Ryan Newman is 100/1 to win at Michigan

Ryan Newman has two wins at Michigan.

Ryan Newman – Michigan II Advance

Team: No. 6 Wyndham Rewards Ford Mustang
Crew Chief: Scott Graves
Twitter: @Roush6Team, @RoushFenway and @RyanJNewman
Consumers Energy 400 – Sunday, August 11 at 3 p.m. ET on NBCSN, MRN, SiriusXM Channel 90

ADVANCE NOTES

Newman at Michigan International Speedway

· Newman will make his 37th Cup start at the 2-mile Michigan International Speedway this weekend. In 36 prior events, Newman has two wins, 10 top-10s and six top fives. He has an overall average finish of 16.1 and starting spot of 13.6 with one pole.

· Newman’s pair of wins at MIS came in back-to-back races back in 2003 and 2004. Newman led 32 laps en route to his fifth of eight wins that season, holding off Kevin Harvick and Tony
Stewart. The next event he led 22 laps after starting fourth to earn the win under yellow.

· Newman is coming off an eighth-place finish at MIS in June. Dating back five races, he has finished top-15 or better four times.

· Dating back seven events, Newman has qualified 11th or better four times, including a sixth-place effort last August. His lone career Cup pole at MIS came back in 2005
before going on to finish 15th.

· Newman also made four Xfinity Series starts at MIS, winning his first two events (2001, 2005) with a combined 126 laps led.

Scott Graves at Michigan International Speedway

· Graves will be atop the pix box for his eighth MENCS race at MIS. In seven prior events – two with Ricky Stenhouse Jr., four with Daniel Suarez and most recently one with Newman in
June – Graves has an average finish of 20.7.

· Graves also won an Xfinity event with Suarez at the 2-mile track in 2016, defeating Kyle Busch to lead the final two laps en route to one of his three career NXS victories with Suarez.

Last Time at Michigan
In a Monday afternoon race at MIS in June, Newman restarted 14th for a green-white-checkered and crossed the line eighth.

QUOTE WORTHY

Newman on racing at Michigan:
“Michigan has always been an entertaining track due to it being so wide, which creates some exciting passing and racing. We earned a top-10 last time there in June, so we’re hoping to capitalize on that and gain some valuable points this weekend in the back
yard of Ford and Jack Roush in our Wyndham Rewards Ford Mustang.”

Tracking the Playoff Hunt

· Entering Michigan, Newman is tied for the 16th playoff spot with Jimmie Johnson, both 12 back of Clint Bowyer in 15th. Kyle Larson has a 46-point advantage on
both Johnson and Newman, while Daniel Suarez is 23 points back of the tie for the final spot.

Recapping Watkins Glen
Newman had an unfortunate tire issue halfway through Sunday’s race at Watkins Glen, forcing him to settle with a 25th-place finish.

Hendrick Motorsports Michigan Notes and Quotes

Chase Elliott at Michigan in June.

HENDRICK MOTORSPORTS AT MICHIGAN: At Michigan International Speedway, Hendrick Motorsports has collected eight wins, 11 pole positions, 52 top-five finishes and 100 top-10s along with 2,494 laps led.

TRIPLE DIGITS: Michigan is one of seven tracks where Hendrick Motorsports has accumulated 100 or more top-10 finishes. The list is led by Martinsville and Pocono, as the organization owns 126 top-10s at each track.

FEELING HOT, HOT, HOT: Hendrick Motorsports is the only team with multiple wins in the last six races. Including race wins, the organization has won four of the last five stages in 2019. Of Chevrolet's last eight wins, Hendrick Motorsports has accounted for six.

THREE OR MORE SINCE '94: Chase Elliott's win last weekend at Watkins Glen was the third of the season for Hendrick Motorsports. That extended the organization's streak, which began in 1994, to 26 consecutive seasons with at least three wins. It marks the longest stretch all-time by a team. The second-longest streak of 21 belongs to Petty Enterprises from 1957-77. The next closest active streak of seasons with at least three wins belongs to Team Penske with six.

POWER OF THE POLE: Hendrick Motorsports leads all organizations in poles for the 2019 season with seven. Last weekend at Watkins Glen International, Elliott captured the pole with William Byron on the outside pole. It was the fifth time the organization has swept the front row in 2019, which also leads all teams.

CREW CHIEF CREDIT: Two of the organization's crew chiefs are among the winningest currently active in the series. No. 24 crew chief Chad Knaus holds the top spot with 81 wins. After last weekend's win at Watkins Glen, No. 9 team crew chief Alan Gustafson sits fifth with 25 wins, just one victory shy of tying Rodney Childers and Adam Stevens for third among active crew chiefs.

PLAYOFF POSITIONING: All four Hendrick Motorsports drivers are currently in position to make the 16-driver NASCAR Cup Series playoffs at the end of the regular season. Chase Elliott and Alex Bowman have essentially locked in their spots by finding Victory Lane and rank eighth and 11th, respectively, in the point standings. William Byron is currently 12th, with Jimmie Johnson in 16th.

ORGANIZATION STATS: To date, Hendrick Motorsports has totals of 12 championships, 255 race victories, 222 pole positions, 1,061 top-five finishes and 1,816 top-10 finishes in points-paying NASCAR Cup Series competition. Its teams have led more than 68,600 laps since 1984.


QUOTABLE /

Chase Elliott on heading to Michigan:
“Michigan is a much different place now. Nothing like it used to be, we are close to wide open. It has been an OK place for me. We didn’t get the result we wanted in June, but we will look at our notes and go back and hopefully be better.”

Elliott on the No. 9 team's performance:
"To kind of have a weekend that wasn't as poor as the last six have been was really nice, and then the way we did it I think was the biggest thing. We've never had a weekend like that in my career, showing up, qualifying on the pole and leading the most laps and win the race. That's the kind of weekend you want to have, and that's the kind of team and the kind of effort you have to put on occasionally and often to compete with the guys that you're going to have to beat in this deal.”

William Byron on heading back to Michigan:
“I don’t really know what to expect fully when we go back to Michigan a second time this year, but I’m optimistic about it. Earlier this year was more of a learning process with the new package and what to expect at such a high-speed track. This time I think we have a better idea of where we need to be when we show up and what we can expect throughout the race. In general, we’ve learned a lot as a team as the season has gone on, though, which puts us in an even better position when we start going back to some of these places for the second time. I’m excited to get to Michigan and see how the weekend goes for us because of it.”

Jimmie Johnson on his new crew chief, Cliff Daniels:
“Cliff (Daniels) did a great job last weekend. We had a strong car and everyone did a great job all weekend long. We got stage points, we executed. Bring on Michigan.”

Cliff Daniels on his first race as No. 48 team crew chief:
“The first weekend was just incredibly busy. We had a great plan in practice and we executed it pretty well, I thought, but with that there are always a lot of changes and things going on. Overall, there was just a lot of excitement with the team, with Jimmie, and I’m really thankful for just the energy level we had and the enthusiasm.”

Alex Bowman on racing at Michigan:
“I’m looking forward to Michigan. We raced really well there earlier this year. We were running in the top five. The last green-white-checkered we were stuck on the bottom and couldn’t really go anywhere. But, it’s a fun place. I think the aero package obviously changed it quite a bit. It’ll be interesting to see how everybody has learned each and every week we take that package to the racetrack. I am ready to see what it’s like going back there versus the first time and see if guys have figured out new stuff or changed their approach. I thought our car drove really well there last time. We were a little down on single-car speed, but it turned into a good race for us. So, we’ll just have to wait and see.”

Michigan Betting Preview: 2019 Consumers Energy 400

Ford has won the last three races at Michigan.

The second manufacturer Super Bowl of the season takes place Sunday at Michigan International Speedway located just west of the Motor City. It's where the Ford, Chevrolet, and Toyota executives all get to root their brand in and so far after 100 race NASCAR Cup Series races since the track opened in 1969 it's been Ford -- including the Mercury brand -- winning 50 of those races, including the last three.

“Michigan is in the manufacturer’s backyard, and winning there not only means bragging rights for those folks, but goes toward business reasons they are in the sport and support all of us,” said Ford driver Clint Bowyer. “We’ll take a victory anywhere, but winning at Michigan is always a good thing for everybody.”

Bowyer won the June race last season to start a three-race win streak for Ford and he's an interesting look this week at 16/1 odds in part because of his desperation sitting 15th in points, barely hanging onto a playoff spot with four races to go before the postseason begins in Las Vegas. He's only 12 points above the 16th and final playoff spot. It took him 25 races to finally win at Michigan in what was only his third race driving a Ford for Stewart-Haas Racing.

“The speed at Michigan will surely get your attention," Bowyer said of the flat 2-mile layout. "You better have everything right at Michigan. That’s engine, aero, handling and everything else. You are going so fast there that anything slightly off will show up.”

Kevin Harvick would finish second behind his SHR teammate Bowyer last June and then win in the fall race in dominating fashion leading 108 laps and winning the first two stages. He was seventh in the first race this season after leading 15 laps. Overall he has two career wins in the Cup Series along with a win in both the Xfinity and Truck Series.

“How you finish at Michigan depends on how your day is going," Harvick said. "If you’re having a good day, it’s not really hard to tell your guys what you need and everyone is in a good mood. If you’re having a bad day, you can get behind at Michigan really fast. You’re going to end up with a green-flag pit stop and a whole bunch of green-flag laps. You just have to be going from the time the green flag drops and keep yourself in position at the end.”

The last time the Cup Series used this week's race package featuring aero ducts and engines that produce only 550 horsepower was at Pocono where Harvick finished sixth but led a race-high 62 laps. That race coupled with Ford and his last three races at Michigan is why the Westgate Las Vegas SuperBook listed him as the 5/1 co-favorite to win along with Kyle Busch and Martin Truex Jr.

Truex and Busch each have a series-leading four wins and Joe Gibbs Racing has 11 of the 22 Cup wins this season, but Michigan hasn't been a place they've dominated. Truex doesn't have any Michigan wins, although I have no idea how didn't win one those 2017 race he dominated there. He was third in the June race. Busch has just one win at Michigan and it came in 2011 which means 15 races have passed since he won there. He's had top-fives in his last three starts there but only led laps (22) in one of those.

Busch's 2011 win was the last by a Toyota driver at Michigan that is still active. Matt Kenseth's 2015 win was the last at Michigan by a Toyota. Before those two it was Denny Hamlin winning the 2011 June race. In fact, Hamlin has two wins which is twice as many as all his JGR teammates combined.

Hamlin has some nice value this week at 14/1 in what is shaping up to be a career year. He has three wins on the season, two using this week's race package, and his 9.7 average finish is his best ever. He's come into this week's race finishing in the top-five of his last four races.

