• Race: Sunday, June 13, 2010 in Brooklyn, MI

• Title Sponsor: Heluva Good! Sour Cream Dips

• Scheduled Green Flag (approx): 1:16pm/et

• NASCAR Pre-race: TNT - Countdown to Green, 12:00pm/et

• Television Race Coverage: TNT, 1:00pm/et

• Announcers: Adam Alexander, Wally Dallenbach Jr., Kyle Petty

• Pit Reporters: Matt Yocum, Marty Snider, Ralph Sheheen, Phil Parsons

• TNT's Revolving Studio: Lindsay Czarniak, Larry McReynolds, Kyle Petty

• AC/DC to feature song "T.N.T" for NASCAR races: TNT announced that it has joined forces with Hall of Fame rockers AC/DC [Jayski fave] to feature the band's single "T.N.T" as the network's theme song for its 2010 NASCAR Sprint Cup Series coverage. The song will serve as the primary musical bed for all six of TNT's races, which begin with the Gillette Fusion ProGlide 500 on Sunday, June 6 in Pocono, as well as for the network's multi-platform marketing campaign surrounding its exclusive race coverage, which includes a presence on social media, print outlets, national television, local radio and print. The song has been re-released on the band's latest album, AC/DC: Iron Man 2 which features 15 of the band's classic songs.(ACDC.com)(5-26-2010)

• SPEED's NASCAR Raceday Pre-Race Show: 10:00am/et with John Roberts, Kyle Petty, Kenny Wallace

• Scheduled Race Re-Air Dates/Times:
  Wednesday, May 19 at 12:00pm/et on SPEED

• TV Listings, Links and Info:
  Jayski's TV Listings Page
  NASCAR on TV
  Race Fan TV

• This Week - Motor Racing Network (MRN) and Sirius XM Satellite Radio

  • motorracingnetwork.com

  • sirius.com

• Local Radio: Live on MRN. Area affiliates include: WITL 100.7-FM (Lansing); WKHM 970-AM (Jackson); WABJ 1490-AM (Adrian); WCSR 1340-AM, 92.1-FM (Hillsdale).

• Practices:
  Friday, June 11, 11:30am - 1:00pm/et, TV-SPEED
  Saturday, June 12, 11:00 - 11:45 am, TV-none scheduled

• Happy Hour 'Final' practice: Saturday, June 11, 12:20-1:20 pm/et, TV-SPEEd

• Qualifying Draw: Friday, June 11, 10:30 am/et

• Qualifying: 2 laps for positions 1-42, Friday, June 11 at 3:10 pm/et, TV-SPEED, re-air at 10:00pm/et;
  AND live via radio at MRN Radio only on NASCAR.com.

• Denny Hamlin wins Michigan: #11-Denny Hamlin won the Heluva Good! Sour Cream Dips 400 Sprint Cup Series race at Michigan International Speedway for his 5th win of 2010 [leads in wins], 1st at Michigan, 2nd in a row and 13th win of his career. #9-Kahne finished 2nd, followed by #2-Busch, #24-Gordon. #14-Stewart, #48-Johnson [still has not won a race at MIS], #88-Earnhardt Jr., #31-Burton, #16-Biffle and #20-Logano. Points leader #29-Harvick finished 19th and maintains the points lead over #18-Busch, now up to a 22 point lead. #18-Busch, who had to start at the rear after an engine change, finished 20th.
  There were 18 lead changes among 9 drivers and only 4 cautions for 14 yellow flag laps. The attendence was reported at 95,000, up from 90,000 last year
  See race results, awards, laps led and more on Jayski's Michigan Race Results/Awards page.(6-13-2010)

• Michigan Facts & Notes:
  • Denny Hamlin won the Heluva Good! Sour Cream Dips 400 at Michigan International Speedway. It was Hamlin's 13th Cup victory in his 166th race. He ranks 51st all time in series wins, tied with Tim Richmond and Dick Rathmann.
  • It was Hamlin's first Michigan win in nine races there and his third straight top-10 finish at MIS.
  • It was Hamlin's fifth Cup win in 2010, most among all drivers.
  • Hamlin led four times for 123 laps, including the final 22. He led the most laps for the 15th time in his 166-race career. He led in 11 of the 15 series races in 2010.
  • Joe Gibbs Racing posted its 84th Cup victory and fifth win at Michigan.
  • Toyota posted its seventh win in 2010, leading all teams; Chevrolet has six, Dodge has two and Ford remains winless.
  • The top 10 consisted of five Chevrolets, two Toyotas, two Fords and one Dodge.
  • Kasey Kahne (second) scored his best finish in 2010 (previous best was fourth at Atlanta).
  • Kurt Busch (third) scored his ninth top-10 finish in 2010.
  • Jeff Gordon (fourth) posted top-5 finishes in his last three Michigan races.
  • Tony Stewart (fifth) scored his third top-10 finish in the past four races in 2010.
  • Jimmie Johnson (sixth) scored his first top-10 finish in his past four Michigan races. Johnson ended a seven-race streak of leading at least one lap at Michigan.
  • Dale Earnhardt Jr. (seventh) scored his first top-10 finish in the past seven races.
  • Points leader Kevin Harvick finished 19th, and second-place Kyle Busch finished 20th.
  • Ryan Newman (32nd) extended a 12-race streak without a top-10 finish at Michigan.
  • Carl Edwards finished 12th in his 200th consecutive Cup start, extending a streak that began at Martinsville in October 2004. Edwards ended a seven-race streak of top-10 finishes at Michigan.(ESPN)(6-14-2010)

• Race Fast Facts - Michigan International Speedway:
  Denny Hamlin won the HELUVA GOOD! SOUR CREAM DIPS 400, his 13th victory in 166 NASCAR Sprint Cup Series races.
  This is his fifth victory and seventh top-10 finish in 2010. The five victories are a single-season career high. His previous high was four wins, last season.
  This is his first victory and fifth top-10 finish in nine races at Michigan International Speedway.
  Kasey Kahne (second) posted his sixth top-10 finish in 13 races at Michigan International Speedway. It is his fourth top-10 finish in 2010.
  Kurt Busch (third) posted his eighth top-10 finish in 19 races at Michigan International Speedway.(NASCAR Statistics)(6-13-2010)

• 2010 Sprint Cup Driver Championship Points Standings:
  [after Michigan, race 15 of 36]:
  rank, car#, driver, points, behind
  1) #29-Kevin Harvick [1 win], 2169
  2) #18-Kyle Busch [2 wins], 2147, -22
  3) #11-Denny Hamlin [5 wins], 2122, -47
  4) #2-Kurt Busch [2 wins], 2051, -118
  5) #17-Matt Kenseth, 2019, -150
  6) #48-Jimmie Johnson [3 wins], 1999, -170
  7) #24-Jeff Gordon, 1987, -182
  8) #31-Jeff Burton, 1945, -224
  9) #16-Greg Biffle, 1865, -304
  10) #99-Carl Edwards, 1856, -313
  11) #14-Tony Stewart, 1840, -329
  12) #5-Mark Martin, 1826, -343, +43 ahead of 13th
  Chase for the Sprint Cup - Contenders:
  13) #33-Clint Bowyer, 1783, 43 points out of the chase
  14) #88-Dale Earnhardt Jr, 1745, -81
  15) #39-Ryan Newman [1 win], 1735, -91
  16) #56-Martin Truex Jr., 1733, -93
  2009 Chase Drivers not in top 16
  20) #42-Juan Pablo Montoya, 1637, -189
  21) #9-Kasey Kahne, 1621, -205
  31) #83-Brian Vickers, 1158 [out season with illness]
  See drivers championship points standings on Jayski's Drivers Points Standings page.(6-13-2010)

• Top-35 in Owner Points and guaranteed a starting spot at Infineon:
  No changes, #38-Kvapil gains a point on #7-Gordon bur is still out of the top 35.
  32) #34-Conway/Front Row: 1112, +117
  33) #37-Gilliland/Front Row: 1109, +114
  34) #71-Labonte/TRG: 1109, +114
  35) #7-Gordon/RGM: 1060, 65 points ahead of 36th
  these teams/ drivers must qualify by speed:
  36) #38-Kvapil/Front Row: 995, 65 points out of the top 35
  37) #26-Stremme/Latitude43: 982, -78
  The teams are NOT locked in past the next race as the owners points change after each race.
  For the owner points standings, see my Owners Points Standings page.(6-13-2010)

