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RCR Post Race Report – Michigan 400

By
Official Release
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Austin Dillon’s Strong Run in the No. 3 BREZTRI AEROSPHERE® (budesonide, glycopyrrolate, and formoterol fumarate) Inhalation Aerosol Chevrolet Camaro ZL1 1LE Stalled by On-Track Incident at Michigan International Speedway

Finish: 36th
Start: 26th
Points: 13th

“We came to Michigan International Speedway with the mentality that this would be a make-or-break race for the No. 3 BREZTRI AEROSPHERE® (budesonide, glycopyrrolate, and formoterol fumarate) Inhalation Aerosol team, and boy did we bring a rocket. I am so proud of everyone at RCR and ECR for everything they put into this Chevy. We came close to winning Stage 1. In Stage 2, I was trying to get as many Stage points as I could get and did a good job of side-drafting and came down to the apron. After the Start/Finish Line, I was starting to come up off the apron because it’s so rough down there. Since the stage was over, I figured by that point the No. 2 car would have given me a little room. He didn’t and it ruined our race. I don’t know why it happened, really. He just held me down there a bit too long. I’m thankful that the good Lord kept me safe today because that was a heck of a wreck. I hate it for BREZTRI and my guys, most of all. They built a rocket ship. They really wanted this one, and I did too. I think we would have had a shot to do something at the end with our race car. It’s the best race car we’ve brought to the track at RCR this year, I feel like. It’s a bummer but we’ve got Daytona left to try and win to secure a spot in the NASCAR Playoffs.”

-Austin Dillon

NASCAR Playoff Hopes Still Alive For Tyler Reddick and the No. 8 Chevy Accessories Team After Up-And-Down Day at Michigan International Speedway

Finish: 29th
Start: 14th
Points: 11th

“Today was an up and down race for our Chevy Accessories team. I thought our car had good speed early and would have easily finished inside the top-10 with the lap times I was posting. During the beginning portion of the race, we lost track position and fought most of the race to get back. The car was a bit too tight in traffic, but Randall Burnett and the guys kept making it better. In the closing laps, I made it four-wide on the bottom, but I lost momentum, slid up on the track and lost a ton of positions. We avoided damage there, but unfortunately with less than 10 laps to go, my right rear tire was cut down and I spun. We were forced to pit under green for four tires and that cost us a solid finish. There is one race left at Daytona and we will give it everything we have as a team to get our No. 8 Chevrolet into the NASCAR Playoffs.”

-Tyler Reddick

Choosing your sunglasses: How should you do it?

By
SM
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Photo by Stephanie Hau on Unsplash

Too often chosen on the basis of their aesthetics, sunglasses do not always play their primary role: to protect the eyes from UVA and UVB rays. But how do you choose the prescription sunglasses that will perfectly suit your needs?

A short guide to survival in a world of colors and shapes

First, be aware that bright sunlight can affect your eyes. Exposure to too much visible light can damage the retina and cause permanent vision loss. In addition, UVA and UVB rays increase the risk of cataracts, which is a gradual clouding of the lens. You should therefore protect your eyes, even if the sky is partly cloudy.

Ideally, your orange frame sunglasses should protect you from the intense light of the daylight without interfering with your vision. And this is where the choice gets complicated. In fact, you should read the label carefully before purchasing it. Do they protect you against UVB rays, the most harmful? Are the lenses made of glass or plastic? You also want to make sure that everything fits perfectly to your face for maximum protection.

Protection

We classify sunglasses into three distinct categories.

The so-called aesthetic glasses

– Their lenses are lightly tinted.
– They block up to 60% of visible light and UVA rays, depending on the shade and degree of the coloring chosen.
– They filter between 87.5% and 95% of UVB rays.
– This type of glasses is not recommended for driving. They cannot, in most cases, limit the glare attributable to the star of the day.

All-purpose glasses

– Suitable for driving in the sun
– They block between 60 and 92% of UVA rays and visible light.
– Lenses, made of plastic or glass, reduce UVB rays by 95% to 99%.

Special purpose glasses

– They are particularly recommended for long exposure to the sun and in a particular context, for example, fishing.
– They are ideal for outings near bodies of water, on white-sand beaches, or during winter outings when the sun “beats down” on the snow.
– They block 98.5% of UVA rays and 97% of visible light.
– In addition, they filter 99% of UVB rays. Too dark, they are not suitable for driving.

Ideally, your sunglasses should protect you from blue light, which is the most harmful. It is the one that may dazzle you during extended stays on water or snow. They are generally gray, brown, or green in color, with a medium to dark intensity. Get your Versace sunglasses from Shade Station.

Plastic lenses

Ideally, the lenses of your sunglasses should be glass. You will then have to pay the price or get tinted glasses adjusted to your eyesight. As this material is less resistant than plastic, it breaks more easily. In addition, these glasses are generally heavier. A lot of sunglasses will be offered with plastic lenses. You will then need to select those that are coated with a coating that protects against scratches.

Some plastic lenses offer a higher level of distortion. Avoid them. To determine the level, put on the chosen glasses and look at a rectangle. Move your head up and down and left to right. If the lines seem to warp, put the sunglasses back in the shelf. Otherwise, they offer little distortion. Choose them!

5 Preparation Tips for Your First Race

By
SM
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Race day is always nerve-wracking, no matter how long you’ve been doing it. But it’s even worse when you have no idea what to expect. Some may be worried about how well they’ll perform or if they’ll even be able to complete the race. But races aren’t that scary when you set the right expectations and are thoroughly prepared. There are also steps everyone should take to make sure that they’re comfortable the whole way through and don’t put their health in jeopardy. Here are a few tips for those getting ready for their first race.

Prioritize Sleep

Sleep is essential for any athlete, so you need to get as much as you can during the days leading to your event. Sleep is important as this is when your body repairs and regenerates itself. Sleep will help regulate your mood and give you that extra bolt of energy you’ll need in those final miles as well.

While your sleeping habits and schedule will be important, your sleeping environment will be too. The first thing you have to look at is your mattress. You should sleep on the best mattress if you’re serious about your health and want to facilitate recovery after long runs or training sessions. Look for a mattress that will give you the right amount of support for your needs, dissipates heat, and allows for movement isolation if you’re sleeping with someone else.

Stop Stressing About Performance

Don’t be afraid to finish last in the race. It’s your first race, after all, so you shouldn’t even think about your position. Instead, try to outdo yourself. These races attract people of all ages and fitness levels. Some people even walk most of the distance. So, if you end up in the middle or end of the pack, you’ll still be in good company.

Check the Course

You should also check the course before the event so you can get an idea of the spots that will be more demanding. You don’t have to do it on foot, you can go back to save some time and energy. This will also allow you to do some visualization, which has been shown to reduce anxiety before sporting events.

Stick to Your Regular Diet

Forget trying different performance-boosting diets or fueling strategies right now. In the week leading to your race, you should stick to simple foods you’re used to. The last thing you want is to deal with an upset stomach just before a race, so go for things that are healthy and easily digestible. 

Also, watch your portions on the day before the race. Instead of gorging yourself, try to graze instead. Eating a large meal before going to sleep will disrupt it and won’t give you more energy the next day. Instead, take small meals during the day and a non-sugary snack before going to sleep if you absolutely need it. Don’t try carb-loading before the race either, as anything under 10K is unlikely to deplete your normal reserves, so go with the meals you usually have before workouts.

