Track: Michigan International Speedway, two-mile oval
Race: 11 of 20
Event: VizCom 200 (200 miles, 100 laps)
Schedule:
Sunday, August 9
11:30 a.m………..Practice
1:00 p.m……….Race (MAVTV & Trackpass)
(all times ET)
Hailie Deegan, No. 4 Monster Energy Ford Fusion
Hailie Deegan will be making her first start at Michigan International Speedway in Brooklyn on Sunday. To prepare for the fast two-mile oval, she spent time on the Ford Performance simulator in Concord, N.C., earlier this week and received advice from NASCAR Cup Series veteran David Ragan.
So far this season in 10 ARCA Menards Series starts, Deegan has earned two top-five and eight top-10 finishes. She had the potential for another top-five finish Sunday at Toledo (Ohio) Speedway, but had to settle for sixth when rain ended the race after only 127 of 200 laps.
The DGR-Crosley team is taking the same Monster Energy Ford Fusion which Deegan raced at Kentucky Speedway last month. The car has a new front clip after an accident in that race.
The ARCA Menards Series VizCom 200 from Michigan International Speedway will be run on Sunday, Aug. 9 at 1 p.m. ET. The race will be broadcast live on MAVTV and streamed live on NBC Gold TrackPass. The 100-lap race will be broken into segments with competition breaks on laps 30 and 60.
Deegan on Michigan: “I spent some time on the Ford simulator practicing for Michigan to get a baseline since you don’t know if you will be wide open there because I know they have done a couple things to the ARCA cars now. It’s just kind of guessing how the setup will be, but we’ll figure it out when we get there, although we won’t have a ton of practice. We’ll try to get a decent setup and get a good finish. Being consistent and not making mistakes is so important, along with the car’s setup.”
Anthony Alfredo, No. 17 Crosley Brands Ford Fusion
Anthony Alfredo returns to his former team for the ARCA Menards Series race on Sunday at Michigan International Speedway in Brooklyn. He will compete in the No. 17 Crosley Brands Ford Fusion for the 100-lap race. Alfredo raced for DGR-Crosley in the NASCAR Gander RV & Outdoors Truck Series for 13 races in 2019. He earned two top-10 finishes in the Truck Series before moving up to the NASCAR Xfinity Series this season, where he has scored one top-five and six top-10 finishes in 10 starts to date.
Michigan was one of the truck races Alfredo ran last year, so he is looking forward to going back to a track where he has prior experience. He had been running in the top five toward the end of the race until an accident took out all three DGR-Crosley trucks, including Alfredo, leaving him in 26th place.
Alfredo will race the same No. 17 Ford Fusion which Tanner Gray finished fifth in at Kansas Speedway in July.
The ARCA Menards Series VizCom 200 from Michigan International Speedway will be run on Sunday, Aug. 9 at 1 p.m. ET. The race will be broadcast live on MAVTV and streamed live on NBC Gold TrackPass. The 100-lap race will be broken into segments with competition breaks on laps 30 and 60.
Alfredo on Michigan: “We’ve been working on scheduling this race since the start of the season. Because of Covid-19, we weren’t sure exactly when we would be able to do it, but fortunately Michigan fell right in between my biggest break from the Xfinity side of things, so I’m excited to go fill that gap. It’s going to be nice to get the band back together racing with DGR-Crosley again and go have some fun at Michigan. I didn’t get to work with Blake (Bainbridge, crew chief) last year, but I know him and most of the guys who will be on my team, so that helps with the chemistry. I’m glad I get to go to Michigan. It’s a fun track and I was able to run a Truck Series race with them last year, so there is some consistency which will be helpful.”
Thad Moffitt, No. 46 Richard Petty Performance Plus Motor Oil Ford Fusion
Thad Moffitt will make his first start at Michigan International Speedway in Brooklyn on Sunday. In 25 career ARCA Menards Series starts, he has never competed on the wide two-mile oval. Luckily he has plenty of people to ask for advice throughout the DGR-Crosley organization. His teammate this weekend, Anthony Alfredo, has a prior truck start there, as well as team co-owner David Gilliland who has 19 NASCAR Cup Series starts in the Irish Hills.
Moffitt has been preparing for the new track by practicing on iRacing frequently. He has also been preparing physically making sure he is hydrated and eating healthy before the afternoon race.
Moffitt will be driving the same No. 46 Richard Petty Performance Plus Oil Ford Fusion which he raced at Kansas Speedway in July where he finished 10th.
The ARCA Menards Series VizCom 200 from Michigan International Speedway will be run on Sunday, Aug. 9 at 1 p.m. ET. The race will be broadcast live on MAVTV and streamed live on NBC Gold TrackPass. The 100-lap race will be broken into segments with competition breaks on laps 30 and 60.
Moffitt on Michigan: “I’ve never raced at Michigan, but Tanner Gray told me the track gets really narrow off of turn two. It might have something to do with the frontstretch being curved and the backstretch being completely straight. I think we’ll be able to run wide open, at least for a little while until we’re in traffic, or something. The main thing I’m focusing on is a wide entry into both corners like I worked on at Toledo. If we can do that and I have to be able to trust my car a lot. Holding it wide open at 200 mph at Michigan is definitely going to be a first for me. I have enough confidence in my team and in myself that I think we’ll be just fine.”