“We’re certainly in a groove right now," Hamlin said. "Our team looks forward to each week’s challenge, and we’re going to prepare and put ourselves in the best position to win this weekend. Especially now that we are returning to tracks for a second time, (crew chief) Chris Gabehart and the team are making good corrections to help us be better in our second effort.”

The only JGR driver without a win this season is Michigan native Erik Jones and just like Hamlin, he comes in with top-five finishes in his last four races. He's never won at Michigan in any series before so this would be a huge moment in his career. Jones is listed at 16/1 odds to win.


READ MORE HERE....TOP-5 FINISH PREDICTION ON VEGASINSIDER.COM

Kyle Busch is 5/1 co-favorite to win 2019 Consumers Energy 400

KYLE BUSCH Sunday Afternoon by the Lake The lone Kyle Busch Michigan win came in 2011. HUNTERSVILLE, North Carolina (Aug. 7, 2019) – During the 19th century, the Irish Hills area of Michigan – located near U.S. 12 just about halfway between Detroit and Chicago – was a well-known stopping point during the five-day stagecoach trip between the two large Midwest cities. At the turn of the 20th century, the Irish Hills turned into an enjoyable tourist destination with its plush, green landscape and more than 30 lakes for vacationers and residents to enjoy in peace and quiet. Just miles from many of the beautiful lakes and relaxing atmosphere, the Irish Hills come to life two weekends per year and become anything but peaceful and quiet when the Monster Energy NASCAR Cup Series visits Michigan International Speedway in Brooklyn. The next event there – Sunday’s Consumers Energy 400 – closes out the track’s celebration of 50 years of racing. And when the speedway’s 50th season comes to a close Sunday afternoon, Kyle Busch, driver of the No. 18 Interstate Batteries Toyota Camry for Joe Gibbs Racing (JGR), is hoping to be the driver standing in victory lane as the summer starts to wind down not only for vacationers, but also for the NASCAR Cup Series regular season as drivers prepare for the quickly approaching playoffs. Busch will look to keep running up front this weekend at Michigan, starting with an improvement over the solid fifth-place finish he earned at the 2-mile oval in June. Busch looks to use that strong run as momentum this weekend at a facility where he struggled with five finishes of 30th or worse immediately after the track was repaved prior to the 2012 season. However, things have turned a corner for Busch as the Las Vegas native’s top-five finish at Michigan in June was his third top-five finish in a row there and fifth top-10 in a row. The biggest success for Busch at Michigan actually came in the last race on the old surface at Michigan on Aug. 21, 2011, when he found himself outdueling now seven-time Cup Series champion Jimmie Johnson for the win in a late-race shootout for his first and only Cup Series win at the track. With Interstate Batteries returning to the No. 18 car this weekend, Busch is encouraging fans to stop by a local Interstate dealer to get their vehicle batteries checked before taking off on their late-summer vacation. Hot weather has a far greater effect on batteries than the cold, so this weekend’s race at a popular summer tourist destination like the Great Lakes State of Michigan is the perfect setting to remind fans to have their batteries checked. So, as Busch and the Interstate Batteries team head back to the Midwest this weekend with an “Outrageously Dependable” Interstate Battery under the hood, the confidence built from the past five starts at Michigan should pay dividends this weekend. But he knows chances are he’ll need to outduel several others in order to capture his second career Cup Series victory in the Irish Hills of Michigan as he looks to be celebrating a perfect Sunday afternoon by the lake.

KYLE BUSCH, Driver of the No. 18 Interstate Batteries Toyota Camry for Joe Gibbs Racing:

How do you feel going into Michigan and what does that track mean for you guys on the schedule? “We just try to figure out what we can continue to do to evolve and get better there. The setup there equates nothing to anything that we race throughout the playoffs, so really it’s just a track that we have to go to and do the best we can. But, beyond that, you never want to give away any opportunities to go out there and win a race or to excel or to take momentum away from what you’re doing with our Interstate Batteries Camry. We’ve put a focus on that track for the last two years and we’ve gained. We’ve certainly made improvements. I think we’ve run well there and our finishes are starting to show it.” Does taking the same approach you have following the Kansas repave also benefit you at a place like Michigan? “Our team has come a long way at Kansas, that’s for sure. To get a win there was a really big deal for our team. I give my guys a lot of credit for working hard to find something I was more comfortable with there. Our whole team has shown how well we’ve worked together, and that he (crew chief Adam Stevens) has been a really quick study, so I think the same direction is starting to work at Michigan. We’ve put a lot of emphasis on getting better there the last few years. We are working on improving as an organization not only on the resurfaced tracks, but overall in general, and it showed there the last couple of years. Everyone is working their guts out to get our stuff better there and we made a lot of progress in June. I’m looking forward to getting out there in practice and seeing what we can learn with our Interstate Batteries Camry.” How important are restarts considering the style of racing today? “There has been way more gamesmanship with restarts this year because it’s priority number one on trying to make passes. You have about three laps to make passes and get yourself in position essentially before everything single files out. When it starts to single file out, that’s kind of it. Like Loudon a few weeks back, it was kind of that way. There were a few guys who could pass and get up front. Dover’s definitely that way, Pocono’s definitely that way. Once you get yourselves single file and strung out, the aero effects are just too great to overcome. Restarts are everything. There’s certain gamesmanship that’s being played on restarts. It’s been a lot more this year. Everybody’s understanding that, realizing that. I would agree that it’s about time NASCAR stepped in or all of us are going to continue to see what we could get away with.” Most drivers really seem to enjoy racing at Michigan International Speedway. Why is that? “Regardless of new pavement or not, it’s wide-open racing and you can run from top to bottom more and more every race there as the groove widens out. The biggest thing used to be to find grip there. But, with the new surface, there is a ton of grip now. Before, you had grip for maybe five laps, and then you’d just be out to lunch. But now, the tire wear is all out the window and the racetrack is very fast. And the wide racetrack is good. That’s what makes Michigan so exciting and so fun. That’s the biggest deal about it. The surface is finally starting to wear in a bit and we have learned a lot there. I would certainly like to get back to victory lane there for Norm (Miller, Interstate Chairman) and everyone at Interstate Batteries.”