Lay Your Gear Out Well In Advance

Preparing your gear the day before the race will give you one less thing to worry about. It will also help you get mentally prepared. If you have your bib, fasten it in advance as it’s the only thing you’ll need to participate in the race besides your clothes and shoes.

This is all you need to know to get prepared physically and mentally for your first big race. Make your health your main priority and focus on having fun instead of where you’re going to finish.

Blaney steals the show with a late victory at Michigan

By
Andrew Kim
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BROOKLYN, MICHIGAN - AUGUST 22: Ryan Blaney, driver of the #12 Menards/Cardell Cabinetry Ford, celebrates in the Ruoff Mortgage victory lane after winning the NASCAR Cup Series FireKeepers Casino 400 at Michigan International Speedway on August 22, 2021 in Brooklyn, Michigan. (Photo by Sean Gardner/Getty Images).

The outside lane at Michigan International Speedway was the preferred lane for many at Michigan International Speedway, but the inside lane prevailed at the right time for Ryan Blaney. The High Point, North Carolina, native received a push from Kyle Busch to overtake and beat William Byron in an eight-lap dash to win the FireKeepers Casino 400 at the Irish Hills on Sunday, August 22.

The victory was Blaney’s second of the season and his first since winning at Atlanta Motor Speedway in March.

The starting lineup was based on a performance metric formula, weighing the driver’s and owner’s results from a previous Cup event, the owner points position and the fastest lap recorded from a previous Cup race. With that, Kyle Larson, the regular-season points leader, started on pole position and was joined on the front row with teammate Chase Elliott.

Prior to the event, Josh Berry and Joey Gase started at the rear of the field due to driver changes from their respective machines.

When the green flag waved and the race commenced, teammates Larson and Elliott dueled dead even until Ryan Blaney issued a challenge on the inside lane through the first turn. Through the backstretch, however, Larson was able to pull ahead on the outside lane as he went on to lead the first lap ahead of Matt DiBenedetto.

Meanwhile, Kurt Busch powered his way into third while Elliott was challenged by Kevin Harvick for fourth place. Behind, Ryan Blaney slipped back into the top 10 as Alex Bowman, Denny Hamlin and others moved up the leaderboard.

On the third lap, DiBenedetto, who challenged Larson for the lead early, led the third lap before Larson took it back. Through the backstretch and entering Turn 4, Kurt Busch then moved into the runner-up spot over DiBenedetto as Elliott started to reel in the leaders. Just behind the top-four competitors were Denny Hamlin and Kevin Harvick, both of whom were battling for a top-five spot ahead of Alex Bowman.

Through the first five laps, Larson continued to lead by nearly two-tenths of a second over Kurt Busch. Meanwhile, Martin Truex Jr. was mired back in 33rd after he sustained left-rear quarterpanel damage to his No. 19 Auto-Owners Insurance Toyota Camry.

By Lap 10, Larson’s No. 5 Cincinnati Chevrolet Camaro ZL1 1LE was leading by nearly four-tenths of a second over Kurt Busch’s No. 1 Monster Energy Chevrolet Camaro ZL1 1LE while DiBenedetto, Elliott and Hamlin were in the top five. Harvick was in sixth followed by Bowman, Tyler Reddick, Joey Logano and Kyle Busch. William Byron was in 11th ahead of Ricky Stenhouse Jr. and Blaney was back in 13th ahead of Chris Buescher and Erik Jones, who announced his return to Richard Petty Motorsports for the 2022 season. Ryan Newman was in 16th ahead of rookie Chase Briscoe, Brad Keselowski, Austin Dillon and Christopher Bell. Aric Almirola was in 21st ahead of Ross Chastain and Daniel Suarez, Michael McDowell was in 24th, Bubba Wallace was in 26th and Cole Custer was in 29th. 

When the competition caution flew on Lap 20, Larson, who has led all but one of the scheduled laps, was the leader by nearly half a second over Kurt Busch. By then, Byron moved into the top 10 while Blaney and Harvick fell back to 12th and 16th. Truex, meanwhile, was still mired in 33rd.

Under the competition caution, the leaders pitted and Hamlin emerged with the lead after only opting for fuel under his first pit stop. Larson, who elected for a two-tire pit stop, exited in second followed by Kurt Busch, Elliott, Bowman and Reddick.

When the race restarted on Lap 25, Hamlin, who restarted on the outside lane, received a push from Larson to muscled away from Elliott, who elected to restart on the inside lane on the front row. Elliott, though, was able to settle in the runner-up spot ahead of teammate Larson through the backstretch.

Two laps later, Elliott thundered his No. 9 NAPA Chevrolet Camaro ZL1 1LE into the lead over Hamlin’s No. 11 FedEx Toyota Camry. Behind, Kurt Busch overtook Larson for fourth while Reddick settled in fifth.

The following lap, Kurt Busch drag-raced and battled Hamlin for the runner-up spot, but Hamlin managed to prevail on the outside lane through the first two turns. Behind, Joey Logano challenged Larson for fourth, but he lost his momentum in Turn 4 and fell back to sixth ahead of Byron and Bowman.

Through the first 30 laps of the event, Elliott was leading by nearly four-tenths of a second over Hamlin while Larson, Kurt Busch and Reddick battled in the top five. Byron moved up to sixth ahead of Logano, Bowman, DiBenedetto and Austin Dillon.

Shortly after, the caution flew when Joey Gase wrecked in Turn 2. Under caution, few like Daniel Suarez pitted while the rest led by Elliott remained on the track.

When the race restarted on Lap 35, Elliott and Kurt Busch battled dead even for the lead through the first turn and the backstretch until Elliott managed to pull ahead in Turn 3. Behind, Hamlin, who received a push from Logano through Turn 4, moved up to second while Logano moved his No. 22 Shell/Pennzoil Ford Mustang in front of Kurt Busch for third the following lap. The next lap after, Larson overtook Kurt Busch for fourth in Turn 3 while Austin Dillon, a competitor battling for a Playoff spot and who opted for four fresh tires under the competition caution, challenged Busch for fifth. 

Nearing the first 40 laps of the event and with the field jostling for positions, Elliott was leading by three-tenths of a second over Hamlin and Logano. Larson and Austin Dillon were in the top five followed by Kurt Busch, DiBenedetto, Blaney, Byron and Brad Keselowski. Meanwhile, Kyle Busch, Harvick and Truex were in 12th, 13th and 16th while Tyler Reddick was back in 15th.

With the race surpassing the Lap 50 mark, Elliott was leading by half a second over Austin Dillon. Hamlin, Logano and Larson were in the top five followed by Byron and DiBenedetto while Kurt Busch fell back to eighth ahead of brother Kyle and Blaney.

Back at the front, Austin Dillon and Larson started to reel in on Elliott for the lead. Despite the challenge, though, Elliott was able to maintain the lead and claim his second stage victory of the season by winning the first stage on Lap 60. Behind, Larson managed to edge Dillon at the line to settle in second while Hamlin held off Byron to retain fourth. Logano, DiBenedetto, Kurt Busch, Kyle Busch and Keselowski settled in the top 10.

Under the stage break, the leaders pitted and Larson exited with the lead following a stellar four-tire pit stop. Elliott followed in second ahead of Austin Dillon, Suarez (who opted for two fresh tires), Logano and Kyle Busch while Hamlin, who pitted from fourth place, fell back to 10th. Prior to the restart, Logano returned to pit road to have the lug nuts on his car tightened.

