Posted on by Cameron Richardson

Huge playoff implications highlighted Monday’s matinee at Michigan International Speedway. Tyler Reddick had the fastest car in the closing laps and held off the field after two overtimes to score his second Cup victory of 2024 and overtake Kyle Larson for the regular-season points lead. Meanwhile, Larson, Bubba Wallace, Chris Buescher, Ross Chastain and Martin Truex Jr. were all involved in incidents that affected their respective playoff positions.

RELATED: Race results | At-track photos

With one point separating two drivers for the 16th playoff spot and a regular-season title still to be contested between multiple drivers, Saturday night’s race at Daytona International Speedway (7:30 ET, NBC, Peacock, NBC Sports App, MRN Radio, SiriusXM NASCAR Radio) is going to be stressful for all teams. See who’s trending upward and who is going the wrong way after Michigan.

THREE UP ⬆️

1. Ty Gibbs, No. 54 Joe Gibbs Racing Toyota

Started: 19th

Finished: 3rd

What happened: A nightmare summer may finally be over for the sophomore Cup driver as Gibbs stormed through the midpack of the field to be in contention for his first career victory in the closing stages. Despite two OT restarts, Gibbs kept the No. 54 out of harm’s way and scored his first top-10 result since Chicago in July.

What’s next: With a 39-point gap entering Daytona, there are still no guarantees, but the No. 54 team now has multiple options to either maximize stage points Saturday or go all-out for the win. However, Gibbs hasn’t scored a top 10 at the 2.5-mile Florida superspeedway in four Cup starts.

gibbs at michigan
Logan Riely | Getty Images

2. Kyle Busch, No. 8 Richard Childress Racing Chevrolet

Started: 13th

Finished: 4th

What happened: An assertive call from crew chief Randall Burnett on the final pit cycle put Busch in the lead in the final 30 laps, but the two-time Cup champion eventually lost the lead to William Byron. However, a complete, incident-free day resulted in Busch’s first top five since Dover.

What’s next: A top five could pay off in huge momentum for the No. 8 team entering Daytona. RCR usually brings hot rods to Daytona and Busch had one of the fastest cars in the Daytona 500 in February. He’ll be one to watch Saturday night.

busch at michigan
Jonathan Bachman | Getty Images

3. Zane Smith, No. 71 Spire Motorsports Chevrolet

Started: 27th

Finished: 7th

What happened: The on-track improvements have shown for Smith and the No. 71 team this summer, and they’ve proved that a runner-up result at Nashville wasn’t a fluke. While Monday’s result was just the second top-10 finish of the year for Smith, the No. 71 has finished inside the top 20 in six of the last 10 races.

What’s next: Daytona is the ultimate wild card and of those well on the outside looking in, it wouldn’t be a surprise to see Smith battling for the win among the top dogs of the sport. He finished 13th in the Daytona 500 back in February.

zane smith at michigan
Jonathan Bachman | Getty Images

THREE DOWN ⬇️

1. Martin Truex Jr., No. 19 Joe Gibbs Racing Toyota

Started: 24th

Finished: 24th

What happened: It looked like Truex was on his way to a top-five result to take command of a postseason position on points. But a slide into the wall with six to go parachuted Truex to a 24th-place finish and a third consecutive result outside the top 20 and fifth of such in the last six races.

What’s next: With only two races left in the regular season, no one can kick Truex out of a playoff spot on wins with four spots still open, but the recent finishes for the No. 19 team shouldn’t have it feeling comfortable despite a 77-point cushion. Superspeedways have been the Achilles’ heel for Truex with not a single win. However, he’s finished the first races at Daytona, Atlanta and Talladega on the lead lap taking the checkered flag 15th, 12th and 11th, respectively.

truex at michigan
Jonathan Bachman | Getty Images

2. Ross Chastain, No. 1 Trackhouse Racing Chevrolet

Started: 7th

Finished: 25th

What happened: So close to another top-10 result was all for naught for the No. 1 team as Chastain spun during the first OT after a chain reaction that started with Alex Bowman slapping the wall down the backstretch. However, Chastain has now taken the 16th spot in the postseason by just one point over Wallace after the No. 23 driver was involved in a wreck in Stage 2.