Kevin Harvick is 5/1 co-favorite to win at Michigan

KEVIN HARVICK Batting .500 Kevin Harvick has two wins at Michigan. KANNAPOLIS, North Carolina (Aug. 7, 2019) – No Major League Baseball player has ever hit .500 at season’s end, and the last one to hit .400 was Ted Williams for the Boston Red Sox in 1941. Ford, which is headquartered in Dearborn, Michigan, is batting .500 at Michigan International Speedway in nearby Brooklyn, site of Sunday’s Consumers Energy 400 Monster Energy NASCAR Cup Series race.    The Blue Oval has a long history at Michigan, winning half the races run there since the track opened in 1969. Of the 100 Cup Series races contested at Michigan, Ford and its Mercury brand have combined for 50 wins – 38 by Ford and 12 by Mercury. So Kevin Harvick is happy that his No. 4 Mobil 1 racecar for Stewart-Haas Racing (SHR) has a Ford engine underneath the hood. In last year’s August race at Michigan, Harvick helped Ford by driving the No. 4 Busch Light/Mobil 1 Ford Fusion to victory lane. He started third and led 108 of 200 laps.  All told, Harvick has two wins, one pole, seven second-place finishes, 12 top-fives, 18 top-10s and has led a total of 495 laps in his 37 career NASCAR Cup Series starts at Michigan. His average start is 14.7, his average finish is 11.9 and he has a lap-completion rate of 99.4 percent – 7,135 of the 7,177 laps available. The combination of Harvick competing at Michigan in SHR equipment is impressive, as well. In his last 11 NASCAR Cup Series starts at there – all of which have come with SHR – Harvick has one win and four runner-up finishes and only one finish worse than 14th – 29th in June 2015. And of the 495 total laps Harvick has led at Michigan dating back to his rookie year in 2001, 346, or 69.8 percent, have come with SHR despite only 11 of his 37 Michigan starts, 29.7 percent, being with SHR. Harvick will have the Roush-Yates Ford engines powering him at Michigan and he’ll also have the support of Mobil 1 technology on board as a sponsor and technical partner. Mobil 1 isn’t just the world’s leading synthetic motor oil brand, it also provides the entire SHR organization with leading lubricant technology, ensuring that all SHR Mustangs have a competitive edge over the competition on the track. In its 17th consecutive season as the “Official Motor Oil of NASCAR,” Mobil 1 is used by more than 50 percent of teams throughout NASCAR’s top three series. Harvick is hoping that he can lead Mobil 1 and Ford to another victory as the NASCAR playoffs are fast approaching.

KEVIN HARVICK, Driver of the No. 4 Mobil 1 Ford Mustang for Stewart-Haas Racing:

Why do your prefer Mobil 1 synthetic? “I’m a synthetic guy because, in 1993 when we were sitting in the engine shop, we dumped Mobil 1 synthetic in and that’s all we did and gained seven horsepower. From that day on, we would actually save our money and then go to the local auto parts store because, at that time, it was like $5.50 a quart and the conventional and other oils were like $3.50. At the big races, we would put the Mobil 1 in the car and the regular races would put the regular oil in there. You know I’m going to say synthetic.” What does it take to have a good finish at Michigan? “How you finish at Michigan depends on how your day is going. If you’re having a good day, it’s not really hard to tell your guys what you need and everyone is in a good mood. If you’re having a bad day, you can get behind at Michigan really fast. You’re going to end up with a green-flag pit stop and a whole bunch of green-flag laps. You just have to be going from the time the green flag drops and keep yourself in position at the end.”

Denny Hamlin is 14/1 to win 2019 Consumers Energy 400 at Michigan

Denny Hamlin last won at Michigan in 2011.

FedEx Racing Express Facts – Michigan International Speedway

Denny Hamlin
#11 FedEx Office Toyota
Joe Gibbs Racing

Race Info:
Race: Consumers Energy 400
Date/Time: August 11/3:00 p.m. ET
Distance: 200 laps/400 miles
Track Length: 2 miles
Track Shape: Oval
Banking: 18 degrees
2018 Winner: Kevin Harvick

Express Notes:

Press Kit: Download the 2019 FedEx Racing press materials at www.fedexracing.com/presskit, including bios for Denny Hamlin, Chris Gabehart and Joe Gibbs Racing leadership, program highlights and statistics.