The second stage started on Lap 66 as Larson and Austin Dillon started on the front row. At the start, Larson and Dillon battled dead even for the lead for a full lap until Larson prevailed on the outside lane through Turn 1. With Larson clear in the lead, teammate Elliott moved up to second over Dillon, who was being challenged by DiBenedetto for more.

Behind, contact from DiBenedetto got Kurt Busch loose in Turn 3. While Busch prevented the car from spinning, he fell out of the top 10 and was mired near the midfield and around a bevy of cars. At the front, though, Larson continued to lead ahead of teammate Elliott, Austin Dillon, Kyle Busch and Suarez.

By Lap 75, a three-way battle for the lead ensued as Larson, the leader, was pressured by Austin Dillon and Elliott for the top spot, all three of whom were separated by approximately three-tenths of a second. Kyle Busch was up in fourth followed by DiBenedetto, Keselowski, Christopher Bell, Hamlin, Bubba Wallace and Harvick.

Five laps later, Elliott motored his way back into the lead.

At the halfway mark on Lap 100, Elliott continued to lead by a narrow margin over teammate Larson. Austin Dillon settled in third ahead of Kyle Busch and Bell while Hamlin was in sixth. DiBenedetto, Byron, Keselowski and Blaney were in the top 10.

Not long after, pit stops under green commenced as names like Harvick, Byron, Stenhouse, rookie Chase Briscoe and Bowman pitted. By Lap 110, Larson surrendered the lead to pit. The following lap, Elliott also pitted. A few laps later, Kyle Busch and Hamlin pitted, but Hamlin slid past his pit box while trying to enter his stall. During the pit stops, Ross Chastain took his car to the garage due to a fire in the rear end of his No. 42 Moose Fraternity Chevrolet Camaro ZL1 1LE.

Back on the track and with the green flag pit stops concluding, Kyle Busch, who pitted three and four laps later than Larson and Elliott, cycled to the lead. Bell was in second while Larson and Elliott closed in and challenged Hamlin for third.

Utilizing his pit strategy to perfection, Kyle Busch cruised to his fifth stage victory of the season after winning the second stage on Lap 120. Teammate Bell settled in second followed by Larson, Elliott and Hamlin. Behind, Austin Dillon nipped Keselowski for sixth, but then, Dillon’s strong day evaporated after contact from Keselowski sent Dillon head-on into the Turn 4 outside wall, where his car nearly flipped, before coming to a rest below the apron. The damage to the No. 3 Chevrolet was enough to terminate Dillon’s run for the day and put a huge dent to his Playoff hopes, though he will have a final opportunity to make the postseason next weekend at Daytona International Speedway. 

“I was just trying to get as many stage points as I could get right there and did a good job of side-drafting and came down to the apron and I’ve seen just one quick replay, but it was after the start/finish line,” Dillon said at the infield care center on NBCSN. “I was starting to come up off the apron because it’s so rough down there. But I figured by that point, [Keselowski] would have given me a little room. I hate it. I’m thankful that the good Lord kept me safe today. That was a heck of a wreck, but I feel fine.

“I hate it for BREZTRI and my guys, most of all,” Dillon added. “They built a rocket ship. They really wanted this one, and I did too. Just working our tails off right there. I think we would have had a shot to do something there at the end with our race car. It’s the best race car we’ve brought to the track at [Richard Childress Racing] this year, I feel like. It’s just a bummer but we’ve got Daytona left and I just hate it. I don’t know why it happened, really. I thought I had a little room to come up and he just held me down there a little bit too long, I guess.”

In the midst of the incident, Reddick, Byron and DiBenedetto rounded out the top-10 stage points positions in the second stage.

Under the stage break, names like Kyle Busch, Wallace, Elliott, Hamlin, Bell and Erik Jones pitted while the rest led by Larson remained on the track.

With 74 laps remaining, the final stage started as Larson and Kurt Busch started on the front row. At the start, Larson and Kurt Busch battled dead even for the lead for a full lap, where Busch led for the first time before Larson received a push from teammate Byron to grab the lead through the first two turns. Behind, Byron motored his No. 24 AXALTA Chevrolet Camaro ZL1 1LE into the runner-up spot while Busch fell back to third ahead of Blaney, DiBenedetto and Truex.

With 60 laps remaining, Larson was leading by a tenth of a second over teammate Byron while Kurt Busch, Blaney and Bowman were in the top five. Truex, following his early issues, was up in sixth ahead of teammate Hamlin, DiBenedetto, Logano and Reddick. Kyle Busch was mired back in 11th, Elliott was in 14th ahead of Harvick, Keselowski was back in 18th and Bell was in 21st.

Down to the final 50 laps of the event and with overcast clouds hovering above the track, Larson continued to lead by nearly four-tenths of a second over teammate Byron. Kurt Busch and Blaney remained in third and fourth while Truex was up in fifth ahead of teammate Hamlin, Bowman and Logano.

Nearing the final 40 laps of the event, names like Elliott, Byron, Bowman and Blaney pitted under green. During this time, Larson, who ran out of fuel, pitted along with Kurt Busch, but he was overtaken by teammate Byron on the track.

Under the final 40 laps, Hamlin emerged with the lead followed by teammate Truex while Logano, Kyle Busch and Reddick were in the top five. Not long after, Logano pitted along with Harvick and Truex.

With 35 laps remaining, Hamlin pitted as teammate Kyle Busch took the lead. Following Hamlin’s pit service, teammates Byron and Larson managed to overtake him on the track. Three laps later, Kyle Busch pitted along with Elliott, thus giving the lead to Keselowski as Chris Buescher was in second and Bell was in third, all of whom were among some who needed to pit.

With 20 laps remaining, the caution flew due to precipitation reported on the track. Five laps earlier, Byron emerged with the lead after Keselowski and Bell pitted, thus completing the cycle of green-flag pit stops. Teammate Larson moved up to second followed by Hamlin, Kurt Busch and Blaney.

Under caution, some led by Keselowski pitted while the rest led by Byron remained on the track.

Down to the final 14 laps of the event, the race restarted under green as Byron and Kurt Busch started on the front row. At the start, the field stacked up past the start/finish line, but Byron received a push from teammate Larson to retain the lead through the first turn. 

As the field fanned out through the backstretch, Hamlin aggressively charged his way into the runner-up spot over Larson while Reddick made a bold four-wide move on Logano, Kurt Busch and Blaney entering Turn 3 in a bid to gain spots towards his Playoff hopes. Then, through Turns 3 and 4, Reddick slowly drifted up the track and got loose in front of Logano, who got sideways and turned by Truex. The spin by Logano ignited a chain-reaction wreck that involved Bell, Josh Berry, McDowell and Ryan Newman. The incident drew the caution back on the circuit. 

With eight laps remaining, the race restarted. At the start and with the leaders battling dead even, Blaney, who restarted as the first competitor on the inside lane, received a huge shove from Kyle Busch to assume the lead in the first turn ahead of Byron as the field fanned out.

A lap later, Reddick spun in Turn 3, but the race remained under green. Back at the front, Blaney continued to lead by a narrow margin over Byron, Larson and Kurt Busch. Behind, Briscoe overtook Hamlin for fifth. 

