NASCAR announced this offseason that it will standardize at-track team rosters across all three national series in 2018, providing a structure for the number of personnel working on each vehicle during the course of a race weekend.
Official team rosters for Sunday’s Monster Energy NASCAR Cup Series race at Michigan (2 p.m. ET on FOX, MRN, SiriusXM NASCAR Radio) have been released. Click the print icon above, or the link below.
ROSTERS: Michigan race
RELATED: Overview of 2018 rules updates
Ryan Blaney topped the leaderboard in Friday’s opening Monster Energy NASCAR Cup Series practice at Michigan International Speedway at a blistering 202.617 mph in the No. 12 Team Penske Ford.
MORE: Full results | Weekend schedule
Right behind him was points leader Kyle Busch in the No. 18 Joe Gibbs Racing Toyota at 201.935 mph.
Rounding out the top five were Brad Keselowski in the No. 2 Team Penske Ford (201.867 mph), Kevin Harvick in the No. 4 Stewart-Haas Racing Ford (201.478 mph) and Chase Elliott in the No. 9 Hendrick Motorsports Chevrolet (201.134 mph).
Kyle Larson, who has won the past three MIS races, was 16th at 199.242 mph in the No. 42 Chip Ganassi Racing Chevrolet.
Three cars were held 15 minutes to begin the session — the Nos. 99 of Garrett Smithley (late to inspection) and Nos. 9 of Elliott and 22 of Joey Logano (failed inspection twice).
The practice started after a short delay to clean fluid off the track. It was extended 10 minutes to 12:30 p.m. ET.
The next on-track activity for the series is Busch Pole Qualifying at 4:10 p.m. ET (FS1).
A beloved member of NASCAR Nation finds himself in a time of need, and Dale Earnhardt Jr. is lending a helping hand.
The 26-time Monster Energy NASCAR Cup Series winner and NASCAR history lover is helping his friend Sam Bass — the first officially licensed artist of NASCAR — in his search for a Type-B kidney transplant. Earnhardt has partnered with the Flood Sisters Kidney Foundation, a non-profit kidney foundation in New York that matches patients in need of living kidney donors for transplant.
Together, they’re hoping to spread awareness for Bass’ need and the many other patients in need of donors. With awareness, donors nationwide can contact the organization to match potential donors with recipients.
Bass has helped design paint schemes and programs for some of the sport’s top stars and marquee events, with his Cup background including paint scheme designs for Junior, Jimmie Johnson, Jeff Gordon, Tony Stewart and plenty more.
RELATED: Throwback scheme inspired by Bass
Earnhardt released the following video to help spread the message.
Editor’s note: Fantasy Fastlane will look at each race from a fantasy perspective, examining the top plays as well as several under-the-radar options and a play to avoid for NASCAR Fantasy Live. See the full analysis here.
Austin Dillon’s No. 3 Chevrolet will pay tribute to veterans as the driver unveiled his “Dow Salutes Veterans” paint scheme on Thursday at Dow Diamond in Midland, Michigan ahead of Sunday’s FireKeepers Casino 400 (2 p.m. ET on FOX, MRN, SiriusXM NASCAR Radio).
The paint scheme features the names of more than 1,300 employees and contractors from Dow, Richard Childress Racing and the USA luge team, who happen to be veterans, as well as the immediate family members of employees and contractors who have served or are currently serving in the U.S. Armed Forces.
RELATED: Michigan paint schemes for this weekend
Dow has been a sponsor for Dillon since he began his full-time Monster Energy NASCAR Cup Series career in 2014. The company and RCR have been collaborating for the past four years in appreciation of the service of veterans serving in the U.S. military brances. This initiative has been coordinated in partnership with Dow’s veterans employee resource group, VetNet.
NASCAR is honoring U.S. military servicemembers through the Coke Zero 400 at Daytona this summer through the NASCAR Salutes Refreshed by Coca-Cola program.