Watkins Glen Recap: Denny Hamlin kept the FedEx Cares Toyota in the spotlight all weekend long at Watkins Glen (N.Y.) International, culminating with a third-place finish Sunday at the high-speed road course. The result was his fourth straight top-five finish. Hamlin rolled off sixth and ran in the top five for much of the race, a 90-lap affair that only had four cautions and minimal opportunities to pass. The top three – Chase Elliott, Martin Truex Jr. and Hamlin – remained the same for the final 25 laps of the race. Elliott dominated to earn his second win while Joe Gibbs Racing cars took second, third and fourth (Erik Jones). The No. 11 Toyota’s special paint scheme at Watkins Glen showcased the launch of the FedEx Cares 50 by 50 initiative as well as FedEx’s long-time relationship with Safe Kids Worldwide, focusing on back-to-school pedestrian safety.

Michigan (Consumers Energy 400) Preview: The Monster Energy NASCAR Cup Series heads back to the Irish Hills of Michigan on Sunday, Aug. 11, for a 400-mile event at Michigan International Speedway. Hamlin and team earned an 11th-place finish earlier this season at the two-mile oval and will be seeking the team’s fourth win of the 2019 Cup Series.

Hamlin Michigan Statistics:
Track: Michigan International Speedway
Races: 27
Wins: 2 (2010, 2011)
Poles: 1 (2018)
Top-5: 7
Top-10: 12
Laps Led: 192
Avg. Start: 12.0
Avg. Finish 14.3

Hamlin Conversation:

Your team has shown some great speed this season. How is your team feeling heading into Michigan again for some high-speed racing?

“We actually didn’t race well there in June. We qualified up front, battled for the lead early and then, once I lost track position, it was over. But NASCAR has been working on opening up a third groove there, so I think the racing is going to be different this time. I’m looking forward to it.”

You have had four top-five finishes in a row. What are you doing to keep the momentum going?

“We’re certainly in a groove right now. Our team looks forward to each week’s challenge, and we’re going to prepare and put ourselves in the best position to win this weekend. Especially now that we are returning to tracks for a second time, Chris Gabehart and the team are making good corrections to help us be better in our second effort.”

FedEx Miami South District Along for the Ride at Michigan International Speedway: For the Consumers Energy 400 at Michigan International Speedway, the FedEx #11 will feature the letters D56 on its B-post to recognize the FedEx Miami South team for being the top district in the final results for FY19 President’s Club.

Clint Bowyer is 16/1 to win 2019 Consumers Energy 400 at Michigan

CLINT BOWYER Michigan: The Backyard of the Manufacturers KANNAPOLIS, North Carolina (Aug. 6, 2019) – How important is success at Michigan International Speedway in Brooklyn to some of the key stakeholders in the Monster Energy NASCAR Cup Series? This week, Ford is gathering all of its Cup Series drivers Thursday at its headquarters in Dearborn, Michigan, where they will meet with employees, tour the world headquarters and talk with executives. Then Sunday, many executives and employees will make the 65-mile trek to the 2-mile speedway to watch the Ford contingent battle the two other manufacturers in America’s most popular form of motorsports. “Michigan is in the manufacturer’s backyard, and winning there not only means bragging rights for those folks, but goes toward business reasons they are in the sport and support all of us,” said No. 14 One Cure Ford Mustang driver Clint Bowyer. “We’ll take a victory anywhere, but winning at Michigan is always a good thing for everybody.” Bowyer knows the reward for success at Michigan. He earned his 10th career victory there on June 10 last year. It was one of two victories in 2018 that moved him into a 59th-place tie with Donnie Allison and Sterling Marlin on the all-time wins list. Bowyer could use a victory this weekend as he teeters on the edge of playoff eligibility. He is 15th in the standings for one of the 16 playoff slots. He holds a 12-point advantage over Jimmie Johnson and Ryan Newman, who are tied for 17th. While Bowyer is trying to preserve his place in the standings, he’s only 48 points out of 12th with just four races remaining in NASCAR’s regular season. Bowyer arrives at Michigan after finishing 20th on the road course at Watkins Glen (N.Y) International last weekend. He raced in the top-five much of the race until a flat tire on lap 62 of the 90-lap race dropped him back to 34th. Bowyer made his way back through the field, but there wasn’t enough laps left in the race to regain his position. “That’s kind of how our season has gone,” Bowyer said. “We were right where we wanted to be last weekend and had a flat tire. We know we have some really important races coming up but, if we race like I expect us to race, then we are going to be fine. We plan on gaining a few spots in the standings, as well.” Michigan might be the place to do just that.  At Michigan this past June, Bowyer qualified fifth and ran at the front of the field until a late-race accident ended his day on lap 130 of the 200-lap event. He owns a victory, two top-five finishes and 12 top-10s in 27 starts at the track about a 90-minute drive west of Detroit. While race results and playoff standings are important, this weekend has a little extra importance as Bowyer’s No. 14 Mustang will carry the green and white colors of One Cure. One Cure is a project led by the Flint Animal Cancer Center at Colorado State University. The One Cure program is founded on the principle that cancer affects all creatures and that treatment breakthroughs come through collaboration between scientists and doctors working with people and animals. This approach is known as comparative oncology and it is the guiding concept of One Cure and the Flint Animal Cancer Center. The center works to improve prevention, diagnosis and treatment of cancer in pets, and teams with the human medical field to translate research findings that will help people with cancer. The center, located in Colorado State’s James L. Voss Veterinary Teaching Hospital, sees more than 1,500 new animal cancer patients every year, with approximately 130 patients enrolling in carefully monitored clinical trials specific to their cancer type. The canine and feline patients are helping pioneer cancer research, moving cutting-edge treatments out of the laboratory and into clinical practice, ultimately providing hope for the next generation of animal and human cancer patients. “We all know cancer sucks, but I’ve learned about cancer through One Cure and there’s hope through studying animals,” Bowyer said. “They told me one in three people, one in four dogs, and one in five cats will develop cancer in their lifetime and it’s a leading cause of death for all of us.” Bowyer said there are few things in life more important than seeking a cure for cancer. “Dogs are the best subjects to study cancer because they get cancer naturally, just like people,” he said. “Plus, they live in the same places, breathe the same air, drink the same water – even sometimes eat the same foods. I’ve learned through the One Cure folks that dogs share 85 percent of our genetic makeup. If you can cure cancer in a dog, then you have a good shot at doing the same things for humans.” Bowyer hopes race fans will visit www.OneCure.com, where they can learn about the research and offer financial support.

