NASCAR Cup Series News & Notes – Michigan International Speedway June 04, 2025

NASCAR Cup Series
Next Race: FireKeepers Casino 400
The Place: Michigan International Speedway
Track Length: 2 Mile Asphalt Paved Oval
The Date: Sunday, June 8
The Time: 2 p.m. ET
The Purse: $11,055,250
TV: Amazon Prime, 1:30 p.m. ET
Radio: MRN, SiriusXM NASCAR (Channel 90)
Distance: 400 miles (200 Laps); Stage 1 (Ends on Lap 45),
Stage 2 (Ends on Lap 120), Final Stage (Ends on Lap 200)

Where To Watch NASCAR This Weekend:

Friday, June 6

ARCA Race: Henry Ford Health 200 (FS2, MRN, SiriusXM at 5 p.m. ET)

Saturday, June 7

NCTS Practice & Kennametal Pole Qualifying (FS1 at 8 a.m. ET)

NCS Practice & Busch Light Pole Qualifying (Amazon Prime, MRN, SiriusXM at 9:30 a.m. ET)

NCTS Race: DQS Solutions & Staffing 200 (FOX, NRN, SiriusXM at Noon ET)

Sunday, June 8

NCS Race: FireKeepers Casino 400 (Amazon Prime, MRN, SiriusXM at 2 p.m. ET)

Michigan Storylines and Insights:

• This weekend marks the 108th running of a NASCAR Cup Series race at Michigan International Speedway (1969-2025).
• Nine different Cup Series drivers have won in 2025, four of the last five races were won by drivers getting their first win of the season.
• Chase Briscoe won the pole for the last two Cup races, the last driver to win three straight poles was Kyle Larson last spring.
• Nashville was only the second race in 2025 that 23XI Racing had multiple cars finish in the top-10, the team had only one top-10 in the prior five races of 2025 combined.
• Legacy Motor Club’s three top fives in 2025 are more than the last two seasons combined, their seven top-10s are more than all of 2024 (six).
• 12 races remain in the regular season, four of the 12 are on road courses, two are on drafting tracks and two are on short-tracks (the other four are Michigan, Pocono, Indianapolis, and Dover).
• Hendrick Motorsports’ 1,707 laps led this season are the most for any team through 14 races since 2016 (Joe Gibbs Racing – 1892).
• Alex Bowman finished 27th or worse in six of the last eight races this season, he has gone from fifth in the Playoff standings, +75 to 14th, +45.
• All three Team Penske drivers, plus the Wood Brothers #21 car, have won in 2025, their first win in 2024 was race #15.
• 2025 is the sixth season with all three Team Penske cars winning a race, 14 races is the third quickest they’ve accomplished it.
• Erik Jones average running position of 9.46 at Nashville was his best since Texas in September 2023.
• Ryan Blaney failed to win the first 11 races in which he led 100+ laps but now won four of the last five after leading at least 100.
• William Byron’s 547 points earned through 14 races in 2025 are the most at this point in the season by a driver in the Next Gen era (2022-2025).
• William Byron’s 48-point lead over second in the regular season standings is the second largest lead of the year behind his 49-point lead following Darlington.
• Hendrick Motorsports is the only team with at least one car finishing in the top-five in all 14 races in 2025, no other team had at least one car finish top-10 in all 14 races this year.
• Joe Gibbs Racing drivers won five of the last seven stages at Michigan but is winless there in the last 14 races.
• Joe Gibbs Racing last won at Michigan in August 2015, the team won 96 times on 25 different tracks since last winning at Michigan.
• The last four Cup races at Michigan have been won by four different drivers – Tyler Reddick (2024), Chris Buescher (2023), Kevin Harvick (2022) and Ryan Blaney (2021).
• Seven of the 41 different drivers to win a Cup race at Michigan are active this weekend, led by Joe Logano and Kyle Larson with three wins each.
• Only one of the last 12 Michigan Cup races was won by a driver getting his first win of the season.
• Eight drivers snapped a winless streak of at least 41 races at Michigan.
• Ford won nine of the last 10 races at Michigan.
• Kyle Larson won the last three races at Michigan won by Chevrolet drivers.
• Toyota won both poles at Michigan in the Next Gen car.
• Michigan produced only two first time Cup winners in 107 races:  Dale Jarrett in August 1991 and Kyle Larson in August 2016.
• Kyle Larson’s three wins at Michigan are tied for his most at a Cup track, yet he has not won there since August 2017.
• The last two Michigan races each had a track record 16 different leaders.
• No Michigan born driver has ever won at Michigan, Brad Keselowski has finished second three times. Three fulltime Cup drivers call Michigan their home state – Keselowski, Erik Jones and Carson Hocevar.
• Qualifying was cancelled at Michigan in 2024, Christopher Bell’s pole speed there in 2023 was the fastest pole speed of the season at 193.382 mph.
• This is the first Michigan race held in June since 2019, the last seven races there were held in August.
• 372 total lead changes this season are the fourth-most through the first 14 races of a season in the modern era (1972-2025); record is 439 in 2011.
• 10 different pole winners in 2025 – tied for second-most in the modern era (1972-2025); record is 11 in 1992.
• Six of the 52 different Cup pole winners at Michigan are active this weekend, led by Joey Logano with four poles.
• Seven drivers have won consecutive poles at Michigan International Speedway in the NASCAR Cup Series, Joey Logano is the only active driver to accomplish the feat.
• Currently Kyle Busch sits in 16th on the Playoff cutline, just two points up on Ryan Preece in 17th the first spot outside the postseason cutoff.
• The first five drivers below the Playoff cutline are within 13 points of Kyle Busch currently in the 16^th and final Playoff transfer position.
• Ricky Stenhouse Jr. dropped from 13th to 18th in the points standings following his incident with Carson Hocevar at Nashville.
• A total of 22 of the 107 (20.6%) NASCAR Cup Series races at Michigan International Speedway have been won from the pole or first starting position; the most recent win from the pole at Michigan was June 2019 (Joey Logano).
• Denny Hamlin leads all active drivers in runner-up finishes (tied with Keselowski, Elliott with three each), top fives (12) and top 10s (19) at Michigan.
• The fewest laps led by a race winner in a NASCAR Cup Series race at Michigan is one lap by Mark Martin in 2009.

 Understanding the In-Season Challenge:

• The top 32 in driver points following Nashville last week are eligible (Shane van Gisbergen, Cole Custer, Riley Herbst and Cody Ware failed to qualify among full-time drivers).
• The next three races (Michigan, Mexico City, Pocono) establish the seeding for the challenge based on the best driver finishing positions over those races. Tiebreakers are decided by the second-best finish and then the third-best finish among those races. If needed, the final tiebreaker is points standings after Pocono.
• The first of five races for the In-Season Challenge is Atlanta, with drivers competing in a bracket-style tournament until the final two drivers face off in the finale at Indianapolis with the best-finishing driver winning $1 million.
• Select this link for the In-Season Challenge Infographic & Bracket

Historical & Significant Events at Michigan International Speedway:

• Michigan was built in the late 1960s by Michigan land developer Larry LoPatin and his short-lived racing empire American Raceways Inc. (ARI) that grew to include tracks in Michigan, Atlanta, and Texas; LoPatin also planned to build a track in New Jersey. Michigan, located on more than 1,400 acres, was designed by Charles Moneypenny who also designed Daytona International Speedway.
• The first NASCAR Cup Series race at Michigan International Speedway was held June 15, 1969. The inaugural race was won by NASCAR Hall of Famer Cale Yarborough in the Wood Brothers Racing’s’ No. 21 Mercury at a speed of 139.254 mph.
• After ARI went bankrupt in 1973 the track was placed in receivership. Roger Penske purchased the facility. Under Penske’s 25 year ownership seating capacity grew from 25,000 to over 125,000 and many buildings and facilities were added making MIS one of the premier tracks on the Cup circuit.
• International Speedway Corporation, now NASCAR, acquired Michigan International Speedway in 1999.
• Since 2004 the track has made a series of capital improvements including a new suite/club structure above the grandstands; new facilities for broadcast area, race control and the press box; a new 108 foot tall three-sided scoreboard (replaced in 2011 and height increased to 155 feet), additional grandstands, replacement of the terrace suites and media center, new track signage; expanded new vendor and display areas and expansion of the pedestrian tunnel.
• The track was resurfaced for the 1978, 1986, 1995 and 2012 seasons. The 2012 repave consisted of removing the top two inches of the existing pavement and placing two lifts of asphalt – each 1 ½ inches thick – as a leveling course and a final wearing course. About 646,000-square feet of asphalt was removed and another 22,000 tons of new asphalt went in its place. Pit road was repaved in 2011. A laser survey of the existing track surface collected approximately 100 million data points, allowing engineers to replicate the original pavement yet smooth out the dips and bumps. Those data points have shown the racetrack has variable banking in its 18-degree turns.
• In June 2012 following the repave nineteen drivers time trialed over 200 mph. Forty drivers were faster than the previous record.
• In June 2013 Michigan International Speedway announced the creation of a Manufacturer’s Trophy, an ode to the spirit of the automobile and its importance to the racetrack. Inspired by the Stanley Cup, the award recognizes the winning manufacturer after each NASCAR Cup Series win at MIS.
• The Turn 3 grandstands were removed for the 2014 races. A track official said “This will help keep fans closer to the action and fan plaza and a better view of pit row. Removing the section of grandstands reduced seating capacity from 87,000 to 72,000. It is just the latest project that reduced capacity over the past decade. As recently as 2006, MIS could seat nearly 137,000 fans.

Latest News & Events at Michigan International Speedway:

• Michigan International Speedway announced that Detroit Lions safety Kerby Joseph has been named the grand marshal for the FireKeepers Casino 400. The defensive star will give the command to start engines during pre-race ceremonies on June 8.
• Detroit Lions safety Kerby Joseph recently signed a four-year, $86 million dollar contract extension, making him the highest-paid safety in NFL history.
• Michigan International Speedway announced that multi-platinum country artist Nate Smith will perform prior to the FireKeepers Casino 400 this summer. Smith headlines the Busch Light Summer Music Series at MIS on June 8.
• Country vocal powerhouse, Nate Smith will perform his biggest hits for race fans prior to the FireKeepers Casino 400 at MIS on Sunday, June 8. Smith has numerous multi-week No. 1 records including “Whiskey on You,” “World on Fire,” and “Bulletproof.” Smith has accumulated over 2 billion career streams, accumulated multiple gold and platinum records, sold-out shows across the U.S. and received nominations from the CMA Awards, ACM Awards, CMT Awards, and iHeart Radio Awards for Best New Artist.
• Smith serves as the second event in the Busch Light Summer Music Series at MIS in June. Prior to his performance, GRAMMY®-nominated recording artist ERNEST will perform at Texas Motor Speedway on May 4. Zac Brown Band, the multi-platinum southern rock group, will perform as part of pre-race festivities at the Chicago Street Race on July 6. The performances at Texas Motor Speedway, Michigan International Speedway and the Chicago Street Race will be the first of three of five full-length concerts at NASCAR races throughout the country as part of the first-ever Busch Light Summer Music Series.
• Michigan International Speedway announced that the MISCamping.com infield for the June NASCAR weekend has officially sold out for the fourth year in a row. General camping, grandstand tickets, and hospitality are still available for fans to experience NASCAR’s return to the Irish Hills. Fans can still get in on all the race action with grandstand tickets, outside campsites across Michigan’s largest registered campground, and hospitality options for the weekend. Campsite areas still available include Brooklyn Trails located on Brooklyn Highway across from the track, Brookfest Acres located outside of turn 4, M50 Creekside located behind turn 3, Graves Family Campground located on US-12, High Banks located outside of turn 3, and Tree Farm which is just outside of turns 3 and 4.
• Michigan International Speedway announced that DQS Solutions & Staffing has been named the NASCAR CRAFTSMAN Truck Series race entitlement partner. The NASCAR CRAFTSMAN Truck Series returns to MIS with the DQS Solutions & Staffing 200 Powered by Precision Vehicle Logistics on Saturday, June 7.
• DQS Solutions & Staffing serves as a trusted partner for top-tier staffing while delivering innovative workforce and business solutions across diverse industries, with expertise in the automotive sector. Along with staffing, other services offered include security, warehousing, key management systems, automation, transportation, snow removal, and food truck operations. DQS Solutions & Staffing has been recognized as Michigan’s fastest growing company and gives back to the community through its nonprofit, Foundation for Pops, and partnerships like the River Rouge School District.