Tuesday, June 7, 2016

Michigan International Speedway Track Facts: 2016 FireKeepers Casino 400

Manufacturer battle at Michigan International Speedway twice a year.
The NASCAR Sprint Cup Series 2016 Top 16 at Michigan International Speedway

Driver
Races
Poles
Wins
Top Fives
Top 10s
DNFs
Average Finish
Driver Rating
 
 
1
Kevin Harvick
30
1
1
8
13
1
13.2
92.8
 
2
Kurt Busch
30
2
3
5
10
8
20.6
90.9
 
3
Brad Keselowski
13
0
0
3
6
0
13.7
91.2
 
4
Carl Edwards
23
1
2
9
16
0
9.7
101.4
 
5
Kyle Busch
22
0
1
4
6
2
19.6
87.6
 
6
Jimmie Johnson
28
0
1
5
11
3
16.8
99.8
 
7
Chase Elliott
0
0
0
0
0
0
0.0
0.0
 
8
Joey Logano
14
1
1
3
9
1
13.6
93.0
 
9
Martin Truex Jr
20
0
0
5
7
1
16.5
82.9
 
10
Matt Kenseth
33
1
3
14
20
1
10.2
104.2
 
11
Dale Earnhardt Jr
33
2
2
8
14
3
15.1
98.6
 
12
Denny Hamlin
20
0
2
6
9
2
14.6
88.8
 
13
Austin Dillon
7
0
0
1
1
0
17.9
79.9
 
14
Jamie McMurray
26
0
0
1
5
2
18.6
72.6
 
15
Ryan Blaney
2
0
0
0
0
0
24
74.3
 
16
Ryan Newman
29
1
2
5
8
2
16.9
78.1
 
* – Based on last 22 races at Michigan International Speedway (2005 – 2015).



Michigan International Speedway Data
Season Race #: 15 of 36 (06-12-16)
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
Matt Kenseth............................. 104.2
Greg Biffle................................ 101.8
Carl Edwards............................ 101.4
Jimmie Johnson.......................... 99.8
Dale Earnhardt Jr........................ 98.6
Joey Logano.............................. 93.0
Tony Stewart............................... 92.9
Kevin Harvick.............................. 92.8
Brad Keselowski......................... 91.2
Kurt Busch.................................. 90.9
Note: Driver Ratings compiled from 2005-2015 races (22 total) among active drivers at Michigan International Speedway.

Qualifying/Race Data
2015 pole winner:
Kasey Kahne, Chevrolet
201.992 mph, 35.645 secs. 06-12-15

