NASCAR Cup Series
Next Race: FireKeepers Casino 400
The Place: Michigan International Speedway
The Date: Saturday, August 8
The Time: 4 p.m. ET
TV: NBCSN, 3:30 p.m. ET
Radio: MRN, SiriusXM NASCAR Radio
Distance: 312 miles (156 laps); Stage 1 (Ends on Lap 40),
Stage 2 (Ends on Lap 85), Final Stage (Ends on Lap 156)
2019 Race Winner: Joey Logano

NASCAR Cup Series
Next Race: Consumers Energy 400
The Place: Michigan International Speedway
The Date: Sunday, August 9
The Time: 4:30 p.m. ET
TV: NBCSN, 4 p.m. ET
Radio: MRN, SiriusXM NASCAR Radio
Distance: 312 miles (156 laps); Stage 1 (Ends on Lap 40),
Stage 2 (Ends on Lap 85), Final Stage (Ends on Lap 156)
2019 Race Winner: Kevin Harvick

NASCAR Xfinity Series
Next Race: Henry 180
The Place: Road America
The Date: Saturday, August 8
The Time: 12 p.m. ET
TV: NBCSN, 11:30 a.m. ET
Radio: MRN, SiriusXM NASCAR Radio
Distance: 182.16 miles (45 Laps); Stage 1 (Ends on Lap 14),
Stage 2 (Ends on Lap 29), Final Stage (Ends on Lap 45)
2019 Race Winner: Christopher Bell

NASCAR Gander RV & Outdoors Truck Series
Next Race: Henry Ford Health System 200
The Place: Michigan International Speedway
The Date: Friday, August 7
The Time: 6 p.m. ET
TV: FS1, 5:30 p.m. ET
Radio: MRN, SiriusXM NASCAR Radio
Distance: 200 miles (100 Laps); Stage 1 (Ends on Lap 20),
Stage 2 (Ends on Lap 40), Final Stage (Ends on Lap 100)
2019 Race Winner: Austin Hill

NASCAR Cup Series

On Deck: A doubleheader Cup extravaganza at Michigan International Speedway
This weekend Michigan International Speedway will become just the second track in NASCAR Cup Series history to run a doubleheader at the same facility in consecutive days, joining Pocono Raceway (June 27-28, 2020). First up, is Saturday’s Firekeepers Casino 400 at 4 p.m. ET on NBCSN, MRN and SiriusXM NASCAR Radio, followed by Sunday’s Consumer Energy 400 at 4:30 p.m. ET on NBCSN, MRN and SiriusXM NASCAR Radio.

The two Cup events this weekend at Michigan International Speedway will be mirror images of each other. Both races are 156 laps each (312 miles / 400 kilometers) and each race is broken up into three stages. The first stage for both races is 40 laps, the second stage is 45 laps and the final stage is 71 laps.

Michigan International Speedway has hosted 101 NASCAR Cup Series races dating back to inaugural event held on June 15, 1969. The first Cup event at Michigan was won by NASCAR Hall of Famer Cale Yarborough driving the famous Wood Brothers Racing No. 21 (Mercury).

In total the 101 NASCAR Cup Series races at Michigan International Speedway have produced 50 different poles winners and 38 different race winners. NASCAR Hall of Famer David Pearson holds the record for the most poles at Michigan International Speedway with 10 poles (1969, 1974 sweep, 1975, 1976, 1977 sweep, 1978 sweep and 1979). Joey Logano, the defending pole winner of the June Michigan race last season, leads all active drivers in poles at Michigan with four (2013, 2016 sweep and 2019); followed by Kurt Busch (2010, 2011 and 2018) with three.

NASCAR Hall of Famer David Pearson leads the series in wins at Michigan as well with nine victories (1969, 1972 sweep, 1973, 1974, 1975, 1976 sweep, 1978). Kurt Busch (2003, 2007, 2015), Matt Kenseth (2002, 2006, 2015), Joey Logano (2013, 2016, 2019) and Kevin Harvick (2010, 2018, 2019) lead all active series drivers in wins at Michigan with three victories each. Only two drivers in series history have recorded their first NASCAR Cup Series career win at Michigan International Speedway – NASCAR Hall of Famer Dale Jarrett (August 18, 1991) and Kyle Larson (August 28, 2016).

A total of 21 different organizations have won in the NASCAR Cup Series at Michigan; eight of the 21 are active this weekend.

Roush Fenway Racing leads the series in wins at Michigan with 13 victories: Mark Martin (four), Greg Biffle (four), Carl Edwards (two), Matt Kenseth (two) and Kurt Busch (one). The Wood Brothers Racing organization has the second-most series wins at Michigan with 11 victories, including the inaugural race in 1969 – David Pearson (eight wins), Cale Yarborough (two) and Dale Jarrett (one).

The first starting position in the NASCAR Cup Serie races at Michigan is the most proficient starting position in the field, producing more winners (22) than any other starting position at Michigan International Speedway – 21 from the pole and one from the first starting position due to qualifying being cancelled – 1985 (Bill Elliott). The most recent win from the pole at Michigan was June 2019 (Joey Logano). The deepest in the field that a race winner has started at Michigan is 32nd, by NASCAR Hall of Famer Mark Martin in the spring of 2009. The deepest in the field that an active race winner has started at Michigan is 24th, by Kurt Busch in the June of 2015.

Manufacturers will compete for Michigan Heritage Trophy
The competition has always been fierce in the NASCAR Cup Series and when that stage shifts to the OEMs (Chevrolet, Ford and Toyota) backyard, the stakes become even greater. This weekend at Michigan International Speedway the top-finishing OEM from the weekend’s NASCAR Cup Series events will be presented with the Michigan Heritage Trophy, which has been awarded to the winning manufacturer by the speedway since 2013.

In an effort to bring even greater awareness to the significance of the Heritage Trophy, this year the NASCAR Cup teams will be saluting their respective manufacturers during the course of both races, with each car featuring the decal of their manufacturer in the “contingency space,” which is located on left front-quarter panel of the car. In addition, the hashtag #HeritageTrophy will be included on each car as well.

