Posted on by Reid Spencer

RELATED: Complete race results | Detailed breakdown

BROOKLYN, Mich. — The rookie drove like a veteran in Saturday’s Irish Hills 250 at Michigan International Speedway, but in the end, the veteran took the rookie to school.

Side-drafting off the final corner, Monster Energy NASCAR Cup Series star Denny Hamlin pulled ahead of Sunoco Rookie of the Year contender William Byron and won a drag race to the finish line to win his first NASCAR XFINITY Series race of the season in the No. 20 Joe Gibbs Racing Toyota.

“We were battling really hard, and Denny just schooled me there at the end,” said Byron, who held the lead in the No. 9 JR Motorsports Chevrolet after a restart with two laps left and crossed the finish line .012 seconds behind the race winner. “I thought I could side-draft him back to the line, but I needed a few more feet.”

The margin was the closest XFINITY Series finish at Michigan since the advent of electronic timing and scoring more than two decades ago, and tied for the sixth closest overall with the 2010 event at the Montreal road course.

For Hamlin, the win was the first in the series in his fourth start since taking the checkered flag at Charlotte in May 2016. Hamlin picked up his second Michigan victory in the series and the 16th of his career.

Hamlin pushed Byron to the lead past Brad Keselowski after a restart on Lap 117, but Byron began to pull away until a caution for Matt Tifft’s spin through the infield grass on Lap 120 brought out the seventh and final yellow flag of the afternoon.

An alumnus of the NASCAR Next program, Byron again pulled ahead after the restart on Lap 124, with Hamlin in close pursuit. They battled for two laps before Hamlin used his experience to get Byron’s No. 9 JR Motorsports Chevrolet loose through the final two corners.

“He did a great job, and really I knew he had a really good car,” Hamlin said of his 19-year-old rival. “That last long run that we had (before the sixth caution for debris on Lap 112), he was about to pass me, so he’s done a great job. Obviously, he’s one of NASCAR’s next future superstars, and I wanted to race him clean.

“I wasn’t going to turn him around or anything like that, so I stayed low below him and got him a little bit loose through (Turns) 1 and 2 that allowed me to get position, and then into Turn 3 we both got sideways, he slid up just enough to let me barely get to that left rear and it was just enough to drag race past him, so proud of this team. Great that we got a win.”

Elliott Sadler, who won the second 30-lap stage on Saturday, finished third and took over the series lead by 21 points over Justin Allgaier, who lost track position making extra pit stops to deal with hood pins that came loose during the race. Allgaier finished 16th.

RELATED: Busch’s wild ride on Lap 1

Keselowski came home fourth, and polesitter Kyle Busch was fifth, a substantial accomplishment considering that contact from Keselowski’s Ford — as Busch was jumping between lanes — sent Busch’s No. 18 Toyota spinning off the outside wall before the cars reached the first corner of the first lap.

Despite his age and rookie status, Byron, who remains third in the series standings, has been mentioned as a possible replacement in the No. 88 Hendrick Motorsports Chevrolet for Dale Earnhardt Jr., who is retiring from Monster Energy NASCAR Cup Series racing at the end of the season.

But that was far from Byron’s mind after the near-victory on Saturday.

“I just want to keep running well for JRM, and try to win races, and try to compete for a championship,” said Byron. “I think to have the three of us (Byron and teammates Sadler and Allgaier) in the top three in points is really incredible. I think it shows the consistency of our team’s execution. I’ve learned a lot from Elliott and Justin and (JR Motorsports teammate) Michael Annett as well. I think we’ll just keep building on that (and) hopefully compete for a championship.”

 

Posted on by Staff Report

Take a look at the stats from drivers that attempted a run of 10 consecutive laps in practices this weekend at Michigan International Speedway.

