Cup Category

By: Reid Spencer, NASCAR Wire Service BROOKLYN, Mich. – Two weeks ago at Dover, Kyle Larson took a painful master class in restarts from Professor Jimmie Johnson. In Sunday’s FireKeepers Casino 400 at Michigan International Speedway, Larson graduated with high honors, using a series of exceptional restarts to win his second Monster Energy NASCAR Cup Series race of the season and his second in a row, dating to last August, at the two-mile track in the Irish Hills. At Dover, Larson lost a race in which he had the dominantRead More

By Seth Eggert, NASCAR Writer The FireKeepers Casino 400 at Michigan International Speedway was a struggle for the 2017 Sunoco Rookie of the Year (ROTY) contenders in the Monster Energy NASCAR Cup Series. Of the four official ROTY contenders, Corey LaJoie is the only driver with no experience at the 2-mile track. Erik Jones once again had the best starting spot among the ROTY contenders, placing his No. 77 5-hour ENERGY Extra Strength Toyota Camry 14th on the starting grid. Jones slowly worked his way inside the Top 10. However,Read More

By David Morgan, NASCAR Editor There is something about Chase Elliott and finishing second at Michigan. After notching a pair of second place finishes at the two-mile track last season, Elliott found himself in a familiar position late in Sunday’s FireKeepers Casino 400 behind eventual winner Kyle Larson as he would score a runner-up finish for the third straight time at the track. Though he wasn’t able to finish one position better and win his first career Monster Energy NASCAR Cup Series race, Elliott still held his head high afterRead More

By David Morgan, NASCAR Editor After finishing a dismal 38th at Pocono last weekend after blowing two engines during the race weekend, Dale Earnhardt, Jr. headed into Michigan looking to bounce back and bounce back is exactly what he did as he was scored ninth when the checkered flag flew. Aside from the Pocono finish, Earnhardt’s finish on Sunday marks finishes of 11th or better in three of the last four races, giving his No. 88 team some momentum heading into a summer stretch that will be crucial for hisRead More

By Seth Eggert, NASCAR Writer  Since scoring his first career Monster Energy NASCAR Cup Series victory at Talladega Superspeedway, Ricky Stenhouse, Jr. has not finished inside the Top 10. As the Series moved on to Michigan International Speedway for the FireKeepers Casino 400, the Roush Fenway Racing driver was looking to change that. As the team unloaded off the transporter, Stenhouse’s team struggled to find speed in the No. 17 Fifth Third Bank Ford Fusion, managing to be 21st on the speed charts. Stenhouse also qualified 21st. In the secondRead More

By Seth Eggert, NASCAR Writer Last year, Alon Day became the first Israeli-born driver to compete in both the NASCAR Xfinity Series and NASCAR Camping World Truck Series. The Ashdod, Israel, native turned heads at Mid-Ohio Sports Car Course when he ran well inside the Top 10 and top five for much of the race before getting spun on the final lap and finishing 13th. Day, a regular in the NASCAR Whelen Euro Series, will now make his Monster Energy NASCAR Cup Series debut in the BK Racing No. 23Read More

By David Morgan, NASCAR Editor One of the most prolific partnerships in NASCAR history is sticking together for a little while longer. On Friday, Hendrick Motorsports announced that seven-time Monster Energy NASCAR Cup Series champion Jimmie Johnson had signed a contract extension with the team to keep him behind the wheel of the No. 48 Chevrolet through the 2020 season. Johnson’s long-time sponsor, Lowe’s also re-upped their contract for another year as their colors will adorn the side of Johnson’s car for all 38 races through 2018. “My relationship withRead More

By David Morgan, NASCAR Editor Entering the Quicken Loans 400 at Michigan in June 2012, Dale Earnhardt, Jr. had gone four long years since his last trip to victory lane, which came in the same race on Father’s Day in 2008. With the weight of the world on his shoulders and his rabid fan base willing him to victory, Earnhardt silenced the doubters with a dominating win on the two-mile oval. With a freshly repaved track greeting the drivers as they arrived at Michigan, speeds immediately began to skyrocket onRead More

By David Morgan, NASCAR Editor After a barn burner of a finish at Pocono last weekend that culminated in Ryan Blaney taking the Wood Brothers back to victory lane, the Monster Energy NASCAR Cup Series heads to Michigan to race on one of the biggest and fastest tracks on the circuit, Michigan International Speedway and Sunday’s running of the FireKeepers Casino 400. With this race taking place near the home of two of the three manufacturers (Chevrolet and Ford), teams put extra emphasis on winning this race for bragging rights.Read More

By Seth Eggert, NASCAR Writer After 13 starts with BK Racing, Monster Energy NASCAR Cup Series driver Gray Gaulding will not compete for the team in Sunday’s FireKeepers Casino 400 at Michigan International Speedway. This comes one week after it was announced that crew chief Patrick Donahue and BK Racing would part ways after Pocono and Doug George would assume crew chief duties of the No. 23 Toyota Camry. Behind the wheel of the No. 23 Dr. Pepper Toyota Camry this weekend will be Ryan Sieg, who made his PremierRead More