What’s next: Chastain went for it all earlier in the Daytona 500 that ended in him and Austin Cindric spinning on the final lap battling for the crown-jewel win. Expect Chastain to bring the same assertiveness to the superspeedway but a more-measured approach as Darlington is a strong race track for the No. 1.

chastain at michigan
Logan Riely | Getty Images

3. Bubba Wallace, No. 23 23XI Racing Toyota

Started: 5th

Finished: 26th

What happened: Wallace secured seven stage points at Michigan, but this one will sting for the No. 23 camp after he was caught in a late Stage 2 wreck when Larson spun right in front of him. The damage was enough to take all the speed out of the McDonald’s Toyota and all Wallace could do was watch his teammate take the checkered flag instead.

What’s next: If Daytona was stressful for Wallace last year, then Saturday night is going to be a whole other level as he has to be ahead of the No. 1 to jump back into 16th in the postseason. Wallace’s capabilities on superspeedways are well-known, and if the No. 23 can avoid a potential attrition-filled race, it could mean a guaranteed spot in the playoffs.

wallace at michigan
Logan Riely | Getty Images
Posted on by Holly Cain

Certainly, the FireKeepers Casino 400 at Michigan International Speedway was not lacking in action or drama. 23XI Racing’s Tyler Reddick claimed his second victory of the season — seventh of his career — while the 2024 NASCAR Cup Series Playoffs standings shifted dramatically yet again in Monday’s weather-delayed double overtime finish to the race.

Reddick’s No. 45 Toyota pulled away from William Byron’s No. 24 Hendrick Motorsports Chevrolet on the second overtime restart — holding off Byron and Joe Gibbs Racing’s Ty Gibbs to claim the win by a slight .168-second and break a nine-race winning streak at the historic 2-mile track for Ford.

“Just great teammate and a fantastic push from Ty Gibbs, the Toyota racing family tries to take care of each other,” said Reddick, who immediately dedicated his win to longtime family friend and dirt late model racing legend Scott Bloomquist, who was killed in a plane accident days ago.

“The last couple days have been tough, but this really helps. This win goes to him [Bloomquist] and his family and friends, and all that meant a lot to him. It’s always tough when someone you care about passes away.

“We did a really good job today,” he said of the win. “I think we were the last car on the lead lap starting stage three today so good effort for us.”

RELATED: Race results | At-track photos

Byron, a three-race winner and the 2024 Daytona 500 champion, second-guessed the decision to start his Chevrolet alongside Reddick on the high side of the front row on that final restart after starting on the bottom lane previously.

“I will relive that restart and what lane to choose overnight for sure,” Byron said. “It seems like always as the leader you want to take the top, but I’ve gotten beat twice here by the bottom and I had the lead on the bottom barely over him.

“But he had a better car than us, he was a little bit faster. Second sucks, but really proud of the effort. I feel like we’ve been trying to put weeks together like this and this is a really good step.”

Richard Childress Racing’s Kyle Busch finished fourth and led 24 laps in the race, one of his better showings of the season. The two-time series champion still sits more than 100 points out of the playoff standings and is trying to extend a record 19-year winning streak in the series but Monday’s showing marks some positive momentum for the No. 8 team entering the final stretch of the regular season.

“Overall, just net positive on the weekend, being better on speed and up front and having a shot anyways, but we ran top 10 all day,” said Busch, whose win in Stage 2 marked his and the RCR team’s first stage win of the year.

“This is how we would expect to run, this how we want to run,” he added. “We want to run up front, have top-10s and have opportunities to excel.

“If I had to say, maybe an eighth, 10th-place car today and we got a fourth out of it. Good pit calls and making a couple good moves on the late restarts got us that. … good momentum rolling in the right direction and need to just keep that going.”

SHOP: Get geared up for the playoffs

RFK Racing teammates, owner-driver Brad Keselowski and Chris Buescher were fifth and sixth place – the top finishing Fords. Keselowski was hoping to win at his home-state track for the first time in 28 starts there. For Buescher that sixth-place finish may have felt a little like a win after two days of dramatic ups and downs.

It improved his place in the championship standings to 15th out of the 16 drivers currently playoff eligible — now 16 points up on the cutoff line. Trackhouse Racing’s Ross Chastain moved into the 16th and final position — only a single point ahead of Reddick’s 23XI Racing’s Bubba Wallace.

Chastain, who brought out a caution flag in the first overtime, had been 12 points to the good inside the playoff standings taking the first overtime green flag.

It was indicative of the non-stop action from Sunday’s green flag and red flags to Monday’s checkers. The race resumed Monday on Lap 52 and so did the aggression with 16 different race leaders and 26 lead changes in all.

On Sunday, polesitter, Joe Gibbs Racing’s Denny Hamlin spun out while trying to pass Wallace for the lead early. His No. 11 JGR Toyota was largely undamaged despite a slide through the infield grass and he ultimately battled his way back up through the field Monday to secure an impressive ninth-place finish.

