NASCAR Sprint Cup Michigan International Speedway

2015 June 13 Michigan C

NASCAR Sprint Cup Series Quicken Loans 400
Michigan International Speedway Distance: 400 miles (200 laps)
Sunday, June 14 1 p.m. (ET) TV: FOX Sports 1, 11:30 a.m. (ET)
Radio: MRN, SiriusXM Ch. 90

NASCAR XFINITY Series Great Clips 250 Benefiting Paralyzed Veterans of America
Michigan International Speedway Distance: 250 miles (125 laps)
Saturday, June 13 1:30 p.m. (ET) TV: FOX Sports 1, 1 p.m. (ET)
Radio: MRN, SiriusXM Ch. 90

NASCAR Camping World Truck Series

American Ethanol presents the Drivin’ for Linemen 200 brought to you by Ameren

Gateway Motorsports Park Distance: 200 miles (160 laps)
Saturday, June 13 8:30 p.m. (ET) TV: FOX Sports 1, 8 p.m. (ET)
Radio: MRN, SiriusXM Ch. 90

NASCAR SPRINT CUP SERIES

2015 June 14 Quicken Loans 400_2C

Car 78 Martin Truex Jr. Furniture Row/Visser Precision Chevrolet
The No. 78 Furniture Row Racing driver led the most laps for the fourth consecutive race in last weekend’s Axalta “We Paint Winners”

400 at Pocono Raceway and fended off defending NASCAR Sprint Cup Series champion Kevin Harvick for his first win of the season.

Truex’s victory was his first in 69 races (Sonoma, 06/23/13). Currently, he ranks second in the NSCS points standings, 39 points behind Harvick.

The New Jersey native’s 13 top-10 finishes tie Harvick’s total for the series lead. In NSCS history, only Lee Petty (1954, 1959), Richard Petty (1969), Truex and Harvick have collected 13 top 10s through the first 14 races.

To reiterate: In one year, two drivers have accomplished something that has only been accomplished by two NASCAR Hall of Famers and hasn’t happened in 46 years.

Truex will attempt to carry his momentum into Sunday’s Quicken Loans 400 at Michigan International Speedway (1 p.m. ET on FOX Sports 1). He has three top fives at the two-mile track: two second-place showings in 2007 and a third-place finish in 2013.

Car 24 Jeff Gordon Axalta/Penn State Chevrolet
Jeff Gordon showed the crowd incredible things last August at Michigan, leading 68 laps from the pole after setting the track qualifying record (206.558 mph), and pulling away from Kevin Harvick and Joey Logano for the win.

Gordon will try to visit Victory Lane again Sunday, for the second straight race in the Great Lakes State, filling his blank space in the win column and clinching a spot in the Chase for the NASCAR Sprint Cup.

The No. 24 Chevrolet driver’s three Michigan wins rank second among active drivers and his eight runner-ups stand as the most in history.

Gordon is coming off a 14th-place showing at Pocono. His third-place finish at Bristol was his best of the season. He currently occupies the 13th spot on the Chase Grid, 57 points above the cutoff line.

Car 4 Kevin Harvick Budweiser/Jimmy John’s Chevrolet
Kevin Harvick might not be happy about having just two wins, but he does have eight runner-ups that give him 10 top-two finishes on the year.

The 10 top-two finishes tie him with NASCAR Hall of Famer Bobby Allison (1972) for the most through 14 races in a season. The only other drivers with as many as nine top twos through 14 races are NASCAR Hall of Famers Richard Petty (1971) and Cale Yarborough (1974 and 1977).

Harvick’s strong finishes have allowed him to build a 39-point lead over Martin Truex Jr. in the season points standings.

Car 2 Brad Keselowski Miller Lite Ford
Brad Keselowski has won plenty of races in his NASCAR Sprint Cup Series career.
Seventeen to be exact. One place he hasn’t won is his home track – Michigan International Speedway. He will try to visit Victory Lane for the first time in front of the home crowd in Sunday’s Quicken Loans 400. In 11 starts at Michigan, Keselwoski owns three top fives (27.3%) and four top 10s with an average finish of 14.8. The numbers seem mediocre, but take away his first four starts at MIS and Keselowski’s average finish improves to 7.6.

With his win at Pocono last week, Martin Truex Jr. became the 10th driver to virtually lock himself into the Chase for the NASCAR Sprint Cup. Now, six spots in the Chase remain with only 12 races left in the regular season.

If the season ended today, Jimmie Johnson, Kevin Harvick, Martin Truex Jr., Joey Logano, Dale Earnhardt Jr., Brad Keselowski, Matt Kenseth, Kurt Busch, Denny Hamlin and Carl Edwards would all make the Chase with their wins. Based on points Jamie McMurray (+73), Kasey Kahne (+63), Jeff Gordon (+57), Paul Menard (+31), Aric Almirola (+25) and Ryan Newman (+20) would all get in as well.

