TEAM CHEVY ADVANCE
MICHIGAN DOUBLEHEADER
MICHIGAN INTERNATIONAL SPEEDWAY
BROOKLYN, MI
AUGUST 8-9, 2020
RACE #21 & 22: MICHIGAN
For the first time this season, NASCAR’s premier series returns to Michigan International Speedway for an action-packed doubleheader race weekend. Just the second time in NASCAR history, the weekend schedule will feature four races across three different series, including two NASCAR Cup Series (NCS) events on back-to-back days: the postponed FireKeepers Casino 400 on Saturday, August 8th, and the originally scheduled Consumers Energy 400 on Sunday, August 9th. The NCS doubleheader around the 2-mile, D-shaped speedway in the Irish Hills of Southeastern Michigan will mark the 21st and 22nd races on the revised NCS schedule.
Accompanying the NASCAR Cup Series, the three-day race weekend will also consist of an appearance by the NASCAR Gander RV & Outdoors Truck Series on Friday, August 7th, and the ARCA Menards Series VizCom 200 that was postponed and rescheduled for Sunday, August 9th. In compliance with the pandemic guidelines, all events during the doubleheader weekend will be run without spectators.
BOWTIE BULLETS
· Since the NASCAR Cup Series first race at Michigan International Speedway in 1969, Chevrolet has made its way to victory lane 26 times. GM brands Buick, Oldsmobile and Pontiac have combined for an additional 10 wins. Of the NCS’s 101 races at the speedway, Chevrolet has recorded 180 top-fives, 367 top-10’s and 7,180 laps led.
· Chevrolet drivers that have recorded wins at Michigan International Speedway include:
Kurt Busch, No. 1 Monster Energy Camaro ZL1 1LE, with three wins (2003, 2007, 2015)
Matt Kenseth, No. 42 Credit One Bank Camaro ZL1 1LE, with three wins (2002, 2006, 2015)
Jimmie Johnson, No. 48 Ally Fueling Futures Camaro ZL1 1LE, with one win (2014)
· Kurt Busch and Matt Kenseth’s three career wins each at Michigan International Speedway are the most of active drivers in NASCAR’s premier series.
· Chevrolet has led the field to the green from the pole position 27 times. Career Chevrolet driver, Jeff Gordon, holds the current track qualifying record of 206.558 mph, 34.857 seconds, set on August 17, 2014.
· Of active series drivers, Matt Kenseth, No. 42 Credit One Bank Camaro ZL1 1LE, leads the way with top-five finishes at Michigan with 14 and top-10’s with 20.
· Jimmie Johnson, No. 48 Ally Fueling Futures Camaro ZL1 1LE, leads all active drivers in laps led at the 2-mile speedway with 700 laps led in his 36 career starts.
· Since the electronic scoring system was implemented into the Series, the closest margin of victory was recorded at the June 2001 event, when NASCAR Hall of Famer Jeff Gordon captured the win over Ricky Rudd by 0.085 seconds.
· In eight career starts at the 2-mile Michigan track, Chase Elliott, No. 9 NAPA Auto Parts Camaro ZL1 1LE, has recorded an average finish of 7.625, the most among active drivers.
HERITAGE TROPHY UP FOR GRABS
The Michigan Heritage Trophy is a recognition and celebration of the history cars and manufacturers bring to the race track and NASCAR competition. Each year, the track recognizes the sport’s manufacturers by presenting the prestigious award to the winning manufacturer at Michigan International Speedway. Since the debut of the trophy at the August 2013 event, Chevrolet has brought the title home six times, tying for the top spot on the Series leaderboard.
PLAYOFF OUTLOOK
With 20 races in the books and just six left in the regular season, the chase to making the Playoff cutline is on. The top-16 in the standings at the end of the regular season will have a chance to compete for the title of the 2020 NASCAR Cup Series Champion. As the points stand entering into the Michigan race weekend, six of the top-16 drivers in the standings are occupied by Team Chevy drivers. Here are a look at where the Team Chevy top-16 currently sit:
5th Chase Elliott, No. 9 NAPA Auto Parts Camaro ZL1 1LE
11th Alex Bowman, No. 88 ChevyGoods.com / Adam’s Polishes Camaro ZL1 1LE
14th William Byron, No. 24 Axalta Camaro ZL1 1LE
15th Tyler Reddick, No. 8 Chevy Accessories Camaro ZL1 1LE
16th Austin Dillon, No. 3 Dow Mobility Science Camaro ZL1 1LE
Three Team Chevy Camaro ZL1 1LE drivers have secured their spots in the NASCAR Cup Series Playoffs with wins captured thus season so far: Alex Bowman’s win at Auto Club Speedway, Chase Elliott’s victory at Charlotte Motor Speedway and Austin Dillon’s recent trip to victory lane at Texas Motor Speedway.
TAKING THE GREEN
For the remainder of the 2020 NCS season, the race weekend format will consist of no practice or qualifying. The starting lineup for Saturday’s FireKeepers Casino 400 will be set by virtue of owners points and a random draw. Here are Team Chevy’s top-20 starters:
6th Alex Bowman, No. 88 ChevyGoods.com / Adam’s Polishes Camaro ZL1 1LE
8th Chase Elliott, No. 9 NAPA Auto Parts Camaro ZL1 1LE
10th Kurt Busch, No. 1 Monster Energy Camaro ZL1 1LE
14th Tyler Reddick, No. 8 Chevy Accessories Camaro ZL1 1LE
17th Jimmie Johnson, No. 48 Ally Fueling Futures Camaro ZL1 1LE
18th Austin Dillon, No. 3 Dow Mobility Sciences Camaro ZL1 1LE
19th William Byron, No. 24 Axalta Camaro ZL1 1LE
20th Matt Kenseth, No. 42 Credit One Bank Camaro ZL1 1LE
The starting lineup for Sunday’s Consumers Energy 400 will be set by the finishing order of Saturday’s event, with an inversion of the top-20 finishers.
TUNE-IN
NBCSN will telecast the 156-lap, 312-mile FireKeepers Casino 400 live at 4:00 p.m. ET on Saturday, August 8th. Returning on Sunday, August 9th, NBCSN will telecast the 156-lap, 312-mile Consumers Energy 400 live at 4:30 p.m. Live coverage can also be found on the NBC Sports Gold app, MRN and SiriusXM NASCAR Radio.
QUOTABLE QUOTES:
CHASE ELLIOTT, NO. 9 NAPA AUTO PARTS CAMARO ZL1 1LE – 5th IN STANDINGS
“To me, shorter races just mean that track position is just going to be that much more important, especially positioning yourself for that last stint. It seems like a lot of these races over the past couple of months have really been determined by your position during that final strategy call when you pit to get to the end of the race, ultimately, and how you want to play that card. All of that starts at the beginning of the day, how you start your strategy then eventually will stretch out and sometimes dictate what you do for the last pit stop. In a short race I think all those things are really going to matter, making the right decisions and hopefully having the cautions fall your way.”
ALEX BOWMAN, NO. 88 CHEVYGOODS.COM / ADAM’S POLISHES CAMARO ZL1 1LE – 11th IN STANDINGS
BOWMAN ON HIS FEELINGS ABOUT MICHIGAN:
“I enjoy going to Michigan each year. I feel like we have had some strong finishes at the track and we really need to have a good weekend. We finished inside the top-10 in both events last year and had some solid runs. Michigan is a fun track and I think that this No. 88 team has really figured something out there. If we could bring home the Michigan Heritage Trophy to Hendrick Motorsports and Chevrolet, that would be big. We are in the backyard of so many manufacturers, so being able to capture that for Chevy would definitely be special.”
GREG IVES, CREW CHIEF, NO. 88 CHEVYGOODS.COM / ADAM’S POLISHES CAMARO ZL1 1LE
IVES ON THE IMPORTANCE OF WINNING AT MICHIGAN:
“We race to win trophies every week, but the Irish Hills of Michigan International Speedway pose the battleground for the manufacturers. Michigan was the first NASCAR track I went to as a kid and with this being my home track, I look forward to capturing the Michigan Heritage Trophy not only for the No. 88 team and Hendrick Motorsports, but also for our partner in Chevrolet.”
WILLIAM BYRON, NO. 24 AXALTA CAMARO ZL1 1LE – 14th IN STANDINGS
BYRON ON DOUBLEHEADER AT MICHIGAN:
“What’s good with two races this weekend in Michigan, and doubleheader weekends in general, is that you can make big changes and get big results on the second day of racing. I really like that about the doubleheader aspect. You don’t have to wait until we go back to the same track later in the year. You can make changes to your car and strategy overnight if you need to and try it all again the next day. It’s a great opportunity to improve before you move your mindset on to the next track.”
BYRON ON THE SPEED DRIVERS EXPERIENCE AT MICHIGAN:
“You definitely do feel the high speeds at Michigan. The straightaways are long and you’re right up against the wall. It’s got the shape of Daytona but Michigan is a lot flatter of a track. I think the flatness makes it feel like you’re going fast on corner entry, especially with the lateral load and being right on the edge on entry to the corner. I feel like that’s what creates the sensation of so much speed at Michigan.”
TYLER REDDICK, NO. 8 CHEVY ACCESSORIES CAMARO ZL1 1LE – 15th IN STANDINGS
DOES WINNING IN THE NASCAR XFINITY SERIES LAST YEAR WITH RANDALL BURNETT GIVE YOU ANY EXTRA CONFIDENCE HEADING INTO THIS WEEKEND’S DOUBLEHEADER EVENT?
“It’s nice to be able to head to a track where you’ve won at before, but the packages between Xfinity and the Cup Series are so different that there really isn’t much crossover. I actually think the Xfinity package we ran at Michigan two years ago was more similar to our current Cup package, which was when RCR and Austin Dillon won the race in the rain-shortened event. So, I’ve run a race there with a similar package, but at the same time I’ve learned no matter how similar they sound on paper, there really is nothing too similar in person between them. But there are other areas I can lean on heading into the weekend. The tire is very similar to what we ran at Texas and Kentucky, so I expect similar strategy calls for people trying to get track position. Then again, it is a two-mile track. It’s big and has a lot of grip normally. We’re going during the middle of summer though, so I’m interested to see what means for tire fall-off and if there will be any. It’s going to be an exciting doubleheader weekend for our No. 8 Chevy Accessories team.”
AUSTIN DILLON, NO. 3 DOW MOBILITY SCIENCE CAMARO ZL1 1LE – 16th IN STANDINGS
WHAT ARE YOUR THOUGHTS ON MICHIGAN INTERNATIONAL SPEEDWAY?
“We had a strong Chevy at Michigan International Speedway last year, and I expect the same this year. I’m really looking forward to the race. Michigan is a place we’ve run well at in the past, and I think it will provide a great opportunity to gather up some points before the NASCAR Playoffs begin.”
BUBBA WALLACE, NO. 43 VICTORY JUNCTION CAMARO ZL1 1LE – 22nd IN STANDINGS
“The doubleheader at the Michigan International Speedway is going to be a lot of fun. We’ve always had some success there – I feel like we have had some decent speed in our Chevrolets. I know Jerry (Baxter, crew chief) and the guys will have the Richard Petty Motorsports No. 43 Victory Junction Chevrolet Camaro ZL1 1LE tuned-up. We’ve got a lot of racing under our belt this year to, hopefully, come up with a good baseline to have a decent race on Saturday and then regroup for Sunday to make that even better. We’re continuing to look for some improvement – we had a little bit of a setback this past weekend, but nothing we can’t come back from. We’ve got our work cut out for us and we’ll get the job done.”
RICKY STENHOUSE JR., NO. 47 KROGER CAMARO ZL1 1LE – 24th IN STANDINGS
“We finally have a little bit of luck on our side heading to Michigan International Speedway this weekend. The doubleheader weekends are really unique with the opportunity to make changes between Saturday and Sunday’s race. I’ve been really happy with the speed that we’ve had on the big tracks this season, and Brian Pattie makes such great strategy calls to get us to the front during these races. The choose cone rule that’s now in play will really help on restarts, which can get crazy at Michigan. I’m looking forward to another two solid races this weekend in the No. 47 Kroger Chevrolet.”
TY DILLON, NO. 13 GEICO CAMARO ZL1 1LE – 27th IN STANDINGS
WHAT ARE YOUR THOUGHTS HEADING INTO THE DOUBLE AT MICHIGAN?
“Personally, I think having two opportunities back to back at the same track on the same weekend is nice. Michigan was a good race for us last year in the fall and I think our Germain Racing program has learned enough this year to go have two strong runs this weekend. Our GEICO team just needs to keep capitalizing on the good runs we’ve been having, carry the momentum forward and continue to build points.”
MATT KENSETH, NO. 42 CREDIT ONE BANK CAMARO ZL1 1LE – 28th IN STANDINGS
“I’m looking forward to going to Michigan and having two chances at the same track. I think with this 500 (hp) package Michigan will be the closest we’ll get to racing like we do at a superspeedway of any of the other tracks we race at. It’s a fun race track. You have to have a fast race car by yourself but you’re also going to have to be good in traffic. Starting mid-pack again, so we’re going to have to figure out how to navigate traffic and hopefully get to the front. Strategy will be difficult to come into play with the way that the stage lengths work out. You don’t even have to pit in stage 1 or stage 2 if you pit at the stage breaks. There’s probably not going to be a lot of help from strategy to get you the track position you need. So, you’re going to have to have a fast race car and fast pit stops to be able to get there. I’m looking forward to seeing how Saturday goes. Hoping for a good result and hopefully we make it better for Sunday.”
RYAN PREECE, NO. 37 HONEY NUT CHEERIOS CAMARO ZL1 1LE – 30th IN STANDINGS
“New Hampshire Motor Speedway was exactly what we needed to get our luck turned around heading to Michigan International Speedway. We had a really strong run in the second Michigan race last season, and I think our cars we are bringing to the track are the best they’ve been. It’s been a learning year for Trent and I with this being our first season together, but the last couple of weeks he and the team have worked really hard to get our balance the best I’ve had this season right off the truck, and being able to adjust after Saturday’s race will be a big help for Sunday. Our No. 37 Honey Nut Cheerios Chevrolet looks fast and I’m ready to have a strong Michigan weekend.”
Chevrolet NASCAR Cup Series Statistics
Manufacturers Championships:
Total (1949-2019): 39
First title for Chevrolet: 1958
Highest number of consecutive titles: 13 (2003-15)
Years Won: 1958, 1959, 1960, 1961, 1972, 1973, 1974, 1976, 1977, 1978, 1979, 1980, 1983, 1984, 1985, 1986, 1987, 1988, 1989, 1990, 1991, 1993, 1995, 1996, 1998, 2001, 2003, 2004, 2005, 2006, 2007, 2008, 2009, 2010, 2011, 2012, 2013, 2014, 2015
Drivers Championships:
Total (1949-2019): 31
First Chevrolet champion: Buck Baker (1957)
Highest number of consecutive titles: 7 (2005-11)
Years Won: 1957, 1960, 1961, 1973, 1976, 1977, 1979, 1980, 1984, 1985, 1986, 1987, 1990, 1991, 1993, 1994, 1995, 1996, 1997, 1998, 2001, 2005, 2006, 2007, 2008, 2009, 2010, 2011, 2013, 2014, 2016
Event Victories:
Record for total race wins in single season: 26 (2007)
2020 STATISTICS:
Wins: 3
Poles: 3
Laps Led: 1,266
Top-five finishes: 24
Top-10 finishes: 65
CHEVROLET IN NASCAR CUMULATIVE STATISTICS:
Total Chevrolet race wins: 789 (1949 to date)
Poles won to date: 717
Laps led to date: 235,572
Top-five finishes to date: 4,038
Top-10 finishes to date: 8,347
Total NASCAR Cup wins by corporation, 1949 to date
General Motors: 1,123
Chevrolet: 789
Pontiac: 154
Oldsmobile: 115
Buick: 65
Ford: 797
Ford: 697
Mercury: 96
Lincoln: 4
Fiat Chrysler Automobiles: 467
Dodge: 217
Plymouth: 191
Chrysler: 59
Toyota: 149
Team Chevy high-resolution racing photos are available for editorial use.
About Chevrolet
Founded in 1911 in Detroit, Chevrolet is one of the world’s largest car brands, doing business in more than 100 countries and selling more than 4.0 million cars and trucks a year. Chevrolet provides customers with fuel-efficient vehicles that feature engaging performance, design that makes the heart beat, passive and active safety features and easy-to-use technology, all at a value. More information on Chevrolet models can be found at www.chevrolet.com.
