FYI WIRZ: NASCAR's Top Five Drivers Talk Michigan Before and After

The 2-mile track at Michigan International Speedway is known for many grooves and that means fast action for fans and drivers. MIS didn’t disappoint.

Sunday’s CARFAX 400 race was mostly free of cautions and full of side-by-side competition sometimes three and four wide going into turns. Major crashes did not happen. 

With the win Kevin Harvick clinched his spot in the Chase for the Sprint Cup. Other drivers have only three more races to achieve a berth in the 10-race playoff scheme. 

Explore the telling words of the top five finishers before the green flag and after the checkers at the CARFAX 400, race 23 of 36 in the long ferocious NASCAR season.

Kevin Harvick (No. 29 Chevy) Finished first

Before
"Michigan has been tough on us. We have had a tough time trying to figure out the package that we needed. Everywhere else that we have been this year, one of us has been able to figure something out. But, Michigan is a place where we all struggle. The hope is to come up with some better stuff than what we raced last time. We're looking to be competitive and have a lot of changes than what we had last time."

After
“This has been a very bad track for us and to come here and do what we did today says a lot about where RCR is; where our cars are and hopefully what we can do in the last 10 weeks of the season, “Harvick said. “Just gotta thank all the guys on this team for working as hard as they do and putting up with me. It is a lot of fun right now.

"I knew Tony (Stewart) was a little higher than Denny (Hamlin), I wanted them to start working the bottom. A lot of fun racing with those guys. Even more fun beating them."

Denny Hamlin (No. 11 Toyota) Finished second

Before
“I like a track where the driver can make somewhat of a difference,” Hamlin said. “When his car’s not handling well, he’s got multiple grooves to change the way his balance is on his race car and Michigan is one of those race tracks. Your car’s not always going to be perfect, but you can almost make it that way by the way you drive there.
It’s exciting from my standpoint.”

After
“It’s win or nothing for us,” Hamlin said. “This is the kind of run we needed to get back in the swing of things, but we still have to get better. The 29 (Kevin Harvick) was strong down that straightaway and so it was hard for us to beat him. It was a good battle. I haven’t had that much fun racing someone for a win in a long time.”

Carl Edwards (No. 99 Ford) Finished third

Before
“Michigan is one of the best tracks we could be going to right now,” said Edwards. “This marks the sixth anniversary of my first Cup race so this race always reminds me of that day and what a great opportunity Jack Roush and Ford has given me.”

After
“We had the fastest car at the end; we just didn’t have enough time,” Edwards said. “We are making a lot of ground up in the points and getting stronger. I love racing at this race track. It is fun. You slide all over the place here. We are getting pretty close to everyone, which is good.” 

Greg Biffle (No.16 Ford) Finished fourth

Before
I love Michigan,” Biffle said. “It is my favorite track on the circuit. You can race three and four wide at a down force track. As a driver, you have so many options. You can run the bottom, middle or top. It is a strategy race and fuel mileage often comes into play - sometimes in your favor and sometimes not. I just like the way the track is laid out and I think you see good racing there.”

After
“I could carve through traffic, but then when I got in clean air there was too much air on the front of the car and I was too loose to catch the rest of the guys,” Biffle said. “I had a lot of fun racing today. I think there were a lot of position changes and a lot of passing going on, but I’m pretty happy with the day.”

Matt Kenseth (No.17 Ford) Finished fifth

Before
“I consider Michigan one of my favorite tracks on the Cup circuit,” Kenseth said. “Success at Michigan is about having a car that handles well since it’s a big sweeping track with plenty of room and lanes to pass. If you can get your car to handle the right way, you can have a lot of fun racing there.” 

After
We didn’t really run very good most of the day,” Kenseth said. “At the end and I think our guys executed when we really needed them to. We got some track position and were able to get a good finish out of it. It feels good to finish up front, that’s for sure.” 

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

Photo credit: Dwight Drum @ Racetake.com