Tuesday, June 14, 2011

Michigan International Speedway Odds & Ends

At Michigan International Speedway:
History
·         Michigan International Speedway sits on more than 1,400 acres in the “Irish Hills” of Southeastern Michigan. Ground-breaking took place on Sept. 28, 1967.
·         The first NASCAR Sprint Cup Series race at Michigan was held June 15, 1969.
·         The track was known as Michigan Speedway during the time Roger Penske was the primary owner (1996-99).

Notebook
·         There have been 83 NASCAR Sprint Cup races at Michigan International Speedway since the first race there in 1969. Other than 1973, which had just one race, there have been two races each season since 1969.
·         The first race was 500 miles in length; the second was scheduled for 600. The track was re-measured to 2.04 miles for the last race in 1970 and both races in 1971 – with the race distance being 402 miles. All other races have been scheduled for 400 miles.
·         Donnie Allison won the first pole.
·         The first NASCAR Sprint Cup race was won by Cale Yarborough.
·         There have been 40 different pole winners, led by David Pearson, with 10.
·         33 different drivers have won races, led by David Pearson (nine); 18 have more than one victory there.
·         The race winner has started from the pole 16 times, the most productive starting position. Brian Vickers was the last driver to win from the pole the fall race of 2009.
·         65 of 83 races have been won from a top-10 starting position, including 46 from the first four spots.
·         The deepest in the field a race winner has started was 32nd, by Mark Martin in the 2009 June race.
·         The Wood Brothers and Roush Fenway Racing both have 11 wins, more than any other car owners.
·         Among active drivers, Carl Edwards and Matt Kenseth average a top-10 finish. Edwards, who has two Michigan wins, has an average finish of 6.3. Edwards’ first NASCAR Sprint Cup Series start came at Michigan. Kenseth, who also has two victories, has an average finish of 9.8.

NASCAR in Michigan
·         There have been 88 NASCAR Sprint Cup races in Michigan.
·         96 drivers in NASCAR’s three national series (all-time) have their home state recorded as Michigan.
·         There have been eight race winners from Michigan in NASCAR’s three national series:

Driver
NSCS
NNS
NCWTS
Paul Goldsmith
9
0
0
Brad Keselowski
2
12
0
Johnny Benson
1
3
14
Tim Fedewa
0
4
0
Butch Miller
0
2
1
Jack Sprague
0
1
28
Tracy Leslie
0
1
0
Bob Keselowski
0
0
1


Michigan International Speedway Data
Race # 15 of 36 (6-19-11)
Track Size: 2 miles
·     Race Length: 400 miles
·     Banking/Corners: 18 degrees
·     Banking/Frontstretch: 12 degrees
·     Banking/Backstretch: 5 degrees
Driver Rating at Michigan 
Carl Edwards                110.5
Jimmie Johnson            110.3
Greg Biffle                    104.8
Matt Kenseth                101.2
Denny Hamlin               98.3
Tony Stewart                97.9
Jeff Gordon                   96.2
Dale Earnhardt Jr.         95.9
Kurt Busch                   95.3
Brian Vickers                93.6
Note: Driver Rating compiled from 2005-2011 races (12 total) at Michigan.

Qualifying/Race Data
2010 pole winner: Kurt Busch, 189.984 mph, 37.898 seconds
2010 race winner: Denny Hamlin, 156.386 mph, 7-13-10)
Track qualifying record: Ryan Newman (194.232 mph, 37.069 seconds, (6-18-05)
Track race record: Dale Jarrett (173.997 mph, 6-13-99)

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