NASCAR Cup Series
Next Race: FireKeepers Casino 400
The Place: Michigan International Speedway
The Date: Saturday, August 8
The Time: 4 p.m. ET
TV: NBCSN, 3:30 p.m. ET
Radio: MRN, SiriusXM NASCAR Radio
Distance: 312 miles (156 laps); Stage 1 (Ends on Lap 40),
Stage 2 (Ends on Lap 85), Final Stage (Ends on Lap 156)
2019 Race Winner: Joey Logano
NASCAR Cup Series
Next Race: Consumers Energy 400
The Place: Michigan International Speedway
The Date: Sunday, August 9
The Time: 4:30 p.m. ET
TV: NBCSN, 4 p.m. ET
Radio: MRN, SiriusXM NASCAR Radio
Distance: 312 miles (156 laps); Stage 1 (Ends on Lap 40),
Stage 2 (Ends on Lap 85), Final Stage (Ends on Lap 156)
2019 Race Winner: Kevin Harvick
NASCAR Xfinity Series
Next Race: Henry 180
The Place: Road America
The Date: Saturday, August 8
The Time: 12 p.m. ET
TV: NBCSN, 11:30 a.m. ET
Radio: MRN, SiriusXM NASCAR Radio
Distance: 182.16 miles (45 Laps); Stage 1 (Ends on Lap 14),
Stage 2 (Ends on Lap 29), Final Stage (Ends on Lap 45)
2019 Race Winner: Christopher Bell
NASCAR Gander RV & Outdoors Truck Series
Next Race: Henry Ford Health System 200
The Place: Michigan International Speedway
The Date: Friday, August 7
The Time: 6 p.m. ET
TV: FS1, 5:30 p.m. ET
Radio: MRN, SiriusXM NASCAR Radio
Distance: 200 miles (100 Laps); Stage 1 (Ends on Lap 20),
Stage 2 (Ends on Lap 40), Final Stage (Ends on Lap 100)
2019 Race Winner: Austin Hill
NASCAR Cup Series
On Deck: A doubleheader Cup extravaganza at Michigan International Speedway
This weekend Michigan International Speedway will become just the second track in NASCAR Cup Series history to run a doubleheader at the same facility in consecutive days, joining Pocono Raceway (June 27-28, 2020). First up, is Saturday’s Firekeepers Casino 400 at 4 p.m. ET on NBCSN, MRN and SiriusXM NASCAR Radio, followed by Sunday’s Consumer Energy 400 at 4:30 p.m. ET on NBCSN, MRN and SiriusXM NASCAR Radio.
The two Cup events this weekend at Michigan International Speedway will be mirror images of each other. Both races are 156 laps each (312 miles / 400 kilometers) and each race is broken up into three stages. The first stage for both races is 40 laps, the second stage is 45 laps and the final stage is 71 laps.
Michigan International Speedway has hosted 101 NASCAR Cup Series races dating back to inaugural event held on June 15, 1969. The first Cup event at Michigan was won by NASCAR Hall of Famer Cale Yarborough driving the famous Wood Brothers Racing No. 21 (Mercury).
In total the 101 NASCAR Cup Series races at Michigan International Speedway have produced 50 different poles winners and 38 different race winners. NASCAR Hall of Famer David Pearson holds the record for the most poles at Michigan International Speedway with 10 poles (1969, 1974 sweep, 1975, 1976, 1977 sweep, 1978 sweep and 1979). Joey Logano, the defending pole winner of the June Michigan race last season, leads all active drivers in poles at Michigan with four (2013, 2016 sweep and 2019); followed by Kurt Busch (2010, 2011 and 2018) with three.
NASCAR Hall of Famer David Pearson leads the series in wins at Michigan as well with nine victories (1969, 1972 sweep, 1973, 1974, 1975, 1976 sweep, 1978). Kurt Busch (2003, 2007, 2015), Matt Kenseth (2002, 2006, 2015), Joey Logano (2013, 2016, 2019) and Kevin Harvick (2010, 2018, 2019) lead all active series drivers in wins at Michigan with three victories each. Only two drivers in series history have recorded their first NASCAR Cup Series career win at Michigan International Speedway – NASCAR Hall of Famer Dale Jarrett (August 18, 1991) and Kyle Larson (August 28, 2016).
