NASCAR at Michigan 2016: Start Time, Ticket Info, Lineup, TV Schedule and More
With just three races remaining before the start of the Chase for the Sprint Cup, Sunday's Pure Michigan 400 will be key in determining which 16 drivers will have an opportunity to compete for a championship.
Not only will drivers on the bubble need quality finishes to remain above the cut line, but the possibility of a driver who is currently outside the Chase winning and nearly cementing a playoff spot, much like Chris Buescher did a few weeks ago, will add even more drama to the equation.
Ahead of the final Michigan race of 2016, here is everything you need to know about when and where to watch, as well as a closer look at the drivers with the best chance to enter victory lane.
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Where: Michigan International Speedway in Brooklyn, Michigan
When: Sunday at 2 p.m. ET
Watch: NBCSN
Ticket Info: ScoreBig.com
Entry List
| 1 | Jamie McMurray |
| 2 | Brad Keselowski |
| 3 | Austin Dillon |
| 4 | Kevin Harvick |
| 5 | Kasey Kahne |
| 6 | Trevor Bayne |
| 7 | Regan Smith |
| 10 | Danica Patrick |
| 11 | Denny Hamlin |
| 13 | Casey Mears |
| 14 | Tony Stewart |
| 15 | Clint Bowyer |
| 16 | Greg Biffle |
| 17 | Ricky Stenhouse Jr. |
| 18 | Kyle Busch |
| 19 | Carl Edwards |
| 20 | Matt Kenseth |
| 21 | Ryan Blaney |
| 22 | Joey Logano |
| 23 | David Ragan |
| 24 | Chase Elliott |
| 27 | Paul Menard |
| 30 | Josh Wise |
| 31 | Ryan Newman |
| 32 | Jeffrey Earnhardt |
| 34 | Chris Buescher |
| 38 | Landon Cassill |
| 41 | Kurt Busch |
| 42 | Kyle Larson |
| 43 | Aric Almirola |
| 44 | Brian Scott |
| 46 | Michael Annett |
| 47 | AJ Allmendinger |
| 48 | Jimmie Johnson |
| 55 | Reed Sorenson |
| 78 | Martin Truex Jr. |
| 83 | Matt DiBenedetto |
| 88 | Alex Bowman |
| 95 | Michael McDowell |
| 98 | Cole Whitt |
Drivers to Watch
Joey Logano
With seven straight top-10 finishes at Michigan to his credit, Joey Logano enters Sunday's race as one of the top contenders in the field.
He won at Michigan earlier this season, which still stands as his only win of 2016. The driver of the No. 22 Team Penske car has been consistent, though, with nine top-fives and 15 top-10 results.
While Logano is solidly locked into the Chase for the Sprint Cup, he will need to take the checkered flag at some point again this season if he wants to win the first Sprint Cup championship of his career.
According to Mike Brudenell of the Detroit Free Press, Logano is confident in himself and his team, but he knows improvements need to be made: "I think we are going to be OK. I think we are in the same spot as last year. I think we are in good shape. But I know we have to find more when the Chase starts."
While Logano is Chase-bound regardless of what happens, another win will help his initial standing and give him a great deal of confidence heading into the playoffs.
Nobody has been more dominant at Michigan than Logano over the past few years, and that makes him the driver to beat in the Pure Michigan 400.
Matt Kenseth
Matt Kenseth ranks near the top of the list in wins, top-fives, top-10s, laps led and average finish at Michigan International Speedway, and the 44-year-old veteran has a great chance to add to those numbers Sunday.
Kenseth has three career victories to his credit at MIS, and his average finish of 10.3 is second among active drivers with more than one Sprint Cup start at the track.
While Kenseth has two wins this season and is assured of a spot in the Chase, he is just 10th in points and has been somewhat inconsistent.
High finishes have been few and far between, with four top-five results in 23 races, which is just one more than his three DNFs.
Even one poor finish in the Chase can be enough to destroy championship hopes, so Kenseth would benefit from entering the Chase on a high note.
Another win or at least a strong finish at Michigan would go a long way toward accomplishing that, and he has proved over the years that he has the tools to succeed at the two-mile track.
The 2016 season has been kind to Carl Edwards thus far, and with just a few weeks remaining until the Chase for the Sprint Cup, he has put himself in position to contend for his first Sprint Cup title.
Edwards has two wins under his belt and enters Michigan fourth in the standings, just three points behind Kurt Busch in third.
With two wins, nine top-fives and 17 top-10 finishes at MIS in 24 career starts, Edwards has a chance to take third and close the gap on the top two spots this weekend.
His average finish of 9.5 at Michigan is tops among all active drivers with more than one start, and he likes his chances to turn in a good performance, according to Chase Wilhelm of Fox Sports: "Michigan is a place that really tests every part of your team. You have to have great engines, which we do. You have to have great cars and bodies, which we do. The pit crew has to be on their game. My guys have been doing great lately. You have to make good calls the whole day."
Despite Edwards' overall success at Michigan, he is in the midst of a drought, having not won at the track since 2008.
He is racing better now than he has in quite some time, though, and he is well-equipped to find his way back to Victory Lane in the Great Lake State.
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