FYI WIRZ: NASCAR's Top Drivers Talk Michigan

The top five drivers in the NASCAR Sprint Cup Series this week, Kevin Harvick, Jeff Gordon, Jeff Burton, Kurt Busch, and Jimmie Johnson, talk the two-mile, D-shaped oval at Michigan International Speedway.

The CARFAX 400 at MIS in Brooklyn, Michigan commences this Sunday at 1:00 p.m. on ESPN. Easy math defines this race as 200 laps equals 400 miles.

This fast series includes comments by three of NASCAR’s most popular drivers—Dale Earnhardt Jr., Tony Stewart, and Kasey Kahne.

FYI WIRZ is the swift presentation of pertinent motor-sports topics compiled, condensed, and often written by Dwight Drum @ Racetake.com. Quotes provided by NASCAR and Sprint Cup team media.

Kevin Harvick (No. 29 Chevrolet)

"Michigan has been tough for us,” Harvick said. “Everywhere else we've been this year one of us has been able to figure something out but Michigan has been a place where we all struggle. We just struggle finding the balance of the car. We have great horsepower, so that's not a problem; and our cars are great week in and week out.

“But it's a fun race track and I really enjoy going there and you have a lot of options as a driver to move from the bottom to the top. It's a fun place to go. Hopefully this is the time we can turn it around."

Jeff Gordon (No. 24 Chevrolet)

“I love coming to this race track,” Gordon said. “Whether it’s on a double-file restart late in the race or just racing one guy ahead of you, there are a lot of places to go here. Because we can get fanned out and run multiple grooves in the corners and down the straightaways, that makes this one of the best tracks we race on in my opinion.”

Jeff Burton (No. 31 Chevrolet)

“Michigan has been our worst race track,” Burton said. “It has been a track where we have struggled and have not been good at all. It has pushed us, tricked us and made us mad. But, it’s a place where we have to find a way to improve. I like going to Michigan because it’s a fun race track. It gets pretty slick and there’s a lot of options.

“I think the thing that really sticks out is the width of the groove. You can run all the way down on the white line or run almost up by the wall. You don’t have to follow somebody around. It’s certainly not a one-groove track. That makes it so the driver has options.”

Kurt Busch (No. 2 Dodge)

“A win would mean those extra bonus points heading into the Chase, but you have to be for certain in that group of 12 drivers for it all to really count,” Busch said. “We’re really comfortable with where we sit right now and we hope that continues on through next weekend.”

Jimmie Johnson (No. 48 Chevrolet)

“We’re optimistic, excited, no idea what to really expect,” Johnson said. “It could be a fuel mileage race. It’s been a good track for us although we haven’t won there, we’ve led a lot of laps over the years and hopefully we can take home a trophy. I don’t like sliding down in the points any further than I am right now and looking forward to a good finish and hopefully to go up in the points a few spots.”

Dale Earnhardt Jr. (No. 88 Chevrolet)

"Lance (McGrew, crew chief) and the guys unloaded a great car last time at Michigan,” Earnhardt said. “We've had some good runs with this car. I enjoy going to Michigan because it's so wide. It has a lot of different grooves, and we can move around and find places to run on the track. We like coming here because it's in the backyard of the manufacturers. Hopefully we'll get a win for Chevrolet."

Tony Stewart (No. 14 Chevrolet)

“Michigan is a very, very wide racetrack,” Stewart said. “The good thing with that is it gives us as drivers an opportunity to move around to different spots of the track and help ourselves out as far as if our cars aren't handling exactly the way we want, you can normally move around and find a spot that's a little bit better and helps you out.

“There are so many options. It's not a track that's 'line committed', we call it, where you're stuck in one spot on the racetrack. We have the flexibility to move around. That gives us the opportunity to make our cars drive a little better without having to make changes.”

Kasey Kahne (No.9 Ford)

“There is so much racing room out there that you have to really work on your setup,” Kahne said. “I feel like that is one of the tracks where it is really critical to have a good aero and engine package. The racing at Michigan can be great at times. It also can be a race where cars run away and get strung out and there’s not a lot of passing going on. As far as the width of the race track and racing groove, there’s plenty of room. If you have a good car, you’ll be able to pass and it will be a fun race.”

Photo credit: Kasey Kahne by Dwight Drum @ Racetake.com