Statistical Advance: Analyzing the Consumers Energy 400

Top 10 Driver Ratings at Michigan
Chase Elliott……………………….. 108.9
Matt Kenseth………………………… 99.8
Kyle Larson………………………….. 99.0
Joey Logano…………………………. 96.6
Jimmie Johnson…………………….. 96.4
Kevin Harvick……………………….. 96.2
William Byron……………………….. 95.5
Brad Keselowski……………………. 95.3
Erik Jones……………………………. 90.8
Kurt Busch…………………………… 90.4

Note: Driver Ratings compiled from 2005-2018 races (27 total) among active drivers at Michigan International Speedway.

History

· Michigan International Speedway sits on more than 1,400 acres in the “Irish Hills” of Southeastern Michigan. Ground-breaking took place on Sept. 28, 1967.
· The first Monster Energy NASCAR Cup Series race at Michigan was held June 15, 1969 – won by Cale Yarborough at a speed of 139.254 mph.
· The track was known as Michigan Speedway during the time Roger Penske was the primary owner (1996-99).
· The first MENCS race was 500 miles in length; the second was scheduled for 600. The track was re-measured to 2.04 miles for the last race in 1970 and both races in 1971 – with the race distance being 402 miles. All other races have been scheduled for 400 miles.
· The 2-mile speedway underwent a repave in 2012.
· There have been 98 Monster Energy NASCAR Cup Series races at Michigan International Speedway since the first race there in 1969. Other than 1973, which had just one race, there have been two races each season since 1969.

Starts

· 392 drivers have competed in at least one Monster Energy NASCAR Cup Series race at Michigan International Speedway; 289 in more than one.
· Bill Elliott leads the series in starts at Michigan with 61.
· Matt Kenseth leads all active series drivers in Michigan starts with 38.
· Bobby Isaac leads the series in average starting position at MIS with a 3.125 in eight starts.
· Chase Elliott leads all active drivers in the Monster Energy NASCAR Cup Series in average starting position at Michigan with a 4.600 in five starts.
· A total of 39 drivers have made their first series start at Michigan International Speedway.
· Landon Cassill (6/13/2010) and Garrett Smithley (6/10/2018) are the only active Monster Energy NASCAR Cup Series drivers to make their first career start at Michigan International Speedway.

Poles

· A total of 49 different drivers have won the Busch Pole Award at Michigan, led by David Pearson with 10.
· Kurt Busch, Kasey Kahne and Joey Logano lead all active drivers in poles at Michigan with three each.
· Donnie Allison won the inaugural Busch pole at Michigan in 1969 with a speed of 160.135 mph (Ford).
· Seven drivers have won consecutive Busch Pole Awards at Michigan: David Pearson (1974 sweep) and (1976-1978), Ron Bouchard (1981-1982), Terry Labonte (1983 sweep), Bill Elliott (1984 sweep) and (1988 sweep), Bobby Labonte (2003 sweep), Brian Vickers (2008-2009 sweep) and Joey Logano (2016 sweep).
· David Pearson holds the record for most consecutive poles at Michigan with five; fall 1976 through 1978. Most recent driver to post consecutive poles at MIS – Joey Logano’s 2016 sweep.
· Youngest Michigan pole winner: Joey Logano (08/16/2013 – 23 years, 2 months, 23 days).
· Oldest Michigan pole winner: Mark Martin (08/19/2012 – 53 years, 7 months, 10 days).
· Seven drivers have posted their first career Busch Pole award in the Monster Energy Series at Michigan International Speedway – Marcos Ambrose (6/17/2012), JJ Yeley (6/17/2007), Jeff Burton (08/18/1996), Bobby Hamilton (6/23/1996), Rusty Wallace (6/28/1987), Ron Bouchard (8/16/1981) and Pete Hamilton (6/07/1970).
· Nine different manufacturers have won a pole at Michigan in the MENCS; led by Ford with 29; followed by Chevrolet (27 each), Mercury (10), Dodge (nine), Pontiac (eight), Toyota (five), Buick (three), Plymouth (two) and Oldsmobile (one).

