FireKeepers Casino 400 Tag

By Holly Cain, NASCAR Wire Service Ryan Blaney took the lead on a restart with eight laps remaining and skillfully held off a frantic field to earn the victory Sunday in the FireKeepers Casino 400 at Michigan International Speedway in the penultimate race of the NASCAR Cup Series regular season. Those eight laps out front were the only laps Blaney’s No. 12 Team Penske Ford led on the afternoon but it was good enough to give him his second victory of the season – by a modern-day track record marginRead More

By David Morgan, Associate Editor The end of the NASCAR Cup Series regular season is in sight with just two races remaining before the Playoff field is set. After a stretch of road course races, the series returns to an oval this weekend with Sunday’s running of the Firekeepers Casino 400 at Michigan International Speedway. With this race taking place near the home of two of the three manufacturers (Chevrolet and Ford), teams put extra emphasis on winning here for bragging rights. The two-mile speedway tends to favor the teams thatRead More

By Luis Torres, Staff Writer Martin Truex, Jr. had a eventful Saturday afternoon at Michigan International Speedway, finishing third in the FireKeepers Casino 400. The most notable highlight of Truex’s race-extended 161 laps took place on Lap 21 when a backstretch battle between rookie Tyler Reddick went wrong as contact between the two resulted Truex to have a flat tire and went off the pace in Turn 3. Truex was able to keep the No. 19 Auto Owners Insurance Toyota Camry off the wall, but was required to make an unscheduledRead More

By Holly Cain, NASCAR Wire Service In ways both literally and figuratively the NASCAR Cup Series field saw red most of Saturday afternoon – Kevin Harvick’s red-colored No. 4 Stewart-Haas Racing Ford, which dominated the Firekeepers Casino 400 at Michigan International Speedway – resulting in Harvick’s third Michigan win in the last four races and fourth of his career. Harvick’s red car was out front the majority of the afternoon – leading a race best 92 of the 161 laps – but five restarts in the final 30 laps  –Read More

By David Morgan, Associate Editor Normally Michigan International Speedway’s two annual NASCAR Cup Series races would take place roughly two months apart, but this year, the impact of the COVID-19 pandemic means both races will take place over one weekend. Double the fun. The first race of the weekend on August 8 will be the rescheduled Firekeepers Casino 400, originally planned for June 7, with the Consumers Energy 400 taking place the following day on August 9. With these races taking place near the home of two of the three manufacturersRead More

By Seth Eggert, NASCAR Correspondent A late-race caution and early contact with the wall hindered Kurt Busch’s chances in the FireKeeper’s Casino 400 at Michigan International Speedway. The 2004 Monster Energy NASCAR Cup Series Champion drafted with Martin Truex Jr. as the duo attempted to catch Joey Logano. With five laps to go in the scheduled distance, the two drivers had caught Logano. Just as they prepared to make a run, the caution waved for a spin by Erik Jones. On the restart, Logano easily cleared Truex. Busch’s No. 1Read More

By Reid Spencer, NASCAR Wire Service Given the statistics, you might think Joey Logano ran away with Monday’s rain-delayed Firekeepers Casino 400 at Michigan International Speedway. Yes, Logano led 163 of 203 laps at the two-mile track in the Irish Hills. He had the fastest car in qualifying on Saturday and the fastest car in the 15th Monster Energy NASCAR Cup Series event of the season. But after a late caution for Erik Jones’ spin into the infield grass below Turn 2, Logano needed overtime to seal the win. He neededRead More

By Reid Spencer, NASCAR Wire Service BROOKLYN, Mich. – A persistent drizzle foiled track-drying efforts on Sunday at Michigan International Speedway and forced postponement of the Firekeepers Casino 400 Monster Energy NASCAR Cup Series event until Monday afternoon. The race has been rescheduled for 5 p.m. ET Monday and will be broadcast on FS1, MRN and SiriusXM NASCAR Radio. With pole winner Joey Logano and second-place starter at the head of the field, the Cup drivers got the one-to-go signal at 3 p.m. Sunday, but as the cars circled theRead More

By Reid Spencer, NASCAR Wire Service BROOKLYN, Mich. – The Ford drivers in the Monster Energy NASCAR Cup Series apparently took the words of Edsel Ford II to heart. At a dinner with Ford drivers on Thursday night, the member of the Ford Motor Company board of directors emphasized the importance of putting a Mustang in Victory Lane after Sunday’s Firekeepers Casino 400 at Michigan International Speedway (2 p.m. ET on FS1, MRN and SiriusXM NASCAR Radio). On Saturday morning at the 2-mile track, Joey Logano took the first stepRead More

By Holly Cain, NASCAR Wire Service Kevin Harvick freely admits a transformation, an aging-up of sorts. There was a time in his 19-season Monster Energy NASCAR Cup career when the 2014 champion would be visibly frustrated during a race and fully prepared to settle a score with another driver on pit road or in the garage later. But having children, earning a Cup title and the art of aging have mellowed the 43-year old champ, by his own admission. It has not dampened his motivation to win races and championshipsRead More