Michigan Betting Preview: 2017 Firekeepers Casino 400

How about this guy on 2-mile tracks?

LAS VEGAS -- After 14 Monster Energy NASCAR Cup Series races, I can say with a joyful happiness that I have absolutely loved the way this season is going. Between more competitive cars in the mix, the stages making all portions of the race important and then amazing storylines being built weekly that daisy-chains into each race, we've got some compelling television happening an its easy to follow like a primetime soap opera.

I can't say that it's been my most profitable betting year so far and part of that is because it's so competitive. But I don't mind because I'm still enjoying the races.

For instance, I love the fact that Ryan Newman broke a slump by winning at Phoenix. I also like the superstars like Jimmie Johnson getting his three wins. Most of all, I like seeing first-time winners. We've had three in the past five races -- Ricky Stenhouse Jr at Talladega, Austin Dillon at Charlotte and Ryan Blaney last week at Pocono.

Joe Gibbs Racing still doesn't have a win, nor does Kevin Harvick who is in a Ford for the first time in his career.

All those storylines tie into Sunday's FireKeepers Casino 400 at Michigan International Speedway. What's accentuated even more here is the manufacturer battle since Motown is right over the Irish Hills where this 2-mile D-Shaped oval rests. All the executives from Ford, Chevrolet and Toyota are on hand for their own little battle and the brands.

And Yes, Toyota is an American brand with the Camry made in Georgetown, KY where $1.3 billion was just reinvested by the company. However, thy newcomers are way down the list on the manufacturer winners board that has been updated twice a year since the former Penske track debuted in 1969. Ford leads all with 35 wins, including one by Joey Logano in this race last season. Chevrolet has 24 wins, including Kyle Larson's first career win in the fall last season. Toyota has five wins.

Read More Here....Top-5 Finish Prediction on VegasInsider.com

Michigan News & Notes

compiled by Mike Forde - NASCAR media services

At Michigan International Speedway:
History
• Michigan International Speedway sits on more than 1,400 acres in the Irish Hills of Southeastern Michigan. Groundbreaking 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).
• The first NASCAR Nationwide Series race was held on Aug. 15, 1992.
• The first NASCAR Camping World Truck Series race at Michigan was held on July 24, 1999.

Notebook
• There have been 79 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 Michigan 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 Michigan races have been scheduled for 400 miles.
• Donnie Allison won the first pole at Michigan.
• The first NASCAR Sprint Cup race was won by Cale Yarborough.
• There have been 39 different pole winners at Michigan; 18 drivers have more than one.
• 30 different drivers have won races, led by David Pearson (nine); 18 drivers have more than one victory there.
• The race winner has started from the pole 15 times, the most productive starting position.
• 62 of 78 races have been won from a top-10 starting position, including 45 from the first four spots. However, five of the past eight winners have started outside the top 10.
• The deepest in the field a race winner has started was 28th by Tony Stewart in 2000. Last season, Carl Edwards started 27th en route to his victory.
• The Wood Brothers have won 11 races at Michigan, more than any other car owner. Their last victory was in 1991, with Dale Jarrett as the driver.
• There have been two green-white-checkered races at Michigan: the rain-delayed 2007 3M Performance 400, which was run on Tuesday (203 laps) and June 2008 (203 laps).

Hot Facts
• There have been seven different pole winners in the past eight Michigan races. Qualifying was canceled in June 2008.
• Carl Edwards has finished on the lead lap in all nine of his Michigan races and is the only driver with more than one race there who has completed all of his possible laps.

NASCAR in Michigan• There have been 84 NASCAR Sprint Cup races in Michigan:
• 95 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: