Posted on by Staff Report

Denny Hamlin is standing firm on stepping away from NASCAR Cup Series racing at the end of the 2027 season, he said Sunday after winning at Michigan International Speedway.

But the 63-time winner also noted some of his reasoning during the post-race show on Prime Video — while signaling potential plans for Joe Gibbs Racing in 2028.

MORE: Cup standings | Michigan results

At age 45, Hamlin has won three races in 2026, including each of the last two despite going to the rear early in both events. Pressed by NASCAR Hall of Famer and Sports on Prime analyst Dale Earnhardt Jr. if Hamlin intends to step away after the 2027 season, Hamlin explained the wear and tear he battles between races.

“I don’t know. The weeks are a little tougher,” Hamlin said. “I feel as though there’s three things that happen: You lose your eyesight, you lose your reaction and your body hurts. The body hurts are there. It’s there. During the week, I’m not recovering as quick. But the other two things are sharp. I want to go out like this. It’s a fantasy land to do it, but right now …”

Hamlin has stated he is more focused on statistics and wins at this point in his career. With Sunday’s Michigan win, he tied Kyle Busch for ninth on the all-time wins list in Cup Series history. The next target in eighth is Dale Earnhardt, a seven-time champion who won 76 races.

“Think about it like this too,” Hamlin said, “If I can win one more and put myself in ninth alone, the next jump, I’m not gonna get there. So what am I doing?”

Even if Hamlin wins his first career Cup Series championship in 2026, Hamlin said he is committed through 2027 after signing a two-year contract extension with JGR last summer. What comes next may involve Brent Crews, the 18-year-old who currently competes as a rookie in the NASCAR O’Reilly Auto Parts Series for JGR.

“At the end of next year … I told him just check with me in six months. Check with me in six months,” Hamlin said. “I don’t want to leave them in flux. They’ve got a great driver in Brent Crews that’s gonna be ready more than likely by the end of next year. It’d be hard — if [the end of this contract] was right now, it’d be really hard. But I find it hard to believe we’re gonna be at this level at this time next year.”

Posted on by Staff Report

Chase Elliott and Christopher Bell crashed violently while racing for second during the final stage of Sunday’s NASCAR Cup Series race at Michigan International Speedway.

On Lap 148, moments after a restart, Elliott bobbled while battling Bell side-by-side, shooting high into the No. 20 Toyota. Both drivers contacted the wall at nearly 200 mph, with the back end of Bell’s No. 20 Joe Gibbs Racing Toyota erupting in flames. Elliott’s No. 9 Hendrick Motorsports Chevrolet slid back down the track and also struck an inside tire barrier.

RELATED: Race results | At-track photos

Both drivers quickly exited their vehicles, indicating to safety workers that they were OK. Before loading into ambulances for a ride to the infield care center, Elliott walked up to Bell, and the two shared an embrace.

“It was totally my fault. I feel really bad for Bell, just taking him out,” Elliott said after being evaluated and released from the care center. “I was trying to run the bottom, make use of our fresh tires and at least get to second, I was hoping, and stay side-by-side with him. I just got in there and got free. I thought I was going to spin and was kind of committing to spinning out. As soon as I was committed to spinning, it just hooked up and, unfortunately, sent Christopher into the wall really hard and me shortly thereafter.

“It was a huge hit. Huge hit for him, pretty big hit for me, too. I knew that when it happened that it was — when you’re watching the wall come that quick, it’s gonna be large. He’d already hit the wall hard too before I hit him, so those things happen fast, but I saw it happen. I knew it was big, so I just wanted to make sure he was alright and just tell him ‘I’m so sorry’ because it was not at all my intention for that to happen.”

Bell spent nearly an hour inside the care center and was later evaluated and released. He declined interview requests.

After Denny Hamlin won Sunday’s race, Joe Gibbs Racing owner Joe Gibbs said in a press conference that he thinks “it was his wrist and his ankle,” referring to Bell, and that “we’re just going to have to wait.”

Elliott won Stage 2 and led 67 laps, the most in the race to that point. He’s won twice this season — the only two victories for Hendrick in 2026 — and entered Michigan fourth in the Cup Series points standings. Bell entered seventh and earned runner-up finishes in each of the last two races at Charlotte Motor Speedway and Nashville Superspeedway.

chase elliott crashes at Michigan
Zack Albert | NASCAR Digital Media
Posted on by Staff Report

Points leader Tyler Reddick was involved in a multicar restart melee in Sunday’s NASCAR Cup Series race at Michigan International Speedway, sparked by Carson Hocevar and John Hunter Nemechek.

On a Lap 83 restart, Hocevar, who started fourth in the inside row, contacted Nemechek in front of him, turning the No. 42 Toyota across the track. Nemechek tagged Bubba Wallace, who then hit Ty Gibbs with the No. 54 Toyota, ricocheting into Reddick ahead of him.

RELATED: Race results | At-track photos

Reddick suffered heavy damage to both ends of his vehicle and went to the garage to incur his first DNF of the season. Reddick had not finished worse than 15th until Sunday, and was credited with a 35th-place result. Austin Dillon also suffered major damage and was knocked from the race. He was credited with 36th.

Immediately after being evaluated and released from the infield care center, Dillon, who entered Sunday 24th in the series ranks, placed blame on Hocevar.

“I’ve seen one replay, but from what I saw, the 77 got into the 42 and turned him,” Dillon told Prime Video. “I hope at some point, [Hocevar] figures it out. I mean, I’m not going to show anything to him for a long time. I’m mad because we had a fast race car. We almost got through it. I saw the 11 coming down, and I gassed up to get by the 11, and the 45 was there. It’s unfortunate.”

WATCH: Dillon rips Hocevar after wreck | How nine cars were involved in wreck

The No. 45 23XI Racing driver entered Sunday’s race with a 97-point advantage over Hamlin and won Stage 1 in the Irish Hills. Reddick has led points after every race this season. He was also evaluated and released from the care center.

“Just all around bummer,” Reddick told Prime Video. “Wanted to come in here and have a really good points day, we had really, really good speed yesterday, and it showed again today … race I feel like we could have won, got away from us. But all year long, we’ve done a good job of staying out of messes like this, so unfortunate it happened.

In total, nine cars were involved: Dillon, Kyle Larson, Denny Hamlin, Joey Logano, Wallace, Nemechek, Reddick, Gibbs and Hocevar. Hamlin ended up winning for the second week in a row, cutting down his deficit to just 51 markers behind Reddick.

Posted on by Holly Cain

On an action-packed afternoon where perseverance proved as important as raw speed, veteran Denny Hamlin pulled off an amazing run from the rear of the starting grid to claim the checkered flag, taking his second consecutive and fourth overall trophy in the NASCAR Cup Series’ FireKeepers Casino 400 at a sold-out Michigan International Speedway.

The massive effort marked Hamlin’s 63rd career win — tying him with the late Kyle Busch for ninth-place on the Cup Series all-time wins list. And as importantly, the showing — combined with points leader Tyler Reddick’s first DNF of the season — cut Hamlin’s deficit to Reddick nearly in half. He now trails him by only 51 points with 11 races left to settle the Cup Series regular season title.

RELATED: Race results | At-track photos

Hamlin, 45, celebrated the milestone victory — his third of the year and second consecutive last-to-first effort in as many weeks — by waving a black-and-white No. 18 “Kyle Busch” flag outside his driver’s window while driving around the track for a victory lap — capped by a long burnout. The ode to the two-time series champ Busch, Hamlin’s former teammate who died two weeks ago from pneumonia and sepsis, received huge applause and a standing ovation from the massive grandstand crowd.

Although Hamlin won the pole position for Sunday’s race, he started from the rear of the 37-car field after the team made unapproved adjustments after qualifying. The opening stage was mostly frustrating for Hamlin, who only managed to run between 20th and 30th place early. But the perennial championship contender and his JGR team made adjustments all day, and he was running top-five by Lap 140 of the 200-lapper. And moving forward quickly.

“Great car, unbelievable,” Hamlin said, thanking his crew after taking the checkered flag. After a day where patience and confidence mattered most, his No. 11 Toyota led 40 laps — including the final 39 of the 200-lap race — and pulled away to an amazing 11.110-second win over fellow Toyota driver, Legacy Motor Club’s Erik Jones.

“Just amazing,” Hamlin said of his car and crew. “That last run there, just hammered down. Had a few good restarts and once I got the lead, laid out all I had.

“The offseason was rough for me, rough for the NASCAR family. We lost a lot of people. This week we lost Gentleman Ned (Jarrett) and still thinking of Kyle (Busch), (his wife) Samantha (and children) Brexton and Lennix. Just grateful to be able strap in every week and I don’t take it for granted this opportunity that I’m in. Just love that we’re making the best of it.”

SHOP: Denny Hamlin winner gear

A record 11 caution flags — plus a 20-minute red flag — flew for incidents and accidents throughout the afternoon, involving half the field to varying degrees. And while the stoppages slowed the race, it also allowed drivers to save enough fuel late, enabling them to make the checkered flag without losing positions on extra pit stops.

Although Hamlin was far in front of the field, the positions just behind him were decided in the closing laps. The runner-up showing was the Michigan-native Jones’ best of the season. Bubba Wallace finished third in the 23XI Racing Toyota co-owned by Hamlin and NBA legend Michael Jordan. Hendrick Motorsports’ Kyle Larson was fourth in the No. 5 Chevrolet, with Spire Motorsports’ Carson Hocevar rounding out the top five in the No. 77 Chevrolet.

“Lot of opportunities there to get stage points, but if we can go up there and challenge for a win, we’re going to do that,” said Jones, whose primary team owner is seven-time Cup Series champion Jimmie Johnson.

“I think we’ve got a good package, and our group is rolling really well as a team. We’re executing well. Just got to do every little thing right and it [win] will come. You run up front, and it’s going to happen for you.”

A nine-car chain-reaction wreck early in the race eliminated championship leader and the 2024 Michigan winner Reddick from contention. Another dramatic incident with frontrunners Chase Elliott and Christopher Bell with 51 laps to go necessitated a 20-minute red flag to repair the track wall.

That red flag was necessitated after a hard collision between the two trophy contenders as they ran side-by-side vying for second place. Elliott’s No. 9 Hendrick Motorsports Chevrolet got loose and moved up track and into Bell’s No. 20 Joe Gibbs Racing Toyota.

“Totally my fault. I feel so bad for Christopher [Bell],” said Elliott, who won Stage 2 and led a race-best 67 laps on the day.

“Was trying to make use of fresh tires and at least get to second and hopefully stay side-by-side with him,” Elliott continued. “Got in there and got free. Thought I was going to spin and was kinda committed to spinning out, and as soon as I started to commit to spinning it just hooked up, hooked right and unfortunately sent Christopher into the wall super hard and me shortly there behind.

“Just racing really hard. I felt like it was the turning point of the race, and I needed to make something happen and stepped over the line and paid for it. I just told (Bell) I was sorry. Obviously, it was not on purpose, but I knew it was a really big hit for both of us. I think he took the brunt of it, honestly, with two really big hits. I have a lot of respect for Bell and feel like we always race each other with respect on track. I don’t want that to happen to anyone. It was a big one and certainly not intentional.”

Spire’s Daniel Suarez — who won at Charlotte Motor Speedway two weeks ago — finished sixth, followed by three-time series champion Joey Logano of Team Penske, whose seventh-place effort marked his fifth top-10 of the season. Logano’s teammate Ryan Blaney was eighth in the No. 12 Ford, followed by RFK Racing’s Chris Buescher and JGR’s Chase Briscoe.

Not only was the top of the championship standings drastically affected on Sunday, but only 26 points now separate 14th-place Shane van Gisbergen from 17th-place Logano, with the top-16 drivers advancing to The Chase, which begins Sept. 6 at Darlington Raceway.

The Cup Series moves to another of its traditional venues next week, Pocono Raceway, for Sunday’s Great American Getaway 400 presented by VISITPA at the famous 2.5-mile triangle (3 p.m. ET, Prime Video, HBO Max, MRN Radio, SiriusXM NASCAR Radio). Briscoe is the defending race winner.

Stage 2 recap

Chase Elliott scored the Stage 2 win in Sunday’s Cup Series race at Michigan International Speedway after a slew of mid-stage incidents.

Erik Jones was second when the stage ended on Lap 120, with Daniel Suárez third, Kyle Larson fourth and William Byron fifth. Christopher Bell, Carson Hocevar, Denny Hamlin, Joey Logano and Zane Smith completed the top 10.

A multicar crash at the front of the field took out multiple contenders midway through the second segment.

On a Lap 83 restart, Carson Hocevar tipped John Hunter Nemechek sideways just past the start/finish line at the back of the top 10 to trigger the sixth caution flag of the day. Nemechek was hit into Bubba Wallace, whose car veered into Ty Gibbs. Gibbs then collected series points leader Tyler Reddick, who spun across the track and backed into the inside wall at pit exit before being struck again by Austin Dillon’s No. 3 Chevrolet.

Denny Hamlin, who qualified on pole position but started Sunday’s race from the rear, was also involved and spun at the end of the frontstretch but sustained no significant damage.

Hocevar restarted on the inside of Row 4, with the three cars ahead of him — Kyle Larson, Gibbs and Nemechek seemingly losing momentum as they approached the start/finish line.

Reddick entered with a 97-point lead over Denny Hamlin in the Cup Series points standings and has not finished worse than 15th all season. His 23XI Racing team attempted to repair the No. 45 Toyota on pit lane but ultimately went to the garage and was unable to complete repairs, handing Reddick his first DNF of the season in Race 15. Reddick will be credited with a 35th-place finish.

MORE: Stage 2 results | How nine cars collided in pileup

Brad Keselowski was then collected in another incident on the ensuing restart on Lap 90 for the seventh yellow flag of the race. His No. 6 RFK Racing Ford was clipped by Nemechek entering Turn 1 as Keselowski had to slow for other racers. Keselowski spun and crashed into the retaining SAFER barrier before he drove his car to the garage, ending his day with a 34th-place result.

Keselowski was also the first driver to incur trouble early in Stage 2 in Sunday’s Cup Series race. The 2012 series champion and Michigan native cut a left-rear tire on Lap 65, slowing his No. 6 Ford for the fourth caution period of the FireKeepers Casino 400.

Strategy reared its head under the yellow-flag period as a litany of teams opted for two-tire pit stops. Quick changes led to a frantic pit road, though. As then-leader Gibbs exited his stall after a two-tire change, he collided with Ryan Preece’s No. 60 Ford, leading to minor damage on both vehicles. Because of where the contact occurred, Preece was unable to pit and had to complete another lap before returning to pit road. Gibbs, meanwhile, maintained a top-five position for the Lap 70 restart.

The race continued for just another eight laps before trouble struck again when AJ Allmendinger spun exiting Turn 2. His No. 16 Kaulig Racing Chevrolet slid down to the apron of the back straightaway, leading to two flat right-side tires but no wall contact.

Stage 1 recap

Tyler Reddick soared to the Stage 1 victory in Sunday’s Cup Series race at Michigan International Speedway for his first stage win of the season.

Ty Gibbs finished second at the conclusion of Lap 45, with Carson Hocevar third, Chase Elliott fourth and Bubba Wallace fifth. Zane Smith, Kyle Larson, Chris Buescher, Riley Herbst and Daniel Suárez completed the top 10.

MORE: Stage 1 results

Sunday’s FireKeepers Casino 400 began with multiple incidents for rookie Connor Zilisch.

The 19-year-old driver of the No. 88 Trackhouse Racing Chevrolet spun on Lap 2 through Turns 3 and 4, darting high on entry and losing control of his vehicle before sliding sideways and incurring left-rear damage. Erik Jones, who qualified 10th but started from the rear of the field due to unapproved adjustments, scrubbed the wall after going high to avoid Zilisch’s spinning Chevrolet.

On the ensuing restart, Zilisch found trouble again on Lap 9 when his No. 88 Chevrolet broke traction exiting Turn 2, drifting up the race track and spinning out, leading to a long slide nose-first into the inside wall, bringing his day to a very early end.

“We’re done,” Zilisch radioed. “Gosh, man! Oh my God.”

That impact brought Zilisch to his third consecutive DNF due to a crash and third straight last-place finish. A 10-time winner in NASCAR O’Reilly Auto Parts Series competition in 2025, Zilisch was collected in a collision with Austin Cindric on Lap 52 of the Coca-Cola 600 at Charlotte Motor Speedway on May 24, then hit the wall after 71 laps in the May 31 contest at Nashville Superspeedway after a brake rotor exploded on his No. 88 car.

“I was really loose, but yeah, it’s just unfortunate. Another short race for us,” Zilisch told Prime Video after being evaluated and released from the infield care center. “Thank you to WeatherTech for being a part of it. We’ll go try and get them at Pocono next week.”

NOTE: Inspection was completed in the Cup Series garage with no issues, confirming Hamlin as the Michigan winner. The Nos. 1, 5, 22 and 23 cars will be returning to the NASCAR R&D Center in Concord, North Carolina, for engine dynamometer testing. 

Contributing: Staff reports

Posted on by Staff Report

While the O’Reilly Auto Parts Series has its first off weekend of 2026, the Cup Series and Craftsman Truck Series will be in action up near the Great Lakes Region as NASCAR heads to Michigan International Speedway. Bookmark this page for everything you need throughout race weekend, including qualifying orders, practice speeds, race results and more.

RELATED: Full weekend schedule | TV listings

NASCAR Cup Series

Race day: Sunday at 3 p.m. ET on Prime Video. The categories listed below will be filled out with links as the information becomes available.

Tires: Eight sets for the weekend (six new sets for the race, one set for qualifying, which transfers to the race, and one set for practice).

Entry List
Qualifying Order
Practice Results
Practice Lap Averages
Practice Lap Times
Starting Lineup
Pit Stalls
Stage 1 Results
Stage 2 Results
Race Results

NASCAR Craftsman Truck Series

Race day: Saturday at 1:30 p.m. ET on FS1. The categories listed below will be filled out with links as the information becomes available.

Tires: Five sets for the weekend (three new sets for the race, one set for qualifying, which transfers to the race, and one set for practice). 

Entry List
Qualifying Order
Practice Results
Practice Lap Averages
Practice Lap Times
Starting Lineup
Pit Stalls
Stage 1 Results
Stage 2 Results
Race Results

Posted on by Zack Albert

BROOKLYN, Mich. — Brad Keselowski and Austin Dillon said they had discussed their run-in last weekend at Nashville Superspeedway, with Keselowski backing off his suggestion that Dillon had intentionally triggered the crash that ended his night early.

Keselowski discussed the incident Saturday before practice and qualifying for Sunday’s FireKeepers Casino 400 (3 p.m. ET, Prime Video, HBO Max, MRN Radio, SiriusXM NASCAR Radio) at Michigan International Speedway. The RFK Racing driver and co-owner will start Sunday’s race 26th as he vies for his first victory at his home-state track.

RELATED: Sunday’s starting lineup | Weekend schedule: Michigan

In last Sunday’s Cracker Barrel 400, Keselowski’s No. 6 Ford careened into the outside wall after contact from behind from Dillon’s No. 3 Richard Childress Racing Chevrolet, shortly after a restart on Lap 192 of 300. The two had an earlier altercation, when a jam-up to avoid Ricky Stenhouse Jr.’s car on pit entry eventually sent Dillon spinning after contact involving Keselowski and teammate Chris Buescher.

After the wreck that derailed Keselowski’s day, No. 6 spotter TJ Majors called the contact intentional over the team radio, and Keselowski bristled during his interview after a check at Nashville’s infield care center. But data from both cars showed that Dillon backed off the throttle to avoid the collision in what was a rapid-fire sequence.

“I looked through all the data and had some conversations with Austin,” Keselowski said Saturday at Michigan, “and there was a lot that happened in one really quick moment that, after having a chance to look at, made a lot more sense to me.”

Dillon said Buescher had texted him “right after the race” about the earlier contact, and Dillon reached out to Keselowski shortly thereafter.

“I mean, I think he understood after I explained things to him that it wasn’t intentional,” Dillon said after qualifying 21st for Sunday’s 400-miler. “Things just happened, and it was quick and fast, and the apron at Nashville is not fun, and everybody that touched a rear bumper last weekend got turned, so just unfortunate events.”

Dillon said he reached out to Majors as well. “I talked to TJ, too,” Dillon said. “He said, ‘After I took a day, I’m better.'”

MORE: At-track photos: Michigan

NASCAR affirmed midweek that no conduct penalties would stem from the incident, but the veteran Keselowski pressed for more deterrence from competition officials for pit-road entry infractions. Stenhouse’s No. 47 Chevrolet caused a logjam as it tried to stop for service, and the first incident involving Buescher, Keselowski and Dillon originated from that.

“There was a lot of things that happened,” Keselowski said. “I’ve had so much conversation with NASCAR as well, that as analytics has really entered the sport, drivers were being weighed really heavily on how well they get on or off pit road, and you can get on and off of pit road slightly faster by making some really aggressive and egregious moves, and that happened at Nashville, but it’s not the only place it’s happened, and it’s not with one driver, it’s with a number of drivers, and there are rules to prevent that from happening, and penalties that are supposed to be enforced that haven’t been happening, and so I think that’s a conversation that will probably evolve over the next few weeks.”

Posted on by Staff Report

In the last two trips to the Irish Hills region, Toyota claimed victories in the NASCAR Cup Series at Michigan International Speedway with Tyler Reddick (2024) and Denny Hamlin (2025), the two drivers who currently sit atop the standings.

With the 2-mile track located near the Motor City, Chevrolet and Ford will look to stop Toyota’s dominance in their own backyard in Sunday’s FireKeepers Casino 400 (3 p.m. ET, Prime Video, HBO Max, MRN Radio, SiriusXM NASCAR Radio).

RELATED: Starting lineup | Saturday recap

Will Toyota’s two-year Michigan run come to an end, or will Chevrolet get its first win at Michigan since 2017? Here’s a look at other drivers to keep an eye on and the full projected results for Sunday’s NASCAR Cup Series race.

DRIVERS TO WATCH:

DENNY HAMLIN: Returning to the Irish Hills as the defending Cup race winner, Hamlin picked up where he left off last year by snagging the Busch Light Pole Award. However, the driver of the No. 11 Joe Gibbs Racing Toyota will have to come from the rear of the field with the team electing to fix damage to the car’s underbody caused by a flat left-rear tire during practice. Given that Hamlin overcame a violation for jumping the start of last Sunday’s race at Nashville Superspeedway from pole and drove his way back to the win, he might be able to pull off an encore comeback drive at the 2-mile Michigan track. The 45-year-old driver also has eight straight top 10s at Michigan, so the No. 11 Toyota will likely be a contender despite the setback and potentially give Toyota its third consecutive victory in the Irish Hills.

CARSON HOCEVAR: With Chevrolet seeking its first Michigan win since August 2017 with Kyle Larson, Hocevar might be one of the Chevrolet drivers capable of getting the job done. The Spire Motorsports driver, who grew up 85 miles away in Portage, Michigan, is looking to become the first Michigan-born driver to win at the 2-mile track in the Irish Hills. In two career Cup starts at Michigan, Hocevar has a best finish of 10th in 2024. However, this is the first time Hocevar has visited his home track as a Cup race winner after earning his first premier series victory earlier this year at Talladega Superspeedway. Given his newfound place in the garage, rising stardom and an improved Spire program, Hocevar might pick up career win No. 2 after qualifying on the front row.

BRAD KESELOWSKI: Like Hocevar, Keselowski also wants to become the first Michigan-born driver to visit Victory Lane in the Irish Hills. Keselowski has come close to winning his home race on multiple occasions, finishing runner-up three times in his career. Despite a disappointing 26th-place qualifying effort, the driver of the No. 6 RFK Racing Ford usually runs well at Michigan. Keselowski has finished inside the top 10 in his last three races in the Irish Hills. With teammate Chris Buescher the top Ford qualifier in 14th, there is clearly some speed to unlock in the RFK Fords, so maybe all hope is not lost for Keselowski to finally get his home-state breakthrough.

MORE: Michigan photos

FULL PROJECTED RESULTS FOR FIREKEEPERS CASINO 400 (3 p.m. ET, Prime Video)

FINISHCAR NUMBERDRIVER
111Denny Hamlin
254Ty Gibbs
35Kyle Larson
445Tyler Reddick
59Chase Elliott
617Chris Buescher
712Ryan Blaney
824William Byron
977Carson Hocevar
106Brad Keselowski
1120Christopher Bell
1223Bubba Wallace
137Daniel Suárez
1443Erik Jones
1519Chase Briscoe
1638Zane Smith
1722Joey Logano
1860Ryan Preece
193Austin Dillon
2048Alex Bowman
2197Shane van Gisbergen
2247Ricky Stenhouse Jr.
231Ross Chastain
242Austin Cindric
2571Michael McDowell
2616AJ Allmendinger
2721Josh Berry
2842John Hunter Nemechek
2935Riley Herbst
304Noah Gragson
3110Ty Dillon
3234Todd Gilliland
3341Cole Custer
3488Connor Zilisch
3533Austin Hill
3651Cody Ware
3744JJ Yeley
Posted on by Brandon White

OXFORD, Maine — The only accomplishment that eluded Jon McKennedy in the first NASCAR Whelen Modified Tour event at Oxford Plains Speedway since 1991 was the American Racer Tire Pole Award.

If not for an afternoon rain shower that washed out qualifying, McKennedy likely could have earned that Saturday, as well.

McKennedy’s No. 79 set an early commanding tone for the All States Materials Group 150 by sweeping the two practice sessions. Once he passed polesitter and Modified Tour points leader Stephen Kopcik, McKennedy enjoyed a dominant, quiet afternoon around Oxford Plains for his fourth series victory and second of 2026.

RELATED: Complete results from the All States Materials Group 150

The confidence McKennedy had in his car after practice proved to be well-founded, as he faced minimal opposition for the lead all evening. McKennedy credited the car’s stellar speed to the hard work exuded by everyone on his team.

“At the end of the day, I got a good group of guys behind me,” McKennedy said. “A lot of work and preparation went into this deal for this race, and the car was honestly awesome. I was content with the race just going [green]. All day, [the car] was a rocket ship. What can I say?”

Unlike most of the other drivers entered in the All States Materials Group 150, McKennedy has logged plenty of laps around Oxford Plains during his career.

McKennedy’s accolades at Oxford Plains include both Modified and Supermodified victories. That versatile background helped McKennedy settle into a rhythm, something that would be imperative if he wanted to gain vital ground in the Modified Tour standings.

Not only did McKennedy dominate, but everyone in front of him endured varying degrees of misfortune at Oxford Plains. Patrick Emerling faded from the top five late, while the top two in the standings in Kopcik and Austin Beers both had poor finishes, with Beers’ 11th being his first finish outside the top 10 since Richmond Raceway in 2024.

Also taking advantage of a rough day for the title contenders was Tyler Rypkema, who placed second in the iconic Ole Blue Modified for Boehler Racing Enterprises. Ole Blue was the only car in the field that was entered in the Modified Tour race at Oxford Plains in 1991, when it finished second with Doug Heveron.

Despite not feeling well at the start of the day, Rypkema persevered to earn his third top five of the 2026 Modified Tour campaign. The performance was a much-needed change of pace for Rypkema, whose streak of bad luck included damaging the fence in the most recent series event at Riverhead Raceway.

“We really needed that,” Rypkema said. “Had two really bad races in a row obviously, the wreck at Riverhead and getting into the wall at Seekonk [Speedway], essentially ended my night there on my own. As soon as we crossed the checkered flag, I’m like ‘thank god, we needed that’. Never seen this place before today, but it was a fun little track.”

Although Rypkema proved experience at Oxford Plains was not essential to finish strong Saturday evening, McKennedy made sure to use every bit of knowledge he had about the place. What transpired was McKennedy’s most efficient showing since leading 137 laps at Claremont Speedway during his championship campaign in 2022.

McKennedy is now firmly in contention for another Modified Tour title after his near-perfect day at Oxford Plains. By understanding all the characteristics that make Oxford Plains unique, McKennedy felt he was always one step ahead of his fellow competition, a trend he hopes to continue going forward.