A total of 21 different organizations have won in the NASCAR Cup Series at Michigan; eight of the 21 are active this weekend.
Roush Fenway Racing leads the series in wins at Michigan with 13 victories: Mark Martin (four), Greg Biffle (four), Carl Edwards (two), Matt Kenseth (two) and Kurt Busch (one). The Wood Brothers Racing organization has the second-most series wins at Michigan with 11 victories, including the inaugural race in 1969 – David Pearson (eight wins), Cale Yarborough (two) and Dale Jarrett (one).
The first starting position in the NASCAR Cup Serie races at Michigan is the most proficient starting position in the field, producing more winners (22) than any other starting position at Michigan International Speedway – 21 from the pole and one from the first starting position due to qualifying being cancelled – 1985 (Bill Elliott). The most recent win from the pole at Michigan was June 2019 (Joey Logano). The deepest in the field that a race winner has started at Michigan is 32nd, by NASCAR Hall of Famer Mark Martin in the spring of 2009. The deepest in the field that an active race winner has started at Michigan is 24th, by Kurt Busch in the June of 2015.
Manufacturers will compete for Michigan Heritage Trophy
The competition has always been fierce in the NASCAR Cup Series and when that stage shifts to the OEMs (Chevrolet, Ford and Toyota) backyard, the stakes become even greater. This weekend at Michigan International Speedway the top-finishing OEM from the weekend’s NASCAR Cup Series events will be presented with the Michigan Heritage Trophy, which has been awarded to the winning manufacturer by the speedway since 2013.
In an effort to bring even greater awareness to the significance of the Heritage Trophy, this year the NASCAR Cup teams will be saluting their respective manufacturers during the course of both races, with each car featuring the decal of their manufacturer in the “contingency space,” which is located on left front-quarter panel of the car. In addition, the hashtag #HeritageTrophy will be included on each car as well.
| OEM Cup Winners at Michigan Since 2013 | |
| Winning Manufacturer | Date of Michigan Win |
| Ford | Sunday, June 16, 2013 |
| Ford | Sunday, August 18, 2013 |
| Chevrolet | Sunday, June 15, 2014 |
| Chevrolet | Sunday, August 17, 2014 |
| Chevrolet | Sunday, June 14, 2015 |
| Toyota | Sunday, August 16, 2015 |
| Chevrolet | Sunday, August 28, 2016 |
| Ford | Sunday, June 12, 2016 |
| Chevrolet | Sunday, June 18, 2017 |
| Chevrolet | Sunday, August 13, 2017 |
| Ford | Sunday, June 10, 2018 |
| Ford | Sunday, August 12, 2018 |
| Ford | Monday, June 10, 2019 |
| Ford | Sunday, August 11, 2019 |
The Heritage Trophy gives well-deserved bragging rights to the winning manufacturer of the Michigan race weekend. For the 2020 historic doubleheader, an OEM must win one or both NASCAR Cup Series races at Michigan International Speedway. If one OEM sweeps both races, that OEM will be declared the winner of the Heritage Trophy. If different OEMs win on August 8 and 9, then the award will go to the OEM with the most points earned by top 10 finishers of both races. If there is a tie in the points totals, then the tie breaker would fall to a total of most laps led by OEM in both races.
“The Michigan Heritage Trophy is one of the more unique and coveted prizes in NASCAR,” said Michigan International Speedway President Rick Brenner. “The competitive spirit at any race, especially at MIS, isn’t just confined to the drivers, and this trophy allows the winning manufacturer to boast about their accomplishment. We are thrilled that the race teams have joined us this year in recognizing the prominence of this trophy to our sport and in the state of Michigan, and look forward to an amazing doubleheader of racing in the Cup Series this weekend.”
Since 2013, Ford has won at Michigan seven times, Chevrolet has won six times and Toyota has won once. In addition, Ford has won the last four consecutive races at Michigan International Speedway in the NASCAR Cup Series.
