Firekeepers Casino 400 at Michigan Preview – Motorsports Tribune

By David Morgan, Associate Editor

The end of the NASCAR Cup Series regular season is in sight with just four races remaining before the Playoff field is set.

After a visit to the hallowed grounds of Indianapolis Motor Speedway last weekend, the series heads north to Michigan International Speedway for Sunday’s running of the Firekeepers Casino 400.

With this race taking place near the home of two of the three manufacturers (Chevrolet and Ford), teams put extra emphasis on winning here for bragging rights. Especially this year with the track debut for the Next Gen car, which will add additional bravado for the manufacturer able to claim the first victory with the new car on the oval

The two-mile speedway tends to favor the teams that can get the most horsepower out of their cars and since being repaved in 2012, the track’s groove has widened out every race since allowing drivers to race from the wall down to the apron. Though horsepower is key, fuel mileage is also a big key as races at this track come down to fuel mileage more often than not.

Of the drivers still looking for a win to punch their ticket into the Playoffs, two of them in the thick of the points battle around the bottom half of the Playoff grid – Ryan Blaney and Kevin Harvick – are recent winners at the track. Blaney was victorious last season and Harvick won four of the five races taking place between 2018 and 2020.

Sunday will also mark the third straight race that Kurt Busch has missed while battling concussion like symptoms as a result of his crash in qualifying at Pocono. Once again, Ty Gibbs will be substituting for Busch behind the wheel of the 23XI Racing Toyota.