Hendrick Motorsports’ Kyle Larson, who led the Cup Series championship points standings coming into the race, was sidelined early after triggering a seven-car accident on Lap 116, after misjudging a pass on Wallace as well.

The 2023 Michigan winner Buescher, Chase Briscoe, Christopher Bell, Joey Logano and Todd Gilliland were all involved in the incident in varying degrees. Although Larson, Bell, Logano and Gilliland’s cars were sidelined, Buescher’s Mustang was able to continue with an assortment of challenges. His team called him in for two new tires on the final caution period and he was able to race back to that sixth-place finish.

MORE: Get notified for 2025 schedule release

Larson’s miscue had a major effect on the Regular Season Championship with race winner Reddick now taking the lead by 10 points over Chase Elliott, who led laps but finished 15th.

Hamlin’s race recovery moves him into third place, 28 points back and Larson has dropped to fourth place, 32 points behind Reddick with only two races remaining to decide who will earn the regular-season title and receive that all-important 15-point playoff bonus.

“Had an extremely fast car so hate I screwed that up for our team as well the others out there that got collected in it,” said Larson, driver of the No. 5 Hendrick Motorsports Chevrolet. “Just trying to get what I could, get some stage points and just lost it.”

Rookie Zane Smith finished seventh, followed by Daniel Suárez, Hamlin and rookie Carson Hocevar.

The Cup Series returns to competition in Saturday night’s Coke Zero Sugar 400 at Daytona International Speedway (7:30 p.m. ET, NBC, MRN Radio, SiriusXM NASCAR Radio, NBC Sports App). Buescher is the defending race winner.

NOTE: Post-race inspection was completed without issue in the Cup Series garage, confirming Tyler Reddick as the winner. The Nos. 7, 17, 48, 54 and 99 will head to the NASCAR Research & Development Center in Concord, North Carolina, for further evaluation.
Posted on by Staff Report

A host of contenders found midrace trouble in Sunday’s NASCAR Cup Series race when a multicar crash erupted off Turn 4 at Michigan International Speedway.

Kyle Larson’s No. 5 Hendrick Motorsports Chevrolet broke loose in the 116th of a scheduled 200 laps in Sunday’s FireKeepers Casino 400. His slide collected cars driven by Bubba Wallace, Chris Buescher, Joey Logano, Christopher Bell, Todd Gilliland and Chase Briscoe as the field scattered.

RELATED: Race results | At-track photos: Michigan

Logano, Larson, Bell and Gilliland were sidelined by the crash and finished 33rd through last in the 36-car field in that order. The wreck also forced Stage 2 to finish under the yellow flag, and Kyle Busch was the stage winner.

Larson unofficially fell out of the Cup Series points lead, relinquishing the top spot to eventual winner Tyler Reddick.

“Yeah, I just messed up,” Larson said after a check at the infield care center. “You try to get all you can on restarts. I was just trying to funnel myself up the race track. I didn’t want to get stuck on the bottom three-wide. Just got myself in an awkward aero spot and lost it. It’s unfortunate. I made a mistake and cost ourselves a lot of points today.”

The melee shook up the provisional Cup Series Playoffs picture, but Buescher had the best rebound among those on the postseason bubble. He came back to finish sixth and holds a 16-point edge over the elimination line. Ross Chastain, who lost a lap and finished 25th after an overtime spin, is just plus-one over Wallace, who finished 26th and ranks as the first driver out.

“Things happen in front but to me, I just feel like if you see an accident, start checking up,” said Buescher, who pitted when a yellow flag forced overtime, then rallied back for a top-10 result. “It seems like not a lot of people do that right now. It is just chaos when these yellows come out. That happened a little quicker than I really realized but it is still frustrating to be involved in that and take away the pace we had in this Mustang. It was just so good. I had such a fun time the first half of this race between yesterday and today and this is a heck of a recovery ultimately on the day.”

After the Michigan race, just two regular-season events remain — Saturday night at Daytona and the following week at Darlington — before the 16-driver playoff grid is set.

Other drivers collected in the Turn 4 tangle said that few evasive options existed.

“Yeah, I saw him spin,” Bell said, “and we were so bunched up that once one car gets sideways, there is not much that you can do.”

Logano was further back in the pack after a right-rear tire issue on Lap 108 dropped him from 14th place.