Wins

· A total of 38 different drivers have won in the Monster Energy NASCAR Cup Series at Michigan International Speedway, led by David Pearson with nine wins.
· Kyle Larson, Kurt Busch and Matt Kenseth lead all active MENCS drivers with three wins each.
· NASCAR Hall of Famer Cale Yarborough won the inaugural Monster Energy NASCAR Cup Series race at Michigan International Speedway driving for Wood Brothers Racing in a Mercury.
· Nine drivers have posted consecutive wins at Michigan International Speedway – most recent, Kyle Larson who won three-straight at Michigan (2016-2017).
· Bill Elliott (1985 sweep and 1986 sweep) holds the record for the most consecutive wins in the series at Michigan with four.
· Ryan Newman (2003-2004) and Kyle Larson (2016-2017 sweep) are the only two active drivers to win consecutive series races at Michigan.
· Youngest Michigan winner: Joey Logano (08/18/2013 – 23 years, 2 months, 25 days).
· Oldest Michigan winner: Harry Gant (08/16/1992 – 52 years, 7 months, 6 days).
· Roush Fenway Racing has the most wins at Michigan in the Monster Energy NASCAR Cup Series with 13: Mark Martin (four), Greg Biffle (four), Carl Edwards (two), Matt Kenseth (two) and Kurt Busch (one).
· The top six winning MENCS organizations at Michigan are Roush Fenway Racing (13), Wood Brothers Racing (11), Joe Gibbs Racing (eight), Hendrick Motorsports (eight) and Team Penske (eight).
· Eight different manufacturers have won in the Monster Energy NASCAR Cup Series at Michigan; led by Ford with 36 victories; followed by Chevrolet with 26, Mercury (12), Dodge (nine), Toyota (five), Buick (four) Pontiac (four) and Oldsmobile (two).
· 20 of the 98 (20.4%) Monster Energy NASCAR Cup Series races at Michigan have been won from the Busch pole; the most recent won from the pole – Kyle Larson (June 2017).
· The first starting position is the most proficient starting position in the field, producing more winners (21) than any other starting position at Michigan International Speedway – 20 from the Busch Pole and one from the first starting position due to qualifying being cancelled.
· The deepest in the field that a race winner has started at Michigan is 32nd, by Mark Martin in the spring of 2009.
· Among the 11 active series Michigan winners, Clint Bowyer (24), Kevin Harvick (19), Kyle Busch (13) and Joey Logano (10) all made 10 or more attempts before their first win at MIS.
· Jamie McMurray has made the most series starts (31) among full-time active drivers at Michigan without a win.
· Only two drivers in series history have recorded their first Monster Energy NASCAR Cup Series career win at Michigan International Speedway – NASCAR Hall of Famer Dale Jarrett (8/18/1991) and Kyle Larson (8/28/2016).

Additional Finishing Position Stats

· A total of 41 different drivers in Monster Energy Series history have finished runner-up at Michigan, led by Jeff Gordon with eight second-place finishes; followed by NASCAR Hall of Famer Darrell Waltrip and Kevin Harvick with seven each.
· A total of 91 different drivers in the Monster Energy Series have posted top-five finishes, led by NASCAR Hall of Famer Cale Yarborough with 21 top fives; Matt Kenseth leads all active drivers with 14; followed by Kevin Harvick with 11.
· A total of 144 different drivers have finished inside the top-10 at Michigan in the Monster Energy Series, led by NASCAR Hall of Famer Mark Martin with 31 top 10s. Matt Kenseth leads all active drivers with 20; followed by Kevin Harvick with 16.
· Chase Elliott leads all active drivers in the MENCS in average finishing position at Michigan with a 4.6.

Track/Event Specific Stats

· Since the advent of electronic scoring the closest margin of victory (MOV) in the Monster Energy NASCAR Cup Series at Michigan International Speedway was the June 10, 2001 race won by Jeff Gordon over Ricky Rudd with a MOV of 0.085 second.
· There have been five Monster Energy NASCAR Cup Series races resulting with NASCAR Overtime at Michigan International Speedway.
· Five of the 98 (5.2%) Monster Energy NASCAR Cup Series races at Michigan International Speedway have been shortened due to weather conditions.
· Qualifying has been cancelled due to weather conditions in the Monster Energy NASCAR Cup Series at Michigan International Speedway four times: June, 1985; June, 1990; August, 2004; June, 2008.
· Cale Yarborough leads the series in laps led at MIS with 1,308. Jimmie Johnson leads all active drivers in the Monster Energy NASCAR Cup Series in laps led at Michigan with 687 laps led in 30 starts.

Female Competitor Stats

· Four female drivers have competed at Michigan International Speedway in the NASCAR Sprint Cup Series: Janet Guthrie, Robin McCall, Shawna Robinson and Danica Patrick. Of the four female drivers to compete at Michigan, Guthrie has the best finish (10th).

NASCAR in Michigan

· There has been a total of 147 NASCAR national series races among four tracks in the state of Michigan.
· The first Monster Energy NASCAR Cup Series race held in the state of Michigan was at Grand River Speedrome in Grand Rapids, Michigan on 7/1/1951 – won by Marshall Teague from the pole in a Hudson.

Michigan Drivers In NASCAR

· 99 drivers in NASCAR national series history have their home state recorded as Michigan.
· Nine of the 99 have won at least one race in NASCAR’s national series.

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