Starting from pole, Car 24 Jeff Gordon Axalta Chevrolet won the 45th Annual Pure Michigan 400 for his 91st win in 748 NASCAR Sprint Cup Series races. This is his 3rd win and 16th Top 10 finish in 2014. This is also his 1st 3 time wining season since 2011. This is his 3rd win and 27th Top 10 finish in 44 races at Michigan International Speedway. The 4 time champion Jeff Gordon, says the team, car and drive is in great shape to run for his 5th championship with his biggest competition his own team mates.
2nd Place Car 4 Kevin Harvick Jimmy John’s Chevrolet started from 6th place posted his 12th Top 10 finish in 28 races at Michigan International Speedway. It is his 5th 2nd place since his win earlier in the season & 12th Top 10 finish in 2014. 3rd Place Car 22 Joey Logano Shell Pennzoil Ford started from 2nd place posted his 7th Top 10 finish in 12 races at Michigan International Speedway. 4th Place Car 27 Paul Menard CertainTeed/Menards Chevrolet started from 7th place is the 1st car that does not have a win in the Top 10.
5th Place Car 88 Dale Earnhardt Jr. National Guard Chevrolet started from 25th place followed by 6th place Car 15 Clint Bowyer 5-Hour Energy Toyota started from 19th place. 7th Place Car 11 Denny Hamlin FedEx Freight Toyota started from 21st place followed by
8th place Car 2 Brad Keselowski Miller Lite Ford started from 5th place. 9th Place Car 48 Jimmie Johnson Lowe’s/Jimmie Johnson Foundation Chevrolet started from 30th place & lastly in the Top 10 Car 16 Greg Biffle Roush Performance Ford in 10th Place started from 11th place.
The race had 8 Cautions for 37 Laps:
1st Caution on lap 5 for Car 18 Kyle Busch Interstate Batteries Toyota crash Turn 1, 2nd Caution on lap 22 for Competition Caution, 3rd Caution on lap 26 for Car 7 Michael Annett Allstate Peterbilt/Pilot Chevrolet, Car 10 Danica Patrick GoDaddy Chevrolet, Car 14 Jeff Burton Mobil 1/Bass Pro Shops Chevrolet, Car 20 Matt Kenseth Dollar General Toyota, Car 21 Trevor Bayne Motorcraft/Quick Lane Tire & Auto Center Ford, Car 32 Travis Kvapil Skuttle Tight Ford, Car 51 Justin Allgaier Brandt Professional Agriculture Chevrolet, Car 78 Martin Truex Jr. Furniture Row Chevrolet, Car 83 JJ Yeley Burger King Toyota big crash Turn 1, 4th Caution on lap 38 for Debris in Turn 2, 5th Caution on lap 98 for Car 42 Kyle Larson Target Chevrolet crash & fire Turn 4, 6th Caution on lap 169 for Car 2 Brad Keselowski Miller Lite Ford crash Turn 1, 7th Caution on lap 175 for Car 55 Brian Vickers Aaron’s Dream Machine Toyota Spin Turn 4, 8th Caution on lap 180 for Car 41 Kurt Busch Haas Automation Chevrolet crash Turn 1.
20 Lead Changes among 8 drivers:
Lap Leaders: J. Gordon 0; J. Logano 1-21; R. Newman 22-24; J. Johnson 25-37; J. Logano 38-55; J. Gordon 56; J. Logano 57; J. Gordon 58-63; D. Earnhardt Jr. 64-67; J.
Johnson 68-75; R. Newman 76-78; J. Gordon 79-99; R. Newman 100-107; J. Logano 108-139; Kurt Busch 140-141; J. Gordon 142-164; Kurt Busch 165; B. Keselowski 166-167; K. Kahne 168-169; J. Logano 170-183; J. Gordon 184-200. Leaders Summary (Driver, Times Lead, Laps Led): J. Logano 5 times for 86 laps; J. Gordon 5 times for 68 laps; J. Johnson 2 times for 21 laps; R. Newman 3 times for 14 laps; D. Earnhardt Jr. 1 time for 4 laps; Kurt Busch 2 times for 3 laps; B. Keselowski 1 time for 2 laps; K. Kahne 1 time for 2 laps.