“We had that right-rear tire go flat right before that, which put us back there down a lap and then I think the 5 just spun out in front of me and kind of caused a big wad and a Daytona-type crash,” Logano said. “There was nowhere to really go. I couldn’t steer it left, so I just committed to maybe if I could slow it down enough, I could center-punch it, and it wouldn’t be that bad. That was my only option there. Unfortunately, we got knocked out a little early.”

Posted on by Press Release

In a beautifully illustrated, no-holds-barred nod to a colorful 76-year history, NASCAR Mavericks celebrates the innovators — and the innovations — that have formed the sport’s foundation since its 1948 debut. The celebration is big on the sport’s character — but more so on its characters, of which there are plenty.

Available Nov. 12, 2024, NASCAR Mavericks divides a comprehensive lineup of more than 60 stories by decades, starting with the original maverick — the sport’s founder, Bill France Sr. Written by NASCAR historian H.A. Branham and longtime motorsports journalist Holly Cain, those stories are rich with insights from individuals throughout motorsports — including some solid “mavericks.” The authors also source the memories of many top journalists who saw it all go down, first-hand.

RELATED: Cup Series schedule | How to get notified for 2025 schedule release

NASCAR Mavericks has the ultimate “bookends” with three-time NASCAR champion Tony Stewart supplying the foreword and current star Ross Chastain the afterword.

Stewart and Chastain are also featured in the book, as are Brian France, the Busch Brothers, Michael Jordan’s 23XI Racing team and Jimmie Johnson’s longtime crew chief, Chad Knaus. Earlier decades highlight mavericks like Smokey Yunick, Curtis Turner, Louise Smith, Janet Guthrie and Wendell Scott. Across the pages, technology is showcased, some of which — surprise — was ruled illegal.

The combination of detailed photography and entertaining tales makes NASCAR Mavericks a perfect follow-up to last year’s NASCAR 75 Years. Once again, it’s a book for every NASCAR fan.

Posted on by John Crane

BROOKLYN, Mich. — Weather eventually prevailed Sunday evening at Michigan International Speedway as rain delayed the start and ultimately postponed the rest of the NASCAR Cup Series race, 51 laps into the 200-mile event.

Two cautions waved over the opening quarter of the FireKeepers Casino 400. However, all 36 Cup machines remained active, with none going to the garage and retiring from the contest.

RELATED: See running order after 51 laps

Chase Elliott, pilot of the No. 9 Hendrick Motorsports Chevrolet, is the race leader, with Martin Truex Jr., Bubba Wallace, Alex Bowman and Tyler Reddick rounding out the top five. Kyle Busch, Kyle Larson, Ross Chastain, Chase Briscoe and Joey Logano complete the current top 10, in that order.

Although the race didn’t reach its conclusion at its scheduled time, there were a handful of takeaways from the opening 51 laps. Let’s give each a look.

Editor’s note: The race will resume Monday at 11 a.m. ET, on USA, MRN Radio, SiriusXM NASCAR Radio and the NBC Sports App. 

POSITIONING ALREADY APPARENT

Stage 1 concluded with Ryan Blaney capturing Stage 1 after a late-stage shootout. However, the surprise came from Bubba Wallace, who looked to be the looming victor after the No. 23 23XI Racing Toyota slingshotted his way to the race lead ahead of Larson and Hamlin on Lap 35. The No. 23 instead opted to pit, choosing Stage 2 positioning over stage points.

For Wallace, the move could be a gamble of sorts. After all, Wallace came into the Michigan weekend only three points ahead of the elimination line. But for the 30-year-old Alabama native, the long-term benefits could find the 23XI camp on solid footing to perhaps conquer the Irish Hills and find Victory Lane, which would clinch a playoff berth outright.

MORE: Weather delays Cup Series race at Michigan

This wasn’t the only battle. For Elliott and the No. 9, the opportunity to amass more cushion in the regular-season standings also arose. Among Elliott, Larson, Reddick and Hamlin — the four drivers currently battling it out for the Regular Season Championship — the No. 9 was the only driver to collect stage points, earning nine with his runner-up result.

Will this positioning pay off? Let’s see.

TOYOTA’S TALE OF TWO EXTREMES 

Wallace’s thrilling move in Stage 1 has already been discussed. But what about Hamlin, who was also contending for the race lead during the maneuver? Unfortunately for the No. 11 Joe Gibbs Racing Toyota team, near-disaster struck not even a handful of laps later. After racing side-by-side with Larson for second, Hamlin got loose and spun out on the frontstretch, eventually resulting in a 22nd-place finish in Stage 1.

