After starting on the pole and leading 96 of the 200 laps in today’s FireKeepers Casino 400, Kyle Larson took his Chevrolet to victory lane in thrilling fashion at Michigan. While he was near the front for the entire race, it looked like his chances to win were slipping away in the second half of the race. On the restart after the fourth caution on lap 121, Larson fell back to sixth due to restarting on the inside line. It looked like he was stuck there until the fifth caution came out on lap 150 and allowed strategy to take shape for the entire field. Four drivers, including Kyle Busch, took two tires while Larson and the leaders decided to take four tires. While he lost a little track position, Larson restarted as the fourth car in the outside line, which gave him a distinct advantage to move to the front. On the restart, he moved into fourth place thanks to the strength of the outside line with Chase Elliott, Ryan Blaney, and Kyle Busch in front of him. Larson moved past Elliott early in the run and then quickly passed Blaney for second with the leader in his sights. Before he could make the move by Busch for the lead, the sixth caution waved on lap 180 and the subsequent restart meant Larson would start on the inside line since he was second. However, even after restarting on the inside, Larson fought his way past Busch and grabbed the outright lead in a remarkable showing of his talent. A caution on lap 187 meant another restart, but the 2014 NASCAR Monster Energy Cup Series Rookie of the Year held strong before another caution waved on the backstretch. On the final restart of the race, Larson held off all challengers and cruised to his second consecutive victory at Michigan after he won last August for his first NMECS win. Today's win was his third career Cup victory and, ironically, all three have come at Auto Club Speedway and MIS, which share a very similar track layout. Today’s race in the Irish Hills was a mixture of calculated strategy and high-speed racing, but it ultimately came down to three crucial restarts to not only decide the winner, but all the finishing positions as the playoffs draw closer. As these five stages of analysis display, Michigan International Speedway always puts on an action-packed show from start to finish and the winner of the race is not always assured until the checkered flag waves.
Stage 1:
Driver of the Day: Larson Dominates and Manages Late Restarts to Win
2017 has been a proving year for Kyle Larson and his Chip Ganassi Racing team. In the fourteen races leading up to today’s event, he had a win, five second place finishes, and only one DNF after a crash in the Coca-Cola 600. Plus, Larson found himself sitting second in points behind Martin Truex Jr., who has had an equally impressive year. Today’s race was just another powerful indicator of how competitive Larson will be when it comes championship time. He started the race on the pole after a blazing fast lap and in the early run of the race, he was running away from the field. However, a two-tire gamble during pit stops after the competition caution on lap 26 made his car tight as Truex Jr. grabbed the lead on lap 35. Larson dropped another spot and Truex Jr. ultimately took his ninth stage win of the year. Yet, Larson was not going to settle for running in second for another run. His team’s fast pit work allowed him to win the race off pit road and he drove away on the restart. The green flag stayed out for an entire fuel run and when pit stops happened under the green flag, Larson maintained the lead after the stops cycled through. However, Truex Jr. took the lead thanks to great pit work on lap 116 and he drove to a sweep of the stage victories. After stage two ended, the leaders stayed on track and the subsequent restart dropped Larson to sixth after starting on the inside line. A caution thirty laps later created more strategy, but the restart put Larson on the outside line and he maneuvered his way into second place. The sixth caution on lap 180 proved pivotal for the young driver. Starting on the inside line on the restart, he outbattled Kyle Busch into turn 1 and took the lead and never relinquished it through two more hotly contested restarts as he took his third career NMECS victory. Overall, Larson led nearly half the race and despite not winning a stage, he grabbed five playoff points and the points lead thanks to the win. While today was another successful run, this coming Sunday could prove to be a challenge as Larson has yet to finish inside the Top 10 at Sonoma, but he has proven this year that no track can set him back.
Stage 2:
Move of the Race: Logano Pits Late and Grabs Impressive Top 5
The last five races have not been very kind to Joey Logano and his team. Since winning at Richmond in April, Logano has yet to finish inside the Top 20 in any race and with his race win not locking him in the playoffs due to a penalty, he is in desperate need of a playoff clinching victory. Today at Michigan went much better for him from the start. Logano rolled off from seventh place and after an uneventful first stage, he was in ninth with a decently fast racecar. Stage two continued smoothly for the Team Penske driver and after dropping a couple of positions, he ended up just outside the Top 10 to finish the second stage. While Logano was consistent, he was not moving up and his crew chief, Todd Gordon, decided to begin working some late race strategy. During the caution to end stage two, Logano pitted for four tires and the restart went well as he had fresh tires. However, he continued to remain near the back half of the Top 10 and it looked like the team still lacked speed compared to the field. Another pit stop came and after taking four tires, Logano still appeared to be unable to move through the field. When the sixth caution waved on lap 180, Gordon used another strategy move. He brought his driver down for two tires and he restarted fourteenth, which was the highest of all the drivers who pitted during the caution. On the next restart, Logano finally began moving to the front. He gained a couple of positions before the seventh caution waved on lap 187 and on the next restart, he gained even more spots as he restarted sixth. When the eighth and final caution waved on lap 191, Logano found himself sitting fourth in an excellent position to work his way around Kyle Larson in the outside line. On the final restart, he made a good move, but Denny Hamlin broke loose on the inside line and slowed his progress. Chase Elliott moved into second and Logano managed to grab third place. He maintained the spot and when the checkered flag waved, he grabbed his first Top 5 finish in a little over a month. Thanks to a bold two-tire strategy call from Todd Gordon, Logano grabbed a much-needed momentum boost heading towards the playoffs. Plus, after the race, Logano and his wife, Brittany, announced that they are expecting their first child next January. It was a great Father’s Day for the young driver and this boost of confidence could lead to a dramatic championship run.