Clint Bowyer, Driver of the No. 14 One Cure Ford Mustang for Stewart-Haas Racing:

Is there pressure on you and the other drivers battling for a playoff spot this weekend at Michigan International Speedway? “There’s pressure in everything you do in this sport and that’s kind of the way we like it. That’s what makes it fun. We are getting to the point in the season when the pay window is starting to open and it’s go time. That’s when it’s fun for the drivers, teams and especially the fans. As the tension goes up, the sport gets more and more interesting.” What are your thoughts on Michigan International Speedway? “The speed at Michigan will surely get your attention. You better have everything right at Michigan. That’s engine, aero, handling and everything else. You are going so fast there that anything slightly off will show up.”

No. 14 One Cure Team Report Round 23 of 36 – Consumers Energy 400 – Michigan

Aric Almirola is 50/1 to win at Michigan

ARIC ALMIROLA Safe, But Not Complacent Heading to Michigan Aric Almirola has had best Michigan finishes with SHR. KANNAPOLIS, North Carolina (Aug. 6, 2019) – Aric Almirola, driver of the No. 10 3D Systems Ford Mustang for Stewart-Haas Racing (SHR), heads to Michigan International Speedway in Brooklyn fresh off his career-best finish on the Watkins Glen (N.Y.) International road course last weekend.  His 12th-place result at The Glen gave Almirola a favorable points cushion with the 2019 Monster Energy NASCAR Cup Series playoffs fast approach, but he isn’t allowing himself to become complacent with four regular-season races to go.  “I’ve learned in this sport that you can never be too comfortable,” Almirola said. “Really, there are so many people hovering right around that cutoff line who can win on any given weekend. I know it might not appear that way, but it seems that the same cars typically and often win, but every driver in this sport is too good and, on any given weekend, things could just line up for those guys. They’re talented enough, their teams are good enough, their cars have got decent speed to where they could pull off a win. And, the next thing you know, you’re looking at a 60- or 50-point gap, and if one more guy wins, you’re looking at a 20- or 30-point gap, and that can go away in one race. So I’m always mindful of that and I’ve learned never to be too comfortable.” In Almirola’s 14 starts at the 2-mile Michigan oval, he has earned one top-10 and led three laps. In 21 Cup Series starts this year, Almirola has one pole, one top-five finish, 10 top-10s and has led 112 laps. In 302 career starts, Almirola has two wins, two poles, 16 top-five finishes, 59 top-10s and 469 laps led. Almirola has qualified on the front row six times this season – five outside-front-row starts in addition to his pole.  Almirola has two starts in the NASCAR Gander Outdoors Truck Series at Michigan, winning in June 2010 after leading seven laps for his second win in the series that season. Additionally, the Tampa native made three Michigan starts in the NASCAR Xfinity Series with a best finish of eighth in June 2015 while piloting the No. 98 DenBeste Water Solutions Ford.  “Michigan is a weird place for me because, in my mind, I feel like I run good there” he said. “I won a Truck race there years ago and from that point forward I just always loved going to Michigan. My wife’s family is from Michigan, so I go to Michigan with such a great attitude. I feel like in our first race there this year we had a lot of speed. I feel we had a top-five car there at Michigan and didn’t execute and things didn’t go our way with the restarts and I didn’t get the result. I’m excited about going back. Going to Michigan, there’s always a lot of pride for the manufacturers. I’d love to go there and keep the trophy in Ford’s backyard.” Dearborn, Michigan-based Ford looks to score its 39th win in its backyard this weekend. Two of its 38 Michigan wins were earned back-to-back last year by SHR drivers Clint Bowyer and Kevin Harvick. Almirola’s No. 10 Ford this weekend will sport a never-before-seen paint scheme. More than 30 years ago, 3D Systems brought the innovation of 3D printing to the manufacturing industry. Today, as the leading additive manufacturing solutions company, it empowers manufacturers to create products and business models never before possible through transformed workflows. This is achieved with the company’s best-of-breed digital manufacturing ecosystem – comprised of plastic and metal 3D printers, print materials, on-demand manufacturing services and a portfolio of end-to-end manufacturing software. Each solution is powered by the expertise of the company’s application engineers, who collaborate with customers to transform manufacturing environments. 3D Systems’ solutions address a variety of advanced applications for prototyping through production in markets such as aerospace, automotive, medical, dental, and consumer goods. More information on the company is available at www.3dsystems.com. As the season enters the dog days of summer, fans can get VIP, behind-the-scenes access in following “Aric ‘Beyond the 10’” by subscribing to his YouTube channel and following episodes on Facebook and Instagram TV. Episodes showcase never-before-seen footage of Almirola at the racetrack, on family trips, and “A Day in the Life” during the week, as well as all that goes into a NASCAR Cup Series driver’s season. Click here to subscribe on YouTube and watch the latest episode. Almirola sits ninth in the championship standings heading to Sunday’s Consumers Energy 400, 211 points out of first and 96 ahead of the 16th-place playoff cutoff line.