OEM Cup Winners at Michigan Since 2013
Winning Manufacturer Date of Michigan Win
Ford Sunday, June 16, 2013
Ford Sunday, August 18, 2013
Chevrolet Sunday, June 15, 2014
Chevrolet Sunday, August 17, 2014
Chevrolet Sunday, June 14, 2015
Toyota Sunday, August 16, 2015
Chevrolet Sunday, August 28, 2016
Ford Sunday, June 12, 2016
Chevrolet Sunday, June 18, 2017
Chevrolet Sunday, August 13, 2017
Ford Sunday, June 10, 2018
Ford Sunday, August 12, 2018
Ford Monday, June 10, 2019
Ford Sunday, August 11, 2019
The Heritage Trophy gives well-deserved bragging rights to the winning manufacturer of the Michigan race weekend. For the 2020 historic doubleheader, an OEM must win one or both NASCAR Cup Series races at Michigan International Speedway. If one OEM sweeps both races, that OEM will be declared the winner of the Heritage Trophy. If different OEMs win on August 8 and 9, then the award will go to the OEM with the most points earned by top 10 finishers of both races. If there is a tie in the points totals, then the tie breaker would fall to a total of most laps led by OEM in both races.

“The Michigan Heritage Trophy is one of the more unique and coveted prizes in NASCAR,” said Michigan International Speedway President Rick Brenner. “The competitive spirit at any race, especially at MIS, isn’t just confined to the drivers, and this trophy allows the winning manufacturer to boast about their accomplishment. We are thrilled that the race teams have joined us this year in recognizing the prominence of this trophy to our sport and in the state of Michigan, and look forward to an amazing doubleheader of racing in the Cup Series this weekend.”

Since 2013, Ford has won at Michigan seven times, Chevrolet has won six times and Toyota has won once. In addition, Ford has won the last four consecutive races at Michigan International Speedway in the NASCAR Cup Series.

Playoff Bubble: Six spots left with six races to go
Time is dwindling for the NASCAR Cup Series competitors not locked into the Playoffs. Just six races remain in the regular season and with 10 winners this year, six spots are left to make the postseason.

New Hampshire was good to Stewart-Haas Racing’s Aric Almirola, who extended his points lead over the Playoff cutline by 11 markers, and is now 145 up, heading into the doubleheader weekend at Michigan. Almirola is the highest ranked driver without a win this season but has put up five top fives and 12 top 10s. This weekend could be an uphill battle for the Tampa, Florida native, Almirola has struggled at Michigan in the NASCAR Cup Series only posting one top-10 finish in 15 starts. He finished 17th in the June race and the 33rd in the August race last season.

Two drivers looking to rebound after losing ground in the points at New Hampshire are brothers Kyle and Kurt Busch. Joe Gibbs Racing’s Kyle Busch crashed early at New Hampshire, and that relegated him to a last-place finish – his third DNF of the season. As a result, he dropped a spot in driver standings and is now 94 points up on the Playoff cutoff. Chip Ganassi Racing’s Kurt Busch also finished outside the top 10 last week at New Hampshire (17th) and his points cushion shrank by eight points, now 112 up on the postseason cutline. Both Busch brothers will be eager to get to Michigan this weekend as both are former winners at the 2-mile speedway. Kyle has made 30 series starts at Michigan posting one win (2011), seven top fives and 12 top 10s; including a streak of top 10s in the last six consecutive races at the track. And if you think that is impressive, Kurt has made 38 series starts at Michigan collecting three wins (2003, 2007, 2015), seven top fives and 14 top 10s. He finished runner up in the June Michigan race last season.

Stewart-Haas Racing’s Clint Bowyer increased his points cushion over 17th place Tyler Reddick by one point at New Hampshire and is now 43 points above the cutline. Bowyer’s 2020 season has produced two top fives and five top 10s. Heading into this weekend, Bowyer is probably cautiously optimistic. The Kansas native won at Michigan in 2018 and in 28 starts has 12 top-10 finishes, but last season was caught in multi-car incidents in both races resulting in back-to-back DNFs on the 2-mile track.

Wood Brothers Racing’s Matt DiBenedetto collected himself following his first DNF of the season at Kansas
2020 NASCAR Cup Series Playoff Outlook
Rank Driver Wins Points Pts from Cutoff
1 Denny Hamlin 5 688 In On Wins
2 Kevin Harvick 4 803
3 Brad Keselowski 3 722
4 Joey Logano 2 653
5 Ryan Blaney 1 685
6 Chase Elliott 1 660
7 Martin Truex Jr. 1 648
8 Alex Bowman 1 561
9 Austin Dillon 1 466
10 Cole Custer 1 381
11 Aric Almirola 0 614 145
12 Kurt Busch 0 581 112
13 Kyle Busch 0 563 94
14 Clint Bowyer 0 512 43
15 Matt DiBenedetto 0 509 40
16 William Byron 0 484 15
17 Tyler Reddick 0 469 -15
18 Jimmie Johnson 0 459 -25
19 Erik Jones 0 453 -31
20 Michael McDowell 0 359 -125
21 Chris Buescher 0 357 -127
22 Bubba Wallace 0 356 -128
23 Christopher Bell 0 355 -129
24 Ricky Stenhouse Jr. 0 345 -139
25 John H. Nemechek 0 326 -158
26 Ryan Newman 0 325 -159
27 Ty Dillon 0 292 -192
28 Matt Kenseth 0 274 -210
29 Corey LaJoie 0 251 -233
30 Ryan Preece 0 216 -268
two weeks ago, to rally to his sixth top-10 finish of the season last weekend at New Hampshire. The Californian continues to hold the 15th spot in the Playoff outlook, but the solid result at New Hampshire added five points to his points cushion total (+40) over the Playoff cutoff with six races remaining in the regular season. Looking to the 2-mile track nestled in the Irish Hills, DiBenedetto has made 10 series starts at Michigan posting his career-best finish at the track (20th) last August. He finished 21st in the June race as well.

And for the second straight week, Hendrick Motorsport’s driver William Byron has clung to the 16th position in the NASCAR Cup Series Playoff outlook – the final Playoff transfer spot on points. Byron’s six top 10s this year have him up 15 points on 17th place Tyler Reddick, but a winning driver over these next six races from outside the postseason cutline would bounce Byron out of the Playoffs. The young talent from North Carolina, Byron, has made four series starts at Michigan posting a track-best finish of eighth last August.