Practice 1: Full Practice 1 results

Pos Car Driver From Lap To Lap Avg Speed
1 18 Kyle Busch 5 14 196.591
2 11 Denny Hamlin 1 10 194.626

Practice 2: Full Practice 2 results

Pos Car Driver From Lap To Lap Avg Speed
1 18 Kyle Busch 6 15 196.876
2 42 Kyle Larson 2 11 196.095
3 11 Denny Hamlin 3 12 195.901
4 77 Erik Jones # 17 26 195.714
5 4 Kevin Harvick 19 28 195.684
6 48 Jimmie Johnson 1 10 195.437
7 88 Dale Earnhardt Jr. 22 31 195.294
8 1 Jamie McMurray 1 10 195.243
9 5 Kasey Kahne 2 11 194.306
10 19 Daniel Suarez # 21 30 194.223
11 20 Matt Kenseth 2 11 193.099

Practice 3: Full Practice 3 results

Pos Car Driver From Lap To Lap Avg Speed
1 42 Kyle Larson 1 10 195.416
2 11 Denny Hamlin 6 15 195.391
3 4 Kevin Harvick 20 29 195.188
4 2 Brad Keselowski 1 10 195.110
5 21 Ryan Blaney 1 10 195.047
6 19 Daniel Suarez # 5 14 194.831
7 1 Jamie McMurray 4 13 194.424
8 20 Matt Kenseth 19 28 194.286
9 5 Kasey Kahne 1 10 194.124
10 14 Clint Bowyer 1 10 193.219
11 10 Danica Patrick 22 31 193.127
12 22 Joey Logano 22 31 193.113
13 24 Chase Elliott 18 27 192.855
14 41 Kurt Busch 24 33 192.819
15 31 Ryan Newman 1 10 192.240
16 95 Michael McDowell 1 10 191.261
17 38 David Ragan 1 10 190.942
18 13 Ty Dillon # 28 37 190.534
19 32 Matt DiBenedetto 1 10 189.035
Posted on by NASCAR Wire Service

RELATED: Keselowski, Truex lead practices

BROOKLYN, Mich. — Saturday morning’s first practice ended early for Jimmie Johnson.

Two laps after posting his best time of the session, Johnson lost control of his No. 48 Hendrick Motorsports Chevrolet in the middle of Turns 3 and 4 at Michigan International Speedway.

As the car spun, the seven-time champion was able to keep it away from the outside wall, but the No. 48 shot toward the infield, and the splitter dug into the grass as soon as the car left the asphalt.

Johnson’s first inclination was that his car was damaged severely enough to require a backup, but after he drove the Chevy back to the garage, crew chief Chad Knaus opted to try to repair the primary entry.

“I got loose into Turn 3 and fought it for a long time and unfortunately came around,” Johnson said of the accident. “Did a nice job of keeping it off the outside wall, but came back down the hill and into the grass and the front end dug in pretty good.

“I’m pretty surprised the guys feel like the damage isn’t too bad, and they can get that stuff pulled back out and get the shape of the body back. So we’re out for the rest of this practice and we’ll get back on track for the second one. Not the way we wanted to start the day, but it is what it is.”

Not so fast. After working on the car during the NASCAR XFINITY Series qualifying session, Knaus ultimately decided that it wasn’t feasible to repair the primary car.

Accordingly, the No. 48 team rolled out the backup, and Johnson will have to start from the rear in Sunday’s FireKeepers Casino 400 (3 p.m. ET on FS1) because of the post-qualifying car change.

In the backup, Johnson was the ninth fastest in final practice.

Posted on by Zack Albert

RELATED: Starting lineup for Sunday’s race

At a Glance
What: FireKeepers Casino 400
Where: Michigan International Speedway, 2-mile oval in Brooklyn, Michigan
Green flag: 3:18 p.m. ET
TV/Radio: FOX Sports 1, MRN, SiriusXM NASCAR Radio
Forecast: Mostly cloudy with a high near 80 and a 60 percent chance of showers, according to the National Weather Service. West-Southwest winds at 11 to 15 mph, gusts to 25 mph.
National anthem: Lisa Bascom, Michigan International Speedway
Grand Marshal: Thompson Square
Race distance: 200 laps, 400 miles
Pit road speed: 55 mph
Caution car speed: 65 mph
Competition caution: Lap 25
Stage lengths: Stage 1 ends on Lap 60. Stage 2 ends on Lap 120. Final stage is scheduled to end on Lap 200.