Aric Almirola: Driver of the No. 10 3D Systems Ford Mustang for Stewart-Haas Racing:

How crazy are the restarts at Michigan, and are they the best times to take advantage of someone?  “We’re seeing restarts get crazier and crazier at tracks that we go to. There’s no one track that they’re crazier at than the other anymore because that is the most opportune time to pass cars, besides on pit road. Pit road is the easiest place to pass but, once you line up for the restart, there’s opportunity to gain three, four, five spots in a lap, and there’s no other opportunity to do something like that throughout the run. I feel like restarts are definitely the time to gain or lose track position, so you have to be on offense and defense at the same time. Michigan is very wide and you want to be aggressive and go take spots away, but you can easily give up four or five spots that are really hard to get back once we get single file.”  Some tracks are very line-sensitive on restarts. Is Michigan one of them?  “Yes, Michigan is a very line-sensitive on restarts. The outside lane is usually the dominant lane. The inside lane – the cars on the inside usually lose sideforce, they lose the air on the side of their car and they are very loose down there in turns one and two on the restart. The outside lane usually has the momentum and is the preferred lane going through (turns) one and two on the restarts.”  Have you had to be more assertive – more of a “jerk” – on restarts this year to take or protect positions? “I don’t even consider it being a jerk anymore. It’s just racing, right?  We all know that it’s really challenging to pass when we get strung out with the increased downforce on the cars. We’re making a bigger wake coming off of our cars, so the trailing car is sometimes having more of a challenge to pass when the cars get strung out. Restarts are the most opportune time and, now that the cars have less horsepower, at a lot of these racetracks we go to momentum is such a key. If a couple of cars get bottled up and they have to check up out of the throttle and their momentum gets killed, the next thing you see is four- and five-wide – they’re splitting those guys and those guys lose a lot of spots. So you have to be aggressive and you have to try and keep your momentum and take every hole there is. You can’t check up out of the throttle. If you check up out of the throttle, you’re going to lose multiple spots.”

Odds to win 2019 Consumers Energy 400 at Michigan

Joey Logano won the June race at Michigan.

WESTGATE LAS VEGAS SUPERBOOK

ODDS TO WIN 2019 CONSUMERS ENERGY 400

MICHIGAN INTERNATIONAL SPEEDWAY

SUNDAY, AUGUST 4, 2019 - 3:15 PM ET

Kyle BUSCH 5/1
Martin TRUEX JR 5/1
Joey LOGANO 6/1
Kevin HARVICK 5/1
Brad KESELOWSKI 6/1
Denny HAMLIN 14/1
Kyle LARSON 16/1
Chase ELLIOTT 16/1
Clint BOWYER 16/1
Erik JONES 16/1
Kurt BUSCH 20/1
Ryan BLANEY 20/1
Alex BOWMAN 40/1
Daniel SUAREZ 40/1
William BYRON 40/1
Aric ALMIROLA 50/1
Jimmie JOHNSON 50/1
Austin DILLON 100/1
Paul MENARD 100/1
Ricky STENHOUSE JR 100/1
Ryan NEWMAN 100/1
Chris BUESCHER 300/1
Matt DiBENEDETTO 500/1
Daniel HEMRIC 500/1
Michael McDOWELL 1000/1
Ty DILLON 1000/1
Ryan PREECE 1000/1
David RAGAN 1000/1
Darrell WALLACE JR 1000/1
Matt TIFFT 2000/1
Corey LAJOIE 2000/1
FIELD (all others) 2000/1

Kevin Harvick wins at Michigan for seventh victory of season

Kevin Harvick was the 11-to-5 favorite to win Sunday at Michigan.

BROOKLYN, Mich. – Last week at Watkins Glen, Chase Elliott’s maiden victory on the road course interrupted the season of the Big Three.

But on Sunday at Michigan International Speedway, Kevin Harvick restored the status quo, winning for the seventh time this season and breaking a tie with third-place finisher Kyle Busch for most victories in the Monster Energy NASCAR Cup Series.

Harvick led 108 of the 200 laps in the Consumers Energy 400 and cruised to a 3.233-second win over runner-up Brad Keselowski, who took over second place when Austin Dillon slowed with a cut tire on the next-to-last lap. Dillon nevertheless held fourth place at the finish, one spot ahead of Ryan Blaney.

The victory was Harvick’s second at the 2.0-mile track—the first having come in 2010—and the 44th of his career, tying him with NASCAR Hall of Famer Bill Elliott for 17th on a all-time win list. Harvick swept the first and second stages of the race and leap-frogged past Busch into the lead in Playoff points. Harvick now has 40 to Busch’s 35.

"The most important thing is winning races right now and getting all the points that you can get to position yourself well to get to Homestead," Harvick said. "That's what we've been trying to do all year is win races.

"That was our only goal. We didn't want to learn anything. We don't want to do anything different. We just want to go out, and we want to win."