Stage 3:
Wild Wreck: Patrick Slams the Inside Wall Hard After Restart Stack-Up
After the first half of today’s race went clean with no cautions involving crashes or spins, the second half of the race went much differently. Ryan Sieg spun to bring out the fifth caution on lap 150 and Clint Bowyer slammed the outside wall on lap 187 to bring out the seventh caution. However, those two incidents were just the beginning of the action-packed racing that was to come in the last ten laps of the event. With the win and great finishing positions on the line, the intensity surrounding the restart following the eighth caution was evident. As Kyle Larson took the green flag with Chase Elliott to his inside on lap 191, the field raced off into turn 1 for what could possibly be the final side by side restart of the race. As they went into turn 1, Ryan Blaney, who was sitting in fifth, broke loose and began to slide up the track. Since it could be the last restart, Blaney blocked drivers trying to pass as the rest of the field behind him had much more momentum. Kevin Harvick and Daniel Suarez managed to drive underneath him heading towards the backstretch and all three drivers were unwilling to back out. All three made contact and Suarez began to slide down the track. Drivers behind them had gained speed and Darrell Wallace Jr. was there to make a pass for position. Wallace Jr. and Suarez made contact, which sent Wallace Jr. into Danica Patrick. Patrick was also trying to advance her position in the late restart and she had decided to make a move to the inside of the three wide battle. However, it turned out to be the wrong move as the contact sent her spinning down the inside of the track. She slid all the way to the inside wall and slammed it hard as the rest of the field managed to keep going. Her car was heavily damage and a Top 15 run turned into a last place finish. After such a clean start, it was a wild wreck for the lead lap drivers. For Patrick, it continues her disappointing season after luck hasn’t seemed to be on her side. Her hard Kansas incident with Joey Logano and Aric Almirola ended a great run and left Almriola hurt after the crash. With her job possibly on the line, she needs to finish her great runs. Other drivers involved in today’s accident continued, but they were left with poor finishes for their runs. Ultimately, Michigan showed how high speeds and tight quarters can cause large accidents, just like the one today.
Stage 4:
Underdog of the Race: Wallace Jr. Takes Top 20 Finish in Second Cup Start
After his first NMECS start last Sunday, Darrell Wallace Jr. was frustrated with the finishing result after several pit road speeding penalties cost him a chance at a Top 20. Today at Michigan, he redeemed himself from all of last week’s rookie mistakes. Throughout the early and middle part of the event, Wallace Jr. kept his nose clean and battled around the Top 20 in the event after starting 26th. As the race neared the final hundred miles, it looked like he was on the verge of completing the entire race and gaining much needed experience. Finally, after pitting during the sixth caution, he looked to be prepared to grab a Top 20. However, the restart after the seventh caution almost unraveled his race. Wallace Jr. attempted to make a move underneath the three wide battle between Blaney, Harvick, and Suarez, in hopes of moving up to the Top 15. As he made the move, Suarez slid down the track and the two drivers made contact, which careened Wallace Jr. into Danica Patrick. Yet, after the two hard hits, Wallace Jr. pitted for a few repairs and returned to the race with fresh tires, which gave him the ability to move back towards the Top 20. On the final restart, he maneuvered his way into the Top 20 and took the checkered flag in an impressive nineteenth place in only his second Cup Series start. Of course, Richard Petty Motorsports and Wallace Jr. aren’t usually considered underdogs, but the combination of a rookie and the lack of speed the team has showed the past couple of years make the young driver’s nineteenth place finish a remarkable run for the entire organization.
