Shop Talk: Michigan

DAYTONA BEACH, Fla. -- The end is near for the Chevrolet win streak. Maybe.

First take a look at the torrid pace Chevy has set this season:
• 13 Wins
• 7 Poles
• 96.7 Average Driver Rating
• 3,502 Laps Led
• 2,620 Fastest Laps Run

After Jeff Gordon's win at Pocono Raceway, Chevy's winning streak has reached 12 races. But if past history is any indication, it'll be an unlucky 13 for Chevrolet.

Michigan International Speedway has not been kind to Chevy in recent years. The manufacturer is mired in an 11-race winless drought at MIS, the longest for Chevy at any track on the circuit.

Instead, Fords and Dodges have consistently parked in Victory Lane.

The Roush Fenway Racing stable has especially good numbers. Three Roush Fenway drivers in particular have excelled at the Brooklyn, Mich., track. Below are some key Loop Data numbers and rankings of Greg Biffle, Matt Kenseth and Carl Edwards -- the three drivers who have had the most success at MIS in the past two years:

Matt Kenseth won the last race at Michigan, in August. Kasey Kahne, who has fallen into a slump of his own, is the defending champion of the June race.

Kahne and his fellow Dodge drivers have also performed well at MIS. Along with Kahne, these Dodge drivers have picked up wins at Michigan during Chevy's drought: Jeremy Mayfield (now in a Toyota), Ryan Newman, Kurt Busch and Sterling Marlin (now in a Chevy).

Two Dodge drivers in particular to watch for are Busch and second-year driver Reed Sorenson. Both have impressive Loop Data numbers and have fared well at MIS during the past two years:

That's not to say Chevrolet has run poorly at Michigan. They've run into some tough luck in the past two years. Here are the race-best numbers in some key statistics at MIS:

Clearly, Chevrolets have proven formidable at MIS despite not winning. Stewart has the second-best, single-race Driver Rating during the past two years at MIS. He earned the rating in the first Michigan race in 2005, which resulted in a second-place finish to Biffle. He also earned the best Average Running Position at MIS in the past two years at that race.