Of the drivers outside the Playoff cutoff, this weekend’s doubleheader at Michigan is an ample opportunity to capitalize on the contenders ahead of them in the standings.

Richard Childress Racing’s Tyler Reddick in 17th in the driver standings, the first spot outside the Playoffs, will be making his series track debut this weekend at Michigan. But the two-time NASCAR Xfinity Series champion did grab the checkered flag in the Xfinity Series at the 2-mile speedway in 2019.

Hendrick Motorsport’s driver and seven-time series champion Jimmie Johnson is 18th in the driver standings 25 points behind his Hendrick teammate William Byron in 16th – the final Playoff transfer spot. In his final season of fulltime Cup competition, Johnson has been bleak in comparison to previous championship winning seasons, only putting up two top five and six top 10s thus far. But Johnson could turn his season around this weekend at Michigan, the veteran driver from California has made 36 series starts at Michigan posting one win (2014), five top fives and 13 top 10s.

Byron, Michigan native and Joe Gibbs Racing’s driver Erik Jones is still in the thick of the Playoff hunt just 31 points back from the postseason cutline with six races to go in the regular season. Jones has put up comparable numbers this season to his competitors posting five top fives and eight top 10s. But Jones has made six series starts at his home track posting just one top-five finish (third in 2017).

Front Row Motorsport’s Michael McDowell is more than 100 points outside the Playoffs (-125) with six races remaining, which doesn’t make it impossible to get in to eh Playoffs on points, but it will be tough with the level of competition in the series. McDowell has posted two top 10s and a career-best average finish of 19.4 through 20 races this season to get to this spot in the standings. McDowell has made 12 series starts at Michigan in the NASCAR Cup Series posting a career-best finish of 22nd in the August race last season

Of the rest of the Playoff eligible drivers that are more than 100 points behind the Playoff cutline, two are former winners at Michigan International Speedway – Ryan Newman and Matt Kenseth.

Roush Fenway Racing’s Ryan Newman is currently 26th in the driver standings 159 points behind William Byron in the 16th and final Playoff transfer spot. Newman has only made 17 starts this season due to being sidelined for three races from his accident in the season opening Daytona 500. Newman has made 37 series starts at Michigan posting two wins (2003, 2004), six top fives and 10 top 10s.

Chip Ganassi Racing’s Matt Kenseth replaced driver Kyle Larson in the No. 1 Chevrolet following the fourth race of the season, and since has posted one top five and two top 10s. Now Kenseth sits 28th in driver standings 210 points back from the Playoff cutoff. Though 210 points is not mathematically out of it, the mountain of points to make up is very steep in six races. But a win could solve all that and Michigan is one of Kenseth’s best tracks. In 38 starts at Michigan he has posted three wins (2002, 2006, 2015) 14 top fives and 20 top 10s.

NASCAR Cup Series, Etc.
Detroit’s 12-time Grammy winning artist Cece Winans to sing virtual National Anthem – The best-selling and most-awarded female gospel artist of all time, CeCe Winans, will sing the virtual National Anthem prior to the running of the NASCAR Cup Series FireKeepers Casino 400 on Saturday, August 8 at 4:00 p.m. (NBCSN).

“I am so honored to perform the national anthem for the upcoming NASCAR race in my home state of Michigan,” Winans said. “I wish I could be there in person but be sure to tune-in, it’s going to be a great event!”

2019 American Idol winner Lain Hardy to also sing virtual National Anthem – The winner of the 17th season of American Idol in 2019, Laine Hardy will be performing the virtual National Anthem prior to the running of the NASCAR Cup Series Consumers Energy 400 at Michigan International Speedway on Sunday, August 9. The race will start at 4:30 pm and will be televised nationally on NBCSN.

“I can’t believe I’m getting to sing the National Anthem before a NASCAR race,” Hardy said. “Although I can’t be there in person during this time, I’m definitely looking forward to future races and watching the Consumers Energy 400 at Michigan International Speedway. It’s going to be a great race!”

Playoff Points Adding Up Quickly – Brad Keselowski became the third driver this season to accumulate over 20 Playoff points with his win at New Hampshire Motor Speedway. Denny Hamlin leads the series in Playoff points this season with 29; followed by Kevin Harvick (22) and Brad Keselowski (21). What is interesting is Hamlin and Harvick reached their 20+ Playoff points through a majority of wins – Hamlin (five wins = 25 Playoff points) and Harvick (four wins = 20 Playoff points), but Keselowski’s have come at the hands of green & white checkered flags i.e. stage wins – Keselowski (three win = 15 Playoff points + 6 stage wins = 21 Playoff points). Keselowski leads the series in stage wins this season with six.

NASCAR Xfinity Series

Road Course Racing in Wisconsin
The NASCAR Xfinity Series is back in action after a weekend off and heads to Elkhart Lake, Wisconsin, for some exciting road course racing at Road America for the Henry 180 (12 p.m. ET on NBCSN, MRN and SiriusXM NASCAR Radio).

Brandon Jones won in overtime at Kansas Speedway to go back-to-back at the track and steal the victory from Austin Cindric on the final lap.

The series will take on Road America, the 4.048-mile road course with 14 turns and 171 feet of elevation changes in one lap.

Road America has been home to 10 different winners in as many starts. Michael McDowell holds the qualifying record at the track at 110.377 mph from August 16, 2016.

Chevrolet holds the record for the most wins by a manufacturer with seven and Brendan Gaughan holds the record for the most top fives at the track (four). Elliott Sadler and Justin Allgaier have the most top 10s (five) and the most lead changes in a race at the track came in 2011 with 12. The most laps led by a race winner was 35 in 2010 and the fewest laps led by a race winner was one in 2011.

Saturday’s Henry 180 will be 182.16 miles and 45 laps. Stage 1 will end on Stage 14 and Stage 2 will end on Lap 29. Christopher Bell won last year’s race at the track, leading 10 laps and starting from the 12th position.

Last year, road course ace Cindric finished second followed by the 2019 Xfinity Series champion Tyler Reddick in third, Noah Gragson in fourth and Kaz Grala rounding out the top five.

Cindric is the highest-finishing driver entered this weekend, looking to add on his fourth win of the season.

Eyes on the Cutline: Playoff outlook heading to Road America
After a weekend break for the Xfinity Series, they’re back on track this weekend at a 4.048-mile road course.