Key to winning: Car 24 Jeff Gordon Axalta Chevrolet had the fastest car and after the last restart grabbed the lead and never looked back even though Car 22 Joey Logano Shell Pennzoil Ford tried to get the lead back but failed. It was a great restart by Jeff Gordon like the one he had at Indy. Car 22 Joey Logano Shell Pennzoil Ford led most laps of the race but stated too many restarts.
The big crash came early at lap 26 after a restart which collected quite a few cars. The scary crash came on the 5th Caution on lap 98 for Car 42 Kyle Larson Target Chevrolet blew a tire, hit the wall then was engulfed in fire at Turn 4. With the new rules this was the exception for a driver to get out of his car, it was on fire.
Jeff Gordon leads the point standings by 3 points over Dale Earnhardt Jr.
Assuming they attempt to qualify for the remaiing 3 races in the regular season, the following drivers have clinched a spot for the Chase for the NASCAR Sprint Cup
today: AJ Allmendinger, Aric Almirola, Kurt Busch, Kyle Busch, Denny Hamlin.
NASCAR Sprint Cup Series Race Number 23
Unofficial Race Results for the 45Th Annual Pure Michigan 400 – Sunday, August 17, 2014 Michigan International Speedway – Brooklyn, MI – 2 Mile Paved
Total Race Length – 200 Laps – 400 Miles
Finishing Position Starting Position Car # Driver Team Laps Status
1. 1. Car 24 Jeff Gordon Axalta Chevrolet 200 Running
2. 6. Car 4 Kevin Harvick Jimmy John’s Chevrolet 200 Running
3. 2. Car 22 Joey Logano Shell Pennzoil Ford 200 Running
4. 7. Car 27 Paul Menard CertainTeed/Menards Chevrolet 200 Running
5. 25. Car 88 Dale Earnhardt Jr. National Guard Chevrolet 200 Running
6. 19. Car 15 Clint Bowyer 5-Hour Energy Toyota 200 Running
7. 21. Car 11 Denny Hamlin FedEx Freight Toyota 200 Running
8. 5. Car 2 Brad Keselowski Miller Lite Ford 200 Running
9. 30. Car 48 Jimmie Johnson Lowe’s/Jimmie Johnson Foundation Chevrolet 200 Running
10. 11. Car 16 Greg Biffle Roush Performance Ford 200 Running
11. 12. Car 31 Ryan Newman WIX Filters Chevrolet 200 Running
12. 20. Car 9 Marcos Ambrose Black & Decker Ford 200 Running
13. 22. Car 47 AJ Allmendinger Kingsford Charcoal Chevrolet 200 Running
14. 9. Car 1 Jamie McMurray McDonald’s Chevrolet 200 Running
15. 10. Car 17 Ricky Stenhouse Jr. Zest Ford 200 Running
16. 15. Car 5 Kasey Kahne Great Clips Chevrolet 200 Running
17. 26. Car 13 Casey Mears Geico Chevrolet 200 Running
18. 14. Car 10 Danica Patrick GoDaddy Chevrolet 200 Running
19. 4. Car 55 Brian Vickers Aaron’s Dream Machine Toyota 199 Running
20. 23. Car 43 Aric Almirola Eckrich Ford 199 Running
21. 29. Car 38 David Gilliland Love’s Travel Stops Ford 199 Running
22. 8. Car 3 Austin Dillon American Ethanol Chevrolet 199 Running
23. 3. Car 99 Carl Edwards Ford EcoBoost Ford 198 Running
24. 34. Car 34 David Ragan CSX – Play it Safe Ford 198 Running
25. 36. Car 26 Cole Whitt Iowa City Capital Partners Toyota 198 Running
26. 32. Car 23 Alex Bowman Dr Pepper Toyota 198 Running
27. 40. Car 36 Reed Sorenson Chevrolet 197 Running