2015 race winner:
Kurt Busch, Chevrolet
116.688 mph, (02:21:55), 06-14-15

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

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 – won by Cale Yarborough at a speed of 139.254 mph.
·         The track was known as Michigan Speedway during the time Roger Penske was the primary owner (1996-99).
·         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.
·         The 2-mile speedway underwent a repave in 2012.
Starts
·         There have been 93 NASCAR Sprint Cup Series 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.
·         377 drivers have competed in at least one NASCAR Sprint Cup Series race at Michigan International Speedway; 279 in more than one.
·         Bill Elliott leads the series in starts at Michigan with 61. Dale Earnhardt Jr. and Matt Kenseth lead all active drivers with 33 starts.
·         Jimmie Johnson leads all active drivers in the NASCAR Sprint Cup Series in average starting position at Michigan with a 9.500.
·         Two active NASCAR Sprint Cup Series drivers have posted their first career start at Michigan International Speedway: Carl Edwards (8/22/2004) and Landon Cassill (6/13/2010).
Poles
·         Donnie Allison won the inaugural Coors Light pole at Michigan in 1969 with a speed of 160.135 mph.  
·         47 drivers have Coors Light poles at Michigan, led by David Pearson with 10. Kasey Kahne leads all active drivers with three.
Poles
·         Six drivers have won consecutive Coors Light poles at Michigan. David Pearson holds the record for most consecutive poles at Michigan with five; fall 1976 through 1978.
·         Youngest Michigan pole winner: Joey Logano (08/16/2013 – 23 years, 2 months, 23 days).
·         Oldest Michigan pole winner: Mark Martin (08/19/2012 – 53 years, 7 months, 10 days).
Wins
·         36 different NSCS drivers have won at Michigan International Speedway, led by David Pearson with nine wins;Greg Biffle leads all active drivers with four.  
·         Eight drivers have posted consecutive wins at Michigan International Speedway, including four consecutive byBill Elliott (1985 sweep and 1986 sweep).
·         Youngest Michigan winner: Joey Logano (08/18/2013 – 23 years, 2 months, 25 days).
·         Oldest Michigan winner: Harry Gant (08/16/1992 – 52 years, 7 months, 6 days).
·         Roush Fenway Racing has the most wins at Michigan in the NASCAR Sprint Cup Series with 13: Mark Martin(four), Greg Biffle (four), Carl Edwards (two), Matt Kenseth (two) and Kurt Busch (one).
·         Eight different manufacturers have won in the NSCS at Michigan; led by Ford with 34 victories; followed byChevrolet with 23, Mercury (12), Dodge (nine), Toyota (five), Buick (four) Pontiac (four) and Oldsmobile (two).
·         19 of the 93 (20.4%) NASCAR Sprint Cup Series races at Michigan have been won from the Coors Light pole; the most recent was Matt Kenseth last fall.
·         The Coors Light pole position is the most proficient starting position in the field, producing more winners (19) than any other starting position at Michigan International Speedway.    
·         27 of the 93 (29%) NASCAR Sprint Cup Series races at Michigan have been won from the front row: 19 from the pole and eight from second-place.
·         55 of the 93 (59.1%) NASCAR Sprint Cup races at Michigan have been won from a top-five starting position.
·         70 of the 93 (75.2%) NASCAR Sprint Cup races at Michigan have been won from a top-10 starting position.
·         Seven of the 93 (7.5%) NASCAR Sprint Cup Series races at Michigan have been won from a starting position outside the top 20.
·         The deepest in the field that a race winner has started at Michigan is 32nd, by Mark Martin in the spring of 2009.
·         All active NASCAR Sprint Cup Series winners at Michigan International Speedway participated in at least one or more races before visiting Victory Lane. Tony Stewart won at Michigan in his third appearance, the fewest previous starts among the active NSCS winners.     
·         Kevin Harvick competed at Michigan International Speedway 19 times before winning in the fall of 2010; the longest span of any the active NASCAR Sprint Cup Series winners.
Wins
·         Among the active NSCS Michigan winners Kevin Harvick (19), Dale Earnhardt Jr. (17) Kyle Busch (13) andJoey Logano (10) all made 10 or more attempts before their first win.
Additional Finishing Position Stats
·         Jeff Gordon leads the series in runner-up finishes at Michigan with eight; followed by Darrell Waltrip with seven and Kevin Harvick with six.
·         NASCAR Hall of Famer Cale Yarborough leads the series in top-five finishes at Michigan with 21; Matt Kenseth leads all active drivers with 14.   
·         Mark Martin leads the series in top-10 finishes at Michigan with 31. Matt Kenseth and Tony Stewart lead all active drivers with 20 each.
·         Carl Edwards leads all active drivers in the NASCAR Sprint Cup Series in average finishing position at Michigan with a 9.652.
·         Jamie McMurray leads the series among active drivers with the most NASCAR Sprint Cup Series starts at Michigan without visiting Victory Lane at 26; followed by Casey Mears at 25.
Track/Event Specific Stats
·         Since the advent of electronic scoring the closest margin of victory (MOV) in the NASCAR Sprint Cup Series at Michigan International Speedway was the June 10, 2001 race won by Jeff Gordon over Ricky Rudd with a MOV of 0.085 second.
·         There have been two NASCAR Sprint Cup Series races resulting with a green-white-checkered finish at Michigan International Speedway (Scheduled No. of Laps/Actual No. of Laps): fall of 2011 (200/203); and fall of 2012 (200/201).
·         Five of the 93 NASCAR Sprint Cup Series races at Michigan International Speedway have been shortened due to weather conditions; the most recent was the event on 6/14/2015.    
·         Qualifying has been cancelled due to weather conditions in the NASCAR Sprint Cup Series at Michigan International Speedway four times; most recently the spring of 2008 race.   
·         Jimmie Johnson leads all active drivers in the NASCAR Sprint Cup Series in laps led at Michigan with 646 laps led in 28 starts.
Female Competitor Stats
·         Four female drivers have competed at Michigan International Speedway in the NASCAR Sprint Cup Series:Janet Guthrie, Robin McCall, Shawna Robinson and Danica Patrick. Of the four female drivers to compete at Michigan, Guthrie has the best finish (10th).  
Driver
Starting Position
Finishing Position
Date
Danica Patrick
23
25
8/16/2015
Danica Patrick
19
16
6/14/2015
Danica Patrick
14
18
8/17/2014
Danica Patrick
27
17
6/15/2014
Danica Patrick
28
23
8/18/2013
Danica Patrick
37
13
6/16/2013
Patrick Averages
24.7
18.7