• Penalty Report - Michigan:
  Car#, Lap, Reason, Penalty
  #33, Pre-Race to the rear, To the Rear, Backup Car
  #34, Pre-Race to the rear, To the Rear, Transmission Change
  #18, Pre-Race to the rear, To the Rear, Engine Change
  #47, 18, Pitting before pit road is open, Tail End of Longest Line
  #37, 128, Removing equipment from assigned pit area, Stop & Go
  #21, 182, Pitting before pit road is open, Tail End longest line
  (NASCAR Statistics)(6-13-2010)

• Lucky Dogs - Who got a lap back on each caution at Michigan: (and their finish)
  Caution 1: no driver down a lap, on the track
  Caution 2: #47-Ambrose, 15th
  Caution 3: #38-Kvapil, 31st
  Caution 4: #19-Sadler, 21st
  (6-13-2010)

• Start and Parks? Which teams parked their cars early in the race at Michigan (or seemed to)?
  43rd: #13-Papis, 8 laps completed 42nd: #64-TBodine, 20 laps
  41st: #71-Labonte, 21 laps
  39th: #46-Yeley, 47 laps
  38th: #09-Cassill, 51 laps
  37th: #87-Nemechek, 66 laps
  with NASCAR's new rule of the first non-crashed car out of the race to be inspected, it would be the #13 this week
  (only count a team with a history of start and park, not a wreck or blwon engine and only if 25% or less of race completed)(6-13-2010)

• To the Back: #18-Busch (engine); #33-Bowyer (backup car); #34-Conway (transmission change)

• Pit Stall Selections - Michigan: The selections of pit stalls for the Heluva Good! Sour Cream Dips 400 Sprint Cup Series race at Michigan International Speedway have been made. Pole sitter #2-Busch chose pit stall 1 [as do most pole sitters].
  Outside pole sitter #1-McMurray took pit stall 23, the first with an opening in front of it [after the 1st stall of course].
  #48-Johnson , who starts 3rd took the 22nd pit stall, the first stall with an opening in back of it.
  The 43rd and final pit stall was taken by #24-Gordon, who starts 6th.
  To see where all the drivers/teams pit stall is, see the pit selection chart on the Pit Stall Selection chart.(6-12-2010)

• Race Coverage of the Heluva Good! Sour Cream Dips 400 Sprint Cup Series race at Michigan International Speedway is scheduled for Sunday, June 13, 2010.
  Television (TV): TNT at 1:00 pm/et; pre-race show at 12:00 pm/et; green flag approx 1:16pm/et
  Radio: Motor Racing Network (MRN) only on NASCAR.com and Sirius XM Satellite NASCAR Radio 128
  Scheduled Race Re-Airs:
  SPEED, Wednesday, June 16 at 12:00pm/et

• Lowest-finishing, non-wrecked car to be inspected: NASCAR has instituted a new postrace inspection policy for Sprint Cup races in which the first car out of the race that is not involved in an accident will be held for teardown, much like the cars that currently finish in the top five. That meant that Aric Almirola’s #09 Phoenix Racing’s Chevy was thoroughly inspected after the Las Vegas Motor Speedway race. His engine was taken to be torn down later this week at the NASCAR R&D center in Concord, NC. The policy is expected to impact the start-and-park teams – teams that typically bring a car but don’t have funding to run the entire event. These teams often are not in the top 35 in owner points, so they are required to qualify on speed. The new policy means it is likely that one of the cars that qualify on speed for every race will end up getting torn down. NASCAR Vice President of Competition Robin Pemberton said Sunday the move was not to discourage start-and-park teams. “We’re just expanding our inspection process and making sure that everybody feels like everybody is on the same playing field, that’s all,” Pemberton said. “It’s all about making sure that the guys who get beat that don’t make the race understand that the guys who get in the race, for the most part, are doing everything right.” The move could cost these teams money, as they will have to pay for an engine rebuild that they might not have needed if they didn’t run many laps. Pemberton said the engine might not be torn down weekly but acknowledged it could cost teams $30,000 for a rebuild. That could lead to those teams racing more instead of risking the cost of a rebuild. Or it could lead to those teams not showing up if they can’t afford to have the motor rebuilt.(SceneDaily)(3-1-2010)

• NASCAR Revises Green-White-Checkered Race Procedure: NASCAR announced a revision to one of its race procedures, allowing a maximum of three restart attempts prior to the White Flag under NASCAR's Green-White-Checkered flag finish. If the leader has taken the White Flag and the caution flag is displayed, the field is frozen and the race will not be restarted. Previously, there was only one restart attempt. The new procedure will be implemented beginning with today's running of the NASCAR Sprint Cup Series' Gatorade Duel at Daytona and will apply to all three national series. NASCAR officials met with drivers and teams Wednesday at Daytona International Speedway to discuss the change and get their input. The announcement was made during the NASCAR Sprint Cup Series' drivers and crew chiefs meeting Thursday morning. "We want to do all we can to finish our races under green flag conditions – the fans want to see that and so do the competitors," said Robin Pemberton, NASCAR vice president of competition. "We felt that putting a cap at three attempts to finish the race under green is the way to go. It gives the fans what they want and it also gives the teams a better opportunity to prepare for their end of race strategy." The change amends procedure 9-14C of the 2010 NASCAR rulebook.(NASCAR), see rules and notes on my Green-White-Checker rule page.(2-11-2010)

• NASCAR tweaks wave-around rule: NASCAR has tweaked its rule on wave-around cars under caution. The new rule now dictates that cars under penalty at the time of the caution are ineligible for the wave around. The change began last week with the Sprint Cup race at Kansas Speedway after a situation came up in the Nationwide Series race that was new to the double-file restart system instituted in June. In the Nationwide race, Roush Fenway Racing's Carl Edwards was penalized for speeding under green, and then the caution came out. He stayed out and didn't pit and then was among those cars on the end of the lead lap. He then got the "wave around" the caution car (along with the rest of the cars that had stayed out and were on the end of the lead lap) to get to the rear of the line of lead-lap cars. Edwards then went to the end of the line to serve his penalty. That move would not be allowed anymore. The driver would not get the wave around and would start a lap down at the rear of the field on the restart, the penalty for a driver who had a speeding penalty under green but never served it before the caution came out. The new rule in general is any driver under penalty is no longer eligible for the wave around.(SceneDaily)(10-11-2009)

• Jayski's - 2010 Sprint Cup Race Results Page and from last season: Jayski's - 2009 Sprint Cup Race Results Page
  (pole and race winner with speed and starting/finishing position, links to race results, drivers & owners points, pit stall selections, qualifying results/starting lineup, practice speeds and chase stats as well as link to race track and race information page for each race)

• Michigan Pit Stall Selections

• Happy Hour practice for the Heluva Good! Sour Cream Dips 400 Sprint Cup Series at Michigan International Speedway is over, after 60 scheduled minutes, the fastest, slowest, notes:
  #48-Johnson 183.795
  #98-Menard 183.113
  #11-Hamlin 182.644
  #24-Gordon 182.426
  #29-Harvick 182.315
  slowest: #64-Bodine 174.069 & #34-Conway 175.601
  incident: #33-Bowyer smacked the wall and did damage to the right side of the car and will go to a backup car.
  Dave Blaney, who failed to qualify for the race, helped Mex Papis out and took the #13 Toyota out fore a few laps.
  See fastest speeds, average speeds and laps run on my Michigan Practice Speeds Page.(6-12-2010)

• Saturday's 1st practice for the Heluva Good! Sour Cream Dips 400 Sprint Cup Series at Michigan International Speedway is over, after 45 scheduled minutes, the fastest, slowest, notes:
  #98-Menard 185.452
  #99-Edwards 184.938
  #31-Burton 184.814
  #48-Johnson 184.691
  #24-Gordon 184.549
  slowest: #34-Conway 175.379 & #09-Cassill 177.545
  See fastest speeds, average speeds and laps run on my Michigan Practice Speeds Page.(6-12-2010)