“We had two-tenths on the field it seemed like,” McKennedy said. “We definitely had a little bit of an advantage. [Oxford Plains] is a very line-sensitive track. There’s no markings out there; it’s wide, and your perception is challenging here as far as lift points. Laps and experience here definitely helps, and it all paid off.”

Eric Goodale secured his second top five finish of 2026 with a third-place run in the All States Materials Group 150. Ronnie Williams picked up his first Modified Tour top five since 2021 by finishing fourth, with Paulie Hartwig III following him in fifth for a career-best run in the series.

In two weeks, the Modified Tour will return to action at White Mountain Motorsports Park. The green flag for the Thunder in the Mountains 200 waves at 8 p.m. ET on June 20 with FloRacing providing live flag-to-flag coverage.

Posted on by Zach Sturniolo

Track: Michigan International Speedway
Location: Brooklyn, Mich.
Track length: 2 miles
When: 3 p.m. ET
Where to tune in: Prime Video, HBO Max, MRN Radio, SiriusXM NASCAR Radio
Race purse: $11,233,037
Race distance: 200 laps | 400 miles
Segments: 45 | 120 | 200
Sunday’s starting lineup | Cup Series pit stall assignments

Michigan’s Irish Hills create a highway to high speeds

Michigan International Speedway has long been the site of some of the highest speeds on the NASCAR schedule. That won’t change in this weekend’s FireKeepers Casino 400.

Drivers routinely topped 200 mph in Saturday’s practice session, averaging lap speeds upward of 190 mph. The 2-mile track’s long straights and sweeping banked corners create an emphasis on drafting, but its wide turns also offer plenty of lanes for drivers to maneuver out of dirty air.

MORE: Weekend schedule | At-track photos

Toyota has been the manufacturer to beat every week this season, whether at superspeedways, intermediates, short tracks or road courses. But Christopher Bell, driver of the No. 20 Joe Gibbs Racing Toyota, hasn’t quite found what he’s looking for through seven Michigan starts. The daunting nature of what Michigan dares drivers to achieve is not lost on Bell, who is looking for his first Michigan win and first victory of 2026.

“You just have to hit it perfect at this track,” Bell said Saturday. “Like, it’s so fast, and it takes so much commitment that you can’t be loose, can’t be tight; you’ve got to have the car driving really well to have speed here. So yeah, I mean, the intermediate package has been really good for the Toyotas. Hopefully, I would expect it to translate here to Michigan, but you have to hit the balance. It doesn’t matter how good your cars are. If it’s not driving well, you’re not going to have pace.”

Brad Keselowski, the 2012 NASCAR Cup Series champion and a Michigan native, is also still seeking his first Michigan win after 28 starts. Michigan’s spot on the schedule may serve teams well as a precursor for the next two races, with the Irish Hills track preceding Pocono Raceway’s unique 2.5-mile triangular track, which offers some similarities to the D-shaped oval in Brooklyn, Michigan.

“I view Michigan and Pocono as kind of being the most similar tracks with the way they race, in the sense of the race tends to get strung out, strategy becomes really important, really easy to get involved in a crash because of just how edgy the cars are,” Keselowski said Saturday. “But of course, Michigan and Pocono are not the same tracks. Pocono has the three separate corners — Turn 1, really kind of a high-banked fast corner and Turns 2 and 3 really flat, and Turn 2 particularly really bumpy, and Turn 3 really easy to get in trouble as well.”

Two consecutive weeks with high-speed challenges start Sunday at Michigan, where drivers know they will need to balance bravery with strategy.

“I mean, this is one of those race tracks, man, that you have to be very smart,” said Daniel Suárez, winner of the Coca-Cola 600 on May 24. “I call it as it’s like a chess match, because [if] you have a run, you have to take it. You have to be very, very strategic and very smart on your moves. Being aggressive is important, but being smart is more important. So I love coming here. It’s not your typical mile-and-a-half style kind of race track, I mean, even though it’s a 2-mile race track. But yeah, it’s a lot of fun.”

A NASCAR Cup Series badge hangs at Michigan during pre-race flyover on frontstretch.
Chris Graythen | Getty Images

In the details …

Fourteen races into 2026, there are still some surprise names who have yet to visit Victory Lane, including Brad Keselowski and Bubba Wallace, who need big days in the Irish Hills to feel comfortable above the Chase cutline.