As Chase Elliott visited with students at Embry-Riddle Aeronautical University Wednesday, he had a perfect view of Daytona International Speedway next door to the school campus. Having earned his private pilot license as a teenager in high school, the school is a place Elliott appreciates. And as a rising star in the Monster Energy NASCAR Cup Series, the speedway is a venue representing historic potential.
For Elliott, who has won two Daytona 500 Busch Pole positions and nearly won the sport’s greatest race, the setting was a gentle reminder of what may also await the popular 22-year-old later this week as the series races at Michigan International Speedway — another venue where Elliott has proven to be an almost instant Cup success story.
RELATED: Michigan schedule | Elliott’s driver stats
The Hendrick Motorsports driver finished runner-up in the first three of his four visits to the two-mile Michigan track. His worst showing? Eighth place, in last year’s August stop. Still a top-10 finish and, in all, the effort good enough to make Elliott a top-rated driver as the series returns this weekend for the FireKeepers Casino 400 (2 p.m. ET, FOX, MRN, SiriusXM NASCAR Radio).
“I look forward to going to Michigan,’’ Elliott said from Daytona Beach on Wednesday, where he was promoting the upcoming Coke Zero Sugar 400 summer race before travelling north to Michigan.
“I don’t really know why Michigan has been good to us. We didn’t have as good a run there last fall as we had in other races, but it’s been a good place for the most part and I certainly look forward to going there.”
If history continues to be an indicator of what to expect in this weekend’s FireKeeper’s Casino 400 at Michigan International Speedway, then NASCAR’s best young drivers have plenty to look forward to.
Ironically, those with the least history have historically fared well at Michigan in the last few races.
Fifth-year Monster Energy Series driver Kyle Larson 25, is not only the defending race winner, but the Chip Ganassi Racing Chevrolet driver boasts a three-race winning streak at the track. Michigan-native Erik Jones, 22, has finishes of third and 13th in his two starts. As with Elliott, they are among the top-ranked drivers in competition. Larson’s driver rating (101.1) is third-ranked and Jones is fourth-ranked (98.4) heading into Sunday’s race.
RELATED: Will young talent rise again at Michigan?
While his past showing is certainly encouraging, Elliott is quick to caution about the fast start for himself and his fellow young drivers. He is just hopeful his long-term body of work echoes his early performance.
“One thing I know for sure, those driver ratings are based on four races for me compared to probably 24 races for a lot of other guys,’’ Elliott said. “They’re skewed because we’ve run pretty well every time we’ve gone, but that’s not always going to be the case. In 10 years if I still have a job, we’ll see how the numbers are then. That will be the real test.”
Elliott did allow that he felt more optimistic this week. Chevrolet is looking for its first win since the season-opening Daytona 500 and Elliott echoed a lot of Chevy drivers’ feelings that the next win feels imminent.
Three drivers – Ford’s Kevin Harvick and Toyota’s Kyle Busch and Martin Truex Jr. have won 11 of the first 14 races. But at Michigan International Speedway, Chevrolet has dominated as of late with Larson’s three wins and Elliott’s three runner-ups in the past four races serving notice.
“I think we’ve improved,’’ Elliott said emphatically. “I can’t say we’re perfect. I can’t say we’re the best each week, but we’ve gotten better and I feel like I’ve seen more improvement over the past two weeks than I’ve seen in all year. So that’s encouraging.
“I thought we had our best race of the season and probably best race we’ve had in a while – since last fall – this past week at Pocono. The results really didn’t show it, but we had some strength in our car this weekend I haven’t had all season, so I was proud of that. I hope that carries to Michigan.”
The village of Byron, Michigan, sits approximately 70 miles north of Michigan International Speedway. Every day during the race weekends in the Irish Hills, Byron native Erik Jones makes the trek to and from his childhood home and the race track.
His mom makes him home-cooked meals, he see his buddies at old stomping grounds and he even sleeps in the same bed that he grew up sleeping in.