Posted on by Staff Report

Dale Jarrett and his father Ned Jarrett may be NASCAR Hall of Famers, but the youngest Jarrett — Zach — seemed to find his niche at a baseball diamond.

That dream came to fruition on Wednesday, as the Baltimore Orioles drafted Zach Jarrett in the 28th round of the 2017 MLB Draft.

An outfielder, Jarrett played baseball at North Carolina’s Hickory High School before playing at the University of North Carolina at Charlotte. A successful senior season that included a slash line of .342/.398/.549 with 13 home runs and 45 RBIs gathered attention from the major leagues. Jarrett’s college roommate and teammate T.J. Nichting was also drafted by the Orioles.

And it appears that father Dale Jarrett knew his son’s future was bright, even a month before the draft.

Posted on by Staff Report

Practice 3 results

Brad Keselowski soared to the top of the leaderboard in Saturday’s final Monster Energy NASCAR Cup Series practice at Michigan International Speedway with a fast lap of 197.401 mph in his No. 2 Team Penske Ford. A Michigan native, Keselowski is still searching for his first win at his home track.

For the second time today, Joe Gibbs Racing’s Kyle Busch came up second in the field, his No. 18 Toyota clocking in at 197.195 mph.

Polesitter Kyle Larson was third-fastest (197.061 mph) in his No. 42 Chip Ganassi Racing Chevrolet. Team Penske’s Joey Logano (196.969 mph) and Furniture Row Racing rookie Erik Jones (196.953 mph) rounded out the top-five performers, respectively.

Jimmie Johnson, who had to go a backup car after a spin and slide through the grass in morning practice, was ninth-fastest in his No. 48 Hendrick Motorsports Chevrolet. A one-time Michigan winner (2014), Johnson will start Sunday’s race at Michigan from the rear.

AJ Allmendinger’s No. 47 JTG Daughterty Racing spun in the waning seconds of final practice. It is yet to be determined if the team will go to a backup car.

The Monster Energy NASCAR Cup Series returns to the track at Michigan on Sunday for the FireKeepers Casino 400 (FS1).


Practice 2 results

Propelling his No. 78 Furniture Row Racing Toyota at 198.385 mph around Michigan International Speedway, Martin Truex Jr. topped Saturday’s opening Monster Energy NASCAR Cup Series practice. Truex, who will start Sunday’s race second, missed earning the pole position Friday by 0.007 seconds to Kyle Larson.

Kyle Busch notched the second-fastest speed, his No. 18 Joe Gibbs Racing Toyota clocking in at 197.938 mph. Hendrick Motorsports’ Jimmie Johnson was third on the leaderboard (197.341 mph), while Pocono winner Ryan Blaney was fourth-fastest (197.320 mph) in his No. 21 Wood Brothers Racing Ford. Stewart-Haas Racing’s Kevin Harvick rounded out the top five with a top speed of 197.287 mph in his No. 4 Ford.

Having notching the second-fastest speed at the time a few minutes prior, Johnson brought out the red flag a little over the halfway point of the 55-minute session, as his No. 48 Hendrick Motorsports Chevrolet became loose and spun across the track and into the grass. Johnson didn’t make contact with any car or the wall. After trying to repair the damage left by the slide in the grass, Johnson will go to his backup car and start at the rear of Sunday’s field.

“I got loose into Turn 3 and fought it for a long time and unfortunately came around,” Johnson said. “Did a nice job of keeping it off the outside wall, but came back down the hill and into the grass and the front end dug in pretty good … So, we are out for the rest of this practice and we will get back on-track for the second one.  Not the way we wanted to start the day, but it is what it is.”

Four teams were docked 15 minutes of practice time in the early session. The No. 13 of Ty Dillon, No. 31 of Ryan Newman and No. 32 of Matt DiBenedetto were held as a penalty for failing pre-qualifying inspection multiple times. The No. 1 of Jamie McMurray was held 15 minutes for arriving late to pre-qualifying inspection.