Here’s a look at seven drivers entered in this weekend’s race who have tallied the most points in the Next Gen car at Michigan:

DRIVERPOINTS
Denny Hamlin169
Chris Buescher150
Brad Keselowski144
Bubba Wallace128
Erik Jones122
Kyle Larson120
Daniel Suárez118

Speed reads

Race-day essentials:

• Michigan hub: Key information, pit stalls, additional results | Read more
• Sunday Setup: Fuel mileage, new tire setup and OEM incentive in focus | Read more
• Paint Scheme Preview: New colors set for Michigan | View gallery
• Hauler Talk: Why Austin Dillon was not penalized for Keselowski incident at Nashville | Listen now
• Power Rankings: Who will take next big leap on Sunday? | This week’s ranks
• NASCAR Classics: Inside the video vault from Michigan | Watch now

Contributing: Cameron Richardson, Zack Albert

Posted on by Zack Albert

BROOKLYN, Mich. – Brian Wilson, crew chief for Team Penske’s No. 2 Ford and driver Austin Cindric, hails from Macomb, Michigan, part of the sprawling Detroit Metro area. Recent trips to Michigan International Speedway have meant loading in early for family time, and Wilson says four cousins will be in attendance for this Sunday’s NASCAR Cup Series race at the 2-mile track.

“Yeah, it definitely feels like home,” Wilson says.

Earning a victory in front of a home crowd adds incentive for Wilson in Sunday’s FireKeepers Casino 400 (3 p.m. ET, Prime Video, HBO Max, MRN Radio, SiriusXM NASCAR Radio). Beyond the personal motivations, plenty of other components will be in play for crew chiefs over 400 fast-paced miles.

RELATED: Sunday’s starting lineup | Weekend schedule: Michigan

Wilson’s father, Steve, was also a race engineer, and Wilson recalled making his first family trips to the Irish Hills section of the state for NASCAR events in the early to mid-1990s. That longevity means that Wilson has seen plenty of Michigan races that have boiled down to fuel strategy. Come Sunday, teams that make the most of their mileage may hold the key to Victory Lane.

“I think there are certain things that you can do, setup-wise,” Wilson told NASCAR.com. “Obviously, you want to start full of fuel is the biggest thing — making sure that the driver understands ways that he can save fuel throughout the race. Any caution, obviously, he has to be on top of things to save fuel for us, but then, laying out the strategy, making sure that you’re at a position to where you can try to be full, try to run long. Some of the debate I think is going to come down to if you have early cautions, or cautions hit at the right point, do you want to wait on fuel? I think that’s probably the biggest question for a lot of guys.

“You know, typically you don’t have a lot of (pit) stops here. You try to stay out, hold on to the track position, maybe four stops on average, so a lot of times you’ll have to make sure you’re full or close to full, or get as much as you can in those situations to open up the playground.”

As usual, Goodyear tires should play a factor and new right-side rubber for Michigan could add another layer to that equation. Goodyear officials indicated the new tire was introduced to combat the force and load created in the high-speed corners, and Wilson said the harder compound should offset some of the issues with cording from excessive wear that have sometimes arisen at other intermediate-sized tracks.

MORE: New right-side Goodyears at Michigan

Cindric, Wilson’s driver, slowed with a flat left-rear tire 10 minutes into Saturday’s practice. Denny Hamlin had a similar left-rear issue in his No. 11 Joe Gibbs Racing Toyota around the same time in the second session, and JGR teammate Christopher Bell’s left-front went flat on the No. 20 Toyota near practice’s end.

Michael McDowell drives at Michigan.
Sean Gardner | Getty Images

Travis Peterson, crew chief for Michael McDowell’s No. 71 Spire Motorsports Chevrolet, said that aggressive air-pressure setups were likely to blame, with Michigan’s higher-speed layout potentially causing havoc with settings that work at other tracks. Generally, though, Peterson said he anticipates a standard performance bar when it comes to Goodyear’s new combination.

“I mean, maybe a little bit more wear than we’ve had here in the past, but lap times are probably still a little flat,” Peterson said after qualifying. “I don’t know that we ran enough laps to fully see. The thing that’s been somewhat consistent about these things is at some point you do seem to hit a wall and cord tires and do all that, so I don’t know that we ran long enough in practice, us specifically, or any other cars I saw to say that there’s going to be significant fall-off, but you know, time will tell, but I think it’s gonna be pretty standard Michigan.”

If there’s any other motivation needed, there’s also the annual post-race presentation of the Michigan Heritage Trophy to the winning manufacturer, adding bragging-rights emphasis at the track not far from the Motor City. Toyota has won the last two Cup Series races at Michigan, but Ford held a nine-in-a-row streak from 2018-23.

MORE: At-track photos: Michigan

The next Mustang victory will be Ford’s milestone 750th in the Cup Series, but Wilson said the incentive for winning here doesn’t need to be verbalized.

“Obviously it’s in their backyard. They don’t have to put pressure on us,” Wilson said. “We want to have a very solid and strong race for Ford. Not only that, it’s also Penske’s headquarters, so there’s a lot of reasons for me personally being from the area. This is one you want to circle and make sure that you perform for everybody.”

That motivation also runs high in other automakers’ camps.

“I mean, you’re always thinking about it here in Michigan, just because you know you’re in the backyard of the OEMs and you want to do well,” Peterson said. “It’s that way for every OEM, so you want to put a bowtie in Victory Lane … but no matter what, we want to win anyways.”