Down to the final five laps of the event, the top-seven competitors were separated by half a second as Blaney, the leader, had Larson closing in on his rear bumper through the first two turns along with Byron, Kurt Busch, Hamlin, Briscoe and DiBenedetto. 

A lap later, Kurt Busch, who challenged Byron for third, wiggled in Turn 2 and lost his momentum before he was hit by Briscoe. Despite the contact, all competitors continued straight. A turn later, DiBenedetto shoved Hamlin out of the way on the inside lane, which sent Hamlin up the track in front of Briscoe, all of whom continued without wrecking.

Back at the front, Larson issued a challenge beneath Blaney, but he could not carry the momentum in Turn 1. Two turns later, Byron passed teammate Larson for the runner-up spot as he started to intimidate Blaney for the lead.

When the white flag waved and the final lap of the race occurred, Blaney was still leading ahead of Byron and Larson, both of whom were setting up a final challenge on Blaney for the top spot. Through the first turn and the backstretch, Byron gained a draft but was unable to execute a dive run on Blaney entering Turn 3. Through Turns 3 and 4, Byron tried another move from the outside lane, but the run came too late as Blaney edged Byron by 0.077 seconds to capture his first victory in the Irish Hills and in an upset fashion.

In addition to capturing his second victory of the season and first at Michigan, Blaney achieved his sixth win in the NASCAR Cup Series and his first multi-victory season in the Cup circuit. He also recorded the seventh consecutive Cup victory for the Ford nameplate at Michigan.

“We got a great push by [Kyle Busch] on the restart and was able to get clear there,” Blaney, who led the final eight laps, said on NBCSN. “Michigan’s a matter of pretty much wide open and just trying to play the air game. I hate you have to race that way, but that’s how you have to run. It worked out for us. Man, I’m proud of everybody on the No. 12 team. We weren’t great to start the day off and yeah, kept working and working, got a lot better. It’s so cool to get in Victory Lane for Ford here. This is such a huge one for Ford. That was cool, man. I’m fired up.”

Behind, Byron, who led 18 laps, settled in the runner-up spot while Larson, who led a race-high 71 laps and was aiming for his fourth victory at Michigan, ended up in third.

“[Hamlin] tried to shove us into [Turn] 1 and I had to stay with him to not sacrifice my right rear,” Byron said. “Once you get put three-wide middle, it’s game over. I gave up the lead trying to protect the top [lane] and just didn’t have the loyalty there to push me to the lead. Overall, a really good car. The AXALTA Chevrolet was extremely fast. Definitely, I know we can bring that to the Playoffs. It stinks to finish second, but I feel like we had a really good car to go to battle with.

“Yeah, the restart worked out a little better than I thought it was going to for me,” Larson said. “[Hamlin] tried to stick [Byron] three-wide. They got loose. I got to the middle. I think came out third or something there. Was able to get to second. Just made a couple bad moves, I guess. I think honestly just a little too patient behind [Blaney]. Could have made some later, you know, dives I guess to the inside. Who knows. I need to watch the replay.

“Just made a couple wrong moves, allowed William to get by me. Once I was in third, I hoped they would get racing, get side drafted. I was never close enough to William to help him generate a run on [Blaney]. Ended up third. A good points day. Wish we could have had more, but all in all a good day for the Cincinnati Chevy.”

Kurt Busch came home in fourth ahead of Hamlin while DiBenedetto, Kyle Busch, Elliott, Keselowski and Truex finished in the top 10.

Despite finishing 14th, Kevin Harvick clinched his spot into the Playoffs based on points.

There were 20 lead changes for 11 different leaders. The race six featured cautions for 29 laps.

With one race remaining until the 2021 Cup Playoffs commences, Larson continues to lead the regular-season standings by 28 points over Denny Hamlin. Currently, 13 competitors (Kyle Larson, Martin Truex Jr., Alex Bowman, Kyle Busch, Chase Elliott, William Byron, Joey Logano, Ryan Blaney, Brad Keselowski, Kurt Busch, Christopher Bell, Aric Almirola and Michael McDowell) are guaranteed Playoff spots based on winning at least once throughout the regular season.

Denny Hamlin and Kevin Harvick are also guaranteed spots in the Playoffs based on points.

Tyler Reddick, meanwhile, occupies the 16th and final berth to the Playoffs by 25 points over teammate Austin Dillon, with Matt DiBenedetto trailing by 120 points, Chris Buescher by 135, Ricky Stenhouse Jr. by 173, Ross Chastain by 185, Bubba Wallace by 195, Chase Briscoe by 227, Erik Jones by 250, Daniel Suarez by 254, Ryan Newman by 271, Ryan Preece by 279, Cole Custer by 295, Corey LaJoie by 370 and Anthony Alfredo by 440.

Results:

1. Ryan Blaney, eight laps led

2. William Byron, 18 laps led

3. Kyle Larson, 71 laps led

4. Kurt Busch, one lap led

5. Denny Hamlin, 10 laps led

6. Matt DiBenedetto, one lap led

7. Kyle Busch, 13 laps led, Stage 2 winner

8. Chase Elliott, 68 laps led, Stage 1 winner

9. Brad Keselowski, six laps led

10. Martin Truex Jr.

11. Chase Briscoe 

12. Ricky Stenhouse Jr.

13. Christopher Bell

14. Kevin Harvick

15. Chris Buescher

16. Alex Bowman

17. Aric Almirola

18. Erik Jones

19. Bubba Wallace

20. Michael McDowell

21. Ryan Preece

22. Daniel Suarez

23. Cole Custer

24. Ryan Newman

25. Justin Haley

26. Josh Berry

27. Cody Ware, one lap down

28. BJ McLeod, two laps down

29. Tyler Reddick, two laps down

30. Quin Houff, four laps down

31. Josh Bilicki, five laps down

32. Garrett Smithley, six laps down

33. Joey Logano – OUT, Dvp

34. Anthony Alfredo, 22 laps down

35. Ross Chastain, 48 laps down

36. Austin Dillon – OUT, Accident

37. Joey Gase – OUT, Accident

The 2021 NASCAR Cup Series season will cap off its regular-season stretch next weekend at Daytona International Speedway for the Coke Zero Sugar 400 and where the 16-car Playoff field will be determined. The event is scheduled to occur on Sunday, August 28, at 7 p.m. ET on NBC. 

Team Penske NASCAR Cup Series Race Report – Michigan

By
Official Release
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Team Penske NASCAR Cup Series Race Report
Track: Michigan International Speedway
Race: FireKeepers Casino 400
Date: August 22, 2021

No. 2 Discount Tire Ford Mustang – Brad Keselowski

Start: 20th

Stage 1: 10th

Stage 2: 7th

Finish: 9th

Status: Running

Laps Completed: 200/200

Laps Led: 6

Point Standings (behind first): 10th (-275)

Notes:

