Preview: The Consumers Energy 400 NASCAR Cup Race at Michigan

Can Ford Performance continue its newsworthy week with a NASCAR Cup race win at Michigan International Speedway?

byT. Walker|
Preview: The Consumers Energy 400 NASCAR Cup Race at Michigan
Share

0

There is only one word that should come to mind when you think of Michigan International Speedway: speed. The Monster Energy NASCAR Cup Series is returning to one of the fastest tracks on the circuit and the excitement is reeling for fans of Ford Performance teams. Ford is not only returning home to its global corporate offices in Michigan, the manufacturer is having a newsworthy week with the recent unveiling of the new Mustang for the 2019 NASCAR Cup Series.

Denny Hamlin, driver of the No. 11 FedEx Office Toyota, drives during qualifying for the Monster Energy NASCAR Cup Series Consumers Energy 400 at Michigan International Speedway. , Photo by Sean Gardner/Getty Images

The Monster Energy NASCAR Cup Series Schedule:

Saturday, August 11, 2018

8:35-9:25 a.m. ET: Monster Energy NASCAR Cup Series second practice, CNBC/NBC Sports App (Follow live)

11:30 a.m.-12:20 p.m. ET: Monster Energy NASCAR Cup Series final practice, NBC Sports (Follow live)

Sunday, August 12, 2018

Consumers Energy 400: (Follow live)

The Place: Michigan International Speedway

The Date: Sunday, August 12, 2018


The Time: Approximately 2:30 p.m. ET


TV: NBCSN/NBC Sports App, 1:30 p.m. ET


Radio: MRN, SiriusXM NASCAR Radio


Distance: 400 miles (200 Laps); Stage 1 (Ends on Lap 120), Stage 2 (Ends on Lap 120), Final Stage (Ends on Lap 200)



Press Pass: (Watch live)



11:00 a.m. ET: Consumers Energy President and CEO Patti Poppe, Grand Marshal Tom Hunt, and Honorary Starter Jason Potter

11:45 a.m. ET: Al Unser Jr. and Honorary Pace Car Driver Ben Wallace

1:00 p.m. ET: Michigan International Speedway 50th Anniversary Celebration

5:00 p.m. ET: Post-Monster Energy NASCAR Cup Series race broadcast

Unofficial Starting Lineup

(Position, Driver, Manufacturer, Speed)

1. Denny Hamlin, Toyota, 202.794

2. Kyle Busch, Toyota, 202.731

3. Kevin Harvick, Ford, 202.100

4. Erik Jones, Toyota, 201.805

5. Austin Dillon, Chevrolet, 201.748

6. Ryan Newman, Chevrolet, 201.658

7. Martin Truex, Jr., Toyota, 201.421

8. Ryan Blaney, Ford, 201.309

9. Joey Logano, Ford, 201.230

10. Alex Bowman, Chevrolet, 201.185

11. Aric Almirola, Ford, 200.524

12. Kurt Busch, Ford, 200.033

13. Ricky Stenhouse, Jr., Ford, 200.842

14. Paul Menard, Ford, 200.814

15. Jamie McMurray, Chevrolet, 200.574

16. Clint Bowyer, Ford, 200.267

17. Kyle Larson, Chevrolet, 200.072

18. Brad Keselowski, Ford, 199.590

19. Jimmie Johnson, Chevrolet, 199.496

20. William Byron, Chevrolet, 199.231

21. Chase Elliott, Chevrolet, 199.077

22. Bubba Wallace, Chevrolet, 197.721

23. Chris Buescher, Chevrolet, 197.596

24. David Ragan, Ford, 197.439

25. A.J. Allmendinger, Chevrolet, 197.352

26. Trevor Bayne, Ford, 197.298

27. Ty Dillon, Chevrolet, 197.298

28. Kasey Kahne, Chevrolet, 197.287

29. Michael McDowell, Ford, 196.512

30. Matt DiBenedetto, Ford, 196.383

31. Landon Cassill, Chevrolet, 195.567

32. Corey LaJoie, Chevrolet, 193.533

33. B.J. McLeod, Chevrolet, 191.744

34. Gray Gaulding, Chevrolet, 190.446

35. Reed Sorenson, Chevrolet, 189.663

36. Garrett Smithley, Chevrolet, 188.344

37. Timmy Hill, Chevrolet, 185.648

38. Jeffrey Earnhardt, Toyota, 184.054

39. Blake Jones, Toyota, 182.315

40. Daniel Suarez, Toyota

Past 10 Winners at Michigan International Speedway

(Year, Driver, Manufacturer)

2008, Carl Edwards, Ford

2009, Brian Vickers, Toyota

2010, Kevin Harvick, Chevrolet

2011, Kyle Busch, Toyota

2012, Greg Biffle, Ford

2013, Joey Logano, Ford

2014, Jeff Gordon, Chevrolet

2015, Matt Kenseth, Toyota

2016, Kyle Larson, Chevrolet

2017, Kyle Larson, Chevrolet

The past 10 winners above represent the second race of the year at Michigan International Speedway. Kyle Larson has won three of the last four races at the track; aside from winning the first race of 2018 there, he also won both races in 2017.

Joe Gibbs Racing driver Denny Hamlin swept all three rounds of qualifying at Michigan. He will start from the front in his Toyota Camry when the green flag drops for the Consumers Energy 400 at Michigan. The last time the Monster Energy NASCAR Cup Series visited Michigan International Speedway, Clint Bowyer drove his No. 14 Ford Fusion to Victory Lane. Seven of the top eight race finishers were also behind the wheel of a Ford. With all the headlines leading up to the race at Michigan, a Ford driver capturing the checkered flag would be the perfect ending to a great newsworthy week which also included Ford celebrating the production of the 10 millionth Mustang.

stripe