• Kurt Busch wins pole at Michigan: #2-Kurt Busch won the Coors Pole for the Heluva Good! Sour Cream Dips 400 Sprint Cup Series race at Michigan International Speedway with a speed of 189.984mph for his 2nd pole of 2010 and 12th of his career. #1-McMurray will start 2nd followed by #48-Johnson, #9-Kahne, #31-Burton, #24-Gordon, #11-Hamlin, #39-Newman, #00-Reutimann & #42-Montoya, who was fastest in practice. Points leader #29-Kevin Harvick will start 31st and #88-Earnhardt Jr. will start 27th.
  The go-or-go homers who made the race (8): #21-Elliott, #38-Kvapil, #09-Cassill [making his first career start], #87-Nemechek, #13-Papis, #46-Yeley [making his 100th career start], #64-TBodine and #26-Stremme.
  The go-or-go homers who failed to qualify for the race (3): #66-Blaney, #55-Waltrip & #36-Sauter
  See the starting lineup, qualifying speeds and notes on my Michigan Starting Lineup/Qualifying Results page.(6-11-2010)

• Qualifying Fast Facts - Michigan:
  Kurt Busch won the Coors Light Pole Award for the HELUVA GOOD! SOUR CREAM DIPS 400 with a lap of 37.898 seconds, 189.984 mph.
  This is his 12th pole in 343 NASCAR Sprint Cup Series races.
  This is his second pole and eighth top-10 start in 2010. His first pole this season was at Las Vegas Motor Speedway.
  This is his first pole in 19 races at Michigan International Speedway. His previous best start at Michigan was fourth in June of 2003.
  Jamie McMurray (second) posted his fourth top-10 start of 2010 and his first in 15 races at Michigan International Speedway.
  Jimmie Johnson (third) posted his 12th top-10 start at Michigan International Speedway. It is his 10th in 15 races this season.(NASCAR Statistics)(6-11-2010)

• Coverage of Qualifying for the Heluva Good! Sour Cream Dips 400 Sprint Cup Series race at Michigan International Speedway is scheduled for Friday, June 11, 2010 at 3:10pm/et.
  Television (TV): SPEED 3:30pm/et [joined in progress after F-1 practice]
  Radio: Motor Racing Network (MRN) only on NASCAR.com
  Jayski.com: Jayski's Semi-Live Qualifying Page
  Qualifying Re-Air: 10:00pm/et

• Qualifying Order for the Heluva Good! Sour Cream Dips 400 Sprint Cup Series race at Michigan International Speedway is posted. 46 cars/drivers are listed. Go-or-go homers will qualify at the end of the session, once the top-35 drivers are done.
  The first of the top-35 drivers scheduled to go out is #1-McMuuray.
  The final top-35 driver scheduled to go out is #42-Montoya.
  The first go-or-go homer scheduled to qualify [36th] is #09-Cassill with the final driver scheduled to qualify being #46-Yeley.
  See the full qualifying order on the Michigan Qualifying Page.(6-11-2010)

• Friday Practice for the Heluva Good! Sour Cream Dips 400 Sprint Cup Series race at Michigan International Speedway is over, being rained out with 20 minutes to go, out of 90 scheduled minutes, the quickest, slowest and any notes:
  #42-Montoya 188.917
  #48-Johnson 188.516
  #2-Busch 188.482
  #24-Gordon 188.088
  slowest: #34-Conway 176.018 & #37-Gilliand 180.605
  RAIN is in the area and could be an issue this afternoon and the rest of the weekend
  notes: #18 team will change engines as the car was running slow, so no matter where the #18 qualifies, he will start from the rear of the field on Sunday.
  See fastest speeds, average speeds and laps run on my Michigan Practice Speeds Page.(6-11-2010)

• Michigan practice rank for the non top-35 drivers:
  if things stay the same, these eight drivers would make the race:
  #87-Joe Nemechek, 21st fastest overall
  #21-Bill Elliott [PC], 22nd
  #38-Travis Kvapil, 26th
  #46-J.J. Yeley, 29th
  #26-David Stremme, 31st
  #64-Todd Bodine, 34th
  #13-Max Papis, 35th
  #66-Dave Blaney, 38th
  these drivers would miss the race if the order stayed the same:
  #55-Michael Waltrip, 39th
  #09-Landon Cassill, 40th
  #36-Johnny Sauter, 43rd
  [PC] = [past champion and order, 1 is more recent champ]

• The Entry List for the Heluva Good! Sour Cream Dips 400 Sprint Cup Series race at Michigan International Speedway is posted, 46 teams/drivers [for 43 spots] are listed, including:
  Not in top 35 of owners points for the first five races in 2010:
  #09-Landon Cassill (2009 race winner as owner)(41/14)
  #7-Robby Gordon (36/14)
  #13-Max Papis (39/14)
  #21-Bill Elliott [Past Champ](45/4)
  #26-David Stremme (2009 race winner as owner)(37/14)
  #36-Johnny Sauter (38/14)
  #46-J.J. Yeley (42/14)
  #55-Michael Waltrip (43/14)
  #64-Todd Bodine (47/5)
  #66-Dave Blaney (44/14)
  #87-Joe Nemechek (40/14)
  In the event qualifying is rained out or cancelled:
  the eight who would make it [8]: #'s 26,09,21,7,38,13,87,46
  missing the race would be [3]: #'s 55,66,64
  See the full entry list at my Jayski's Michigan Entry List.(6-7-2010)

• Top-35 in Owner Points and guaranteed a starting spot at Michigan:
  With the #38 points penalty, the #38 drops to 36th and #7-Gordon moves to 35th.
  32) #34-Conway/Front Row: 1069, +144
  33) #71-Labonte/TRG: 1069, +144
  34) #37-Gilliland/Front Row: 1051, +126
  35) #7-Gordon/RGM: 991, 66 points ahead of 36th
  these teams/ drivers must qualify by speed:
  36) #38-Kvapil/Front Row: 925, 66 points out of the top 35
  37) #26-Stremme/Latitude43: 904, -87
  The teams are NOT locked in past the next race as the owners points change after each race.
  For the owner points standings, see my Owners Points Standings page.(6-6/9-2010)

• 2010 Sprint Cup Driver Championship Points Standings:
  [after Pocono, race 14 of 36]:
  rank, car#, driver, points, behind
  1) #29-Kevin Harvick [1 win], 2063
  2) #18-Kyle Busch [2 wins], 2044, -19
  3) #11-Denny Hamlin [4 wins], 1927, -136
  4) #17-Matt Kenseth, 1893, -182
  5) #2-Kurt Busch [2 wins], 1881, -182
  6) #48-Jimmie Johnson [3 wins], 1849, -214
  7) #24-Jeff Gordon, 1827, -236
  8) #31-Jeff Burton, 1803, -260
  9) #99-Carl Edwards, 1729, -334
  110 #16-Greg Biffle, 1727, -336
  11) #5-Mark Martin, 1711, -352
  12) #33-Clint Bowyer, 1686, -377
  Chase for the Sprint Cup - Contenders:
  13) #14-Tony Stewart, 1685, 1 point out of the chase
  14) #39-Ryan Newman [1 win], 1668, -18
  15) #56-Martin Truex Jr., 1621, -65
  16) #88-Dale Earnhardt Jr, 1599, -87
  2009 Chase Drivers not in top 16
  20) #42-Juan Pablo Montoya, 1513, -173
  23) #9-Kasey Kahne, 1446, -240
  32) #83-Brian Vickers, 1158 [out season with illness]
  See drivers championship points standings on Jayski's Drivers Points Standings page.(6-6-2010)

• What happens if qualifying gets canceled/rained out?
  After the 5th race of the season, the current season OWNERS points are used:
  #1) - First 35 by current Owner Points [position 1-35][top 35 teams do NOT need to attempt ALL the races]
  #2) - Last Years Sprint Cup Champ or the Event Champion if not already in the field
  #3) - Car Owners whose team has won in the previous and current season not already in the field
  #4) - Drivers who have won in the previous and current season not already in the field
  #5) - ALL Past Sprint Cup Champions not in by 1 thru 4 [is NOT charged against the 6 past champ provisionals]
  #6) - Qualifying Attempts [not starts] with Owners points as the tie breaker, if still tied then by best finish
  #7) - Qualifying Order Position
  (all above apply as long as the team was entered by the entry deadline - usually 7-13 days before the race)

• Qualifying Rules/Notes/News page

• Go or Go Home Drivers to Qualify Together: Teams outside the top 35 in owners points will qualify together at the end of the qualifying session. The thought is that nobody would have an advantage in track conditions.

• How to Calculate Track Speeds: use the formula Speed = Distance divided by Time. Distance is Track Length, and Lap Time into Hours. Once hour is 3600 seconds, so the calculation for a 48 second lap at Daytona(2.5 miles) would be: Speed = 2.5 x (3600/48), = 2.5 x 75 = 187.500mph. For a 19 second lap at Bristol(.533 miles): Speed = .533 x (3600/19), = .533 x 189.474 = a speed of 100.990mph

• How to break a tie during qualifying? (same speed/time) When drivers are tied for a starting spot during qualifying, it is broken by owners points standings (not drivers points).

• Determining Race Line-Ups - Top 35 Guarantee: At the start of the 2005 season, NASCAR instituted a new procedure for establishing the starting race field in the Sprint Cup Series [NSCS]. NASCAR revamped the system by simplifying the procedure with teams no longer accruing provisionals throughout the season to gain entry into the starting fields. While starting positions one through 42 in the NSCS still will be determined by qualifying speed, the new system will assure the highest-ranked 35 positions of the NSCS OWNER [not Driver] championship points that have entered the event prior to the entry deadline [usually 13 days before the day of the race] one of those starting positions in the field, providing they have made an attempt to qualify [which usually means the team at least practiced and made an effort to qualify].
  The remaining seven positions [36-42] will be assigned to those drivers with the fastest qualifying speeds whose car owners are not among the top 35. The final starting position [43rd] – the champion’s provisional – can be utilized by a car owner whose driver is a current or past Sprint Cup champion who participated as a driver during the current of previous season and was entered in the event for that owner in that car prior to the entry deadline.
  If there is more than one series champion vying for the position, it will be given to the most recent series champion. If the final provisional starting position – 43rd in the Sprint Cup – is not filled by a current or past series champion, it will be assigned to the next eligible car owner according to qualifying results.
  Through the first five races of the season for the Sprint Cup, the top 35 in the NSCS of the previous owner championship points entered in the event prior to the entry deadline will be assured one of the 42 starting positions in the field, provided they have made an attempt to qualify. From the sixth race on, the current owner championship points will be used to determine the top 35 each race week. In the event that conditions prevent qualifying from being run, starting positions will be assigned according to the respective series’ current Rule Book.(NASCAR PR)
  Simple: so the field is set by speed to where the 7th fastest non-top 35 driver is on speed. The any drivers in the top 35 of OWNERS [not drivers points] are placed to the 42nd spot. The 43rd spot is used for the most recent past Sprint Cup champion NOT already in the field from being in the top-35 in owners points or one of the seven no top-35. If their is not past champ for the 43rd spot, it goes to the next fastest [8th fastest driver]

• Past Champions Limited To 6 Provisional Berths in Sprint Cup: See my 2010 Past Champions Provisional Page for more

• There are five race tracks the Sprint Cup Series currently races at that #48-Jimmie Johnson has not won a Sprint Cup race at:
  Michigan: 0 for 16 with a best finish of 3rd in 8/2007
  Infineon: 0 for 8 with a best finish of 4th in 6/2009
  Chicago: 0 for 8 with a best finish of 2nd in 7/2004 & 7/2008
  Watkins Glen: 0 for 8 with a best finish of 3rd in 8/2007
  Homestead: 0 for 9 with a best finish of 2nd in 11/2004
  plus Johnson ran five races at Rockingham Speedway and didn't win there.(3-29-2010)

• June 2009 Race Winner: #5-Mark Martin, 155.492, started 32nd

• August 2009 Race Winner: #83-Brian Vickers, 131.531 mph, started 1st

• Track Race Record: Dale Jarrett, June 1999, 173.997mph (no cautions)

• Slowest Track Race Record: Richard Petty, 107.583mph, 8/24/1975

• June 2009 Pole Sitter: #83-Brian Vickers, 189.110mph, finished 9th

• August 2010 Pole Sitter: #83-Brian Vickers, 187.242mph, finished 1st

• Track Qualifying Record: #12-Ryan Newman, June 2005, 194.232mph

• Oldest Race Winner: Harry Gant, 52 years, 7 months, 6 days, 8/16/1992

• Youngest Race Winner: Kurt Busch, 24 years, 10 months, 11 days, 6/15/2003

• Oldest Pole Winner: Dale Jarrett, 45 years, 6 months, 21 days, 6/16/2002

• Young Pole Winner: Jeff Gordon, 23 years, 10 months, 14 days, 6/18/1995

• Most Wins: 9 - David Pearson
  
  
• Most Wins (active): 7 - Bill Elliott
  
  
• Most Poles: 10 - David Pearson
  
  
• Most Wins (active): 6 - Bill Elliott; 5 - Jeff Gordon
  
  
• Most Top 5s: 21 - Cale Yarborough
  
  
• Most Top 5s (active): 17 - Bill Elliott, Mark Martin
  
  
• Most Top 10s: 29 - Bill Elliott, Mark Martin
  
  
• Most Laps Led by a Race Winner: 162, Rusty Wallace, 8/20/1989
  
  
• Fewest Laps Led by a Race Winner: 1, Mark Martin, 6/14/2009
  
  
• Most Lead Changes: 65 - 8/16/1981
  
  
• Fewest Lead Changes: 7 - 8/12/1984
  
  
• Most Leaders: 15, 6/20/1982
  
  
• Fewest Leaders: 5, five times, last on 8/12/1984
  
  
• Most Finishers on a lead lap: 37, 6/18/2006 [rained out lap 129]
  
  
• Most Running at the Finish: 41, five times, last on 8/21/2007
  
  
• Fewest Running at the Finish: 14 - 6/16/1974
  
  
• Most Cautions: 10 - 8/20/2006
  
  
• Fewest Cautions: 0 - three times, last on 6/13/1999
  
  
• Most Caution Laps: 63, 8/24/1975
  
  
• Few Caution Laps: 0 - three times, last on 6/13/1999
  
  
• Worst Starting Spot to Win: Mark Martin, started 32nd, 6/14/2009
  
  
• Most Wins by Manufacturer: 31 - Ford
  
  
• Races won from starting pos 1: 16 [of 81 races] 19.753%
  
• Races won from starting pos 2: 8
  
• Races won from starting pos 3: 10
  
• Races won from starting pos 4: 12
  
• Races won from starting pos 5: 6
  
• Races won from starting pos 6: 1
  
• Races won from starting pos 7: 4
  
• Races won from starting pos 8: 3
  
• Races won from starting pos 9: 1
  
• Races won from starting pos 10: 2
  
• Races won from starting pos 11: 3
  
• Races won from starting pos 12: 2
  
• Races won from starting pos 15: 2
  
• Races won from starting pos 18: 1
  
• Races won from starting pos 19: 2
  
• Races won from starting pos 20: 2
  
• Races won from starting pos 24: 2
  
• Races won from starting pos 25: 1
  
• Races won from starting pos 27: 1
  
• Races won from starting pos 28: 1
  
• Races won from starting pos 28: 1
  
• Races won from starting pos 32: 1
  
• Races won from the top 5: 52 of 81 - 64.198%
  
• Races won from the top 10: 63 of 81 - 77.78%
  
  
• Closest margin of victory: 2001, Jeff Gordon over Ricky Rudd - 0.085 seconds
  
  
• Greatest margin of victory: 1989, Rutty Wallace ovrer Morgan Shepherd - 15.71seconds
  
  

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PAINT SCHEME NEWS

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Car#/Driver	Sponsor/Scheme/Promo	Image Link
#1-Jamie McMurray	GE Reveal	#1 Team Schemes Page
#5-Mark Martin	GoDaddy.com	#5 Team Schemes Page
#11-Denny Hamlin	FedEx Ground (green)	#11 Team Schemes Page
#14-Tony Stewart	Old Spice	#14 Team Schemes Page
#17-Matt Kenseth	Crown Royal Black	#17 Team Schemes Page
#18-Kyle Busch	M&M's Pretzel	#18 Team Schemes Page
#19-Elliott Sadler	Stanley Tools	#19 Team Schemes Page
#21-Bill Elliott	Fordparts.com	#21 Team Schemes Page
#24-Jeff Gordon	National Guard - Job Skills	#24 Team Schemes Page
#39-Ryan Newman	U.S Army	#39 Team Schemes Page
#88-Dale Earnhardt Jr	AMP Energy	#88 Team Schemes Page
#98-Paul Menard	Menard's / Sylvania	none...yet

• Fordparts.com scheme for Elliott at MIS: Both Wood Brothers Racing and Tasca Racing will alter the paint schemes of their Ford race cars the race weekend of June 11-13, in conjunction with the public launch of the new FordParts.com website. The Wood Brothers' famous #21 NASCAR Ford Fusion driven by Bill Elliott, and the Shelby Mustang NHRA Funny Car driven by Bob Tasca III will switch from their familiar red-and-white schemes to the new blue-and-white of FordParts.com. The new, matching schemes will be seen in person by nearly 150,000 fans at Michigan International Speedway and Old Bridge Township Raceway in New Jersey, as well as millions more on TNT and ESPN, providing FordParts.com with a huge national audience to generate awareness of the new website. FordParts.com allows repair shops, body shops, fleets, and do-it-yourselfers to shop online, order and receive Genuine Ford and Motorcraft® parts through one site for Ford, Lincoln or Mercury vehicles. Once a part is ordered, consumers have the flexibility of choosing in-store pick-up or having the parts delivered to their home or shop.(Motorcraft/Quick Lane Tire & Auto Center), see an image of the scheme on the #21 Team Schemes page.(5-31-2010)

• More Paint Scheme news can be found on Paint Schemes Gallery

• Track Specs:
  Superspeedway: 2.0-mile D-shaped oval
  Banking: turns: 18 degrees; straights: frontstretch 12 degrees, backstretch 5 degrees
  Frontstretch Length: 3,600 feet
  Backstretch Length: 2,242 feet
  73 feet wide with 10-foot apron in turns, 45 feet wide with 12-foot apron on straightaways
  Pit lane is 50 feet wide and contains space for 44 individual pit areas
  Pit Road Speed: 45mph
  Pace Car Speed: 55mph
  Seating: 108,000
  Opened: 1968
  

• Race Festivities/Officials:
  Grand Marshal: Actors Adam Sandler and Kevin James
  Command to start engines: Adam Sandler and Kevin James
  Honorary Starter/Wave Green Flag: ?
  Invocation: MIS Chaplain John Roberts
  National Anthem: Army Chorus A Capella team
  Military Flyover: Four A-10 Warthogs, Selfridge AFB, MI
  

• For the season race officials by track, see my Race Officials page

• Websites:
  Michigan International Speedway
  ISC Motorsports
  ESPN's NASCAR Track Guide: Michigan International Speedway
  Michigan International Speedway - Facebook
  Michigan International Speedway - Twitter
  MIS Infield Extravaganza

• June 2009: see my Michigan Race Info page

• August 2009: see my Michigan Race Info page

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• Race fans are very generous people, so it goes without saying that Michigan International Speedway’s charitable arm, MIS Cares, is looking to them for assistance this June in hopes of helping families and children in need. During the June 11-13 Heluva Good! Sour Cream Dips 400 race weekend, MIS Cares will be hosting a Food and Toy Drive presented by Two Men and a Truck. The first 500 fans who bring a non-perishable food item or unwrapped toy to any of the Two Men and a Truck locations in the New Holland Fan Plaza will receive two tickets to Meijer Pole Day on Friday, August 13. Items will be accepted during the entire June 11-13 weekend. Guests will receive an actual ticket when they drop off their item. All items donated will benefit the local Brooklyn CCIS Food Pantry and the Jackson Toys for Tots campaign. Two Men and a Truck, one of the track’s partners for the past two years, will deliver all donated items to both organizations following the race weekend. With more than 100,000 fans expected to attend the race weekend in June, MIS Cares is hoping many of the fans visiting the Irish Hills will donate an item and make a significant impact to two local charities the speedway has a great deal of passion for. The Brooklyn CCIS Food Pantry and Jackson Toys for Tots both benefited from MIS Cares during the 2009 Christmas holiday season. Early last December, MIS Cares hosted a Track Drive for Charity, which collected thousands of food items and toys for both organizations just in time for Christmas. MIS President Roger Curtis, track staff members and employees from Competition Tire personally delivered all the items. Due to its success, MIS Cares is planning another Track Drive for Charity in December 2010.

• MIS fans to present special trophy to Heluva Good! Sour Cream Dips 400 race winner: The driver may take home the trophies, but at Michigan International Speedway the fans give them. MIS, as part of its ongoing Fan Appreciation presented by LifeLock program, has launched a fan trophy — awarded by fans to the winner of the NASCAR Sprint Cup Series Heluva Good! Sour Cream Dips 400 race at the track. The tradition will begin following the presentation of the Heluva Good! Sour Cream Dips 400 trophy and given to the winning driver by two fans randomly selected by the program. Additionally, 50 lucky fans will be selected by the Fan Appreciation Program presented by LifeLock to participate in Gatorade Victory Lane ceremonies. “We’re really excited to make fans a part of Gatorade Victory Lane,” tracks President Roger Curtis said. “Our vision is to create lasting memories for every person, every time, and these 50 fans will receive a wonderful experience following the race. We appreciate and recognize that our fans choose to spend their time here each summer.” The trophy was created out of the recently revealed Fan Appreciation program logo, a logo chosen by the fans themselves by popular vote. Michigan International Speedway and the fans recognize the hard work the crews also put into a win, so crew members will also receive a trophy. Tickets are available for the Heluva Good! Sour Cream Dips 400 on Sunday. Visit any box office the day of the race and purchase a ticket for as low as $30. Visit MISpeedway.com or call the MIS ticket hotline at 800-354-1010 today to take advantage of great pricing now.(MIS)(6-12-2010)

• Detroit Red Wings captain to serve as honorary pace car driver: Sunday’s NASCAR Sprint Cup Series Heluva Good! Sour Cream Dips 400 at Michigan International Speedway is attracting some of Detroit’s biggest sports stars. Detroit Red Wings captain Nicklas Lidstrom will serve as the honorary pace car driver for the race. The longtime Red Wing defenseman will pace the 43-car field in the official 2010 Ford Mustang GT pace car for the Heluva Good! Sour Cream Dips 400, a job usually held by NASCAR’s Brett Bodine. This will be Lidstrom’s first visit to MIS, and he will also take part in pre-race ceremonies and the drivers’ meeting prior to the race. Additionally, Ndamukong Suh, the Detroit Lions’ first-round draft pick in 2010, will be on hand serving as an honorary official for the race. Suh, who is expected to be an immediate impact player for the Lions this fall, was recently at the Indianapolis 500 and will also be making his first visit to the Irish Hills track on Sunday to participate in pre-race ceremonies. At MIS, he’ll likely keep an eye on how the Ford teams are doing. MIS tickets are on sale. NASCAR Sprint Cup Series tickets for the Heluva Good! Sour Cream Dips 400 on Sunday are as low as $25. Visit MISpeedway.com or call the MIS ticket hotline at 800-354-1010 today to take advantage of great pricing now.(MIS)(6-10-2010)

• Who wears the firesuit in the family? Special MIS ticket: DeLana Harvick may wear the firesuit in the family, but the race fans at Michigan International Speedway wear the T-shirts to prove it. For a limited time, race fans who purchase a $33 race ticket for the VFW 200 NASCAR Camping World Truck Series race will receive an “I wear the firesuit in the family” T-shirt, a tee personally endorsed by Harvick. Proceeds raised from sales of this package will go toward AWARE, a women’s shelter in Jackson, Mich., and The Kevin Harvick Foundation. The “firesuit” T-shirt was created after an on-track flap between NASCAR drivers Joey Logano and Kevin Harvick last weekend at Pocono, where Logano insisted DeLana wore the firesuit in the Harvick family. “DeLana DOES wear the firesuit,” track President Roger Curtis said. “She is a popular and successful NASCAR team owner, a great supporter of racing and a very smart businesswoman, and she, in fact, wears a firesuit on race day.” DeLana Harvick is co-owner of Kevin Harvick Inc., a premier NASCAR organization that competes full-time in Camping World Truck Series and Nationwide Series. As a two-time NASCAR Camping World Truck Series championship owner with more than 30 victories in the Truck and Nationwide Series, Harvick has become one of the most powerful and successful women in NASCAR. Race fans who want to purchase a race ticket and the ladies T-shirt can call MIS at 517-592-6666. They will receive a voucher they can redeem for the “firesuit” T-shirt at the #29 Kevin Harvick merchandise hauler in the New Holland Fan Plaza. Only 100 of these packages will be sold, and will not be available after 5 p.m. Thursday. MIS tickets are on sale. NASCAR Sprint Cup Series tickets for the Heluva Good! Sour Cream Dips 400 on Sunday are as low as $25. Visit MISpeedway.com or call the MIS ticket hotline at 800-354-1010 today to take advantage of great pricing now.(MIS)(6-10-2010)

• Race Fest revs up Irish Hills; June 10 event is free, family friendly: Race week in Southeastern Michigan kicks off with the Brooklyn-Irish Hills Race Fest presented by Country Market on Thursday, June 10. Admission to Race Fest is free. The day-long festival throughout Brooklyn from noon to 10 p.m. will feature a variety of fun and interactive activities for fans, families and community members, including a car cruise in downtown Brooklyn, live music during Race Fest Karaoke, show cars, racing simulators, a beer garden and food. There will be lots of activities for kids, too, including a bounce house and an autograph session featuring many of the drivers from the ARCA Racing Series presented by RE/MAX and Menards. Free shuttles will run between several of MIS’ campgrounds and Race Fest, courtesy of Brooklyn Ford. Participating including Brookfest Acres, Brooklyn Trails, Northfield and Northwoods. And as a special treat, the transporters for all the teams in the ARCA Racing Series presented by RE/MAX and Menards will parade through Downtown Brooklyn the day before Race Fest. The parade leaves MIS at 9 a.m. Wednesday, June 9 and will wind down Main Street, led by the MIS pace car. For more information about Race Fest, please call Cindy Hubbell, executive director of the Brooklyn-Irish Hills Chamber of Commerce, at (517) 592-8907. Sprint Cup Series tickets for the Heluva Good! Sour Cream Dips 400 on June 13 and CARFAX 400 on August 15 are as low as $25. Visit MISpeedway.com or call the MIS ticket hotline at 800-354-1010 today to take advantage of great pricing for 2010 events at MIS.(MIS)(6-8-2010)

• Adam Sandler and Kevin James grand marshals at MIS: Adam Sandler and Kevin James, stars of Columbia Pictures’ “Grown Ups,” in theaters June 25, will serve as grand marshals for the Heluva Good! Sour Cream Dips 400 NASCAR Sprint Cup Series race at Michigan International Speedway on Jume 13th. Sandler and James know how to say the most famous words in motorsports with passion and enthusiasm. Each have given arguably the two most amazing commands in the NASCAR history — James in 2007 at Daytona International Speedway and Sandler at MIS in June 2006. Sprint Cup Series tickets for the Heluva Good! Sour Cream Dips 400 on June 13 and CARFAX 400 on August 15 are as low as $25. Visit MISpeedway.com or call the MIS ticket hotline at 800-354-1010 today to take advantage of great pricing for 2010 events at MIS.(MIS)(6-8-2010)

• MIS employees upcycle for a cause: One man’s trash is another man’s treasure. At least that’s what the employees of Michigan International Speedway say. The staff of the track, in partnership with TerraCycle, have pledged to upcycle paper and plastic goods that would normally be thrown into the garbage. In return, TerraCycle will pay MIS Cares, the track’s charity component, up to two cents for every piece collected so the wrappers can be turned into cool, every-day products such as pencil bags, laptop cases, flower pots and toys. “We have pledged to do everything we can, not only as a business, but as individuals, to minimize our effects on the environment and set a positive example that ‘every little bit counts,’” speedway President Roger Curtis said. So what can be upcycled? Drink pouches, potato chip bags, candy bar wrappers, cookie wrappers, energy bar wrappers, pens, markers and highlighters — you name it. Just about anything can be upcycled by TerraCycle. Wrapper collection boxes are in the racetrack’s breakrooms. Collected wrappers will be sent to TerraCycle, who will make a donation back to MIS Cares. TerraCycle collection boxes have also been placed in area Subway stores. All wrappers collected will benefit MIS Cares. MIS Cares is the charitable component of Michigan International Speedway that raises money and distributes dollars through grants to non-profit groups in the region. Some organizations that have been or are being assisted by MIS Cares include Mott Children’s Hospital in Ann Arbor, Boys and Girls Club of Lenawee County, Hospice of Lenawee, Boy Scouts Great Sauk Trail Council, Allegiance Heart Center in Jackson, Mich., the Ryan Newman Foundation and The Conservation Fund through its charity, Racing for Wildlife. MIS Cares has several fund-raising events planned for 2010 including “Fish Your Bass Off,” a bass-fishing tournament, Aug. 12 on Wampler’s Lake right down the road from MIS, and a NASCAR Day party at Jerry’s Pub on May 21. Watch for details on www.MISpeedway.com.(MIS)(4-27-2010)

• MIS Tickets officially on sale to the public; prices lower than 2009: Great prices and a race experience that follows Michigan International Speedway’s vision of creating lasting memories for every person, every time awaits fans as tickets officially are on sale. With just 10 weeks remaining before the June 11-13 Heluva Good! Sour Cream Dips 400 race weekend, the excitement is building as NASCAR’s Sprint Cup Series returns to the Irish Hills of Michigan. With tickets now on sale, great seats are available for both June and August race weekends with prices starting as low as $25 for both NASCAR Sprint Cup Series events. Kids 12 and under are free; and junior pricing is available for the first time with kids 17 and under paying half price. Prices for the 2010 season are less than they were in 2009 for most grandstand sections, including the center grandstand. Pricing will stay the same for the NASCAR Camping World Truck Series VFW 200 ($30), NASCAR Nationwide Series CARFAX 250 ($40) and ARCA Racing Series Racing for Wildlife 200 ($10). Weekend pre-race pit passes with remain at $50 for adults and $25 for juniors 17 and under for Sunday only. MIS Champions Club tickets are still available for $480, which is good for Friday-Sunday activities. New amenities and the return of NASCAR excitement at MIS also await. All the seats in the center grandstands have been widened, as have seats in Turn 3. The speedway staff also undertook a tremendous project in-house to expand every infield site by four feet and installing water drainage throughout. A row has also been added, bringing infield camping guests even closer to the track action. MIS’ tickets are on sale. NASCAR Sprint Cup Series tickets for the Heluva Good! Sour Cream Dips 400 on June 13 and CARFAX 400 on August 15 are as low as $25. Visit MISpeedway.com or call the MIS ticket hotline at 800-354-1010 today to take advantage of great pricing for 2010 events at MIS.(MIS)(4-6-2010)

• Paint that bus! MIS provides another bus makeover: Another race season is quickly approaching. So it’s time for another bus makeover by Michigan International Speedway. Following a successful painting and unveil of Maurice “Moe” Clark’s infield bus in August 2009, MIS decided to give two other lucky race fans an Extreme Bus Makeover in time for the June 11-13 NASCAR Sprint Cup Series Heluva Good! Sour Cream Dips 400 race weekend. Co-owners Tom “Woolfy” Wolfram of Coloma, Mich., and Mike Smith of Hartford, Mich., will receive a bus makeover courtesy of MIS. The two infield campers, who have been attending races at MIS with their current bus since 1999, dropped off their longtime infield sleeping quarters to the speedway. Fellow infield campers Katie Smith and Scott Downey also came along to drop off the bus. “This is very exciting for us,” Wolfram said. “We bought this bus from our local school district back in 1999 for $800 and it’s been with us at MIS every June and August ever since. Thanks to MIS for painting our bus for us. It runs good, but doesn’t look all that great from the outside. We can’t wait to see it when it’s finished.” Over the next four to six weeks, MIS staff members Jesus Salvador, Dustin Gilbert and Jamie Nichols will give the bus a makeover, which includes a new paint job and decals. MIS will incorporate the track’s brand of NASCAR in a national park into its new design. The bus will be unveiled during camper lineup on Thursday, June 10, just prior to infielders being parked in the infield camping area. The bus makeover is just one item in a line events that make up the speedway’s Fan Appreciation presented LifeLock program. The speedway will also give away ticket upgrades, experiential items such as pace car rides, garage passes and special access at MIS events throughout the year. Fans are celebrated year-round with the Fan Appreciation presented by LifeLock program — not just on race weekend. MIS’ Value Pricing is now available to the public until April 4. NASCAR Sprint Cup Series tickets for the Heluva Good! Sour Cream Dips 400 on June 13 and CARFAX 400 on August 15 are as low as $25. Visit MISpeedway.com or call the MIS ticket hotline at 800-354-1010 today to take advantage of great pricing for 2010 events at MIS.(MIS)(4-3-2010)

• Five NASCAR Races at Michigan and Watkins Glen...$95: For the first time ever, two historic tracks both known for their picturesque locations, Watkins Glen International and Michigan International Speedway, have come together to offer race fans two great experiences for one low price. As part of the new Heluva Good! ticket package, NASCAR fans get a total of five exciting races for ONLY $95 including the Heluva Good! Sour Cream Dips 400 at MIS on Sunday, June 13, and the Heluva Good! Sour Cream Dips at The Glen on Sunday, August 8. Both race tracks offer some of the most unique camping opportunities in the sport of racing and are both located in popular vacation destinations. Watkins Glen International is located in the heart of the Finger Lakes Wine Country where tourism to the region has seen a substantial increase in visitation in the past few years as well as being featured in top tier publications such as Travel + Leisure, Budget Travel, and a featured road trip in the 2010 Rand McNally Atlas. This “Heluva Good!” ticket package saves fans $20 compared to the cost of purchasing separate tickets and includes general admission tickets to both of the International Speedway Corporation (ISC) sister facilities. This great package includes two races on the high-speed oval of MIS during Heluva Good! 400 June 12 and 13. Not only will fans be able to watch NASCAR’s first visit of the season to the Great Lake State but also the VFW 200 NASCAR Camping World Series race on Saturday, June 12. Fans that attend the Heluva Good! Sour Cream Dips at The Glen weekend, August 5-8, in New York’s Wine Country, will not only get to watch the stars of the NASCAR Sprint Cup Series challenge The Soul of American Road Racing but also the double-header featuring the Zippo 200 NASCAR Nationwide and Crown Royal 200 GRAND-AM Rolex Sports Car Series races on Saturday, August 7. Any fans that are ready to catch the excitement of the legendary twists and turns of WGI and the high-speed action at MIS simply need to call 800-354-1010 to order their tickets today.(MIS and WGI)(4-1-2010)

• MIS doesn't expect to lose race date: Michigan International Speedway president Roger Curtis has advice for fans worried about the 2-mile superspeedway losing a NASCAR Sprint Cup date in 2011: Don't worry. Rumors have ramped up that MIS is among the International Speedway Corporation tracks in jeopardy of losing a race now that it appears likely Kansas Speedway will get a second date. Curtis answered questions during a web telecast with fans Wednesday night. "That is completely false," Curtis said of the rumors. "I have been reassured by senior management at International Speedway Corporation that MIS will not be losing a date. We do sign our sanctioning agreements with NASCAR on a year-by-year basis, but I have not heard anything from NASCAR that would indicate that we are close to losing a date by their criteria. We have invested $55 million over the last few years, and we are going to invest a lot more. We are going to invest a lot more over the next three years and we are going to continue to improve things for fans." Curtis also was asked if MIS is considering putting up lights so the track could host a night race. He said don't expect that to happen any time soon. He pointed out that it would cost about $17 million to light up the track, and there are other areas that need to be addressed first.(Michigan Live)(2-25-2010)

• Michigan International Speedway goes smokeless: All grandstand seating, mezzanines, concession and restroom buildings, suites and chalets at Michigan International Speedway will be smoke-free, racetrack officials have announced. The ban comes on the heels of a state measure that will go into effect May 1, banning smoking in public places. “Not only are we adhering to the law, but we are addressing a growing number of concerns from our race fans who do not smoke,” MIS President Roger Curtis said. “Race fans who smoke, can still do so in approved areas. We appreciate all our fans for their understanding and patience.” Smokers may choose to smoke in open-air areas behind the grandstands, in the New Holland Fan Plaza and in campgrounds. The Champions Club, seating and adjacent patios will also be smoke-free. Anyone who does not adhere to the new smoke-free policy will be subject to fines by state and county enforcement officials who are on site during race weekends. Signs will be posted throughout the grandstands, reminding fans of non-smoking areas. Affordable tickets, wider seats, larger infield campsites and earlier NASCAR Sprint Cup start times are just a few of the fan initiatives in place at MIS. Fans are celebrated year-round with the Fan Appreciation Program presented by LifeLock. Check out MISpeedway.com or call the MIS ticket hotline at 800-354-1010 for details.(MIS)(2-24-2010)

• VFW to sponsor Truck Series race at MIS: In an effort to recognize and salute veterans and their families around the country, the Veterans of Foreign Wars (VFW) Foundation will be the title sponsor of its first-ever NASCAR Camping World Truck Series race, the “VFW 200” on Saturday, June 12 at Michigan International Speedway. “The VFW 200 and our association with NASCAR aligns well with our mission to help America’s service members and their families. This will help bring public attention to their urgent needs,” said VFW Commander-In-Chief Thomas J. Tradewell, Sr. “The VFW Foundation has had a wonderful relationship with NASCAR driver, Kevin Harvick’s KHI racing team. We are excited about our on-going association with Kevin Harvick and proud to have the opportunity to sponsor the VFW 200. NASCAR, its fans, and the Michigan International Speedway are perfect for such a patriotic event,” added Tradewell. With the new VFW relationship, MIS has now secured sponsorship deals for all of its racing events in 2010. Additionally the Foundation will provide activities and informational venues at the track during the entire weekend to highlight the service and sacrifice of America’s U.S. service members and their families. Service members attending the event (many of whom are on leave from duty in Iraq and Afghanistan) will be given VIP status and provided with pit passes and access to NASCAR drivers, grandstand seating and complimentary food. The venue will allow the VFW Foundation to showcase its “Salute to Military Families” campaign, designed to bring awareness to the unique problems and needs of troops and their families. It will be the second year the VFW Foundation has sponsored the “Salute to Military Families” program. Through its “Unmet Needs” initiative, the VFW Foundation has provided more than $3 million in direct financial assistance to military families for rent, mortgage, utilities, vehicle repair, medical expenses and basic food assistance. For more information visit www.vfwfoundation.org. MIS’ Value Pricing Period begins on Feb. 1. NASCAR Sprint Cup Series tickets for the Heluva Good! Sour Cream Dips 400 on June 13 and CARFAX 400 on August 15 will be as low as $25. Visit MISpeedway.com or call the MIS ticket hotline at 800-354-1010 on Feb. 1 to take advantage of great pricing for 2010 events at MIS.(MIS)(1-25-2010)

• Heluva Good! will continue sponsor Watkins Glen; adds Michigan: Watkins Glen International announced that Heluva Good! will continue as the title sponsor for the historic road course’s NASCAR Sprint Cup Series race through 2011. The two year agreement is a two track deal that includes the title sponsorship for Michigan International Speedway’s NASCAR Sprint Cup Series race in June. The green flag is scheduled to drop on the 25th running of the Heluva Good! Sour Cream Dips at The Glen at 1:00pm/et on Sunday, August 8, during its traditional weekend, and will be broadcast live on ESPN. Heluva Good! will remain the official dip product of Watkins Glen International for 2010 and 2011. The Sodus, NY-based company will become the title sponsor for the Heluva Good! Sour Cream Dips 400 at Michigan International Speedway on Sunday, June 13, and be designated the official cheese and dip products of MIS.
  Tickets for the entire 2010 season including the Heluva Good! Sour Cream Dips at The Glen, August 5-8, and Camping World Grand Prix at The Glen, July 2-4, weekends are on sale now! Fans can take advantage of advanced sale prices and new options by calling the Watkins Glen International ticket office at 866-461-RACE (7223) or logging on to the official website, www.TheGlen.com.(WGI)
  AND Race fans who missed out on renewing tickets at Michigan International Speedway can leave a $30 goodwill deposit and ensure the best, guaranteed lowest prices in 2010. Deposits will be accepted through Jan. 5 only. After that, ticket prices will likely increase as demand goes up. More info at MISpeedway.com.(12-17-2009)

• Tim Booth wins Home Depot NMPA 2009 Humanitarian Award: Michigan International Speedway’s Director of Guest Services Tim Booth was selected as the winner of the Humanitarian Award ahead of NASCAR drivers Tony Stewart and Greg Biffle, who were also finalists. For receiving the prestigious honor from The Home Depot and National Motorsports Press Association (NMPA), Booth will receive $100,000 that will be donated on his behalf to the Spirit of America Blood Drive. Booth, Stewart and Biffle were recognized during the NASCAR NMPA Myers Brother Awards program in Las Vegas on Thursday. Stewart and Biffle will be awarded $25,000 for their respective charities for being named as finalists.
  “Just to have been nominated is truly a great honor, and I am humbled,” Booth said. “The reality is this award is not about any one, single nominee or finalist, but rather about donating one’s time for a cause that you believe in – any amount of time and any cause will do. It’s about giving, isn’t it? So thank you to Home Depot and the NMPA for this great honor, and thank you for supporting my charity. Greg, Tony and I are all winners on our charities’ behalves.”
  Booth was nominated for the Humanitarian Award for his efforts in making the Spirit of America Blood Drive at MIS the nation’s largest 9-11 blood drive event. The Spirit of America has collected a grand total of 6,213 units of blood, potentially benefiting 18,639 people since its inception in 2002. (Each unit of blood can be transfused to up to three people.) Booth has made countless efforts to support various non-profit organizations in his community, but none as much as the Great Lakes Region of the American Red Cross. His creation of the Spirit of America Blood Drive, which began at MIS in 2002, was a way to honor the victims and heroes of September 11, 2001. The blood drive’s success caught the eye of the NASCAR Foundation, which has since created the NASCAR Foundation Blood & Marrow Drive, which is hosted at 30 race tracks across the country on September 11. Booth is also a regular blood donor who has personally given blood 146 times, which amounts to more than 18 gallons in his lifetime. The NMPA Home Depot Humanitarian Award was established in 2007.(MIS)(12-4-2009)

• MIS receives prestigious award: Michigan International Speedway has been recognized by the Entrepreneurial & Business Excellence Hall of Fame because of the impact the racetrack annually makes on Northwest Ohio and Southeast Michigan. Track President Roger Curtis accepted the Business Excellence Award on behalf of the speedway. MIS was the only Michigan business to receive an award from the Ohio-based group during a ceremony Thursday night. “This is a very special award and we are honored to have received it,” Curtis said. “Even though we are located in Michigan, the impact we make on the Toledo and Northwest Ohio area is immeasurable. However, it goes both ways because many of our race fans come from the same Northwest Ohio area and we appreciate all the support we receive from them each and every year.” MIS has made a tremendous economic impact to area businesses in the Toledo area during NASCAR Sprint Cup Series weekends. More than 100,000 race fans annually attend the speedway’s events twice a year – a boon to the region. Hotels, restaurants, grocery stores and gas stations from as far away as Toledo, about 65 miles southeast of the speedway, see the benefits of having racing in the Irish Hills of Michigan.
  The Entrepreneurial & Business Excellence Hall of Fame was created to encourage, promote, and recognize outstanding entrepreneurship, family business and business excellence. The program was formed to foster and honor entrepreneurial success and business innovation and excellence in the region. The EBE Hall of Fame fosters and strengthens the entrepreneurial spirit in the region, and the annual awards program recognizes and honors some of the region’s most outstanding entrepreneurs and business leaders. The best, guaranteed lowest prices in 2010 will go to customers who make a $30 goodwill deposit. New customers can log onto www.MISpeedway.com or call 800-354-1010 to leave a deposit. That deposit ensures race fans get the best pricing for 2010.(MIS)(11-24-2009)

• MIS to allow dogs in Graves Farm Campground: In an ongoing effort to help fans make their race weekends more affordable, Michigan International Speedway is allowing dogs in its Graves Farm Campground for the 2010 season. Many race fans who are pet owners incur costs to board their dogs when they head to the Irish Hills track for its NASCAR events. Opening the Graves Farm Campground to campers and their dogs will give fans the opportunity to camp with their pups. Rules apply for race fans and their dogs in the Graves Farm Campground:
  * The campground is open to dogs only.
  * Dogs must be on a leash no longer than six feet at all times
  * Dogs must remain within the confines of the pet owners’ campsite
  * Leashed dogs may be walked on the walking trail
  * All owners must clean up after their dog
  * Dogs are not permitted in the New Holland Fan Plaza or through the ticket gates unless they are service dogs
  Nestled in the lush Irish Hills of Southeastern Michigan, Michigan International Speedway is the Great Escape, a venerable NASCAR national park where fans can get away and enjoy the very best in racing and camaraderie. It’s the love of racing and the thrill of a great time for race fans and drivers alike. The best, guaranteed lowest prices in 2010 will go to renewal customers and new customers who make a $30 goodwill deposit. Current, 2009 customers will have the chance to renew at the best pricing available when they receive their renewal packets. New customers can log onto www.MISpeedway.com or call 800-354-1010 to leave a deposit. That deposit ensures race fans get the best pricing for 2010.(MIS)(11-2-2009)

• Emergency texting available to race patrons: International Speedway Corporation (ISC) has partnered with InStadiumSolutions to implement a text-message based communication system at all of its 12 motorsports facilities. The service was introduced last weekend during the NASCAR Nationwide and Sprint Cup races at Darlington Raceway. The system allows fans to communicate with the racetrack's command post if assistance is needed inside the facility. The technology was tested at Homestead-Miami Speedway last November during the final weekend of the NASCAR season. Instructions will be posted throughout each racetrack and will be broadcast through audio and video public announcements. Besides Darlington and Homestead-Miami, ISC owns and/or operates Daytona, Talladega, Michigan, Richmond, Auto Club Speedway, Kansas, Phoenix, Chicago, Martinsville and Watkins Glen. The Fan Text Messaging Service is also being used by several professional and college teams, as well as at events such as the Super Bowl, BCS National Championship and World Baseball Classic.(Associated Press)(5-14-2009)

• Past track news: posted in the past at Jayski's Past Track News/Rumors - Michigan International Speedway

>Tire: Goodyear Eagle Speedway Radials

Number of Tires: Left-side -- 1,400; Right-side -- 1,400

Tire Codes: Left-side -- D-4396; Right-side -- D-4272

Tire Circumference: Left-side -- 87.2 in.; Right-side -- 88.3 in.

Technical Inspection Inflation:
Left Front -- 30 psi; Left Rear -- 30 psi;
Right Front -- 48 psi; Right Rear -- 45 psi

Minimum Recommended Inflation:
Left Front -- 22 psi; Left Rear -- 20 psi;
Right Front -- 45 psi; Right Rear -- 42 psi

Estimated Pit Window: Every 42-44 laps, based on fuel mileage (Sprint Cup).

Notes: NASCAR Sprint Cup Series teams will be running a slightly different set-up than those in the NASCAR Camping World Truck Series at Michigan this weekend . . . while teams in both series will be running the same right-side tire code (D-4272), they will be running distinct left-side codes . . . this is a new left-side code (D-4396) for Sprint Cup teams . . . they have run this right-side code at Dover in both September 2009 and June 2010 . . . this is the first time either of these two tire codes have been run at Michigan . . . compared to what was run at this track last year, this tire set-up features construction changes to both the left- and right-side tires to help give the cars more grip . . . while this left-side compound remains unchanged from last season, this right-side compound is slightly tougher and will help rubber in the track more quickly . . . as on all NASCAR ovals greater than one mile in length, teams are required to run liners in all four tire positions at Michigan . . . air pressure in those inner liners should be 12-25 psi greater than that of the outer tire.

• See the Sprint Cup Series Team / Driver Chart, which has links to past news for each team and info on each team.