Polesitter Larson clocked the seventh-fastest speed in his No. 42 Chip Ganassi Racing Chevrolet.

The Monster Energy NASCAR Cup Series is back on track at noon ET for final practice (FS2).

Posted on by Reid Spencer

RELATED: Starting lineup for Sunday’s race | See every car in the field

BROOKLYN, Mich. — Martin Truex Jr. thought he had the pole for Sunday’s FireKeepers Casino 400 — until Kyle Larson made the last run in the final round of Friday’s Monster Energy NASCAR Cup Series knockout qualifying at Michigan International Speedway.

Driving the No. 42 Chip Ganassi Racing Chevrolet, Larson, who won the first Cup race of his career last August at MIS, covered the two-mile distance in 35.616 seconds (202.156 mph), edging Truex (202.117 mph) for the top starting spot by a scant .007 seconds.

“We made some good adjustments there for that final round,” said Larson, who earned his first Coors Light Pole Award at Michigan, his second of the season and the third of his career. “I was pretty good in the first round and a little bit tight in the second round. They went a step further on freeing it up for the final round and the ‘Cars 3’ Chevy drove good.

“I could tell by the RPM and the engine it was going to be a pretty good lap, so I was happy about that to get the pole after winning here last year. So, hopefully, we can keep it going. So far, it’s been a really good weekend leading in (opening) practice and then getting the quick time here. So, yeah, it’s an exciting weekend, and hopefully we can keep it going.”

RELATED: Full schedule for Michigan and Gateway

Truex went all-out on his lap in the money round, with his car bottoming out and trailing a stream of sparks though the corners at each end of the track.

“You’re just hoping the tires stick enough that it doesn’t turn you sideways or make you get tight or whatever,” Truex said of the lap. “It really feels like the car rides really rough. That’s really all it is. It doesn’t upset the car too much, if it’s just light contact.

“You’ve got to get it down to go fast, and the guys did a good job of getting it down — that’s for sure.”

As fast as his final lap was, Truex will start second for the third consecutive race, having lost poles at Dover and Pocono to Kyle Busch.

“It’s a little disappointing,” Truex said. “I thought we had it there, but Kyle went out late and beat us. But, really, you’re never shocked. It’s really hard to put a perfect lap together. There’s always something you could do a little bit better, and our lap in the third round was the same way… We picked up a good chunk in the third round, but, obviously, Larson picked up a tiny bit more.”

Clint Bowyer matched his best qualifying effort of the season and will start third on Sunday. Kyle Busch qualified fourth, followed by Denny Hamlin, Pocono winner Ryan Blaney, Joey Logano and Jamie McMurray.

GALLERY: Best photos from Michigan and Gateway

Kevin Harvick, who was fastest in each of the first two rounds of Friday’s time trials, fell off the pace in the third round and will start 11th.

“We just got really loose there in the last round,” Harvick said. “We were really good the first two, but something changed. I like the speed in race trim. We have some work to do for Sunday.”

Chase Elliott, who will start 10th, was the only Hendrick Motorsports driver to make the final round, as seven-time champion Jimmie Johnson was bumped out of the top 12 by Matt Kenseth on the last run of the second round.

Johnson qualified 13th, and Dale Earnhardt Jr. earned the 17th starting spot.

In his second race in the No. 43 Richard Petty Motorsports Ford as a substitute driver for injured Aric Almirola, Darrell “Bubba” Wallace Jr. will start 26th.

Ty Dillon will start from the rear on Sunday after his time was disallowed because of unapproved modifications to the body of his No. 13 Chevrolet during qualifying.

Posted on by Zack Albert

BROOKLYN, Mich. — Michigan International Speedway has already been the site of a historic first for Daniel Suarez, who launched to his breakthrough NASCAR XFINITY Series victory here just a year ago.