  • Brad Keselowski rebounded from a tough couple of races with a top-10 finish Sunday afternoon at Michigan International Speedway. Keselowski, a native of Rochester Hills, Mich., earned a ninth-place result to mark his 10th top-10 effort of the season. He remains 10th in NASCAR Cup Series driver standings, now 275 points behind leader Kyle Larson.
  • Keselowski started 20th in the 200-lap event and the No. 2 Discount Tire Ford Mustang steadily moved through the field to score a 10th-place finish in Stage 1. Keselowski reported that the balance on the Discount Tire Ford was just a little free in the center of the corners early on. On lap 55, Keselowski passed teammate Ryan Blaney for the seventh position and stayed there until the stage concluded on lap 60. Keselowski pitted during the stage caution for four tires and restarted eighth when the race restarted on lap 66.
  • In Stage 2, Keselowski continued to run consistently among the leaders. The balance on the No. 2 Mustang was very good on the longer runs but simply too free at the beginning. Crew chief Jeremy Bullins made the call for Keselowski to pit for left-side tires under the green flag on lap 112, eight laps before the end of the stage. Keselowski was credited with sixth-place when the segment concluded. As the stage ended, Keselowski made contact with Austin Dillion while the two battled for position. The driver of the Discount Tire Ford pitted during the stage caution for four tires and repairs to the left-front of his car and took the green flag restart from 26th position on lap 126.
  • The third and final stage saw Keselowski rally back into contention for a top-10 finish. He stayed out on track longer than others on the lead lap and led laps 168-173 before making his scheduled green flag stop. On lap 183, he pitted again for four tires and restarted 18th as the first car with fresh tires. Keselowski avoided a seven-car accident on lap 188 and he survived a frantic restart with eight laps to go to claim his top-10 finish.

Quote: “We were really good in the sun. Those scattered clouds at the end took away a little too much handling, I think. We had a pretty good Discount Tire Ford. I am bummed. I wanted of course to get a win and I hate that I had that contact with the 3. That really sucks for everybody. It really hurt our day and obviously ruined his.”

No. 12 Menards/Cardell Ford Mustang – Ryan Blaney

Start: 3rd

Stage 1: 11th

Stage 2: 12th

Finish: 1st – (sixth career NASCAR Cup Series Victory)

Status: Running

Laps Completed: 200/200

Laps Led: 8

Point Standings (behind first): 7th (-217)

Notes:

  • Ryan Blaney scored his sixth career NASCAR Cup Series victory in Sunday afternoon’s FireKeepers Casino 400 at Michigan International Raceway, after leading the final eight laps of the race in the No. 12 Menards/Cardell Mustang. The victory provides a valuable five playoff points as the team enters the final regular season race of the 2021 season next weekend.
  • At the start of the race, Blaney overcame the splitter on the No. 12 hitting the track and the Menards/Cardell Ford handling too tight early on. The condition prompted an air pressure change at the lap 20 competition caution. Blaney continued to struggle with the tight-handling condition until the conclusion of Stage 1, as he finished in the 11th position. At the stage break, crew chief Todd Gordon directed the No. 12 team to dial back on the air pressure adjustment and the crew added packer.
  • During the second stage, Blaney reported that the performance of the Menards/Cardell Mustang was improving, especially over the course of a longer run. Blaney hit pit road on lap 111 for four tires, air pressure and a wedge adjustment, and he reported that the No. 12 Mustang was improving overall. Blaney finished Stage 2 in the 12th position.
  • Blaney told the team the No. 12 Ford was back to running tight during the opening portion of the final stage, as Gordon called his driver pit at lap 159 for four tires, air pressure and tape on the nose. Blaney was consistently turning laps as fast as the leaders while running in the fourth position prior to the pit stop. A late caution flag allowed Blaney to line up in the third position, with teammate Joey Logano running behind for the restart.
  • Another quick caution re-racked the field which allowed Blaney to power to the lead on the restart. He fought hard to hold onto the race lead over the final eight laps, as he captured his second victory of the 2021 NASCAR Cup Series season and the sixth of his career.

Quote: “Man, I’m proud of everybody on the 12 team. Man, we weren’t great to start the day off. We kept working and working and got a lot better. It’s so cool to get in Victory Lane for Ford here. This is such a huge win for Ford, Penske, Menards, Cardell, Bodyarmor. I can’t thank them enough, what they do. That was cool, man. I’m fired up. I’m fired up.”

No. 22 Shell-Pennzoil Ford Mustang – Joey Logano

Start: 19th

Stage 1: 6th

Stage 2: 14th

Finish: 33rd

Status: Accident

Laps Completed: 188/200

Laps Led: 0

Point Standings (behind first): 8th (-232)

  • Joey Logano looked to be headed for a top-10 result in Sunday’s FireKeepers Casino 400 before a late-race accident left the No. 22 Shell-Pennzoil Ford Mustang with a disappointing 33rd-place finish.
  • After starting 19th, Logano went to work early as he moved inside the topv10 just three laps into the race. The No. 22 Ford Mustang got a slight wedge adjustment on the first pit stop at the competition caution on lap 20. Logano briefly raced inside the top five before settling into the sixth position to finish Stage 1. Logano reported the Shell-Pennzoil Mustang was running a little free so the team made an air pressure adjustment during the stage-ending caution. Logano would have to return to pit road to tighten lug nuts, which resulted in taking the restart at the rear of the field.
  • Logano was able to move forward, moving back inside the top 15 by running lap times as fast or faster than the race leaders. As the second stage continued under the green flag, Logano made steady progress forward before hitting pit road at lap 112 for four tires and air pressure change. Logano finished Stage 2 in the 14th position.
  • Logano continued his rebound in the final stage, racing inside the top 10 and consistently being one of the four fastest cars on the track. The Shell-Pennzoil Ford returned to pit road at lap 162 for potentially the final stop of the race, taking four tires, fuel and adding tape to the nose. A caution for light rain with 20 laps remaining allowed the No. 22 team to be in position to fight for the race lead.
  • On the race restart, Logano was collected in a multi-vehicle incident, as his Ford Mustang suffered significant right front damage. The accident resulted in Logano finishing 33rd after running within the top 10 for the majority of the race.

Quote: “Positives on the day were having improved speed in our Shell-Pennzoil Mustang on a 550-track. Unfortunately, we didn’t get the finish we deserved due to the wreck late. But good to have speed and good to be moving in the right direction before the playoffs.”

No. 10 Smithfield Ford Racing: Aric Almirola Michigan Race Report

By
Official Release
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Almirola Finishes 17th at Michigan
Smithfield Ford Driver Rallies for Season’s 14th Top-20

Date: Aug. 22, 2021
Event: FireKeepers Casino 400 (Round 25 of 36)
Series: NASCAR Cup Series
Location: Michigan International Speedway in Brooklyn (2-mile oval)
Format: 200 laps, broken into three stages (60 laps/60 laps/80 laps)
Start/Finish: 23rd / 17th (Running, completed 200 of 200 laps)
Point Standing: 23rd (436 points, 568 out of first)
Race Winner: Ryan Blaney of Team Penske (Ford)
Stage 1 Winner: Chase Elliott of Hendrick Motorsports (Chevrolet)
Stage 2 Winner: Kyle Busch of Joe Gibbs Racing (Toyota)

Stage 1 Recap (Laps 1-60):

● Aric Almirola started 23rd and finished 20th.
● Almirola fell out of the draft on the initial restart but drove back to his starting position just a few laps later.
● The Smithfield driver radioed his No. 10 Ford was “loose everywhere” as the tires became hotter.
● Almirola pitted for four fresh tires, fuel and adjustments during the competition caution.
● He came off pit road in 23rd and did not pit during another caution on lap 32.
● Almirola raced his way back to the top-20 before the stage ended. He pitted for four fresh tires, fuel and adjustments at the end of the stage.