Stage 5:
Terrible Luck: Truex Jr. and Kyle Busch Run Well, But Can’t Capitalize on Victory
Martin Truex Jr. and Kyle Busch led 102 of the 200 laps in today’s race and took both stage wins, but neither one finished inside the Top 5 as their luck ran out at the end. Truex Jr. started second and the inside line proved to be tough for him on the initial start as he began to drop back. However, the subsequent restarts allowed him to catch up to Kyle Larson and take the lead on lap 35. Busch rolled off fourth and he ended up third at the end of stage one as Truex Jr. took the stage win. Through the next stage and green flag run, both drivers stayed consistent and when the green checkered flag waved to end stage two, Truex Jr. took the stage win after taking the lead from Larson following stops and Busch took second as well. With only one stage left, the two Toyota drivers looked to be in control. On the pit stops following the conclusion of stage two, Truex Jr. won the race off and ran away from the field. He led until the fifth caution on lap 150 and dodged a massive problem when Ryan Sieg spun. Truex Jr. was coming along in the smoke and began to slide, but he controlled his car and held onto the lead without damage. However, during the pit stops after the caution, Kyle Busch took two tires and inherited the lead while Truex Jr. came out fifth after he took four tires. Busch drove away on the restart, but his fellow Toyota driver dropped back due to the challenge of restarting on the inside line. When the sixth caution waved on lap 180, Busch was still leading with questions over his ability to finish the race on fuel without stopping again. The caution brought much needed fuel saving for him and it allowed Truex Jr. another opportunity to battle for the lead, but he was again on the inside. On the restart, Truex Jr. dropped back while Busch lost the lead to Larson. On the final two restarts, neither driver could move back towards the front and Truex Jr. finished sixth with Busch behind him in seventh place. While Truex Jr. has two wins on the year and is in a good place in the playoffs despite not winning today, Busch is in desperate need of a win to make the playoffs and losing out on a win today means another opportunity is lost for the 2015 NMECS champion to find victory lane.
After running at a high banked two-mile track in the Irish Hills of Michigan today, the NMECS heads to a much different race track next Sunday. While the track is close to two-miles in length, it has right turns and more than four turns to challenge NASCAR’s best drivers and it is known as Sonoma Raceway. For the first time this year, a road course will impact the battle towards the playoffs and a variety of storylines will greet the field as they compete in California. A.J. Allmendinger is a full-time driver in the NMECS, but he can be considered a road course ringer and with only a few opportunities left for him to win before the playoffs, he will be focused to win his second career race. Kyle Larson might not be as experienced on road courses as his fellow competitors, but he has the momentum this year and he could use another solid run to boost his championship caliber statistics. Kyle Busch might be winless this year, but he has a previous win in 2015 at Sonoma and it sparked his first championship run. Finally, several competitive drivers remain winless and the unpredictability of a road course could open the door for someone to clinch their spot in the playoffs. Today’s race at Michigan proved to be a late race duel for the victory as late restarts and strategy culminated in a hard-fought win for Kyle Larson. Yet, next Sunday’s race presents an even greater strategy challenge and the tight road course racing could lead to increased shake-ups in the points standings in NASCAR’s highest series at Sonoma Raceway.
(More Stats Down Below!)
Cautions:
1st Caution: Lap 7- Debris was spotted on the frontstretch of the track.
2nd Caution: Lap 26- NASCAR waved a competition caution due to rain at the track early in the morning.
3rd Caution: Lap 61- NASCAR waved the caution to signal the end of stage one.
4th Caution: Lap 121- NASCAR waved the caution to signal the end of stage two.
5th Caution: Lap 150- Ryan Sieg broke loose in turn 4 and spun into the infield grass right in front of leader, Martin Truex Jr.
6th Caution: Lap 180- Debris was spotted on the backstretch of the track.
7th Caution: Lap 187- Clint Bowyer broke loose trying to pass between Jamie McMurray and Joey Logano entering turn 1. He slid up the track and slammed into the outside wall, causing him significant damage to the right side of his car.
8th Caution: Lap 191- Ryan Blaney broke loose entering turn 1 and created a stack-up behind him. Kevin Harvick and Daniel Suarez tried to pass him on the backstretch, but the three drivers made contact and Suarez slammed into Darrell Wallace Jr. Wallace Jr. slammed into Danica Patrick, who slid down the track and slammed the inside wall hard.
Lucky Dogs:
1st Caution: None
2nd Caution: None
3rd Caution: Matt DiBenedetto
4th Caution: A.J. Allmendinger
5th Caution: Danica Patrick
6th Caution: Ty Dillon
7th Caution: Paul Menard
8th Caution: Michael McDowell
Top 5 Finishers:
1st: Kyle Larson
2nd: Chase Elliott
3rd: Joey Logano
4th: Denny Hamlin
5th: Jamie McMurray
Notables Not in Top 5:
6th: Martin Truex Jr.
7th: Kyle Busch
9th: Dale Earnhardt Jr.
10th: Jimmie Johnson
11th: Matt Kenseth
14th: Kevin Harvick
16th: Brad Keselowski
19th: Darrell Wallace Jr.
21st: Kasey Kahne
25th: Ryan Blaney
37th: Danica Patrick
Credits:
-My Own Notes
-Statistics:
http://racing-reference.info/race/2017_FireKeepers_Casino_400/W
http://www.nascar.com/en_us/race-center/2017/monster-energy-nascar-cup-series/firekeepers-casino-400.race.html
-Image:
http://bleacherreport.com/articles/2716380-kyle-larson-edges-out-chase-elliott-wins-nascar-at-michigan-2017
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