Back in the Great Lakes State, the ground seems fertile with potential for another landmark victory. Suarez has since made the jump to his rookie year in the Monster Energy NASCAR Cup Series, which has enjoyed a flurry of first-time winners with more than half the season still to run.

Ricky Stenhouse Jr., Austin Dillon and last week’s first-timer, Ryan Blaney, are the newest drivers on the list. Is Suarez next? Friday at Michigan, he said he’s getting closer to the neighborhood.

“Seeing all these kind of victories always gives you like an extra boost to keep working and keep digging because already Ryan and I, we’ve been racing together for a long time since the K&N days,” Suarez said Friday, ahead of Sunday’s FireKeepers Casino 400 (3 p.m. ET, FS1, MRN, SiriusXM). “Austin, obviously we’ve been racing for a while in the XFINITY Series, and it’s very cool to see this new generation of drivers being successful in NASCAR. I was very, very happy for Ryan last week — that was an incredible race and incredible win.

“Overall, I feel like we have to keep working on ourselves. We have to keep working on the race team. I feel like, like I said, we’re getting better, but it’s not easy. It’s not easy to win races in the Cup Series. It’s not easy at all. You have to get there and then one day put everything together to get that win. I feel like now, we are getting more comfortable running in the top 10. We have to keep working to make that top 10, be a top five and after that I feel like we can have a shot every weekend. Once you start running in the top five, you can be a contender.”

The gains have been modest thus far for the Joe Gibbs Racing No. 19 Toyota camp. In the past four races, he has a seventh place (Kansas) and a career-best sixth (Dover) to show for his improvement.

That development has come even as the No. 19 team has undergone transition, announcing an indefinite personal leave for crew chief Dave Rogers on March 29. Scott Graves — who helped guide Suarez to the XFINITY Series championship last season — has filled in as an interim replacement, atop the pit box for a premier-series team for the first time since 2013.

Suarez said he’s strengthened his communication with Graves in the nine races since the change, but also expressed his best wishes for Rogers’ speedy return.

“Scott has been doing great, just as I was expecting,” Suarez said. “He’s a great guy outside the race track. We get along very well and he’s a very smart person. The only thing that he needed was some time and to gain some experience at the Cup level as a crew chief, so I feel like he’s been great. I feel like we are getting better every weekend and we had a little hard time last weekend in Pocono, but, you know, that happens to every single race team out there, so I feel like overall we have learned a lot together and we’re moving in the right direction.

“About Dave Rogers, I just hope that he comes back soon to Joe Gibbs Racing to be a part of the family. He’s a great person as well, a great crew chief with a lot of experience and I hope he comes back because the last time I heard from him he was doing much better and things are getting better, so I wouldn’t be surprised if maybe he’ll come back to do something at the race team one day.”

 

Posted on by Staff Report

BUY TICKETS: See the races at Michigan

MORE: Practice results

Kyle Larson topped the leaderboard in Friday’s Monster Energy NASCAR Cup Series practice at Michigan International Speedway at 200.798 mph in the No. 42 Chip Ganassi Racing Chevrolet.

Right behind Larson was Kyle Busch in the No. 18 Joe Gibbs Racing Toyota at 200.619 mph.

Rounding out the top five were Joey Logano in the No. 22 Team Penske Ford, series points leader Martin Truex Jr. in the No. 78 Furniture Row Racing Toyota and Jimmie Johnson in the No. 48 Hendrick Motorsports Chevrolet.

HMS announced earlier Friday morning that Johnson, a seven-time champion, had signed an extension with the team.

RELATED: Johnson locked up for long run | Wants Knaus by his side

With less than two minutes remaining in the session, Landon Cassill backed his No. 34 Front Row Racing Ford into the wall, incurring significant damage. He will go to a backup, the team announced on Twitter.

The cars of Kevin Harvick, Denny Hamlin and Erik Jones were held 15 minutes to begin practice as penalty for failing pre-race inspection at Pocono twice.

The next on-track activity for the Monster Energy Series at Michigan is Coors Light Qualifying at 4:15 p.m. ET on FS2.

RELATED: How to find FS2 on your TV