Stage 2 Recap (Laps 61-120):

● Almirola started 15th and finished 17th.
● The Smithfield Ford driver reported loose-handling conditions early in Stage 2.
● Almirola radioed he had a vibration on lap 100. He pitted under green-flag conditions on lap 106 for four fresh tires, fuel and more adjustments.
● After green-flag pit stops cycled through, he was scored 17th, where he finished the stage.
● Almirola pitted at the end of the stage for four fresh tires and fuel.

Final Stage Recap (Laps 121-200):

● Almirola started 19th and finished 17th.
● The Smithfield Ford driver fell outside of the top-20 in the opening laps of the stage, getting no help from behind.
● Almirola pitted on lap 163 for four tires and fuel under green from 21st.
● After green-flag pit stops cycled through, Almirola was scored 19th.
● The caution flag flew for a brief rain shower on lap 179. Almirola pitted for four fresh tires and fuel four laps later and restarted 20th.
● Another caution flag flew for a multicar incident on lap 187. Almirola stayed on track and restarted 21st on lap 192.
● The Smithfield Ford driver picked up four positions over the final eight laps to the checkered flag.

Notes:

● Almirola earned his 14th top-20 of the season, his fourth in a row and his 13th in 18 career starts at Michigan.
● Ryan Blaney won the FireKeepers Casino 400 to score his sixth career NASCAR Cup Series victory, his second of the season and his first at Michigan. His margin over second-place William Byron was .077 of a second – the closest Cup Series finish in track history since the advent of electronic scoring in 1993.
● This was Ford’s 710th all-time NASCAR Cup Series victory and its seventh straight at Michigan.
● This was Ford’s series-leading 42nd win at Michigan, which is the most at any track currently on the NASCAR Cup Series schedule. Ford scored its first Michigan win with NASCAR Hall of Famer David Pearson on Aug. 17, 1969.
● There were six caution periods for a total of 29 laps.
● Twenty-six of the 37 drivers in the FireKeepers Casino 400 finished on the lead lap.
● Kyle Larson remains the championship leader after Michigan with a 28-point advantage over second-place Denny Hamlin.

Aric Almirola, driver of the No. 10 Smithfield Ford Mustang for Stewart-Haas Racing:

“Our Smithfield Ford Mustang had the handling we needed after making some adjustments, but we just didn’t have the speed to contend up front today. We had to really play defense on the restarts and then hope our long-run speed gave us a shot to pass more cars. Ready to head to my hometown race to cap off the regular season in Daytona and gear up for the playoffs.”

Next Up:

The next event on the NASCAR Cup Series schedule is the Coke Zero Sugar 400 on Saturday, Aug. 28, at Daytona (Fla.) International Speedway. The regular-season finale starts at 7 p.m. EDT with live coverage on NBC and SiriusXM NASCAR Radio.

Interstate Batteries Racing: Kyle Busch Race Recap from Michigan

By
Official Release
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Kyle Busch, No. 18 Interstate Batteries Toyota Camry
Race Recap for the FireKeepers Casino 400

Date: Aug. 22, 2021
Event: FireKeepers Casino 400 (Round 25 of 36)

Series: NASCAR Cup Series
Location: Michigan International Speedway in Brooklyn (2-mile oval)
Format: 200 laps, broken into three stages (60 laps/60 laps/80 laps)
Start/Finish: 7th/7th (Running, completed 200 of 200 laps)
Point Standing: 3rd (838 points, 166 points behind leader)
Race Winner: Ryan Blaney of Team Penske (Ford)
Stage 1 Winner: Chase Elliott of Hendrick Motorsports (Chevrolet)
Stage 2 Winner: Kyle Busch of Joe Gibbs Racing (Toyota)

Stage 1 Recap (Laps 1-60):

● Kyle Busch started seventh and finished ninth, earning two bonus points.
● Busch started seventh but slipped to 10th by the time the competition yellow waved on lap 20.
● The driver of the No. 18 Interstate Batteries Toyota was told by crew chief Ben Beshore that he had a sizable hole in the right-front pontoon and they would need to spend time on pit road under caution to make the proper fix.
● The Interstate Batteries Toyota team changed four tires and then repaired the hole. Busch restarted 32nd on lap 25.
● Busch showed his strength as he quickly moved up through the field. He found himself in 19th by lap 30 and up to 11th by lap 40.
● The two-time Cup Series champion was able to move up to ninth by the end of Stage 1.

Stage 2 Recap (Laps 61-120):

● Busch started sixth and finished first, earning 10 bonus points and one playoff point.
● The Interstate Batteries Camry came to pit road on lap 62, taking on four tires and a wedge adjustment. The No. 18 team’s quick service gained Busch three spots on pit road to restart sixth for Stage 2.
● Busch moved up to third by lap 103 and up to the lead by lap 111.
● The Interstate Batteries driver came to pit road to take on left-side tires on lap 113 and then cycled out to the lead to bring home the Stage 2 win.

Stage 3 Recap (Laps 121-200):

● Busch started 13th and finished seventh.
● The Interstate Batteries Driver came to pit road following the stage on lap 122 to take on right-side tires and fill his No. 18 Camry up with fuel.
● As the Las Vegas native restarted 13th, the team hoped to make just one stop before having to pit for a final time. The strategy was to put one can of fuel in the car, with the hope that the race would stay green the rest of the way and car would spend less time on pit road than many of the teams in front of it.
● The Interstate Batteries driver came to pit road for the final time on lap 167, but he overshot his pit stall. The team elected to change four tires and Busch cycled back to 15th before the caution waved for rain on lap 179.
● Busch had a strong restart on lap 184, vaulting him from 14th to sixth in one lap.
● However, one more restart did not go his way, and Busch came home with a seventh-place finish.

Kyle Busch, driver of the No. 18 Interstate Batteries Toyota Camry for Joe Gibbs Racing:

“We had an eventful day with our Interstate Batteries Camry. We had a good car, and for some reason the set of tires we put on it were not good. Ben (Beshore, crew chief) decided to put four tires on the next stop, and then I also slid through the stall. We battled hard and got back up there, but we needed the track position to have a shot to win.”

Team Interstate Results:

● Denny Hamlin finished fifth.
● Kyle Busch finished seventh.
● Martin Truex Jr. finished 10th.
● Christopher Bell finished 13th.

Next Up:

The next event on the NASCAR Cup Series schedule is the Coke Zero Sugar 400 on Saturday, Aug. 28 at Daytona (Fla.) International Speedway. The regular-season finale starts at 7 p.m. EDT with live coverage on NBC and SiriusXM NASCAR Radio.

Rush Truck Centers/Cummins Racing: Chase Briscoe Michigan Race Report

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Official Release
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Briscoe Finishes 11th at Michigan
Rush Truck Centers/Cummins Driver Overcomes Handling Issues for Seventh Top-15

Date: Aug. 22, 2021
Event: FireKeepers Casino 400 (Round 25 of 36)
Series: NASCAR Cup Series
Location: Michigan International Speedway in Brooklyn(2-mile oval)
Format: 200 laps, broken into three stages (60 laps/60 laps/80 laps)
Start/Finish: 21st / 11th (Running, completed 200 of 200 laps)
Point Standing: 22nd (450 points, 554 out of first)
Race Winner: Ryan Blaney of Team Penske (Ford)
Stage 1 Winner: Chase Elliott of Hendrick Motorsports (Chevrolet)
Stage 2 Winner: Kyle Busch of Joe Gibbs Racing (Toyota)

Stage 1 Recap (Laps 1-60):

● Chase Briscoe started 21st and finished 27th.
● The Rush Truck Centers/Cummins driver was 17th after the initial start, but on lap five he reported that his Ford Mustang was loose on entry and exit.
● When the first caution flag waved on lap 20, Briscoe pitted from the 26th position for tires, fuel and several adjustments to tighten up the No. 14 Mustang. He restarted 20th on lap 26, but the changes were not enough, and he was back in the 26th spot when the yellow flag was shown again on lap 32.
● After the race returned to green, Briscoe slipped back to 31st before working his way forward as the Rush Truck Centers/Cummins Ford began to tighten up later in the run. He completed the stage in the 27th position and pitted for tires, fuel and additional adjustments at the stage break.

