Expect The Unexpected At Michigan International Speedway This Weekend

By: Tom Luttermoser       Image Via: MIS Facebook w/ No Photo Credit

I will be at Michigan to cover all the racing action from 7am until after the ARCA Race ends Saturday and tailgating with friends before 9am Sunday until well after the race ends covering it all for you guys! 

For the first time since 2012, Michigan International Speedway has sold out it's infield camping spots. With the introduction of the NEXT-GEN car and the fantastic racing the new car has delivered to some other... less exciting... tracks, Michigan has joined the list of sold out venues for this upcoming weekend's FireKeepers Casino 400. Now of course the track has not sold out each of it's tickets, but for the first time in 10 years it has, however sold out something. Michigan is my home track as I live just roughly 45 minutes to the East of the beautiful Irish Hills area. 

I've been attending one Michigan race or another nearly each year since 2010 when my first race ticket was purchased for me for graduating high school. I have been there to see Harvick win 3 times, Kyle Busch, Joey Logano, Matt Kenseth Kurt Busch and Greg Biffle snag that trophy. I was however beyond disappointed to miss out on my 2 drivers get their wins here in the Big 3's back yard. Jeff Gordon won in 2014 at a race I was supposed to attend but was sick and Clint Bowyer getting his rain shortened and final win in 2018. 

Now this weekend I have heard a few different answers from big names in the sport as what to expect from this weekends racing. Brad Keselowski Tuesday said, he really didn't know what to expect with this new car at his home track (kind of where I'm leaning). On the other hand you had Crew Chief of Denny Hamlin's #11 Toyota Camry, Chris Gabehart on NASCAR XM with Claire B Lang Thursday saying he expects a lot of slingshot type passes and not so much of the super speedway pack type racing we saw last year leading to the Ryan Blaney win.

Personally I fully expect to see a continuation of what we have seen all season, variation. Less of the expected. In the last 4 races Kevin Harvick has gone on to all but dominate MIS winning 3 and although we have seen some decent improvement out of the 4 camp, I just don't see a win for the #BUSCHELOFBUSCH #4 Mustang. Kyle Larson scored his first win at MIS late in 2017 and went on to win the next two races at the 2 mile oval, since then a 3rd place finish last year and a 3rd place finish at the second race of 2019 have been his only high points in the Irish Hills. The 5 team is one that I am very concerned for going into the first round of the playoffs, but a win or a solid Top-5 could be just a great start to turning their season around. 

AJ Allmendinger won the Xfinity race last season and is your current points leader in NASCAR middle series. This season AJ has had great consistency and 3 wins to his credit, but none of them come on ovals so far. Could Michigan call for a repeat winner in the Xfinity Series? The Junior Motorsports drivers will have something to say about that as the team has amassed a series high 7 victories, all on ovals. last but not least we have the young gun in Ty Gibbs, Ty has 4 victories this season and is currently in spot #1 in the playoffs standings. He is running double duty again this weekend filling in for the injured Kurt Busch in 23XI's #45 Monster Energy Toyota. Ty has proven he can win on any type of track except 2 mile or larger ovals so far, Michigan very well could be that place and I think you'd be nuts not to put him on your Fantasy team.

See you all there!