With six drivers locked into the Playoffs with a win, spots seven through 12 are still up for grabs and the competition is getting crazier each week.

Ross Chastain holds the seventh spot in the driver Playoff standings as the first driver without a win. Justin Allgaier is right behind Chastain in eighth and Michael Annett is in ninth. Riley Herbst, a Sunoco Rookie of the Year contender, is hanging on to the 10th spot while Ryan Sieg is sitting in 11th. Brandon Brown is holding onto the final Playoff spot.

Rank Driver Points Race Wins Stage Wins Pts from Cutoff
1 Chase Briscoe 718 5 3 In On Wins
2 Austin Cindric 722 3 7
3 Noah Gragson 666 2 8
4 Harrison Burton # 587 2 0
5 Brandon Jones 500 2 2
6 Justin Haley 592 1 1
7 Ross Chastain 662 0 0 320
8 Justin Allgaier 586 0 7 244
9 Michael Annett 510 0 0 168
10 Riley Herbst # 410 0 0 68
11 Ryan Sieg 408 0 2 66
12 Brandon Brown 374 0 0 32
13 Jeremy Clements 342 0 0 -32
14 Myatt Snider # 325 0 0 -49
15 Alex Labbe 301 0 0 -73

Jeremy Clements has seen a lot of success in recent weeks, bumping himself up right below the cutline in 13th.
Myatt Snider, another rookie, is in 14th, 49 points back from the cutline and Alex Labbe is in 15th.

Noah Gragson has the most stage wins of any driver in the series with eight and his JR Motorsports teammate Justin Allgaier and Team Penske’s Austin Cindric are tied with seven.

Hey, Rookies!
Sunoco Rookie of the Year
Rookies Points
Harrison Burton 587
Riley Herbst 410
Jesse Little 301
Joe Graf Jr. 227
Myatt Snider 173
Kody Vanderwal 105
Harrison Burton finished third two weekends ago at Kansas Speedway, making him the highest-finishing rookie and awarding him the Rookie of the Race award. Burton has 12 rookie awards this season.

Riley Herbst was the second-highest finishing rookie at Kansas in ninth.

Luckily for Herbst, he is still holding onto his second-place ranking in the rookie standings.

Looking ahead to Road America, all of the rookies will be making their track debut. In comparing the results from the Indianapolis Road Course for the rookies, Snider was the highest finisher in 16th followed by Jesse Little in 18th.

Burton doesn’t have to worry about making his way into the Playoffs since he’s already won this season, but Herbst and Snider, who are still fighting for their spots, need a clean weekend at the road course.

Pit-road procedure update
This weekend’s stand-alone even for the Xfinity Series at Road America will have a modified version of pit-road procedures that were announced in January.

The new rules include that the field will be frozen at the time of caution. When pit road opens, all cars may pit and teams may add fuel OR change up to four tires.

Four tires and fuel would require two pit stops to complete a full pit cycle. Stage breaks will consist of a full pit cycle, which means two opportunities to pit to add fuel or change tires will pit road is open.

NASCAR is allowed to call a quickie yellow flag during non-stage breaks, giving drivers one opportunity to pit to add fuel OR change tires.

Fuel only may be added during green-flag stops, with pit stops for tire changes on green-flag stops only permitted by NASCAR as a result of a flat tire or damage.

There’s a minimum 60-second time limit for teams making green-flag stops and an 80-second maximum time for teams making yellow-flag stops. (The time is measured from yellow line to yellow line.)

If there is bad weather, teams will be permitted to change from dry-weather tires to wet tires under yellow- or green-flag conditions.

Various road course ringers, newbies set to run Road America
It’s not something new for a NASCAR Xfinity Series team to field specialists for road course races. This weekend’s race is no different.

IndyCar driver RC Enerson is set to make his Xfinity Series debut in the No. 7 SS-Green Light Racing Chevrolet. Enerson has four career IndyCar starts, all at road course races and at his latest race at Mid-Ohio Sports Car Course, he finished 17th. His career-best finish was at Watkins Glen International in 2016.

Jesse Iwuji, a NAVY officer and veteran of the ARCA Menards Series West, has made a handful of starts in the Gander Trucks but will make his Xfinity Series debut this weekend for MBM Motorsports in the No. 13. Iwuji’s Gander Trucks debut was also on a road course, finishing 25th at Canadian Tire Motorsport Park in 2018.

NASCAR veteran Mike Wallace will return to the No. 0 JD Motorsports Chevrolet for the second time this season. He ran the Indianapolis Road Course, finishing 24th for the team and he will also run the Daytona Road Course the following weekend.

Andy Lally will pilot the No. 2 Our Motorsports Chevrolet at Road America and the Daytona Road Course, too. Lally, who is the 2011 Cup Series Rookie of the Year, has competed on various road course in the Xfinity Series. He has five top 10s in 11 starts and had best finish of fifth at Mid-Ohio in 2017. This weekend will be his first start since 2018.

Jade Buford will be in the No. 6 for JD Motorsports. Buford, an IMSA racer, finished 14th in his NASCAR debut at Indianapolis Motor Speedway. B.J. McLeod has been the main driver in the No. 6 this season.

Preston Pardus will join DGM Racing in the No. 36 Chevrolet this weekend. Pardus was the 2017 SCCA Spec Miata National Champion. He has made three Xfinity Series starts, all at road course races. At Indianapolis, he finished in the top 10 for the first time.

Scott Heckert will replace Vinnie Miller in the No. 78 B.J. McLeod Motorsports Chevrolet at Road America. Heckert has three ARCA East wins at road courses and six of his eight Xfinity Series tarts were on road courses. He got a career-best finish of 13th at Watkins Glen International last season.

AJ Allmendinger will also be back this weekend for Kaulig Racing. He has run a part-time schedule for the organization in 2020 and scored his first NASCAR oval win at Atlanta Motor Speedway in June. He also finished fourth at the Indianapolis Motor Speedway Road Course.

NASCAR Xfinity Series, Etc.
Iwuji to make Xfinity debut: LCDR Jesse Iwuji will make his Xfinity Series debut this weekend at Road America in the No. 13 MileMarker10 MBM Motorsports Chevrolet. Iwuji is the only current driver at the national level of NASCAR to have served his country. In July, he also earned a promotion in the US Navy moving from Lieutenant to Lieutenant Commander in the US Navy Reserves. Iwuji has made nine starts in the Gander Trucks over three years with a best finish of 17th in 2019 at Texas Motor Speedway.