A thrilling high for one Toyota camp in Wallace was counteracted with a gasping low for Hamlin. But with plenty of racing to go — and with a steady track record at Michigan, to boot — there is time to rectify the situation. Plenty.

WHAT DOES FORD HAVE IN STORE?

As it currently stands, only two Ford drivers — Briscoe and Logano — are running inside the top 10 at Michigan. Three Fords collected stage points after the conclusion of the opening stage, with Blaney winning the stage and RFK Racing’s Chris Buescher and Brad Keselowski finishing fifth and seventh, respectively.

Ford’s Michigan history runs deep, and as victors of the last nine Cup races at the 2-mile facility dating back to 2018, perhaps the manufacturer has another hearty run in store in the final 149 laps.

Posted on by Staff Report

Sunday’s NASCAR Cup Series race has been postponed to a Monday finish by rain at Michigan International Speedway.

The FireKeepers Casino 400 is set to resume Monday at 11 a.m. ET, to be broadcast on USA Network, MRN Radio, SiriusXM NASCAR Radio and the NBC Sports App.

Two waves of rain showers delayed the start of Sunday’s FireKeepers Casino 400 by nearly 2 1/2 hours, and 51 of a scheduled 200 laps were complete when wet weather struck the 2-mile track again.

RELATED: Leaderboard | At-track photos: Michigan

Chase Elliott was scored as the race leader, having led four laps in the No. 9 Hendrick Motorsports Chevrolet. Martin Truex Jr., Bubba Wallace, Alex Bowman and Tyler Reddick completed the top five.

Denny Hamlin started from the pole position, but dropped back when his No. 11 Joe Gibbs Racing Toyota spun off Turn 4 as he ran second in the 38th lap. Hamlin recovered after a slide through the infield grass and was listed as 17th in the 36-car field.

Ryan Blaney led eight laps and earned the Stage 1 win. He pitted during the stage intermission, handing the lead to Elliott. The race did not go back to green-flag conditions in Stage 2, when an approaching shower soaked the track.

Kyle Larson led a race-best 34 laps in the No. 5 Hendrick Motorsports Chevrolet. He was scored seventh when the event was scrubbed to a Monday finish.

It’s the second consecutive day that wet weather has disrupted the Michigan schedule. Rain interrupted Cup Series practice and washed out Busch Light Pole qualifying, forcing the starting grid to be set by performance metrics. Rain also caused delays to Saturday’s Xfinity Series race, which was won by Justin Allgaier in overtime.

MORE: Get notified for 2025 schedule release

It’s also the second straight year that Michigan’s Cup Series race was forced to finish on Monday. In 2023, rain stopped the race with 74 of 200 laps complete, and Chris Buescher drove the No. 17 RFK Racing Ford to victory a day later.

Ford is striving for its 10th straight Cup Series victory at Michigan. Chevrolet, Ford and Toyota are competing for the Michigan Heritage Trophy, awarded to the winning manufacturer each year at the 2-mile track.

Posted on by Staff Report

Sunday’s NASCAR Cup Series race has been delayed by rain for a second time at Michigan International Speedway.

The FireKeepers Casino 400 was scheduled for a 2:36 p.m. ET green flag, but precipitation at the 2-mile track placed the start on hold. After two waves of showers, the race went green at 4:55 p.m. ET, but another downpour soaked the track and forced another delay with 51 of a scheduled 200 laps complete.

RELATED: Leaderboard | At-track photos: Michigan

The race was moved to a Monday finish at 11 a.m. ET (USA Network, MRN Radio, SiriusXM NASCAR Radio, NBC Sports App).

Chase Elliott was scored as the race leader in the No. 9 Hendrick Motorsports Chevrolet when the event was halted. Martin Truex Jr., Bubba Wallace, Alex Bowman and Tyler Reddick completed the top five.

Denny Hamlin started from the pole position, but dropped back when his No. 11 Joe Gibbs Racing Toyota spun off Turn 4 as he ran second in the 38th lap. Hamlin recovered after a slide through the infield grass and was listed as 17th in the 36-car field at the time of the stoppage.

Ryan Blaney led eight laps and earned the Stage 1 win. He pitted during the stage intermission, handing the lead to Elliott. The race did not go back to green-flag conditions in Stage 2, when an approaching shower halted the action.

Kyle Larson led a race-best 34 laps in the No. 5 Hendrick Motorsports Chevrolet. He was scored seventh at the red flag.