Playoff Bubble: Six spots left with six races to go
Time is dwindling for the NASCAR Cup Series competitors not locked into the Playoffs. Just six races remain in the regular season and with 10 winners this year, six spots are left to make the postseason.
New Hampshire was good to Stewart-Haas Racing’s Aric Almirola, who extended his points lead over the Playoff cutline by 11 markers, and is now 145 up, heading into the doubleheader weekend at Michigan. Almirola is the highest ranked driver without a win this season but has put up five top fives and 12 top 10s. This weekend could be an uphill battle for the Tampa, Florida native, Almirola has struggled at Michigan in the NASCAR Cup Series only posting one top-10 finish in 15 starts. He finished 17th in the June race and the 33rd in the August race last season.
Two drivers looking to rebound after losing ground in the points at New Hampshire are brothers Kyle and Kurt Busch. Joe Gibbs Racing’s Kyle Busch crashed early at New Hampshire, and that relegated him to a last-place finish – his third DNF of the season. As a result, he dropped a spot in driver standings and is now 94 points up on the Playoff cutoff. Chip Ganassi Racing’s Kurt Busch also finished outside the top 10 last week at New Hampshire (17th) and his points cushion shrank by eight points, now 112 up on the postseason cutline. Both Busch brothers will be eager to get to Michigan this weekend as both are former winners at the 2-mile speedway. Kyle has made 30 series starts at Michigan posting one win (2011), seven top fives and 12 top 10s; including a streak of top 10s in the last six consecutive races at the track. And if you think that is impressive, Kurt has made 38 series starts at Michigan collecting three wins (2003, 2007, 2015), seven top fives and 14 top 10s. He finished runner up in the June Michigan race last season.
Stewart-Haas Racing’s Clint Bowyer increased his points cushion over 17th place Tyler Reddick by one point at New Hampshire and is now 43 points above the cutline. Bowyer’s 2020 season has produced two top fives and five top 10s. Heading into this weekend, Bowyer is probably cautiously optimistic. The Kansas native won at Michigan in 2018 and in 28 starts has 12 top-10 finishes, but last season was caught in multi-car incidents in both races resulting in back-to-back DNFs on the 2-mile track.
Wood Brothers Racing’s Matt DiBenedetto collected himself following his first DNF of the season at Kansas
| 2020 NASCAR Cup Series Playoff Outlook | ||||
| Rank | Driver | Wins | Points | Pts from Cutoff |
| 1 | Denny Hamlin | 5 | 688 | In On Wins |
| 2 | Kevin Harvick | 4 | 803 | |
| 3 | Brad Keselowski | 3 | 722 | |
| 4 | Joey Logano | 2 | 653 | |
| 5 | Ryan Blaney | 1 | 685 | |
| 6 | Chase Elliott | 1 | 660 | |
| 7 | Martin Truex Jr. | 1 | 648 | |
| 8 | Alex Bowman | 1 | 561 | |
| 9 | Austin Dillon | 1 | 466 | |
| 10 | Cole Custer | 1 | 381 | |
| 11 | Aric Almirola | 0 | 614 | 145 |
| 12 | Kurt Busch | 0 | 581 | 112 |
| 13 | Kyle Busch | 0 | 563 | 94 |
| 14 | Clint Bowyer | 0 | 512 | 43 |
| 15 | Matt DiBenedetto | 0 | 509 | 40 |
| 16 | William Byron | 0 | 484 | 15 |
| 17 | Tyler Reddick | 0 | 469 | -15 |
| 18 | Jimmie Johnson | 0 | 459 | -25 |
| 19 | Erik Jones | 0 | 453 | -31 |
| 20 | Michael McDowell | 0 | 359 | -125 |
| 21 | Chris Buescher | 0 | 357 | -127 |
| 22 | Bubba Wallace | 0 | 356 | -128 |
| 23 | Christopher Bell | 0 | 355 | -129 |
| 24 | Ricky Stenhouse Jr. | 0 | 345 | -139 |
| 25 | John H. Nemechek | 0 | 326 | -158 |
| 26 | Ryan Newman |