“When you can go and stay somewhere that’s comfortable to you and somewhere you know, it definitely is a good feeling and a good break from kind of the normal routine,” Jones told NASCAR.com Wednesday. “… Just helps me clear my head and it’s a nice drive — it’s about 45 minutes and all back roads, nice country …
“It just gives me a little bit of time to think and ponder on the day, whether it be after practice or qualifying and especially on race day morning. It gives me time to really process what the day’s going to be all about and how I need to prepare for it. Sometimes I’ll have a buddy come with me and ride with me, sometimes I’ll go by myself. But it’s nice just to reflect and chill out and kind of have a minute away from the whole hustle and bustle of the race track.”
RELATED: 10 things you didn’t know about Erik Jones
The town of Byron is small: Less than 600 people call the village home and the town’s website refers to it as “off the beaten path” — but it also invites visitors to stop in when they’re on the road. Jones is proud to call himself a Michigan native and enjoys returning to his home state — he’s spent several days in the Great Lakes State ahead of race weekend and will spend next week there as well when the series is off.
His roots in Byron are special to him, as is the support the 22-year-old driver has received from the community.
“Not even just from being in Cup but even back in Trucks and Xfinity, there (were) a lot of people that would come out, give me support, cheer me on and get to come out to the race track when we come to Michigan,” he said. “So, it’s really cool to see the support that I get from Byron. … You don’t always have a ton of things to do in a small town, so it’s cool to be the guy that gives people something to root for and cheer for. I really take pride in being from a small town and being able to carry that flag, carry that banner for them.
“I actually have a lot more people that come up and introduce themselves and recognize me up here actually than North Carolina. It’s always fun to meet fans and people who support racing and support my racing up here.”
Jones will have the opportunity to carry a different type of flag — a checkered one — for his town this weekend, as the series heads to Michigan International Raceway for the first of two 2018 races at the Irish Hills track (FireKeepers Casino 400, 2 p.m. ET Sunday, FOX, MRN, SiriusXM NASCAR Radio). During his rookie season in 2017, Jones finished 13th (after a loose wheel set the team back in the field) and, most recently, third at his home track.
MORE: Jones, Kyle Busch have special bond
Still searching for his first win in NASCAR’s premier series, a victory at his home track on Sunday would be perfectly scripted — and he would have “a pretty big party” in Victory Lane.
“It’d be really special to me,” he said. “Michigan’s a place that I went to growing up a few times. Not only that but just a win. I’m pretty proud of being from Michigan and really still love my home state. It’d be neat for me because there’s a lot of people coming down — I think we’ve got 60 or 70 people that are coming out to watch the race and they’ll be in the infield so it would be really neat to have them all in Victory Lane with me and be able to celebrate that first win.
“It’s something I really can’t imagine. It’s hard to think about that and process that moment and I’m sure if it did happen, I’d be probably out of words for it. It’s definitely something that I’ve thought about — I think every driver thinks about their first win and how they’d want it to go and if I could script it perfect, I think Michigan would be the place I’d love to do it at.”
Dale Earnhardt Jr. has a knack for sharing NASCAR stories on his Twitter feed, something that has occurred more frequently since he retired from full-time racing at the end of the 2017 season.
On Wednesday, Junior shared a touching story about NBC Sports colleague Dale Jarrett.
It was one that involved friendship and a Dale Earnhardt autographed hat prior to the seven-time champion’s final race in the 2001 Daytona 500.
I see @DaleJarrett at the studio for our show tonight. And he says he has something for me. I wonder what could it be. He proceeded to tell me a story to explain.
— Dale Earnhardt Jr. (@DaleJr) June 7, 2018
In 2001 at the Daytona 500 hours before the race DJ was getting ready to do his hospitality for his new sponsor UPS. As he exited his motorcoach (parked directly across from my fathers) he noticed dad is meeting with a group of sponsors and fans of his own.
— Dale Earnhardt Jr. (@DaleJr) June 7, 2018
Dad is hurriedly signing items handed to him by the group as he talks. DJ worked his way through the group up to dad and took the UPS hat off his head. He handed it to dad. Dad signs the item having yet to look up to realize whom it belonged to.