On the outside looking into the Chase are Clint Bowyer (-20), Greg Biffle (-31), Kyle Larson (-41) and Danica Patrick (-46).

NASCAR XFINITY SERIES

2015 June 13 309515

Kyle Busch Returns To Car 54 After 11 Races Out Of The Seat

NASCAR XFINITY Series’ winningest driver, Kyle Busch, will return to Joe Gibbs Racing’s No. 54 team this weekend and compete in the Great Clips 250 Benefiting Paralyzed Veterans of America (FOX Sports 1 at 1:30 p.m. ET) after missing 11 races due to injuries suffered to both of his legs in the season-opener at Daytona International Speedway.

“I’m really looking forward to getting back behind the wheel of the 54 Monster Energy Toyota this weekend,” said Kyle Busch. “I can’t say enough about how much Monster Energy, JGR, Toyota and all my guys have helped me and pulled for me to get back into the XFINITY car. This is a continuation of my recovery since Daytona, and we hope to continue to add to my schedule going forward through the rest of the year.”

Busch raises the level of competition when he competes in the NASCAR XFINITY Series. He holds the series record in wins (70), poles (43) and top-fives (175).

Expect Busch to find his groove fairly quickly at Michigan, in seven starts he has one win (2004), six top fives and an average finish of 4.6. Busch won the Coors Light pole for this event last season.

Will Chris Buescher’s Good Fortune Continue

Dover International Speedway’s race two weeks ago was quite beneficial for Chris Buescher. Not only did he win the third race of his career and pad his NASCAR XFINITY Series points lead to 15 points over second-place Ty Dillon, but he also qualified for the second round of the Dash 4 Cash program at Indianapolis on July 25. With all this great success so early this season, can he keep it up?

All signs point to yes, especially this weekend at Michigan International Speedway.

Buescher’s team, Roush Fenway Racing, leads the series in wins at Michigan with five victories (Carl Edwards 2011, 2008; Jeff Burton 1998; and Mark Martin 1995, 1993). The team also holds the all-time lead in NASCAR Sprint Cup Series wins at Michigan, with 13.

Also Buescher has made two starts at the two-mile speedway posting two top 10s and an average finish of 8.5 – his seventh best track in average finish on the active NXS schedule.

Buescher’s pre-race Loop Data suggests he’ll maintain his recent success this weekend at Michigan. He has a driver rating of 95.6 (15th-best) and an average running position of 8.220 (eighth-best).

Defending Winner Paul Menard Leads Sprint Cup Contingent Peppering Entry List

Richard Childress Racing’s Paul Menard returns to the NASCAR XFINITY Series this weekend at Michigan International Speedway to defend his 2014 victory at the two-mile track. Eight NASCAR Sprint Cup drivers are scheduled to compete this weekend. Menard is joined by Denny Hamlin, Kyle Busch, Joey Logano, Kyle Larson, Alex Bowman, Aric Almirola and Kevin Harvick.

Last season’s Michigan race was mostly dominated by Joey Logano (led 43 laps) and Kyle Larson (led 46 laps), but it was Paul Menard who took the lead with five laps to go and drove to victory. Menard has made nine series starts at Michigan posting one win, four top fives and eight top 10s. His average finish at Michigan is 7.7. This weekend will be Menard’s second series start this season in the No. 33 Chevrolet.

Denny Hamlin will be in the Joe Gibbs Racing No. 20 Toyota with crew chief Michael Wheeler this weekend at Michigan. Hamlin has made six series starts this season for JGR, posting one pole (Richmond), one win (Richmond) three top fives, four top 10s and an average finish of 10.5. Hamlin has made four series starts at Michigan posting one win (2007), one top five and three top 10s.

Hamlin’s JGR teammate Kyle Busch returns to the series after time off due to injury. Busch has made seven starts at Michigan posting one win (2004), six top fives and an average finish of 4.6. His pre-race Loop Data has him ranked seventh in driver rating (109.6) at Michigan.

The hottest wheel in the garage will be steered by Joey Logano this weekend at Michigan. Roger Penske has tapped Logano to command the car owner points leading No. 22 Ford with crew chief Greg Erwin. Logano has been nearly unbeatable this season, in his five starts he has posted two poles, three wins (Phoenix, Bristol and Talladega), five top fives and an average finish of 1.4. Logano has made six starts at Michigan posting one win (2012), four top 10s and an average finish of 7.8.

Kyle Larson led nearly half this event last season but ultimately finished eighth. This season Larson’s talent continues to flow in the NASCAR XFINITY Series; in four starts he has posted three top 10s and an average finish of 14.5. Larson has made two series career starts at Michigan posting one top five and two top 10s.

