NASCAR Xfinity Series at Michigan 2015: Full Schedule, Standings and Preview
A few weeks removed from Chris Buescher's triumph in Dover, the NASCAR Xfinity Series returns with a stop in Michigan for the Great Clips 250 benefiting Paralyzed Veterans of America.
Storylines abound for the good-cause race, with Kyle Busch set to make his return from injury and plenty of young drivers looking to tame the tricky course while fending off a sprinkling of Sprint Cup drivers in the process.
It makes for an exciting weekend of action, to say the least. The leaderboard still makes for a crowded mess, with Ty Dillon, Chase Elliott and others still hot on Buescher's trail.
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Below, let's take a look at everything to know about the major event.
Where: Michigan International Speedway
When: Saturday, June 13 at 1:30 p.m. ET
Watch: Fox
Schedule for Xfinity Series at Michigan
| Friday, June 12 | 1-2 p.m. | Practice | Fox Sports 1 |
| Friday, June 12 | 2:30-3:55 p.m. | Final Practice | Fox Sports 1 |
| Saturday, June 13 | 10:15 a.m. | Qualifying | Fox Sports 1 |
| Saturday, June 13 | 1:30 p.m. | Great Clips 250 Benefiting Paralyzed Veterans of America | Fox |
Great Clips 250 benefiting Paralyzed Veterans of America Entry List
| 0 | Harrison Rhodes |
| 01 | Landon Cassill |
| 1 | Elliott Sadler |
| 2 | Brian Scott |
| 3 | Ty Dillon |
| 4 | Ross Chastain |
| 6 | Darrell Wallace Jr |
| 7 | Regan Smith |
| 8 | Blake Koch |
| 9 | Chase Elliott |
| 13 | Derek White |
| 14 | Cale Conley |
| 15 | Jimmy Weller III |
| 16 | Ryan Reed |
| 18 | Daniel Suarez |
| 19 | Jeff Green |
| 20 | Denny Hamlin |
| 22 | Joey Logano |
| 24 | Eric McClure |
| 25 | Alex Bowman |
| 26 | Cj Faison |
| 28 | J.J. Yeley |
| 33 | Paul Menard |
| 39 | Ryan Sieg |
| 40 | Carl Long |
| 42 | Kyle Larson |
| 43 | Dakoda Armstrong |
| 44 | David Starr |
| 51 | Jeremy Clements |
| 52 | Joey Gase |
| 54 | Kyle Busch |
| 55 | Jeffrey Earnhardt |
| 60 | Chris Buescher |
| 62 | Brendan Gaughan |
| 70 | Derrike Cope |
| 74 | Mike Harmon |
| 88 | Kevin Harvick |
| 90 | Martin Roy |
| 97 | Peyton Sellers |
| 98 | Aric Almirola |
Xfinity Series Standings
| 1 | Chris Buescher | 448 |
| 2 | Ty Dillon | 433 |
| 3 | Chase Elliott | 411 |
| 4 | Regan Smith | 401 |
| 5 | Darrell Wallace Jr. | 399 |
| 6 | Elliott Sadler | 375 |
| 7 | Brian Scott | 358 |
| 8 | Ryan Reed | 353 |
| 9 | Brendan Gaughan | 346 |
| 10 | Daniel Suarez | 345 |
Drivers to Watch
Chris Buescher
All hail the current king of the Xfinity Series.
Often the Series falls into the hands of Sprint Cup drivers who use the events as something akin to a warm-up, but not in recent weeks thanks to the Roush Fenway Racing superstar.
Buescher not only won in Dover last week after leading just 10 laps, but earlier in May he also won in Iowa after leading 94, making it two wins in three weeks with eight top-10 finishes dating back to mid-February.
For Buescher, it's all about making a name for himself and his team.
"We're always auditioning," he said, per ESPN.com. "We're always trying to make a name for ourselves. We're all racers, we're all driving hard and we'll see where that leads."
Buescher finished among the top 10 drivers last June in Michigan, so a combination of recent and past success makes him a top driver to watch as he looks to put even more distance between himself and the rest of the pack.
Ty Dillon
Close behind Buescher is the aforementioned Dillon.
Another young upstart, Dillon remains on absolute fire. It's easier to name the races he hasn't finished among the top 10 drivers this year. While he has yet to seize a checkered flag, he's a top-10 finisher in nine of 12 races this year, with no placement worse than 14th.
The form has him just off the lead in the standings, with lofty goals of making a jump next season in his sights.
"I know I can get in the Cup Series next year do a good job and run for the rookie of the year. We have to continue to work hard and wait for opportunities to come up," Dillon said, per Jay Pennell of FoxSports.com.
It's hard to imagine a reality in which Dillon isn't in the thick of things late this weekend, not after such a strong season to date. He seems on his way to the Sprint Cup Series if he can keep pace, if not outright steal the top spot on the leaderboard.
Michigan is as good of a place as any to pull off the feat.
Kyle Busch
It's time to welcome Busch back into the fold after a Daytona crash in which he suffered a broken right leg and broken left foot. He's competed in a few top-tier races since but makes his Xfinity Series return Saturday.
"This is a continuation of my recovery since Daytona, and we hope to continue to add to my schedule going forward through the rest of the year," Busch said, per ESPN.com's Bob Pockrass.
It's Xfinity Series start No. 298 for the veteran, who owns one win and six placements in the top five and top 10 at Michigan. This year, he owns one top-10 finish in the top series with one start in the Xfinity Series.
It seems a long time coming Busch returns to his stomping grounds, even if it does just serve as a step in the process on his march to recovery.
Regardless of how he performs, it's a win for fans with Busch back in the fold to make things even more entertaining, if not competitive.
Stats and info courtesy of ESPN.com unless otherwise specified.
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