Earl Bamber making debut: Two-time Le Mans 24 race winner Earl Bamber will be making his NASCAR Xfinity Series debut for Richard Childress Racing at the Daytona Road Course in the No. 21 Chevrolet. The team has partnered with KCMG for the event. Bamber has experience at the road course having scored four podiums in the Rolex 24 at the track. “I’ve dreamed about competing in NASCAR my entire life, so I am so thankful to Richard Childress, KCMG and everyone who has played a role in creating this opportunity for me,” Bamber said in a press release.

NASCAR Gander RV & Outdoors Truck Series

On the road to Michigan for Gander Trucks
The NASCAR Gander RV & Outdoors Truck Series had a weekend break last weekend after a historic weekend at Kansas Speedway.

The Gander Trucks competed in their first ever doubleheader weekend at Kansas, where Matt Crafton snapped his winless streak and Austin Hill got his long-awaited first win of the season.

The series will head to Michigan International Speedway for a Friday evening race, the Henry Ford Health System 200 (6 p.m. ET on FS1, MRN and SiriusXM NASCAR Radio).

Austin Hill won last season’s Gander Trucks race at Michigan starting from sixth-place.

Michigan International Speedway is a 2-mile track with 18 degrees of banking in corners, 12 degrees of banking on the frontstretch and five degrees of banking on the backstretch. The frontstretch is 3,600 feet long and the backstretch is 2,242 feet long.

Johnny Sauter holds the race record in a Toyota at 161.110 mph from August 18, 2014.

Greg Biffle, Travis Kvapil and Brett Moffitt have the most Gander Trucks wins at Michigan with two, Crafton has the most poles (three) and Kyle Busch has the most top fives (eight). Busch and Crafton are tied for the most top 10s (nine). Only one race has been won from the pole position and it was in 2007 by Kvapil.

Toyota has the most wins by a manufacturer at the track with eight. Jack Roush is the winningest truck owner with five.

Friday night’s race will be 200 miles and 100 laps. Stage 1 will end on Lap 20 and Stage 2 will end on Lap 40.

Triple Truck Challenge is back!
The Triple Truck Challenge is returning his year after a successful debut last season. This year, the program will start at the Daytona International Speedway road course at 12 p.m. ET on Sunday, August 16.

The second race will take place at Dover International Speedway and the third race of the challenge will be at World Wide Technology Raceway at gateway on August 30.

This year’s rules will copy last season. The drivers will compete for cash prizes:
• $50,000 bonus for the race winner of any of the three events
• If a driver wins two of the three events, they’re awarded an extra $50,000, totaling $150,000
• Win all three events and take home an additional $300,000 for a total of $500,000 in prize money.

Greg Biffle came out of retirement in 2019 to win the first Triple Truck Challenge event at Texas Motor Speedway for Kyle Busch Motorsports. Brett Moffitt won at Iowa Speedway and Ross Chastain won at Gateway.

“The Trip” was originally supposed to take place beginning April 18 at Richmond Raceway and continuing into May at Dover and Charlotte Motor Speedway, but because of the COVID-19 pandemic it was rescheduled.

Playoff picture after Kansas doubleheader
The doubleheader weekend at Kansas Speedway for the Gander Trucks put the Playoff picture into perspective for the series.

There were two new winners at Kansas in Matt Crafton and Austin Hill, claiming their spot in the Playoffs. Prior to that, there were only two drivers locked in – Grant Enfinger and Sheldon Creed. Now, there are only six spots left up for grabs.

Rank Driver Points Race Wins Playoff Pts Pts from Cutoff
1 Grant Enfinger 320 2 11 In On Wins
2 Austin Hill 394 1 6
3 Matt Crafton 321 1 5
4 Sheldon Creed 319 1 8
5 Ben Rhodes 351 0 0 84
6 Christian Eckes # 344 0 0 77
7 Zane Smith # 344 0 3 77
8 Brett Moffitt 325 0 2 58
9 Derek Kraus # 294 0 0 27
10 Todd Gilliland 289 0 0 22
11 Tyler Ankrum 267 0 0 -22
12 Johnny Sauter 236 0 0 -53
13 Tanner Gray # 230 0 0 -59
14 Stewart Friesen 218 0 0 -71
15 Raphael Lessard # 217 0 0 -72

With 18 races in the books, former series champion Johnny Sauter is below the Playoff cutline after a tough few weekends. He currently sits in 12th, 53 points back from the final Playoff spot. Tyler Ankrum dropped below the cutline after Crafton and Hill secured their Playoff spots at Kansas and is now sitting in 11th.

GMS Racing adds Kris Wright to ARCA, Gander Trucks roster
GMS Racing announced this week that Kris Wright will run a partial schedule for the team in 2020, piloting the No. 21 Chevrolet in the ARCA Menards Series and the No. 24 Chevrolet in the Gander Trucks.

He will make his ARCA Menards Series debut with the team this weekend at Michigan International Speedway and will make his Gander Trucks debut on August 16 at the Daytona Road Course.

Wright made his ARCA West debut in June at the Utah Motorsports Campus doubleheader, finishing second and third in the two events. He also finished second in the LMP2 class in the 2019 Rolex 24 at Daytona.

Wright, who is 26 years old, won the IMSA Prototype Challenge Championship in 2018 and was the IMSA Prototype Challenge Rookie of the Year in 2017.

The ARCA Menards Series race at Michigan, the VizCom 200, will be on Sunday, August 9 at 1 p.m. ET on MAVTV and NBC Sports Gold TrackPass.

In a press release, Wright said, “I’m really excited to be making my first ARCA and NASCAR starts with GMS and Chevrolet. You always want to be doing it with the best team. I’m a Chevy guy from birth so it’s a dream come true.”

David Gravel making Gander Trucks debut
David Gravel made his stock car racing debut in the ARCA Menards Series season-opener at Daytona International Speedway in February and is set to make his Gander Trucks debut this Friday at Michigan International Speedway.

