The elite of the NASCAR Sprint Cup Series will journey to the Irish hills of Brooklyn-Michigan for Sunday’s running of the Helluva Good Sour Cream Dips 400 at the Michigan International Raceway. This will be race number 15 on the Sprint Cup Series’ schedule and the first of two races this summer at the two mile oval.
A major aspect to this race involves bragging rights. The speedway is literally located in the back yard of the the Detroit based big three automakers. All of the nation’s auto manufacturers will be heavily represented this weekend and every Cup team in the Michigan garage will want invite those factory reps to victory lane.
THE STORY BREAKDOWN
In the aftermath of last Sunday’s race at Pocono it now appears that we have a newly proposed driver feud. That would of course be Logano versus Harvick and the all important issue of who wears the fire suit in the Harvick family. You have already heard about this all week long and you will be hearing opinions from a variety of people and you will see the video replays from every conceivable camera angle all throughout the weekend. Don’t look for any on track retaliation between these drivers at Michigan. They know that everyone from NASCAR on down will be watching. Besides, this has been a very dismal season for driver feuds. They don’t seem to last much longer than a couple of weeks.
But this feud is still selling T shirts over at Kevin Havick Inc. The moment that Joey Logano suggested that DeLana Harvick wears the fire suit in the family, she contacted the manufacturer who designs the souvenirs for KHI and had them create a new shirt with that now popular phrase on it. Proceeds from the sales directly benefit the recently established Kevin Harvick Foundation. You just have to love the fact an inappropriate remark from Joey Logano has turned into support for those in need. You can also imagine the Harvicks walking off hand in hand towards the sunset laughing.
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If you’re looking for a feud that has been around for awhile then check out the dispute between Sprint Cup team owners Jack Roush and Felix Sabates that began last January over the state of Michigan and then surfaced again this past Tuesday.
Last January Felix Sabates, a part of the Earnhardt Ganassi Racing ownership profile, commented on the 2010 NASCAR Sprint Cup schedule and referenced the two races, in June and August, at the Michigan International Raceway. “There’s nobody left in Detroit other than the police and the unemployed,” he said adding “I’d cut Michigan off of the schedule all together. Michigan, I’m talking about the state now, is never coming back to what it used to be so why go there and throw good money after bad money.”
No one loves the state of Michigan more than Jack Roush. His vast business empire is headquartered in the community of Livonia. He’s had a long and loyal relationship with the Ford Motor Company and he loves racing at the Michigan International Raceway. That’s understandable. Ford has 31 wins at Michigan and Roush Fenway Racing has won 12 of them.
Last Tuesday, during a NASCAR national teleconference with Roush, the Sabates comments from last January somehow came up. It was evident that Roush is still angry with Sabates. “He made derogatory comments about Michigan and the Michigan race track,” he said adding “I had hoped that he was a little too much in the spirits that day and that he said things he regretted. He hasn’t indicated to me he regretted saying those things, but I think certainly under any circumstances they were ill advised.”
Unfortunately, that’s the closest to a bonafide NASCAR feud that we have right now.
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Speaking of Jack Roush and Ford, all eight of the major Ford teams, from Roush Fenway Racing and Richard Petty Motorsports, will be using the new Ford FR9 engine, developed by Roush yates Engines, during the Michigan race this Sunday. The full time use of this new engine has been a careful process in the making. With Ford’s successful record at the Michigan International Speedway, this story line will be an interesting one to follow.
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Bob Jenkins, owner of Front Row Motorsports, said on Wednesday that he plans to appeal the penalties handed down by NASCAR this week regarding his #38 Sprint Cup team driven by Travis Kvapil.
Following last Sunday’s rain delay during the Pocono race, the cars were being rolled back in line when NASCAR officials noticed that the two rear tires on the #38 were unusually soft. An inspection turned out that the tires had concealed, and illegal, bleeder valves which are used to purge excess air from the tires as it accumulates under racing conditions.
In the world of NASCAR inspectors there are three areas that are often referred to as being untouchable: engines, fuel and tires. On Wednesday morning NASCAR announced some very harsh penalties regarding Front Row Motorsports. Crew chief Steve Lane was fined $100,000, suspended for the next 12 Sprint Cup events, suspended from participating in any NASCAR sanctioned activities until September 15th and placed on probation until December 31st. Team car chief Richard Bourgeois and tire specialist Michael Harrold received the same suspensions and probation but were not fined. Additionally driver Travis Kvapil and registered car owner Doug Yates were each docked 150 championship and owner’s points.
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Expect to hear some major, and justified, bragging from Jimmie Johnson this weekend because he was the big winner in Tony Stewart’s “Prelude To The Dream” charity race held recently on the Stewart owned Eldora Speedway in Ohio. The event was presented by Gillette Pro Fusion Pro Glide.
This was quite a feat because Johnson virtually has no experience driving a late model stock car on a dirt track. He finished a mere .683 seconds over Clint Bowyer who ironically owns the late model dirt car Johnson was driving.
The stars of NASCAR turned out in a very big way to help Stewart’s annual charity race. The race was broadcast by HBO as a pay per view event with net proceeds supporting four of the nation’s top children’s hospitals.
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THE RACE BREAKDOWN
The Heluva Good Sour Cream Dips 400 is 200 laps/400 miles around the Michigan International Raceway’s two mile oval.
The race has 46 entries vying for the 43 starting berths. Ten of those entries are on the go or go home list meaning those teams are not guaranteed a starting berth because they are presently outside of NASCAR’s top 35 in owner’s points. These teams will have to earn a starting berth based on their qualifying speed.
This could turn out to be a problem for these teams due to the weather forecast for the greater Brooklyn-Michigan area. That forecast calls for showers on Friday along with thunder storm activity on Saturday and Sunday with temperatures ranging around 83 degrees.
Mark Martin is the defending race winner from June of last year. Brian Vickers won the August 2009 event.
But when it comes to winning at Michigan NASCAR future Hall of Fame inductee David Pearson tops the list with nine trips to victory lane there. Bill Elliot leads the active driver’s list with seven Michigan wins.
Both Martin and Elliot are very strong on race finishes at Michigan as well. They are tied for the most top five finishes at 17 and for the most top tens at 29.
But it’s the Ford Motor Company that top the manufacturer win list at 31 led by Roush Fenway Racing who gave them 12 of those wins.
Track position is always important in any NASCAR Sprint Cup event these days and it also applies to Michigan. Ryan Newman owns the track qualifying record, 194.232 MPH, set in June of 2005. When it comes to winning the pole position David Pearson also owns that category with 10. Elliot leads the active driver’s list with 6 poles while Jeff Gordon has five.
The Heluva Good Sour Cream Dips 400 will be broadcast live by the TNT Network beginning at 12 pm eastern time.
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THE TRACK BREAKDOWN
The Michigan International Speedway is a two mile, semi banked oval, that was first opened in 1968.
The challenging four turns are only banked 18 degrees. The front stretch is banked 12 degrees while the backstretch is only banked five degrees.
The pit road speed for Sunday’s race will be 45 MPH.
The speedway has seating for 137,243 fans.
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THE VEGAS BREAKDOWN
The Las Vegas based World Sports Exchange-WSE seems to believe that Jimmie Johnson will be carrying the momentum from his recent dirt track win to Michigan. They have him on top of their list this week at 7 to 2 odds despite the fact he’s never won there. Right behind him is the always red hot Kyle Busch, at 5 to 1, who is also seeking his first win at Michigan.
Jeff Gordon, who many believe is way overdue for a trip to victory lane, could break into the win column again at Michigan. The two time race winner is rated at 8 to 1 odds this week. Kurt Busch, another two time Michigan winner, is right behind him at 10 to 1.
Two time race winner Matt Kenseth, at 15 to 1, could turn out to be a great wager considering Ford and Roush Fenway Racing’s excellent numbers at this track. Joining Kenseth at 15 to 1 this week is Jeff Burton.
Juan Pablo Montoya is rated at 18 to 1 this week. The 20 to 1 rankings is loaded with former race winners led by five time winner Mark Martin, two time winners Carl Edwards and Greg Biffle along with single race winners Tony Stewart and Kasey Kahne. Richard Childress Racing drivers Kevin Harvick and Clint Bowyer are also in this category as well. Joey Logano comes in a 25 to 1 this week.
If you’re into the possible thrill that comes with long shot wagers then you may want to take a look at Ryan Newman and Dale Earnhardt Jr at 30 to 1 odds. Newman is a two time winner at Michigan and has been steadily making progress towards the top 12 in the championship standings which determines the line for the Chase For The Championship. Earnhardt’s last Sprint Cup win came at Michigan two years ago. If there’s a place for this team to shake off the bad luck and general confusion Michigan is it.
Now for the disclaimer. NASCAR wants to remind you that these posted numbers should be viewed for entertainment purposes and they do not condone the placing of wagers on their races. You may want to consider spending your gambling budget on something important such as DeLana Harvick’s new “Fire suit” T shirt.
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