MORE: Get notified for 2025 schedule release

It’s the second consecutive day that wet weather has disrupted the Michigan schedule. Rain interrupted Cup Series practice and washed out Busch Light Pole qualifying, forcing the starting grid to be set by performance metrics. Rain also caused delays to Saturday’s Xfinity Series race, which was won by Justin Allgaier in overtime.

Ford is striving for its 10th straight Cup Series victory at Michigan. Chevrolet, Ford and Toyota are competing for the Michigan Heritage Trophy, awarded to the winning manufacturer each year at the 2-mile track.

Posted on by Cameron Richardson

Editor’s note: Projection updated after Saturday’s on-track action and lineup set by rulebook:

Ford has won nine consecutive NASCAR Cup Series races at Michigan International Speedway, which is a big deal for the manufacturer with just three races left in the regular season and a handful of blue ovals seeking to grab one of the final four playoff spots.

Last season, Ford made up four of the top-10 finishers in the Irish Hills, with Chris Buescher snagging his second victory in a stretch that saw him win three of the last five races in the 2023 regular season. With Chris Buescher three points below the elimination line, can he go back-to-back at the 2-mile oval to guarantee a spot in the playoffs or will the top dogs dominate the show? Let’s take a deep dive into how Racing Insights sees Monday’s race playing out (11 a.m. ET, USA, MRN Radio, SiriusXM NASCAR Radio, NBC Sports App).

RELATED: Set your Fantasy Live lineup | Michigan schedule

Kyle Larson is still the betting favorite for Monday’s race, and for fair reason — he’s won three events at Michigan and has finished no worse than seventh in his last four events at the track. After initially giving the slight edge to Larson’s on-track rival Denny Hamlin, who has finished no worse than sixth at the 2-mile oval since 2019 and owns two victories at the facility, Racing Insights moved Larson to the top spot after Saturday’s brief on-track action.

Tyler Reddick, Ryan Blaney and William Byron make up the projected top five, with Byron replacing Christopher Bell in the fifth spot. Reddick, Blaney and Bell had separate issues in last year’s event. Reddick had issues on pit road, Bell spun and wrecked early despite finishing 13th and Blaney had an on-track tilt with Corey LaJoie.

Monday will be pivotal for Larson, Reddick and Chase Elliott as the three are separated by just six points for the regular-season title. With Daytona and the grueling pressure cooker in the Southern 500 looming to close the regular season, Michigan offers the most opportunity for drivers to have control of their destiny. Last season, Larson was the only one of the three to finish in the top 5 and on the lead lap after Reddick’s woes and Elliott wrecking out early.

DRIVERS TO WATCH

BRAD KESELOWSKI: The 2012 Cup Series champion is winless in 26 starts at Michigan, but RFK Racing as a whole will be the team to watch this weekend as Buescher looks to finally break through in 2024. On top of Buescher’s thrilling victory in 2023, Keselowski finished fourth.

MARTIN TRUEX JR.: After an engine failure early in the final stage at Richmond, Truex really needs a quality performance Monday to solidify his playoff position on points. He is a four-time runner-up at Michigan, including last year, but has yet to win at the 2-mile facility.

BUBBA WALLACE: Four top 10s in the last five races have put Wallace into the postseason picture by three points over both Ross Chastain and Chris Buescher. Bigger ovals have played into the No. 23 driver’s hands in his Cup career, and Michigan could be the place where Wallace snaps a 66-race winless drought. Eight drivers have snapped a winless streak of at least 41 races at Michigan.

TODD GILLILAND: Ford’s tendency to bring really fast cars to the manufacturer’s home track could mean a big weekend in store for Front Row Motorsports. With FRM now a Tier 1 organization under Ford and in a technical alliance with Team Penske, both the No. 34 of Michael McDowell and the No. 38 could have top-10 speed, or even race-winning speed on Monday.

ERIK JONES: Heading to his home state, Jones always seems to be an outside contender at Michigan. He owns two consecutive top 10s at the track, and a third could garner a massive boost of momentum before heading to Daytona and Darlington, where he’s won events at both.

MORE: How to get notified for 2025 schedule release

RACING INSIGHTS’ PROJECTIONS FOR THE FIREKEEPERS CASINO 400

Racing Insights’ advanced statistical formula includes current track, current track type, recent performance, team data and pit-crew data to arrive at a projected winner and full race results.