He was originally scheduled to make his debut at Eldora Speedway until the COVID-19 pandemic canceled the race for the year. He will now make the switch from dirt to asphalt in the No. 24 GMS Racing Chevrolet.

Gravel has 54 career World of Outlaw wins to his name and he was the 2019 Knoxville Nationals champion. The 28-year-old was the first driver since 1992 to collect a perfect 500 score at the Knoxville Nationals.

Gravel finished 12th at Daytona in the season-opener for the ARCA Menards Series after starting ninth.

ChevyGoods.com will be on board the No. 24 with Gravel.

MICHIGAN INTERNATIONAL SPEEDWAY (2-MILE OVAL)
LOCATION: BROOKLYN, MICHIGAN
EVENT: NASCAR CUP SERIES (RACES 21 AND 22 OF 36)
TUNE IN: 4 P.M. ET, SATURDAY, AUG. 8 (NBCSN/MRN/SIRIUSXM)
4:30 P.M. ET, SUNDAY, AUG. 9 (NBCSN/MRN/SIRIUSXM)

Chase Elliott
No. 9 Mountain Dew Chevrolet Camaro ZL1 1LE
Driver Chase Elliott Hometown Dawsonville, Georgia
Age 24 Resides Dawsonville, Georgia

2020 Season
5th in standings
20 starts
1 win
1 pole position
7 top-five finishes
10 top-10 finishes
460 laps led

Career
169 starts
7 wins
9 pole positions
51 top-five finishes
84 top-10 finishes
2,304 laps led

Track Career
8 starts
0 wins
0 pole positions
3 top-five finishes
7 top-10 finishes
67 laps led

TWO RACES, TWO PARTNERS: NAPA AUTO PARTS will serve as Chase Elliott’s primary sponsor for Saturday’s NASCAR Cup Series race at Michigan International Speedway. For Sunday’s 312-lap event at the 2-mile track, the green and black Mountain Dew colors will return to the No. 9 Chevrolet Camaro ZL1 1LE.

DO THE DEW: On Monday, Hendrick Motorsports showcased the No. 9 Mountain Dew Chevrolet Camaro ZL1 1LE that Elliott will pilot on Sunday at Michigan via the Hendrick Motorsports Twitter account. For a look at the No. 9 Mountain Dew Chevy, click here.

MICHIGAN STATS: Elliott currently holds the best average finish (7.63) of all drivers with more than two starts at Michigan. He has finished inside the top 10 in seven of his eight career NASCAR Cup Series starts at the 2-mile oval – no other driver has more top-10 results in the last eight races at the track. The Dawsonville, Georgia, native has also collected three top-five finishes at Michigan, all of which were runner-up results.

RUNNER-UP FINISHERS: Elliott is in good company as one of four drivers with the most runner-up finishes at Michigan before their first win at the track. NASCAR Hall of Famer Jeff Gordon also earned three second-place results before capturing his first win at the Irish Hills oval (1998), and both Martin Truex Jr. and NASCAR Hall of Famer Terry Labonte have three runner-up results without a win at Michigan.

2020 PERFORMANCE: This year, Elliott has seven top-five finishes – the most he has collected through 20 races in a season – and 10 top-10s. He has the second-most stage wins (five), and his 460 laps led are a career high at this point in the year. Elliott has garnered the third-most stage points (182) and is currently fifth in the driver standings, 143 points behind leader Kevin Harvick.

TOP-10 TRACK: As the NASCAR Cup Series heads to Michigan International Speedway for a weekend doubleheader, Elliott currently holds seven top-10 finishes at the 2-mile venue, which tie his results at Pocono for the most total top-10s he has at any track.

GUSTAFSON AT MICHIGAN: In his 16th season as a crew chief, Alan Gustafson is set to call his 31st and 32nd races from atop the pit box this weekend at Michigan. In his previous 30 starts at the venue with five different drivers (Elliott, Gordon, Kyle Busch, Mark Martin and Casey Mears), Gustafson has collected two wins – with Martin in June 2009 and Gordon in August 2014 when he started from the pole position. The No. 9 team crew chief has garnered five top-five finishes, 14 top-10s and 293 laps led at the track.

PIT STOP POWER: The No. 9 team owns the second-best average time for four-tire stops at 13.94 seconds through 20 races in the 2020 NASCAR Cup Series season. The team is comprised of jackman T.J. Semke, gasman John Gianninoto, tire carrier Jared Erspamer, and tire changers Chad Avrit and Nick O’Dell.

BIRTHDAY CELEBRATION: Gustafson will celebrate his 45th birthday on Wednesday, Aug. 5. The last two seasons, on Aug. 5, 2018, and Aug. 4, 2019, the crew chief celebrated his birthday by going to victory lane at Watkins Glen International. Gustafson grew up just down the road from historic Daytona International Speedway, where he got his start in racing turning wrenches on the go-karts of a childhood friend, Casey Yunick. Yunick is the grandson of legendary car builder and mechanic Smokey Yunick.

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William Byron
No. 24 AXALTA Chevrolet Camaro ZL1 1LE
Driver William Byron Hometown Charlotte, North Carolina
Age 22 Resides Charlotte, North Carolina

2020 Season
14th in standings
20 starts
0 wins
0 pole positions
0 top-five finishes
6 top-10 finishes
72 laps led

Career
92 starts
0 wins
5 pole positions
5 top-five finishes
23 top-10 finishes
366 laps led

Track Career
4 starts
0 wins
0 pole positions
0 top-five finishes
1 top-10 finish
2 laps led

GAINING GROUND: With only six races left in the regular season, William Byron is looking to lock himself into the playoffs for the second time in his three-year NASCAR Cup Series career. Gaining 17 points on the playoff bubble over the last three races, the driver of the No. 24 Axalta Chevrolet Camaro ZL1 1LE went from two points below the cutoff line to now 15 points above it in 16th.

CONSISTENCY COUNTS: In the last 10 races going back to Martinsville Speedway in June, Byron has eight top-15 finishes. That ranks him fourth overall among Cup Series drivers in that same span. In that stretch of races, the Charlotte, North Carolina, native has four top-10 finishes and paced the field for 53 laps, including a stage win at Indianapolis Motor Speedway.