— Dale Earnhardt Jr. (@DaleJr) June 7, 2018
Dad stops to examine the hat after signing it because of the color and logo. The UPS branding was an unfamiliar sight. He looks up to notice DJ standing there and they both had a good laugh. DJ eventually went on his way, as did dad.
— Dale Earnhardt Jr. (@DaleJr) June 7, 2018
Through the years after my dads death many drivers and industry folk were incredibly supportive, and that certainly includes Dale Jarrett. Today he gave me that hat my father signed all those years ago. It’s hard to know how to express my appreciation for his friendship. pic.twitter.com/lbKK9iR44K
— Dale Earnhardt Jr. (@DaleJr) June 7, 2018
Seems like Bubba Wallace is already having a pretty good week. Does that mean he’ll pull off a win this weekend at Michigan International Speedway, a track where some of NASCAR’s younger drivers like Daniel Suarez, Erik Jones and Chase Elliott have had success?
We shall see, but in the meantime check out the pure emotion the Richard Petty Motorsports driver shows as he rides the waves. It’s almost like the joy he had after a second-place finish in this year’s Daytona 500.
Monumental day yesterday. After multiple attempts thru out YEARS.. I finally made it up on the board!! pic.twitter.com/3FdXAE3ajS
— Bubba Wallace (@BubbaWallace) June 6, 2018
Had a great teacher along the way! We were pumped!😜💪🏽 @Blaney pic.twitter.com/v26hzWAMGR
— Bubba Wallace (@BubbaWallace) June 6, 2018
Numbers mean plenty when it comes to building out your Fantasy Live teams each week. NASCAR.com will examine the stats outlook for each track in advance to help give you an edge as you set your lineups and bonus picks ahead of the race weekend.
Don’t forget to check back on NASCAR.com for additional insight from fantasy expert RJ Kraft, and watch Fantasy Fastlane with Jessica Ruffin and NBC Sports’ Steve Letarte for even more advice.
RELATED: Play Fantasy Live now | How the new Fantasy Live works | Driver stats
Top five average running position (per loop data from 2005 to present):
| Driver | Average running position |
| Chase Elliott | 5.974 |
| Matt Kenseth | 10.979 |
| Erik Jones | 11.334 |
| Kyle Larson | 11.679 |
| Brad Keselowski | 12.048 |
Top five in stage points earned at Michigan in 2017:
| Driver | Stage points | Stage wins |
| Martin Truex Jr. | 37 | 3 |
| Kyle Larson | 22 | 0 |
| Kyle Busch | 22 | 0 |
| Kevin Harvick | 22 | 0 |
| Brad Keselowski | 20 | 1 |
Top five in points earned at Michigan in 2017
| Driver | Race points | Race wins |
| Martin Truex Jr. | 103 | 0 |
| Kyle Larson | 102 | 2 |
| Kyle Busch | 79 | 0 |
| Chase Elliott | 77 | 0 |
| Erik Jones | 71 | 0 |
Most laps led in 2017 races at Michigan:
| Driver | Laps led |
| Martin Truex Jr. | 119 |
| Brad Keselowski | 107 |
| Kyle Larson | 98 |
| Kyle Busch | 54 |
| Denny Hamlin | 16 |
Average starting position for last 10 winners: 7.6
Active drivers to win pole: Kasey Kahne (3), Joey Logano (3), Kurt Busch (2), Kevin Harvick (1), Matt Kenseth (1), Brad Keselowski (1), Kyle Larson (1), Ryan Newman (1)
Active drivers to win at Michigan: Kurt Busch (3), Matt Kenseth (3), Kyle Larson (3), Denny Hamlin (2), Joey Logano (2), Ryan Newman (2), Kevin Harvick (1), Kyle Busch (1), Jimmie Johnson (1), Kasey Kahne (1)
Most recent pole winner: Brad Keselowski, August race of 2017
Last time pole-sitter won here: Kyle Larson, June race of 2017
Where stage winners started from: 1st, 2nd (twice), 13th
Winning manufacturers of last 10 races: Chevrolet-6, Ford-3, Toyota-1