JR Motorsports will welcome 2014 NASCAR Sprint Cup Series champ Kevin Harvick back to the No. 88 Chevrolet this weekend at Michigan.

Harvick has made nine starts at Michigan posting one win (2003), four top fives, seven top 10s and an average finish of 9.0. Sunoco Rookie Update: Chastain Is Chasing Wallace and Suarez Two weeks ago Ross Chastain finished 16th at Dover International, Speedway grabbing the highest finishing rookie honors for the second time this season – first was at Daytona (season opener).

Chastain is currently third in the Sunoco Rookie standings 40 points behind standings leader Darrell Wallace Jr. and 30 points back from second-place Daniel Suarez.

NASCAR XFINITY Series Etc.:

Danica Patrick Highlights NASCAR XFINITY Series FOX Sports Booth at Michigan: Alongside FOX Sports hosts Adam Alexander and Michael Waltrip, a rotation of drivers including Kevin Harvick, Brad Keselowski, Clint Bowyer and Jeff Gordon have been stepping in and offering their captivating views. Up next, Danica Patrick will try her hand in the booth this weekend in Michigan. Patrick will be the fifth and final driver analyst to join the broadcast team this season.

NASCAR CAMPING WORLD TRUCK SERIES

2015 June 14 309509

Passing Of The Torch: John Hunter Nemechek To Take Over Full-Time Reins From Father. There is a dawning of a new era in the NASCAR Camping World Truck Series.

One day following his 18th birthday (June 11), John Hunter Nemechek is back in the driver’s seat for good.

Nemechek, who has been sharing seat time with his father Joe in the No. 8 Chevrolet, will become old enough to be eligible to finish the remainder of the NCWTS schedule beginning in Saturday’s American Ethanol presents the Drivin’ for Linemen 200 brought to you by Ameren (8:30 p.m. ET on FOX Sports 1).

Only seven races into the NASCAR Camping World Truck Series season, Matt Crafton boasts a career-best three victories. The No. 88 ThorSport Racing driver is off to a blazing start on his way to his third consecutive NCWTS title, holding a 25-point advantage in the driver standings over Tyler Reddick. Crafton’s average finish on the season is 3.0. If you remove his eighth-place showing in the season opener at Daytona, his average finish improves to 2.2.

Crafton will attempt to continue his momentum at Gateway on Saturday. He has one top-five (9.1%) and seven top-10 (63.6%) finishes in 11 starts at the Illinois track.

2015 June 14 309511

If you are a SHAW customer you will NOT be watching the NASCAR CAMPING WORLD TRUCK SERIES

Kroger 250Credit: 307578Matt Sullivan/Getty Images. Cameron Hayley, driver of the #13 Cabinets by Hayley/Carolina Nut Co. Toyota, of Calgary Alberta leads a pack of trucks during the NASCAR Camping World Truck Series Kroger 250 at Martinsville Speedway.

If you are a Truck 13 Cameron Hayley # Cabinets by Hayley Toyota fan in Alberta there is now a petition against SHAW.

I want SHAW to immediately add FOX Sports Racing channel to the regular package(s) that used to have the SPEED channel without additional charges OR reduce the monthly charge for Shaw Cable TV package by $10 monthly for those that lost the SPEED channel.

NOTE: If Shaw does not bring back the FOX Sports Channel (the SPEED channel we all paid for) or does not reduce the monthly cable fee every Shaw cable tv subscriber by at least $10 a month, then: Everyone should contact the CRTC and complain about this monopoly and no reduction in monthly cable fees…

mail: Secretary General, CRTC, Ottawa, Ontario K1A 0N2 fax: 819-994-0218
toll-free telephone: 1-877-249-CRTC (2782)

http://www.gopetition.com/petitions/shaw-cable-tv-add-fox-sports-racing-or-refund-10-per-month-in-cable-tv-fees.html

NASCAR Canadian Tire Series

Budweiser 300 at Autodrome Chaudiere in Vallee-Jonction, QC
SHAPE: Oval SURFACE: Asphalt LENGTH: .25 Miles

TRACK FACTS
Opened in 1992 as a dirt track and was converted to an asphalt racing surface in 2005.
Has played host to ACT Castrol Series, PASS North, ISMA and Sportsman Quebec touring series events. Held its inaugural NASCAR Canadian Tire Series presented by Mobil 1 race on June 15, 2014.

Racers to watch for are: Car 87 Erica Thiering * #RaceCarByAva/CBRT Ford & Car 25 Joey McColm PartSource/Toronto Maple Leafs Ford, Canada’s Best Racing Team Inc (CBRT). Car 22 Scott Steckly Canadian Tire Dodge & Car 3 Jason Hathaway Fast Eddie/Choko/HGC Chevrolet.

http://www.nascar.com/en_us/sprint-cup-series.html

Graphics & Photos Courtesy of NASCAR

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