Stage 2 Recap (Laps 61-120):

● Briscoe started 23rd and finished 18th.
● The second stage returned to green on lap 67 with Briscoe lined up 23rd. On lap 85, he radioed that the No. 14 was the best it had been all day, despite running in the 25th position.
● By lap 100, the Rush Truck Centers/Cummins driver was in 22nd and said his Ford Mustang was becoming too tight. The leaders began making their scheduled green-flag pit stops while Briscoe stayed on track.
● Briscoe made his stop on lap 106, with the team giving him four tires, fuel and minimal adjustments. He cycled through to 20th and gained two more spots by the conclusion of the second stage to cross the line 18th.
● He pitted during the stage break on lap 124 for tires and fuel and told the team the car was improving with each run.

Stage 3 Recap (Laps 121-200):

● Briscoe started 19th and finished 11th.
● Briscoe battled a loose car at the beginning of the run, but he told the team he felt like it would improve as they completed the longer green-flag segment.
● He was running 18th when the leaders began to make green-flag pit stops on lap 155, and he stayed on track to gain position though his car had become too tight.
● Briscoe made his final stop on lap 166 under green-flag conditions, giving up the ninth spot. The Rush Truck Centers/Cummins Ford got tires, fuel and final adjustments. Briscoe returned to the track in 26th and had progressed to 20th before the caution flag waved on lap 181.
● Most of the leaders remained on track during the caution, and Briscoe lined up 13th for the lap-187 restart. He was scored 10th on lap 187 as the yellow flag was shown for a multicar wreck on lap 188.
● The Cup Series rookie restarted seventh with eight laps remaining and was running fourth on lap 197 when the No. 1 car of Kurt Busch got loose and slid up in front of him, causing slight damage to the nose of the Rush Truck Centers/Cummins Ford. Briscoe held on to finish 11th in his first Cup Series start at Michigan.

Notes:

● Briscoe earned his seventh top-15 of the season, and it came in his 25th career NASCAR Cup Series start and his first at Michigan.
● Briscoe was the highest finishing NASCAR Cup Series rookie for the 21st time this season.
● Ryan Blaney won the FireKeepers Casino 400 to score his sixth career NASCAR Cup Series victory, his second of the season and his first at Michigan. His margin over second-place William Byron was .077 of a second – the closest Cup Series finish in track history since the advent of electronic scoring in 1993.
● This was Ford’s 710th all-time NASCAR Cup Series victory and its seventh straight at Michigan.
● This was Ford’s series-leading 42nd win at Michigan, which is the most at any track currently on the NASCAR Cup Series schedule. Ford scored its first Michigan win with NASCAR Hall of Famer David Pearson on Aug. 17, 1969.
● Only 26 of the 37 drivers in the FireKeepers Casino 400 finished on the lead lap.
● There were six caution periods for a total of 29 laps.
● Kyle Larson remains the championship leader after Michigan with a 28-point advantage over second-place Denny Hamlin.

Chase Briscoe, driver of the No. 14 Rush Truck Centers/Cummins Ford Mustang for Stewart-Haas Racing:

“We definitely didn’t start off how we wanted to. The guys kept working on it and making it better, and I felt like at the end we got two really good restarts. I thought I was going to be looking really good for a top-five finish, but Kurt (Busch) got loose and I had nowhere to go. It caved the nose in, and obviously we were struggling those last few laps. From where we started to where we finished it was great. I just thought for a second we would finish way better than 11th. We’ve made big gains the last month and a half. It’s really encouraging, and we have one more week to try to make it in the playoffs at Daytona, where anything can happen. So we’ll go there and try to get in.”

Next Up:

The next event on the NASCAR Cup Series schedule is the Coke Zero Sugar 400 on Saturday, Aug. 28, at Daytona (Fla.) International Speedway. The regular-season finale starts at 7 p.m. EDT with live coverage on NBC and SiriusXM NASCAR Radio.

Busch Light Apple Racing: Kevin Harvick Michigan Race Report

By
Official Release
-

Harvick Finishes 14th at Michigan
Driver of No. 4 Busch Light Apple Ford Clinches Spot in NASCAR Playoffs

Date: Aug. 22, 2021
Event: FireKeepers Casino 400 (Round 25 of 36)
Series: NASCAR Cup Series
Location: Michigan International Speedway in Brooklyn (2-mile oval)
Format: 200 laps, broken into three stages (60 laps/60 laps/80 laps)
Start/Finish: 8th / 11th (Running, completed 200 of 200 laps)
Point Standing: 9th (756 points, 248 out of first)
Race Winner: Ryan Blaney of Team Penske (Ford)
Stage 1 Winner: Chase Elliott of Hendrick Motorsports (Chevrolet)
Stage 2 Winner: Kyle Busch of Joe Gibbs Racing (Toyota)

Stage 1 Recap (Laps 1-60):

● Kevin Harvick started eighth and finished 14th.
● The No. 4 Busch Light Apple Ford Mustang was a handful in the opening laps. “No rear grip on exit,” said Harvick after the competition caution on lap 20.
● The team pitted for four tires and fuel with a right-rear wedge adjustment during the caution period on lap 22.
● Harvick lined up 15th for the lap-26 restart.
● “Way better,” said Harvick on lap 30 while running 14th.
● Harvick held steady in 14th through the end of the stage.
● Pitted for four tires and fuel with a right-front tire pressure adjustment at the conclusion of the stage.

Stage 2 Recap (Laps 61-120):

● Harvick started 11th and finished 20th.
● Harvick maintained 11th place through lap 80 before losing some ground and falling back to 14th on lap 83.
● “On my balance we really didn’t help the front… and we hurt the back,” said Harvick about his racecar on lap 87 while running 15th.
● Dropped to 19th on lap 94, prompting Harvick to say, “How many more laps until we pit?”
● Made scheduled, green flag pit stop for four tires and fuel on lap 101.
● Returned to the track in 20th and held the spot through the end of the stage.
● “I’m sure we’re way more trimmed out than we probably should be,” said Harvick about his car’s handling condition.
● Pitted for four tires and fuel with an assortment of chassis adjustments at the conclusion of the stage.