FINISHCAR NUMBERDRIVER
15Kyle Larson
211Denny Hamlin
345Tyler Reddick
412Ryan Blaney
524William Byron
619Martin Truex Jr.
79Chase Elliott
86Brad Keselowski
923Bubba Wallace
1020Christopher Bell
1117Chris Buescher
121Ross Chastain
1354Ty Gibbs
1422Joey Logano
1548Alex Bowman
168Kyle Busch
1799Daniel Suárez
1843Erik Jones
1934Michael McDowell
2010Noah Gragson
217Corey LaJoie
222Austin Cindric
234Josh Berry
2414Chase Briscoe
253Austin Dillon
2677Carson Hocevar
2751Justin Haley
2847Ricky Stenhouse Jr.
2938Todd Gilliland
3016AJ Allmendinger
3141Ryan Preece
3271Zane Smith
3342John Hunter Nemechek
3431Daniel Hemric
3521Harrison Burton
3615Cody Ware
Posted on by Zack Albert

The NASCAR Cup Series will return to Bowman Gray Stadium next year, revisiting a short track instrumental to its history for the season-opening Clash exhibition race.

The news was announced Saturday by Ben Kennedy, NASCAR executive vice president, chief venue & racing innovation officer, during pre-race ceremonies at the historic quarter-mile oval in Winston-Salem, North Carolina, that his great-grandfather – NASCAR founder Bill France Sr. – helped promote with founding official Alvin Hawkins. Earlier this year, NASCAR took over management of the municipal stadium’s racing operations from the Hawkins family, starting a new chapter for NASCAR’s longest-running weekly track.

The non-points event is scheduled for Sunday, Feb. 2, 2025 and will be broadcast live on FOX. The Clash had been held the last three seasons at the Los Angeles Memorial Coliseum on a temporary quarter-mile track based on the design of Bowman Gray’s flat asphalt that rings its football field. The stadium was used as a proving ground for NASCAR’s Next Gen car at such a track, with a Goodyear tire test and feasibility study held in the months before the first running of The Clash in LA.

RELATED: Bowman Gray through the years | All-time Clash winners
SHOP: Clash 2025 gear for Bowman Gray’s return

To commemorate the return to Bowman Gray, NASCAR Studios and FOX Sports Films are producing a one-hour documentary titled The Madhouse: NASCAR’s Return to Bowman Gray Stadium that will premiere on FS1. The film will explore the rich and rollicking history of the venue while weaving a narrative that focuses on preparations for The Clash in 2025. More details on the documentary, including when fans will be able to watch on FS1, will be released at a later date.

“We’re going back to The Madhouse in Bowman Gray Stadium,” Kennedy said. “Bringing our Cup Series back there for the first time since the 1970s, it’s going to be another historic event. I’d say in a lot of ways, this is going to be an opportunity to celebrate our roots, our history and celebrate our NASCAR regional series.”

Bowman Gray Stadium hosted Cup Series points events from 1958-71, and its list of winners is a collection of NASCAR Hall of Famers – Richard and Lee Petty, David Pearson, Junior Johnson, Bobby Allison, Glen Wood, and Rex White, among them. Several current Cup Series drivers – including Kyle Larson and Bubba Wallace — have competed in what is now called the ARCA Menards Series East. Kennedy savored a memorable victory in that circuit with his family at the stadium in 2013.

Bowman Gray Stadium has long held a special place in the France family’s collective hearts. The track has held weekly NASCAR events since the 1949 season, the same year the NASCAR Cup Series launched as the Strictly Stock division. Former NASCAR president Bill France Jr. met his future wife, Betty Jane Zachary, at the stadium in 1957. NASCAR executives Jim France and Lesa France Kennedy were on hand back in 2013 to cheer Ben Kennedy’s triumph at the quarter-mile oval.

MORE: How to get notified for 2025 schedule release

That same year, Ryan Preece won a race for the former NASCAR Whelen Southern Modified Tour at Bowman Gray. The driver of Stewart-Haas Racing’s No. 41 Ford described the stadium’s atmosphere as “wild,” a nod to the energetic crowd that fills the horseshoe-shaped bleachers each week in the spring and summer for racing in four divisions, including the featured Modifieds. The track has earned the nickname “Madhouse,” as much for its enduring “Madhouse Scramble” lineup format as the rowdy setting.

“It’s the East Coast version of what they made at LA, so I’m all for it,” Preece said earlier this year at NASCAR’s Chicago Street Race. “I’m all for going to short tracks. I think it’s all about doing something different. As far as the fans being around there, all the way around the stadium, it’d be cool.”

The stadium is familiar with wintertime events in either NASCAR’s traditional preseason or offseason. For years, Bowman Gray hosted “Tobacco Bowl” modified and sportsman events near the New Year’s holiday.

