d really like to do, is do a couple of these (Xfinity) races and hopefully learn and hopefully have done a good job and hopefully raise some money and do the ROVAL race at the end of the year,’’ Legge said “I know that’s going to be a tall order, but I have my eyes on more that’s for sure.” If Legge qualifies for the race this weekend at Mid-Ohio, she will become just the 22nd different female driver to compete in the NASCAR Xfinity Series; joining Patty Moise, Danica Patrick, Shawna Robinson, Johanna Long, Jennifer Jo Cobb, Tammy Jo Kirk, Tina Gordon, Angela Ruch, Diane Teel, Erin Crocker, Kim Crosby, Amber Cope, Chrissy Wallace, Maryeve Dufault, Milka Duno, Paige Decker, Alli Owens, Debbie Lunsford, Kat Teasdale, Lisa Jackson and Mara Reyes. Lally & Gaughan Return To Xfinity Series To Road Race Two drivers worth keeping an eye on this weekend are road course aces Andy Lally and Brendan Gaughan, as the two are entered this weekend to showcase their road racing skills and steal a win. Since 2016, no other drivers entered this weekend in the Rock N Roll Tequila 170 Presented by Amethyst Beverage at Mid-Ohio Sports Car Course on Saturday, August 11 at 3 p.m. ET on NBCSN, MRN and SiriusXM NASCAR Radio have posted better average finishes on road course in the Xfinity Series than Andy Lally (6.0) and Brandan Gaughan (6.5). IMSA road racing star Lally will pilot the No. 90 DGM Racing Chevrolet this weekend at Mid-Ohio Sports Car Course in his first start of the season. Lally last competed in the NASCAR Xfinity Series last season at Mid-Ohio, where he posted a fifth-place finish driving for car owner Bobby Dotter. Gaughan will also be making his first series start of the season after retiring from full-time competition last season. Gaughan will be strapping into the No. 3 Richard Childress Racing Chevrolet with crew chief Nick Harrison on the pit box. Gaughan’s performances at Mid-Ohio have progressively gotten better over time. In four starts he has posted two top 10s and an average finish of 11.8. He finished seventh in this race last season. Sunoco Rookie Christopher Bell Extends Championship Points Lead Joe Gibbs Racing’s Christopher Bell wasn’t able to win his fourth straight race of the season last weekend at Watkins Glen, but he was able to post his 13th top-10 finish of the season to extend his NASCAR Xfinity Series driver championship standings lead to 22 points over second-place Cole Custer and 23 points ahead of third-place Daniel Hemric. Bell has a chance this weekend to win his fifth race of the season, which would tie the series record for most wins in a single rookie season; joining Greg Biffle (2001), Kyle Busch (2004) and Carl Edwards (2005). This season Bell has been outstanding in terms of production. In 20 starts he has four wins (Richmond, Kentucky, New Hampshire and Iowa-2), which equates to a winning percentage of 20% of the races run this season. In addition to the wins, Bell has amassed three poles, 12 top fives and 13 top 10s. This weekend will be Bell’s series track debut at Mid-Ohio. Ohio Native Matt Tifft A Fan Favorite At Mid-Ohio Each driver will tell you nothing beats racing in front of the home crowd, and this weekend in the NASCAR Xfinity Series, Richard Childress Racing’s Matt Tifft will have that opportunity. Tifft calls Hinckley, Ohio, home – a town just over an hour northeast of the famous Mid-Ohio road course. Tifft is currently 10th in the series championship standings driving the Richard Childress Racing No. 2 Chevrolet Camaro with crew chief Randall Burnett. The duo has worked well together this season, posting two top fives, eight top 10s and an average finish of 14.9. Watch for Tifft to put on a great show for the home crowd this weekend, much like he did in his series track debut last season; starting fifth and finishing third. Next Race: Corrigan Oil 200 The Place: Michigan International Speedway The Date: Saturday, August 11 The Time: 1 p.m. ET TV: FS1, 12:30 p.m. ET Radio: MRN, SiriusXM NASCAR Radio Distance: 200 miles (100 laps); Stage 1 (Ends on Lap 30), Stage 2 (Ends on Lap 60), Final Stage (Ends on Lap 100) Just Two Races Left To Make The Postseason The NASCAR Camping World Truck Series is coming off a one-week break and now heads to Michigan International Speedway for the Corrigan Oil 200 on Saturday, August 11 (1 p.m. ET on FS1, MRN and SiriusXM NASCAR Radio) for the second-to-last regular season race before the Playoffs begin. Pressure is mounting for drivers not locked into the postseason as time running short to secure their spot. Currently, five drivers have clinched their spot in the NASCAR Camping World Truck Series Playoffs following Pocono two weeks back – Johnny Sauter, Brett Moffit, Noa Gragson, Justin Haley and Ben Rhodes – that leaves three positions still in play for the drivers not currently locked-in to the Playoffs. Heading into Michigan several drivers still have a shot to work their way into the postseason. The best way to make the Playoffs is by winning, but Grant Enfinger (sixth in points), Stewart Friesen (seventh) and Matt Crafton (eighth) haven’t clinched yet, so getting in on points is still an option. Crafton, in the eighth and final Playoff spot in the championship standings, currently holds a 94-point lead over ninth place Myatt Snider heading into this weekend at Michigan. Of the drivers in positions eighth through 12th in the Truck Series championship standings, Matt Crafton and Cody Coughlin are the only two with previous starts at Michigan. Sunoco rookies Myatt Snider, Dalton Sargeant and Todd Gilliland will all be making their series track debuts this weekend. Crafton has made 16 series starts at Michigan posting an average finish of 14.1 and Coughlin has made three series starts at MIS with an average finish of 20.3. First-Time Winner A Possibility At Michigan One interesting thing to note is there are four drivers who got their first NASCAR Camping World Truck Series win at Michigan International Speedway throughout the years. As the series heads there this weekend, there is a good possibility for a new winner. Hattori Racing Enterprises’ driver Brett Moffitt grabbed his first career win at Michigan back in 2016. Moffit is currently fifth in the series championship standings after posting three wins this season. Brazilian Nelson Piquet, Jr. got his first NASCAR Camping World Truck Series win at Michigan in 2012 driving for truck owner Steve Turner of Turner Motorsports. Colin Braun’s first and only win in the NASCAR Camping World Truck Series was at Michigan in 2009, driving for Roush Fenway Racing. And finally, former NASCAR Camping World Truck Series champion Johnny Benson, Jr.’s first win in the series was at Michigan back in 2006. Two Vastly Different Speedways Left In The Regular Season With so much on the line for the drivers over the next two weeks, the difference between the two tracks remaining on the regular season schedule, Michigan International Speedway (Saturday, August 11 at 1 p.m. ET on FS1, MRN and SiriusXM NASCAR Radio) and Bristol Motor Speedway (Thursday, August 16 at 8 p.m. ET on FS1, MRN and SiriusXM NASCAR Radio) couldn’t be more different. This weekend the series heads to Michigan International Speedway for the Corrigan Oil 200. Michigan International Speedway is a 2-mile, D-shaped oval with 18-degrees of banking in the turns that has produced 16 different race winners. Teams will then head to Bristol Motor Speedway the following week for the UNOH 200. The 0.533-mile short track concrete oval that has produced 15 different series winners. Although this track is short in length, it is known for its distinct features and variable banking. Bristol will be the last race before Playoffs begin. source – NASCAR communications