Final Stage Recap (Laps 121-200):

● Harvick started 25th and finished 11th.
● Harvick drove his No. 4 Busch Light Apple Ford Mustang into 15th by lap 136.
● Crew chief Rodney Childers keyed his mic on lap 145 to tell Harvick, “Lap times are good enough to run top-five… we just gotta figure out a way to get you there.”
● By lap 153, Harvick was up to 14th. “I start off too free, but it gets better as I run,” he said.
● Made scheduled, green flag pit stop for four tires and fuel with a right-rear wedge adjustment on lap 164.
● By lap 171, Harvick was back to 14th with a handful of cars still in front of him needing to pit.
● Two laps later, Harvick was 11th and looking to crack the top-10, which he did on lap 175 when he picked off two cars to claim ninth.
● Just before a caution on lap 180 for rain, Harvick ran the fastest lap of the race.
● Harvick stayed out during the caution to maintain his ninth-place position when the race restarted on lap 187.
● Harvick deftly avoided a multicar accident in turn three on the restart and held onto his ninth-place standing.
● The final eight laps proved dicey after the lap-193 restart with plenty of jockeying among the top-10. Harvick scraped the wall at one point, which lost him some track position and put him just outside the top-10 when the checkered flag dropped.

Notes:

● With an insurmountable 104-point margin over 17th-place Austin Dillon in the championship standings, Harvick clinched his spot in the 16-driver NASCAR Playoffs with one race still remaining in the regular season. He joins Stewart-Haas Racing teammate Aric Almirola who earned his playoff spot by virtue of his win July 18 at New Hampshire Motor Speedway in Loudon.
● Harvick hasn’t finished outside the top-15 at Michigan since June 2015.
● Ryan Blaney won the FireKeepers Casino 400 to score his sixth career NASCAR Cup Series victory, his second of the season and his first at Michigan. His margin over second-place William Byron was .077 of a second – the closest Cup Series finish in track history since the advent of electronic scoring in 1993.
● This was Ford’s 710th all-time NASCAR Cup Series victory and its seventh straight at Michigan.
● This was Ford’s series-leading 42nd win at Michigan, which is the most at any track currently on the NASCAR Cup Series schedule. Ford scored its first Michigan win with NASCAR Hall of Famer David Pearson on Aug. 17, 1969.
● There were six caution periods for a total of 29 laps.
● Twenty-six of the 37 drivers in the FireKeepers Casino 400 finished on the lead lap.
● Kyle Larson remains the championship leader after Michigan with a 28-point advantage over second-place Denny Hamlin.

Next Up:

The next event on the NASCAR Cup Series schedule is the Coke Zero Sugar 400 on Saturday, Aug. 28 at Daytona (Fla.) International Speedway. The regular-season finale starts at 7 p.m. EDT with live coverage on NBC and SiriusXM NASCAR Radio.

Feeding America/Wow Wow Classic Waffles Ford: Cole Custer Michigan Race Report

By
Official Release
-

Custer Finishes 23rd at Michigan
Feeding America/Wow Wow Classic Waffles Ford Driver Battles Loose Racecar

Date: Aug. 22, 2021
Event: FireKeepers Casino 400 (Round 25 of 36)
Series: NASCAR Cup Series
Location: Michigan International Speedway in Brooklyn(2-mile oval)
Format: 200 laps, broken into three stages (60 laps/60 laps/80 laps)
Start/Finish: 27th / 23rd (Running, completed 200 of 200 laps)
Point Standing: 28th (382 points, 622 out of first)
Race Winner: Ryan Blaney of Team Penske (Ford)
Stage 1 Winner: Chase Elliott of Hendrick Motorsports (Chevrolet)
Stage 2 Winner: Kyle Busch of Joe Gibbs Racing (Toyota)

Stage 1 Recap (Laps 1-60):

● Cole Custer started 27th and finished 29th.
● The Feeding America/Wow Wow Classic Waffles Ford started out “a little free” and progressively developed an extreme loose condition by the lap-20 competition caution flag, as Custer was running 29th. He pitted for four tires and a left-rear wedge adjustment and restarted 24th when the race went back to green on lap 25.
● The caution flag flew again on lap 30 for a single-car accident in turn two, with Custer having fallen back to 30th while continuing to fight a loose condition. He pitted once again for fuel and track-bar adjustments across the rear. He restarted 28th on lap 35.
● Custer picked up one position over the final 25 laps of the stage while still having to deal with the loose condition. He pitted during the break for four tires, fuel, a right-front packer adjustment and a track-bar adjustment.

Stage 2 Recap (Laps 61-120):

● Custer started 27th and finished 27th.
● The Feeding America/Wow Wow Classic Waffles driver said the changes made thus far improved the loose handling of his racecar but that it would need more of the same. He held his relative position through the majority of the run before creeping into the top-25 with 20 laps to go in the stage. He then worked his way up to 17th as the field cycled through green-flag pit stops in the closing laps. He pitted on lap 110 for four tires, fuel and more track-bar adjustments and settled in 28th.
● Custer picked up one position over the final nine laps and stayed on track during the break.

Final Stage Recap (Laps 121-200):

● Custer started ninth and finished 23rd.
● The Feeding America/Wow Wow Classic Waffles driver stayed solidly in the top-15 for a majority of his initial fuel-and-tire run of the stage, then began “losing the right front.” He fell back to 22nd as he approached his final scheduled green-flag stop, earlier than a majority of the field, on lap 157. He took four tires, fuel and track-bar adjustments and resumed in 27th.
● Custer was up to 23rd when a brief rain shower brought out the caution flag on lap 179. When the pits opened four laps later, crew chief Mike Shiplett brought Custer down pit road for four tires and a track-bar adjustment to help improve grip to the right front for the final sprint to the finish. The Ladera Ranch, California, native restarted 21st on lap 186.
● The caution flag flew again for a seven-car incident as the field exited turn four on the restart lap. Custer kept his Feeding America/Wow Wow Classic Waffles Ford out of trouble and emerged in 23rd place.
● Custer restarted 20th on lap 192 but was shuffled back three positions on his way to the checkered flag.

Notes:

● Custer’s 23rd-place result bettered his previous best finish at Michigan – 25th, earned in the second race of the Michigan doubleheader last August.
● Ryan Blaney won the FireKeepers Casino 400 to score his sixth career NASCAR Cup Series victory, his second of the season and his first at Michigan. His margin over second-place William Byron was .077 of a second – the closest Cup Series finish in track history since the advent of electronic scoring in 1993.
● This was Ford’s 710th all-time NASCAR Cup Series victory and its seventh straight at Michigan.
● This was Ford’s series-leading 42nd win at Michigan, which is the most at any track currently on the NASCAR Cup Series schedule. Ford scored its first Michigan win with NASCAR Hall of Famer David Pearson on Aug. 17, 1969.
● There were six caution periods for a total of 29 laps.
● Twenty-six of the 37 drivers in the FireKeepers Casino 400 finished on the lead lap.
● Kyle Larson remains the championship leader after Michigan with a 28-point advantage over second-place Denny Hamlin.

Cole Custer, driver of the No. 41 Feeding America/Wow Wow Classic Waffles Ford Mustang for Stewart-Haas Racing:

“It was a frustrating day, for the most part. We started out really, really loose with our Feeding America/Wow Wow Classic Waffles Mustang and kept working on it. We made improvements each time, but it never quite got to where we could make significant forward progress. This is a tough track to get everything right, especially with no practice or qualifying. It’s on to Daytona next week, where anything can happen, and we’re certainly going to try and make something happen in the last race before the playoffs.”

Next Up:

The next event on the NASCAR Cup Series schedule is the Coke Zero Sugar 400 on Saturday, Aug. 28 at Daytona (Fla.) International Speedway. The regular-season finale starts at 7 p.m. EDT with live coverage on NBC and SiriusXM NASCAR Radio.

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