The Clash was introduced in 1979 as a non-points invitational at Daytona International Speedway for the Cup Series’ pole winners from the previous season. The event has evolved through the years but served as host of the unofficial stock-car kickoff to Daytona’s Speedweeks up until the first Los Angeles event in 2022.

“This is the next evolution of The Clash for us,” Kennedy said. “One of the areas where we feel like there’s an opportunity for us to continue to switch it up and go to new markets and new venues is an exhibition race like The Clash.”

Posted on by Holly Cain

Justin Allgaier used pit strategy and a fast No. 7 JR Motorsports Chevrolet to take the lead of Saturday’s Cabo Wabo 250 at Michigan International Speedway, with 16 laps of regulation remaining and then held off the field in two laps of overtime — before a caution came out to end the race.

Allgaier pitted for fuel seven laps later than the next six front-runners at the time, returned to the track and ultimately — methodically — picked each car off to claim the late lead. He took the white flag signaling one lap remaining and a few moments later one of the late-race leaders, Carson Kvapil, hit the wall in what became a chain reaction melee involving Chandler Smith and Kyle Sieg, whose car flipped end-over-end. Sieg was able to quickly climb out of his car and walk to the waiting medical crew.

Meanwhile, Allgaier took the yellow and checkered flags just ahead of Joe Gibbs Racing’s Sheldon Creed, JGR’s John Hunter Nemechek, Our Motorsports’ Anthony Alfredo and JR Motorsports’ Sammy Smith.

RELATED: Race results | At-track photos: Michigan

It’s the sixth consecutive top-10 finish in as many races for the 38-year-old Allgaier, who with the win — the 25th of his career — is now 10th on the Xfinity Series all-time win list moving ahead of his team owner, NASCAR Hall of Famer Dale Earnhardt Jr.

A bright rainbow hung in the sky as the field sat on pit road just before the overtime restart as NASCAR track workers dried the famed 2-mile Michigan track after the second brief rain shower of the day.

Asked to rally again, Allgaier proved his muster, ultimately passing his teammate Sammy Smith on the restart and then holding off both JGR teammates Creed and defending race winner Nemechek for his second victory of the season.

“Just cannot say thank you enough to this team and all these guys standing right here,” Allgaier said. “It’s been an incredible week. We did not show up at [the last race in] Indianapolis like we wanted to and these guys have worked tirelessly through this break.

“It’s truly special, winning at Michigan.”

It was a record 11th runner-up finish for Creed — breaking a tie with current Cup Series driver and former Xfinity Series champion Daniel Hemric and NASCAR Hall of Famer Dale Jarrett for most second-place finishes in the series without a win.

Trophy or not, it was a productive day for Creed, who started from pole position and also announced before the race that he signed a multi-year contract to drive for the new Haas Factory Team in Xfinity next season. He was among the seven race leaders, out front for 23 laps and his rally to runner-up was more impressive, considering he spun out while leading early in the race.

“This one might have frustrated me the most out of all of them so far,” Creed said. “I had a Joe Gibbs Racing Toyota GR Supra as fast as Xfinity internet today, and led the beginning, got spun there and rallied back.

“I was probably too conservative behind the 20 (Nemechek) trying to save fuel. I was a couple, few laps short on fuel there and the 7 (Allgaier) was in a little bit better spot, and once the 7 got around both of us, and the 88 (Kvapil), I know I needed to go. I probably set behind the 20 another two laps and then charged and was running the 7 down. Just had a really good car, but that caution for rain came at a bad time for us.”

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Cup Series regular Noah Gragson, Matt DiBenedetto, Craftsman Truck Series championship contender Taylor Gray, Caesar Bacarella and AJ Allmendinger rounded out the top 10. It marks only the third top 10 of Bacarella’s career.

With five regular season races remaining, Sammy Smith moves into 12th place in the championship standings, holding the final playoff position by a single point over Ryan Sieg, who won Stage 1 and finished 13th on Saturday.

Cole Custer finished an uncharacteristic 30th place after his Ford suffered damage in a mid-race accident. The defending series champion continues to lead the regular season championship, but his advantage has been trimmed now to only 12 points over Michigan race winner Allgaier.

The Xfinity Series moves to the famed Daytona International Speedway for Friday’s Wawa 250 Powered by Coca-Cola (7:30 p.m. ET, USA, MRN, SiriusXM NASCAR Radio, NBC Sports App). Allgaier is the defending race winner.

NOTE: Post-race inspection was completed without issue in the Xfinity Series garage, confirming Justin Allgaier as the winner.