FYI WIRZ: NASCAR Revs Up Motor City Rivalry at Fast Michigan

Michigan International Speedway at Brooklyn, Michigan is not far from the Motor City in Detroit. Hosting a NASCAR Sprint Cup event at the traditional home of the U.S. automobile industry brings out special pride for the winner.

The Quicken Loans 400 on the 2.0-mile D-shaped oval track will also bring out loyal fans on June 14, many of whom have jobs in the automotive industry. Bragging rights are part of a win at MIS. 

Fans from across the country can benefit from driver opinions about MIS track speed, configuration with 18-degree banking and the aging of the repaved track. 

Ten NSCS drivers now have at least one win in the bank and a chance in the Chase for the Sprint Cup championship.

Five drivers with at least one win and two without wins discussed Michigan before the fast green flag.

Kevin Harvick keeps the lead in NSCS points with strong finishes and two wins. He described MIS.

“It has definitely aged and the groove has spread out over the last couple races, so you’ve had a lot more options then you did a few years ago when they repaved it,” he said. “Every time we go back there it gets a little more racey.”

Dwight Drum

Martin Truex Jr. finally made it to Victory Lane in Pocono last week after a productive start to his year. He defined the challenge at Michigan. 

“Michigan is a fun track to race on—the speed there is incredible,” he said. “It's also a hard place to pass cars on without that wide groove. Michigan is a great race track and there's a lot of great fans up in that area.”

Jimmie Johnson mentioned the significance of the manufacturer center in Michigan. 

“With the track in Michigan being so close to Detroit and Chevrolet, it’s a pride thing,” he said. “We want to win that one every year.”

Dale Earnhardt Jr. analyzed the dynamics of the MIS track.

“Michigan is a great track,” he said. “I look forward to it aging and widening out. As that happens, the track loses grip. The groove hasn’t been very wide since they repaved it. The place is just going to continue to get better.”

Matt Kenseth shared his take on Michigan. 

“Michigan has finally started to widen out a little bit since they paved it, because it was very difficult to pass there, but I really feel that the surface has improved,” he said. “The keys to Michigan are just being able to pass and get into the corners fast, as well.” 

Jeff Gordon would be thrilled to close out his great career with a win at MIS.

“I like a lot of tracks on the NASCAR schedule, but Michigan seems to be at or near the top of my favorites list,” he said. “It’s a fast, fast race track—one that really gets your attention—with multiple grooves in the corners.”

Aric Almirola is having a good year even after a bad weekend at Pocono. Like Gordon, a win would be especially welcome at MIS.

“We suffered a big hit in points last weekend, but that was last weekend,” he said. “We're focused on getting a good finish in Michigan and continuing the consistency we have shown all season. If we keep going, we'll have a good shot at making The Chase."

From driver comments, it seems that the long track at MIS will accommodate very fast laps with limited passing. Qualifying can be decisive, and competition will be intense.

Fans without tickets can view the big speed at 1 p.m. ET Sunday on Fox Sports 1.

FYI WIRZ is the select presentation of topics by Dwight Drum at Racetake.com. Unless otherwise noted, information and all quotes were obtained firsthand or from official release materials provided by sanction and team representatives.