Keselowski, who drove from his 18th-place starting position to the runner-up spot, was grateful to have a clean race.

"It’s nice to be able to get the finish we deserved," Keselowski said. "That’s important. It’s important to get what you have out of your car. Although we might not have race-winning speed, it’s important to execute.

"So with that in mind, it’s good for everybody’s morale at Team Penske, and on the No. 2 team as well, but of course we want to break through and win as well. As I indicated, we not where we need to be to just win on speed against those guys week-in and week-out, so we’ve just got to find it. We’ve got to find that little bit of performance. It’s not a lot, but it’s just enough to keep us out of Victory Lane."

Kurt Busch, Aric Almirola, pole winner Denny Hamlin, Chase Elliott and Joey Logano completed the top 10.

After the race, Harvick’s 6-year-old son Keelan ran across the track to collect the checkered flag.

"Keelan is saving me some work," Harvick quipped. "Usually, when I get home, the next day we have to mock up a Victory Lane celebration. For him to be here and able to do that and be a part of NASCAR and bring your son to work and do all the things that we get to do with our kids, I have had him with me by myself the last three weeks and we have had a ball.

"I couldn’t be happier to be a dad and be a part of NASCAR where they let your family come to the race track and be a part of it."

In the regular-season series standings, Kyle Busch maintained a 62-point lead over Harvick… Dillon scored his first top five since winning the season-opening Daytona 500.

Monster Energy NASCAR Cup Series Race - Consumers Energy 400

Michigan International Speedway

Brooklyn, Michigan

Sunday, August 12, 2018

 

               1. (3) Kevin Harvick, Ford, 200.

               2. (18) Brad Keselowski, Ford, 200.

               3. (2) Kyle Busch, Toyota, 200.

               4. (5) Austin Dillon, Chevrolet, 200.

               5. (8) Ryan Blaney, Ford, 200.

               6. (12) Kurt Busch, Ford, 200.

               7. (11) Aric Almirola, Ford, 200.

               8. (1) Denny Hamlin, Toyota, 200.

               9. (21) Chase Elliott, Chevrolet, 200.

               10. (9) Joey Logano, Ford, 200.

               11. (40) Daniel Suarez, Toyota, 200.

               12. (16) Clint Bowyer, Ford, 200.

               13. (4) Erik Jones, Toyota, 200.

               14. (7) Martin Truex Jr., Toyota, 200.

               15. (6) Ryan Newman, Chevrolet, 200.

               16. (14) Paul Menard, Ford, 200.

               17. (17) Kyle Larson, Chevrolet, 200.

               18. (13) Ricky Stenhouse Jr., Ford, 200.

               19. (10) Alex Bowman, Chevrolet, 200.

               20. (23) Chris Buescher, Chevrolet, 200.

               21. (15) Jamie McMurray, Chevrolet, 200.

               22. (25) AJ Allmendinger, Chevrolet, 199.

               23. (22) Bubba Wallace #, Chevrolet, 199.

               24. (30) Matt DiBenedetto, Ford, 199.

               25. (29) Michael McDowell, Ford, 199.

               26. (28) Kasey Kahne, Chevrolet, 199.

               27. (24) David Ragan, Ford, 199.

               28. (19) Jimmie Johnson, Chevrolet, 198.

               29. (31) Landon Cassill, Chevrolet, 197.

               30. (39) Blake Jones, Toyota, 194.

               31. (33) BJ McLeod(i), Ford, 194.

               32. (36) * Garrett Smithley(i), Chevrolet, 193.

               33. (34) * Gray Gaulding, Chevrolet, 191.

               34. (26) Trevor Bayne, Ford, Engine, 189.

               35. (35) Ross Chastain(i), Chevrolet, Axle, 187.

               36. (20) William Byron #, Chevrolet, 187.

               37. (37) * Timmy Hill(i), Chevrolet, Electrical, 138.

               38. (27) Ty Dillon, Chevrolet, Accident, 131.

               39. (38) * Jeffrey Earnhardt, Toyota, Engine, 102.

               40. (32) Corey LaJoie, Chevrolet, Engine, 37.

 

Average Speed of Race Winner:  140.474 mph.

Time of Race:  02 Hrs, 50 Mins, 51 Secs. Margin of Victory:  3.233 Seconds.

Caution Flags:  8 for 37 laps.

Lead Changes:  15 among 9 drivers.

Lap Leaders:   D. Hamlin 1-13; K. Harvick 14; Kyle Busch 15-26; K. Harvick 27; Kyle Busch 28-29; K. Harvick 30-63; J. Johnson 64-67; Kyle Busch 68-75; J. Johnson 76-84; M. Truex Jr. 85-109; K. Harvick 110-170; A. Dillon 171-175; J. Logano 176; R. Newman 177-188; J. McMurray 189; K. Harvick 190-200.

Leaders Summary (Driver, Times Lead, Laps Led):  K. Harvick 5 times for 108 laps; M. Truex Jr. 1 time for 25 laps; Kyle Busch 3 times for 22 laps; D. Hamlin 1 time for 13 laps; J. Johnson 2 times for 13 laps; R. Newman 1 time for 12 laps; A. Dillon 1 time for 5 laps; J. McMurray 1 time for 1 lap; J. Logano 1 time for 1 lap.

Stage #1 Top Ten: 4,18,12,41,78,11,10,31,2,88

Stage #2 Top Ten: 4,18,12,41,3,22,14,10,2,42