Shawna Robinson
32
34
6/10/2001
Robinson Averages
32.0
34.0

Robin McCall
29
33
8/22/1982
Robin McCall
35
29
6/20/1982
McCall Averages
32.0
31.0

Janet Guthrie
18
27
8/20/1978
Janet Guthrie
15
10
8/22/1977
Janet Guthrie
12
26
6/19/1977
Guthrie Averages
15.0
21.0


NASCAR in Michigan
·         There have been 98 NASCAR Sprint Cup races at four different tracks in Michigan.

Track Name
City
NSCS
Michigan International Speedway
Brooklyn
93
Grand River Speedrome
Grand Rapids
2
Michigan State Fairgrounds
Detroit
2
Monroe Speedway
Monroe
1

·         The first NASCAR Sprint Cup Series race in the state of Michigan was at Grand River Speedrome in Grand Rapids, Michigan on 7/1/1951 – won by Marshall Teague from the pole in a Hudson.
·         98 drivers in NASCAR national series history have their home state recorded as Michigan.
·         Nine of the 98 have won at least one race in NASCAR’s national series.

Driver
NSCS
NXS
NCWTS
Brad Keselowski
19
34
1
Paul Goldsmith
9
0
0
Johnny Benson
1
3
14
Tim Fedewa
0
4
0
Erik Jones
0
4
7
Butch Miller
0
2
1
Tracy Leslie
0
1
0
Jack Sprague
0
1
28
Bob Keselowski
0
0
1

NASCAR Sprint Cup Series Milestones
    
Drivers
Has
Needs
Milestones
Tony Stewart
48
1
Break the tie with Herb Thomas to become solely 13th on all-time wins list
Kyle Busch
37
1
Break tie with Bobby Isaac and Matt Kenseth to become solely 19th on all-time wins list
Matt Kenseth
37
1
Break tie with Bobby Isaac and Kyle Busch to become solely 19th on all-time wins list
Kevin Harvick
32
1
Tie Fireball Roberts for 22nd on all-time wins list
Kurt Busch
28
1
Break tie with Rex White and become solely 25th on all-time wins list
Denny Hamlin
27
1
Tie Kurt Busch and Rex White for 25th on all-time wins list
Carl Edwards
27
1
Tie Kurt Busch and Rex White for 25th on all-time wins list
Jimmie Johnson
34
1
Tie Ned Jarrett for 19th on all-time poles list
Kasey Kahne
27
1
Break tie with Terry Labonte to become solely 25th on all-time poles list
Denny Hamlin
23
1
Tie Alan Kulwicki for 28th on all-time poles list
Kevin Harvick
47
1
Tie Lee Petty (48) for 10th on all-time 2nd-place finishes list
Jimmie Johnson
46
1
Tie Kevin Harvick for 11th on all-time 2nd-place finishes list
Tony Stewart
182
1
Break the tie with Terry Labonte to become solely 17th on all-time top-five finishes list
Tony Stewart
301
1
Break the tie with James Hylton to become solely 17th on all-time top-10 finishes list
Jimmie Johnson
17,933
67
To become ninth NSCS driver all-time to lead 18,000 laps
Tony Stewart
12,795
205
To become 11th NSCS driver all-time to lead 13,000 laps
Kyle Busch
11,660
340
To become 14th NSCS driver all-time to lead 12,000 laps
Matt Kenseth
10,811
189
To become 16th NSCS driver all-time to lead 11,000 laps
Kurt Busch
8,844
156
To become 20th NSCS driver all-time to lead 9,000 laps
    
Track Specific Milestones

   
Drivers
Has
Needs
Milestones
Kasey Kahne
3
1
Tie Bobby Labonte (4) for fourth on the all-time Michigan NSCS pole winners list
Greg Biffle
4
1
Tie Mark Martin and Rusty Wallace for fourth on all-time Michigan NSCS wins list
Joe Gibbs
8
1
Break tie with Rick Hendrick to become solely third on all-time NSCS Michigan wins list
Rick Hendrick
8
1
Break tie with Joe Gibbs to become solely third on all-time NSCS Michigan wins list
Roger Penske
7
1
Tie Rick Hendrick, Joe Gibbs for third on the all-time Michigan NSCS wins list


No comments: