MICHIGAN
Saturday, August 17 — NASCAR Xfinity Series, 3:30 p.m. ET (USA)
Sunday, August 18 — NASCAR Cup Series, 2:30 p.m. ET (USA)
There is no track on the NASCAR circuit that Ford has been more successful at than Michigan International Speedway, which is where the NASCAR Cup and NASCAR Xfinity Series will be racing this weekend. Ford has won nine straight Cup races at the facility and 44 overall, which is the most for the manufacturer at any track.
FORD ALL-TIME MICHIGAN WINS LEADER
No manufacturer has had more success at Michigan International Speedway than Ford, which comes into this weekend looking to extend a nine-race winning streak. Since the track opened in 1969 there have been 106 NASCAR Cup Series races and Ford Motor Company has won more than half of them (53%). Overall, the company has 56 MIS victories with 44 being Ford and 12 Mercury. David Pearson is the track’s all-time leader in wins with nine (all Mercury) while Bill Elliott has the most Ford wins with seven.
FORD LOOKS TO EXTEND MIS WIN STREAK TO 10
Ford comes into Sunday’s scheduled race having won the last nine series races at the two-mile facility as Chris Buescher extended the streak one year ago when he led the final 12 laps to win for the second consecutive week. That made Buescher the fifth different driver to win at MIS during this streak. Kevin Harvick has five wins during that span while Clint Bowyer, Joey Logano, Ryan Blaney and Buescher have one each.
YEAR – DRIVER
2018 – Clint Bowyer (1) and Kevin Harvick (2)
2019 – Joey Logano (1) and Kevin Harvick (2)
2020 – Kevin Harvick (1 and 2)
2021 – Ryan Blaney
2022 – Kevin Harvick
2023 – Chris Buescher
HERITAGE TROPHY SUCCESS
Since Michigan International Speedway began handing out the Heritage Trophy to the winning manufacturer in August 2013, Ford has taken it back to World Headquarters in nearby Dearborn more times than any other manufacturer. Ford has won 11 races since the trophy came into existence while Chevrolet has won six and Toyota one.
BRAD KESELOWSKI: “I didn’t know it was nine races. That’s a great streak to have. We certainly don’t take it for granted. Those streaks come and go, but it’s been a good track for Ford. We put a lot of emphasis on going there, which has paid off clearly. Doug Yates and the engine shop are really good about making sure we’ve got the power and the things we need, and we had a good race there last year with RFK to be able to win with Chris. Hopefully, I can make it number 10.”
JOEY LOGANO: “It’s pretty important, more important for us. I’d like to get it more than anybody. Probably every Ford driver would say the same thing, but it’s definitely a special place to win for the OEMs. You think about it. All of the executives are there. The last thing you want is them to drive back to Dearborn and say, ‘Uhhhhh.’ You want them to be celebrating and enjoy it, so everyone brings as much as they can to try to win that one.”
RYAN BLANEY: “It’s huge. We take a lot of pride in that Heritage trophy and obviously with Ford being right there it’s really important. Edsel definitely makes sure that we know that it is important that we keep that there in Detroit at their home base. I was fortunate enough to win there a few years ago and have Edsel there and kind of see that excitement in him. It would be important to keep the streak going, so hopefully we can at least make a run at it and keep that trophy where it belongs.”
NOAH GRAGSON: “I know there are big manufacturer rivals up in the rolling hills, so going for 10 in a row is a pretty big accomplishment in my opinion at any racetrack. To be able to do it up in Michigan that’s the goal, obviously. Nine in a row is really big to be able to do that is a statement made. That makes me proud to drive a Ford and especially up in the rolling hills because they obviously have speed with the Dark Horse Mustang. I hope we can have a good run because Michigan is one of my favorite racetracks. It’s a good, fun, fast racetrack, probably the fastest racetrack we go to on the whole NASCAR circuit, so I’m really looking forward to it.”
FOUR STRAIGHT FOR AWESOME BILL
Bill Elliott is the only driver to win four straight NASCAR Cup Series races at Michigan International Speedway, sweeping both events in 1985 and ’86, and he capped that impressive streak in dominating fashion. Elliott led 125-of-200 laps on Aug. 17, 1986 to beat Tim Richmond to the finish line and win the Champion Spark Plug 400. Elliott went on to win seven career races at MIS and currently ranks third on the all-time list, trailing only David Pearson (9) and Cale Yarborough (8).
JARRETT WINS FIRST CUP RACE
Dale Jarrett registered his first NASCAR Cup Series victory in memorable fashion at Michigan International Speedway on Aug. 18, 1991. Jarrett, who was in second season driving for the Wood Brothers, found himself in a furious battle with Davey Allison, who stalked him over the final dozen laps in his No. 28 Texaco Havoline Thunderbird. Allison made a move to the outside coming off turn four and got alongside Jarrett as the two took the white flag together. They took turns exchanging the lead, but never left each other’s side. As they came off turn four both Fords made contact, but it was Jarrett who ended up edging Allison by eight inches at the finish line.
BIFFLE WINS FORD’S 1,000TH
Greg Biffle posted Ford’s 1,000th NASCAR victory when he took the checkered flag on June 16, 2013 in the Quicken Loans 400. The milestone win, which included combined victories in the NASCAR Craftsman Truck, NASCAR Xfinity and NASCAR Cup Series, was Biffle’s second straight at MIS and fourth overall. The race was shaping up to be a battle between Biffle, who was leading, and a hard-charging Jimmie Johnson, but a flat tire ended Johnson’s chances with two laps to go.
HERITAGE TROPHY FIRST
When Joey Logano won the Pure Michigan 400 at Michigan International Speedway on Aug. 18, 2013 it represented his first win with Ford and new car owner Roger Penske. But it also marked the first time the speedway awarded the Michigan Heritage trophy, which goes to the winning manufacturer of every NASCAR Cup Series race at MIS. Logano, who won the pole and led a race-high 51 laps, passed Mark Martin for the lead with four laps to go after Martin’s car ran out of gas.
BACK-TO-BACK-TO-BACK?
Ford will be going for its third straight series victory this weekend after Cole Custer won at Pocono Raceway and Riley Herbst captured the checkered flag at Indianapolis Motor Speedway three weeks ago. Custer, who has 14 career NXS wins, is looking for his first victory at MIS. In four career series starts, he has a pair of top-10 finishes with a third-place effort in 2018 being his best. Herbst enters the competition with three straight top-10 runs at MIS, including a career-best sixth in last year’s event. With both drivers now locked into the playoffs, the attention will focus on Ryan Sieg, who currently holds the final spot in the 12-driver field, but only has a three-point cushion over Sammy Smith with six races remaining in the regular season.
FORD’S NASCAR CUP SERIES WINNERS
AT MICHIGAN
1969 – David Pearson (2)
1984 – Bill Elliott (1)
1985 – Bill Elliott (Sweep)
1986 – Bill Elliott (Sweep)
1987 – Bill Elliott (2)
1988 – Davey Allison (2)
1989 – Bill Elliott (1)
1990 – Mark Martin (2)
1991 – Davey Allison and Dale Jarrett
1992 – Davey Allison (1)
1993 – Mark Martin (2)
1994 – Rusty Wallace and Geoffrey Bodine
1996 – Rusty Wallace and Dale Jarrett
1997 – Ernie Irvan and Mark Martin
1998 – Mark Martin (1)
1999 – Dale Jarrett (1)
2000 – Rusty Wallace (2)
2002 – Matt Kenseth and Dale Jarrett
2003 – Kurt Busch (1)
2004 – Greg Biffle (2)
2005 – Greg Biffle (1)
2006 – Matt Kenseth (2)
2007 – Carl Edwards (1)
2008 – Carl Edwards (2)
2012 – Greg Biffle (2)
2013 – Greg Biffle and Joey Logano
2016 – Joey Logano (1)
2018 – Clint Bowyer (1) and Kevin Harvick (2)
2019 – Joey Logano (1) and Kevin Harvick (2)
2020 – Kevin Harvick (Sweep)
2021 – Ryan Blaney
2022 – Kevin Harvick
2023 – Chris Buescher
FORD’S NASCAR XFINITY SERIES WINNERS
AT MICHIGAN
1993 – Mark Martin
1995 – Mark Martin
1998 – Jeff Burton
2001 – Ryan Newman
2008 – Carl Edwards
2011 – Carl Edwards