MICHIGAN MINUTES: With six NASCAR national series starts at Michigan International Speedway under his belt, Byron will add two more to his résumé on Saturday and Sunday. Of those six races, four came at the Cup level where he has a track-best starting position of third and finish of eighth – both in the August event last season. Byron also has one Xfinity Series start at the 2-mile oval in June of 2017, where he qualified fourth and ended the race in the runner-up position. He also has one Gander RV & Outdoors Truck Series start where he started third and finished fourth in the August 2016 event

AXALTA DOUBLE: Making its return to the track this weekend, Axalta’s iconic flames will be back onboard Byron’s No. 24 Chevrolet Camaro ZL1 1LE for both Saturday and Sunday’s race in the Michigan doubleheader. In 2020, Axalta is the 22-race majority partner of the No. 24 team. The company’s relationship with Hendrick Motorsports was recently extended, taking one of the most enduring partnerships in sports through 2027.

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Jimmie Johnson
No. 48 Ally Fueling Futures Chevrolet Camaro ZL1 1LE
Driver Jimmie Johnson Hometown El Cajon, California
Age 44 Resides Charlotte, North Carolina

2020 Season
17th in standings
19 starts
0 wins
0 pole positions
2 top-five finishes
6 top-10 finishes
99 laps led

Career
670 starts
83 wins
36 pole positions
229 top-five finishes
370 top-10 finishes
18,933 laps led

Track Career
36 starts
1 win
1 pole position
5 top-five finishes
13 top-10 finishes
700 laps led

HOME TURF: Michigan International Speedway is near and dear to the full-season primary sponsor of Jimmie Johnson and the No. 48 team. Ally Financial is based in Detroit, roughly 78 miles east of the track. Ally Detroit Center, formerly One Detroit Center, is a skyscraper located in the downtown area overlooking the Detroit Financial District. The 43-story tower is the tallest office building in the city and the second-tallest building in the state.

MICHIGAN OVER THE YEARS: Johnson, driver of the No. 48 Ally Fueling Futures Chevrolet Camaro ZL1 1LE, has had some highs and lows at Michigan. Over the years, the seven-time NASCAR Cup Series champion has led 700 laps at the 2-mile track located in the Irish Hills. After a few near misses, Johnson scored his first and only win at Michigan on June 15, 2014, leading 39 laps en route to the ever-elusive checkered flag. Last year, he tagged the wall while running 10th and ended up 34th.

ALLY FUELING FUTURES WITH JJF: This weekend at Michigan International Speedway, the No. 48 Chevrolet Camaro ZL1 1LE will feature a special paint scheme to recognize the Jimmie Johnson Foundation and Ally Fueling Futures. The Fueling Futures program, a collaboration between Ally Financial and the Jimmie Johnson Foundation, debuted in 2019 as a way to introduce teens and young adults to science and technology careers in motor sports. Due to COVID-19 restrictions, the program will go virtual in 2020 and feature a social media content series on the Ally Racing social media channels. They will present interviews with eight different employees at Hendrick Motorsports discussing their different career paths. Ally is planning to host a virtual Fueling Futures event for students in Charlotte, North Carolina, area school systems this fall as part of this program. Additionally, the Jimmie Johnson Foundation remains committed to helping K-12 public schools across the country to address their most critical needs. To learn more about the Foundation, visit jimmiejohnsonfoundation.org.

HONORING JJ: Johnson’s legacy will be honored by Michigan International Speedway this weekend. The nature trail that exists in the Graves Family Campground will permanently be renamed the “Jimmie Johnson Nature Trail.” The area is one of the main campgrounds on track property and where family camping takes place. During non-race time, Adrian College uses the trail for many of its youth-based programs. Johnson, a father of two and an avid runner and mountain biker, will take a photo this weekend with track president Rick Brenner to document the dedication.

MICHIGANDER: Brandon Harder, longtime fueler for the No. 48 Ally team, calls Michigan International Speedway his home track. Harder attended Bowling Green State University and grew up in Oak Harbor, Ohio, roughly 90 miles down the road. He has been a member of the No. 48 team since 2009 and has four championships on his racing résumé with Johnson – 2009, 2010, 2013 and 2016.

BUSY IN THE PITS: The No. 48 Ally crew ranks ninth in the NASCAR Cup Series with an average four-tire stop time of 14.24 seconds. The team is coached by Jon Carvin and consists of veteran fueler Harder, tire carrier Allan Stallings, jackman Kyle Tudor, and tire changers Calvin Teague and Donnie Tasser.

AIMING HIGH: On average, Johnson and the No. 48 Ally Chevrolet team are running better than they are finishing in 2020. Johnson’s average running position of 13.49 is 3.88 positions better than his average finish of 17.37.

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Alex Bowman
No. 88 ChevyGoods.com/Adam’s Polishes Chevrolet Camaro ZL1 1LE ​
Driver Alex Bowman Hometown Tucson, Arizona
Age 27 Resides Concord, North Carolina

2020 Season
11th in standings
20 starts
1 win
0 pole positions
2 top-five finishes
6 top-10 finishes
387 laps led

Career
173 starts
2 wins
2 pole positions
12 top-five finishes
32 top-10 finishes
861 laps led

Track Career
9 starts
0 wins
0 pole positions
0 top-five finishes
2 top-10 finishes
0 laps led

MICHIGAN PERFORMANCE: Alex Bowman will make his 10th and 11th NASCAR Cup Series starts at Michigan International Speedway this weekend. Last season, the 27-year-old driver finished 10th in both events at the facility. The Tucson, Arizona, native has four starts there in the NASCAR Xfinity Series with one pole (2016), one top-five finish and three top-15s. In 2015, Bowman made one start at the 2-mile track in the NASCAR Gander RV & Outdoors Truck Series and finished 11th after 100 laps. The driver of the No. 88 ChevyGoods.com/Adam’s Polishes Chevrolet Camaro ZL1 1LE competed in the ARCA Menards Series at Michigan in 2012, starting third and leading 12 laps to finish second.

TOP-10S: Bowman is one of five drivers who had top-10 finishes in both Michigan events last season with a pair of 10th-place finishes. Four of the next five events are at venues where he has two or more consecutive top-10 results: Michigan, Dover, the Charlotte Roval, the Charlotte oval, Kansas and Bristol.