28. 33. Car 98 Josh Wise Phil Parsons Racing Chevrolet 197 Running
29. 43. Car 40 Landon Cassill carsforsale.com Chevrolet 197 Running
30. 31. Car 83 JJ Yeley Burger King Toyota 197 Running
31. 16. Car 41 Kurt Busch Haas Automation Chevrolet 196 Running
32. 38. Car 32 Travis Kvapil Skuttle Tight Ford 196 Running
33. 37. Car 37 Dave Blaney Accell Construction Inc. Chevrolet 195 Running
34. 41. Car 33 Alex Kennedy Little Joe’s Auto Chevrolet 195 Running
35. 42. Car 66 Joe Nemechek Land Castle Title Toyota 195 Running
36. 39. Car 78 Martin Truex Jr. Furniture Row Chevrolet 177 Accident
37. 27. Car 14 Jeff Burton Mobil 1/Bass Pro Shops Chevrolet 176 Running
38. 18. Car 20 Matt Kenseth Dollar General Toyota 170 Running
39. 24. Car 18 Kyle Busch Interstate Batteries Toyota 159 Running
40. 35. Car 7 Michael Annett Allstate Peterbilt/Pilot Chevrolet 155 Vibration
41. 28. Car 21 Trevor Bayne Motorcraft/Quick Lane Tire & Auto Center Ford 153 Running
42. 17. Car 51 Justin Allgaier Brandt Professional Agriculture Chevrolet 97 Accident
43. 13. Car 42 Kyle Larson Target Chevrolet 94 Accident
Race Comments: Jeff Gordon won the Pure Michigan 400 at Michigan International Speedway, his 91st NASCAR Sprint Cup Series victory. Prior to the start of the race,
the following cars dropped to the rear of the field for the reasons listed: No. 83 (backup car and driver change); No. 40 (Engine change); Nos. 78, 21 (driver change). Failed to Qualify: N/A
Time of Race: 02 Hrs, 49 Mins, 16 Secs. Average Speed: 141.788 MPH Margin of Victory: 1.412 Seconds Average Speed of Race Winner: 141.788 mph.
3M Lap Leader: Jeff Gordon, #24 69 Laps
American Ethanol Green Flag Restart Award: Joey Logano, #22
Coors Light Pole Award: Jeff Gordon, #24 206.558 mph
Duralast Brakes “Brake in the Race”: Joey Logano, #22 Mahle Clevite Engine Builder of the Race: Roush-Yates Engines, #22
Mobil 1 Driver of the Race: Kevin Harvick, #4
Moog Chassis Parts Problem Solver of the Race : Denny Hamlin, #11 M. Wheeler, .122 sec Sherwin-Williams
Fastest Lap: Jamie McMurray, #1 Sunoco
Rookie of the Race: Austin Dillon, #3
Chase for the NASCAR Sprint Cup Outlook Michigan International Speedway
45th Annual Pure Michigan 400 UNOFFICIAL Provided by NASCAR Statistics – Sunday, 8/17/2014 @ 4:53 PM Eastern UNOFFICIAL
Position Driver Wins Points Points Position
1. Jeff Gordon 3, 816 1
2. Dale Earnhardt Jr. 3, 813 2
3. Brad Keselowski 3, 733 3
4. Jimmie Johnson 3, 686 7
5. Joey Logano 2, 714 4
6. Kevin Harvick 2, 687 6
7. Carl Edwards 2, 679 8
8. Kyle Busch 1, 620 15
9. Denny Hamlin 1, 589 20
10. Aric Almirola 1, 556 21
11. AJ Allmendinger 1, 556 22
12. Kurt Busch 1, 543 23
13. Matt Kenseth 0, 709 5
14. Ryan Newman 0, 679 9
15. Clint Bowyer 0, 672 10
16. Greg Biffle 0, 660 11
17. Kasey Kahne 0, 651 12
18. Austin Dillon 0, 638, 13
19. Kyle Larson 0, 636 14
20. Marcos Ambrose 0, 616 16
Next Race: Aug. 23, 2014 – Bristol Motor Speedway
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