It’s back to Michigan for the second time this season as the race for the Chase heats up with just three races to go. Michigan International Speedway is the fastest track on the senior circuit with speeds topping 215 mph on the straightaway. With just a handful of drivers in the field with more than 60 laps led in the last five races, laps led dominators are key for the Pure Michigan 400. Dale Earnhardt Jr. is out again this week, and for Darlington, while still dealing with a concussion, and Jeff Gordon has a conflict and won’t be in the 88-car Sunday.
| Avg. | Avg. | Laps | High | Low | Avg. | Diff | Laps Led | Laps Led | ||||||||
| Driver | Start | Finish | Races | Wins | Top 5's | Top 10's | Top 20's | Led | Poles | Finish | Finish | DNF | Rating | Pts. | Pts. | Pts./race |
| Joey Logano | 6.6 | 5 | 5 | 1 | 3 | 5 | 5 | 260 | 1 | 1 | 9 | 0 | 120.5 | 1.6 | 65 | 13.00 |
| Matt Kenseth | 14.2 | 14.2 | 5 | 1 | 2 | 2 | 4 | 151 | 1 | 1 | 38 | 0 | 92.1 | 0 | 37.75 | 7.55 |
| Jimmie Johnson | 13.8 | 16.8 | 5 | 1 | 1 | 2 | 4 | 64 | 0 | 1 | 39 | 0 | 91.2 | -3 | 16 | 3.20 |
| Kurt Busch | 16.2 | 15 | 5 | 1 | 1 | 2 | 4 | 25 | 0 | 1 | 31 | 0 | 93.5 | 1.2 | 6.25 | 1.25 |
| Kevin Harvick | 9 | 8 | 5 | 0 | 4 | 4 | 4 | 141 | 1 | 2 | 29 | 0 | 116.5 | 1 | 35.25 | 7.05 |
| Brad Keselowski | 8.6 | 6 | 5 | 0 | 2 | 5 | 5 | 22 | 0 | 3 | 9 | 0 | 107.5 | 2.6 | 5.5 | 1.10 |
| Paul Menard | 17 | 9.2 | 5 | 0 | 2 | 3 | 5 | 1 | 0 | 4 | 18 | 0 | 90.9 | 7.8 | 0.25 | 0.05 |
| Martin Truex Jr. | 17.6 | 18.2 | 5 | 0 | 2 | 2 | 3 | 10 | 0 | 3 | 37 | 1 | 80 | -0.6 | 2.5 | 0.50 |
| Kyle Larson | 16.4 | 16.8 | 5 | 0 | 1 | 2 | 4 | 10 | 0 | 3 | 43 | 1 | 86.9 | -0.4 | 2.5 | 0.50 |
| Austin Dillon | 9.2 | 16.8 | 5 | 0 | 1 | 2 | 3 | 21 | 0 | 4 | 30 | 0 | 86.6 | -7.6 | 5.25 | 1.05 |
| Denny Hamlin | 13.8 | 17 | 5 | 0 | 1 | 2 | 3 | 0 | 0 | 5 | 33 | 1 | 86 | -3.2 | 0 | 0.00 |
| Kasey Kahne | 12.6 | 12.8 | 5 | 0 | 1 | 1 | 5 | 4 | 1 | 5 | 16 | 0 | 83.2 | -0.2 | 1 | 0.20 |
| Chase Elliott | 10 | 2 | 1 | 0 | 1 | 1 | 1 | 35 | 0 | 2 | 2 | 0 | 123.8 | 8 | 8.75 | 8.75 |
| Clint Bowyer | 22.4 | 18 | 5 | 0 | 0 | 3 | 3 | 1 | 0 | 6 | 41 | 0 | 79.1 | 4.4 | 0.25 | 0.05 |
| Jamie McMurray | 15.4 | 11.6 | 5 | 0 | 0 | 2 | 5 | 4 | 0 | 7 | 16 | 0 | 86.4 | 3.8 | 1 | 0.20 |
| Carl Edwards | 8.6 | 14 | 5 | 0 | 0 | 2 | 3 | 46 | 0 | 6 | 23 | 0 | 89 | -5.4 | 11.5 | 2.30 |
| Ryan Newman | 16.4 | 12.6 | 5 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 5 | 15 | 0 | 8 | 18 | 0 | 87.8 | 3.8 | 3.75 | 0.75 |
| Greg Biffle | 17.6 | 21.6 | 5 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 3 | 0 | 0 | 10 | 36 | 0 | 67 | -4 | 0 | 0.00 |
| Trevor Bayne | 21.8 | 21.2 | 5 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 3 | 0 | 0 | 9 | 41 | 0 | 60.1 | 0.6 | 0 | 0.00 |
| Tony Stewart | 12.3 | 16.75 | 4 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 2 | 1 | 0 | 7 | 28 | 0 | 84.8 | -4.45 | 0.25 | 0.06 |
| Danica Patrick | 21.6 | 19.4 | 5 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 3 | 2 | 0 | 16 | 25 | 0 | 63.4 | 2.2 | 0.5 | 0.10 |
| Aric Almirola | 22.6 | 22.6 | 5 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 2 | 3 | 0 | 14 | 31 | 0 | 65.1 | 0 | 0.75 | 0.15 |
| Casey Mears | 29.6 | 25.6 | 5 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 2 | 0 | 0 | 13 | 42 | 1 | 56.5 | 4 | 0 | 0.00 |
| Kyle Busch | 12.6 | 34.8 | 5 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 10 | 0 | 11 | 43 | 2 | 66.9 | -22.2 | 2.5 | 0.50 |
| Ryan Blaney | 9.7 | 21.67 | 3 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 17 | 24 | 0 | 76.6 | -11.97 | 0 | 0.00 |
| Chris Buescher | 22 | 20 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 20 | 20 | 0 | 62.1 | 2 | 0 | 0.00 |
| Ricky Stenhouse Jr. | 22.4 | 24.4 | 5 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 15 | 29 | 0 | 61.1 | -2 | 0 | 0.00 |
| A.J. Allmendinger | 24.8 | 24.8 | 5 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 13 | 38 | 1 | 59.9 | 0 | 0 | 0.00 |
| David Ragan | 26.6 | 27.4 | 5 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 18 | 38 | 0 | 53 | -0.8 | 0 | 0.00 |
| Josh Wise | 37.6 | 32.4 | 5 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 28 | 37 | 0 | 38.3 | 5.2 | 0.25 | 0.05 |
| Cole Whitt | 37.8 | 27.8 | 5 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 25 | 32 | 0 | 45.8 | 10 | 0 | 0.00 |
| Brian Scott | 26 | 36 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 36 | 36 | 1 | 45.7 | -10 | 0 | 0.00 |
| Landon Cassill | 34 | 31.2 | 5 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 25 | 36 | 0 | 43.7 | 2.8 | 0 | 0.00 |
| Michael Annett | 37 | 30.8 | 5 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 21 | 40 | 1 | 40.5 | 6.2 | 0 | 0.00 |
| Regan Smith | 33 | 35 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 35 | 35 | 0 | 38.7 | -2 | 0 | 0.00 |
| Reed Sorenson | 40 | 30 | 3 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 27 | 32 | 0 | 38.1 | 10 | 0 | 0.00 |
| Alex Bowman | 33.5 | 34.5 | 4 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 26 | 41 | 1 | 37.8 | -1 | 0 | 0.00 |
| Matt DiBenedetto | 35.3 | 34.33 | 3 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 30 | 39 | 1 | 36.6 | 0.97 | 0 | 0.00 |
| Jeffrey Earnhardt | 38 | 37 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 37 | 37 | 1 | 28.8 | 1 | 0 | 0.00 |
| Michael McDowell | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0.00 |
Key Drivers on 2-mile Tracks
| Avg. | Avg. | Laps | High | Low | Diff | Laps Led | Laps Led | |||||||||
| Driver | Start | Finish | Races | Wins | Top 5's | Top 10's | Top 20's | Led | Poles | Finish | Finish | DNF | Rating | Pts. | Pts. | Pts./race |
| Jimmie Johnson | 13.1 | 14.75 | 8 | 2 | 2 | 4 | 6 | 193 | 0 | 1 | 39 | 0 | 102 | -1.65 | 48.25 | 6.03 |
| Joey Logano | 7.8 | 9.38 | 8 | 1 | 4 | 7 | 7 | 263 | 1 | 1 | 39 | 0 | 111.2 | -1.58 | 65.75 | 8.22 |
| Brad Keselowski | 8.5 | 8.25 | 8 | 1 | 3 | 7 | 7 | 61 | 0 | 1 | 26 | 0 | 104.4 | 0.25 | 15.25 | 1.91 |
| Kurt Busch | 15.6 | 13.88 | 8 | 1 | 3 | 4 | 6 | 92 | 1 | 1 | 31 | 0 | 92.9 | 1.72 | 23 | 2.88 |
| Matt Kenseth | 11.9 | 15.63 | 8 | 1 | 3 | 3 | 6 | 215 | 2 | 1 | 38 | 0 | 96 | -3.73 | 53.75 | 6.72 |
| Kyle Busch | 11.9 | 28.57 | 7 | 1 | 1 | 1 | 2 | 15 | 0 | 1 | 43 | 2 | 78.5 | -16.67 | 3.75 | 0.54 |
| Kevin Harvick | 6.6 | 10 | 8 | 0 | 6 | 6 | 6 | 317 | 1 | 2 | 36 | 0 | 117.3 | -3.4 | 79.25 | 9.91 |
| Paul Menard | 17.4 | 9.25 | 8 | 0 | 3 | 5 | 8 | 1 | 0 | 4 | 18 | 0 | 88.6 | 8.15 | 0.25 | 0.03 |
| Kyle Larson | 16.3 | 18.88 | 8 | 0 | 2 | 3 | 5 | 10 | 0 | 2 | 43 | 2 | 79.6 | -2.58 | 2.5 | 0.31 |
| Denny Hamlin | 11.1 | 16.57 | 7 | 0 | 2 | 3 | 4 | 58 | 0 | 3 | 33 | 1 | 90.7 | -5.47 | 14.5 | 2.07 |
| Martin Truex Jr. | 16.1 | 19.25 | 8 | 0 | 2 | 3 | 4 | 36 | 0 | 3 | 37 | 1 | 81.4 | -3.15 | 9 | 1.13 |
| Ryan Newman | 13.9 | 12.75 | 8 | 0 | 1 | 2 | 8 | 18 | 0 | 5 | 20 | 0 | 87.8 | 1.15 | 4.5 | 0.56 |
| Austin Dillon | 11 | 16.88 | 8 | 0 | 1 | 2 | 5 | 21 | 1 | 4 | 30 | 0 | 83.1 | -5.88 | 5.25 | 0.66 |
| Tony Stewart | 13.2 | 14.33 | 6 | 0 | 1 | 2 | 4 | 1 | 0 | 5 | 28 | 0 | 83.7 | -1.13 | 0.25 | 0.04 |
| Chase Elliott | 9 | 4 | 2 | 0 | 1 | 2 | 2 | 36 | 0 | 2 | 6 | 0 | 114.5 | 5 | 9 | 4.50 |
Drivers to watch this week:
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Joey Logano: Logano was the winner at MIS back in June for the Firekeepers Casino 400 and led 138 laps while winning from the pole. He also has three top-five finishes and five top-10s in the last five races run there with the most laps led (260) as well. At $10,400, he is the second most expensive driver this week behind Kevin Harvick, but with his history he should be well worth it.
Kevin Harvick: Harvick starts at an average of ninth and finishes an average of eighth, which is solid though not great for positional differential, in the last five races at Michigan. He has also led the third-most laps over that span with 141. Coming off a nice win at Bristol, when he came from 24th to win, he should be in fine form to show off his top-end speed this week.
Jimmie Johnson: J.J. has been struggling since the early part of the season but has the history at the track to break out of that slump. In the last five races, he has a win, two top-10s, and four top-20s with 64 laps led, the fourth most in the field. The 48-Hendrick car has been very good at the sister track of Auto Club Speedway and if they can transfer the luck to Michigan, he could be well worth the $9,300 price tag.
Chase Elliot: The rookie young gun was very good at Michigan in June when he raced up eight spots to finish second, after being in position to win. Though it’s just one race, he has shown the ability throughout the season to stay consistent and worth the $8,700 salary he will cost this Sunday. He led 35 laps in that June race and posted a Driver Rating of 123.8, which is the best in the field, granted it’s a small sample size.
Brad Keselowski: Keselowski has managed the second-best average finish in the field at 6th overall in the last five races with a finish no worse than ninth. Two top-fives and five top-10s also bode well for his abilities at the fastest track. He does however lack in the laps led with just 22 but he does lend consistency to a roster worth the $10,200 salary for him.