ALL IN THE NUMBERS: So far in the 2020 season, the No. 88 team has captured four stage wins, tied for the third-most among drivers. Bowman has earned 156 stage points this year, which ranks sixth on the list of drivers with the most stage points earned. The No. 88 pit crew has the seventh-best average four-tire stop this season at 14.14 seconds.

IVES HEADS HOME: Bark River, Michigan, native Greg Ives will make his 11th and 12th NASCAR Cup Series starts this weekend at his home track. In his 10 previous races calling the shots at Michigan International Speedway, the No. 88 crew chief has one top-five finish and four top-10s. Ives’ best finish of second came in 2015 with Dale Earnhardt Jr. behind the wheel. In 2013, he was a crew chief at JR Motorsports in the NASCAR Xfinity Series and captured the victory in the spring event with driver Regan Smith. Ives’ drivers have led 20 laps in the Xfinity Series at the 2-mile track and have an average finish of 3.5. In addition, he was a race engineer for the No. 48 team and driver Jimmie Johnson between 2006 and 2012. During that time, the team captured six top-10 finishes and started from the second position on three occasions.

HOMETOWN TRACK: Three members of the No. 88 team have ties to the state of Michigan. Ives grew up in Bark River, which is approximately 443 miles from MIS, and earned a mechanical engineering degree from Michigan Technological University. Hauler driver Andy “Squiggs” Quillan grew up in Belding, about two hours from the 2-mile oval. Quillan has always been a NASCAR fan and attended his first race at his home track in 2001. Front-tire changer Scott Brzozowski grew up just outside Detroit in Sterling Heights. He started out as a member of the No. 24 over-the-wall crew before switching to the No. 88 team in 2015.

DOUBLE THE GOODS: The No. 88 Chevrolet Camaro ZL1 1LE will hit the track this weekend at Michigan with ChevyGoods.com/Adam’s Polishes on board as the primary sponsor. The black and yellow paint scheme features Adam’s Polishes, which produces high quality products for auto detailing enthusiasts. In January, Hendrick Motorsports announced its partnership with ChevyGoods.com, which includes primary sponsorship of Bowman for 26 events. Associate brands that will be featured throughout 2020 are Adam’s Polishes, NOCO and Truck Hero.

BRAND NEW DEALS: During the month of August, No. 88 team sponsor ChevyGoods.com is providing discounts on all accessories, including Adam’s Polishes, NOCO and Truck Hero. Customers can receive 15% off all accessories on their site through the end of the month by using code CHEVYGOODS.

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Hendrick Motorsports

BOWTIES THAT BIND: Since Rick Hendrick opened the doors in 1984, Hendrick Motorsports has posted 258 points-paying NASCAR Cup Series wins and a record 12 championships – all with Chevrolet race cars. The team has earned 49% of the Detroit-based manufacturer’s 523 Cup victories in that span (1984-present) and 33% of Chevy’s 789 all-time wins in NASCAR’s top series.

FITS LIKE A MITTEN: Michigan International Speedway has been a successful venue for Hendrick Motorsports, which holds the track records for NASCAR Cup Series pole positions, runner-up finishes, top-10s and laps led. The team has eight wins there, tied for fourth all-time, and its 52 top-five results rank second.

THE VICTORS: Hendrick Motorsports’ eight Cup Series wins at Michigan have come via five different drivers, led by Jeff Gordon’s three and Dale Earnhardt Jr.’s two. Jimmie Johnson, Mark Martin and Ricky Rudd have each scored one MIS victory for the organization.

EIGHT, NINE, WIN: This weekend’s NASCAR Cup Series doubleheader at Michigan falls on a pair of winning dates for Hendrick Motorsports. On Aug. 8, 2004, Gordon and the No. 24 team won the fourth of his five career races at Indianapolis after leading a Brickyard 400-record 124 laps in the first-ever Cup race to end in overtime. Gordon went to victory lane at Watkins Glen International on Aug. 9, 1998, which was his seventh of 13 wins in a season that ended with the driver’s third of four championships.

STAT SHEET: Since its inception in 1984, Hendrick Motorsports has earned 258 race victories and holds the all-time records for championships (12), pole positions (226), top-five finishes (1,082), top-10s (1,867) and laps led (69,907) in points-paying NASCAR Cup Series competition. Including 2020, the organization has won at least one race in 35 consecutive seasons, the longest-ever streak. Hendrick Motorsports is 10 wins away from tying Petty Enterprises’ all-time Cup record of 268.

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QUOTABLE /
Driver Chase Elliott on doubleheader at Michigan:
“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.”

Elliott on the importance of track position:
“If you are locked in at the beginning of the final 10 (races), I think there are a lot of guys that have a shot. I think we certainly have a shot if we are on our A-game. I don’t think we have been on our A-game these past three, four or five weeks, but I think if we can get to running like we were the first half of the year or leading up to that point, I think we will be able to run with whoever. These past few weeks, I definitely think we have some work to do to put ourselves back in that position again. The good and bad thing about the playoffs is it is all recent history and what have you done lately. If you are having success and hitting on something right there in those final 10 races, it’s just all about getting hot at the right time if you have been hit or miss. The big-time goal is to just be consistent all year and win races throughout the year. In my eyes, I think if you can rack up four or five wins you are going to put yourself in a really good position to advance through the rounds. Winning in each of the rounds obviously trumps that, but I would rather be consistent all year, if you can do that. So that’s goal number one right now, but if we can’t do that and we are still hit or miss, we just want to get hot at the right time. There’s still time for us to get consistent and rack up wins before the playoffs start and that’s where our head is at currently.”

Driver William Byron on the 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.”

Driver Jimmie Johnson on the doubleheader weekend:
“Physically, the doubleheader won’t be too bad as a driver. The track doesn’t physically challenge us so much in the car, but from the team side and the crews, this schedule is brutal. We had a similar schedule in Pocono, so we learned a lot from that weekend and will go into Michigan more prepared than we were before.”

On the Jimmie Johnson Nature trail dedication:
“Fitness is high priority to me and to have this trail in my name means a lot. Fans for generations to come will be able to enjoy ‘Pure Michigan’ and experience the racetrack at the same time. I have always loved the area, fishing close by with my girls and cycling on Saturdays during race weekends. I am very thankful to the folks at Michigan for this thoughtful honor.”

Driver Alex 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.”

Crew chief Greg 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.”