After a wild race last weekend, the NASCAR Cup Series heads north to Michigan International Speedway. Sunday afternoon’s FireKeepers Casino 400 will take place right in the backyard of two of the sport’s manufacturers. Both Chevrolet and Ford would certainly love to pick up a win in this homecoming weekend. With just two races to go in the regular season and two spots left to claim in the NASCAR Playoffs, will we see another driver manage to lock themselves in this weekend?
Michigan International Speedway Overview
Michigan International Speedway opened for racing in 1968. NASCAR first came to the track to race in the following year, and Michigan has hosted a NASCAR race every year since then. The racing surface itself is a two-mile-long D-shaped oval with various degrees of banking throughout. The turns are capped at 18 degrees while the start/finish section is banked at 12 degrees. The backstretch of the track has minimal five-degree banking.
In 1972, Roger Penske bought the track for roughly $2 million and promptly expanded the seating capacity from 25,000 to over 100,000. The venue was known as “Michigan Speedway” from 1996 to 2000. In 2000, International Speedway Corporation bought the track from Penske and changed the name to Michigan International Speedway. Additional seats were added by ISC as well. The track was repaved prior to the 2012 racing season, marking the first resurfacing since 1995. Other improvements made to the venue by ISC over the years include a three-story viewing tower, corporate suites, improved media facilities and a trackside luxury campsite.
Wolverine State Loses a NASCAR Weekend
This year marks the first time since 1973 that Michigan International Speedway is not hosting two NASCAR Cup Series races weekends in the same season. The June race date was moved elsewhere, thus leaving Michigan with just the FireKeepers Casino 400 weekend. The NASCAR Xfinity Series will also be in action at the track known as ‘Wide and Fast’ this weekend.
NASCAR Cup Series at Michigan | Weekend Racing Schedule
New Holland 250
Series: NASCAR Xfinity Series
Date: Saturday, August 21, 2021
Start Time: 3:30 P.M. EST
Coverage: NBCSN
Distance: 200 miles
Laps: 200
FireKeepers Resort Casino 400
Series: NASCAR Cup Series
Date: Sunday, August 22, 2021
Start Time: 3 P.M. EST
Coverage: NBCSN
Distance: 400 miles
Laps: 200
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