Statistical Advance: Analyzing the doubleheader weekend at Michigan

Top 10 Michigan Driver Ratings
Chase Elliott……………………….. 100.4
Matt Kenseth………………………… 99.8
Kevin Harvick……………………….. 99.6
Joey Logano…………………………. 99.3
Brad Keselowski……………………. 97.2
Jimmie Johnson…………………….. 92.6
Ryan Blaney…………………………. 92.2
Kurt Busch…………………………… 91.5
Denny Hamlin……………………….. 91.0
Kyle Busch…………………………… 89.3
Note: Driver Ratings compiled from 2005-2019 races (30 total) among active drivers at Michigan International Speedway.

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 track was known as Michigan Speedway during the time Roger Penske was the primary owner (1996-99).
• The first NASCAR Cup Series race at Michigan was held June 15, 1969 – won by NASCAR Hall of Famer Cale Yarborough in the Wood Brothers’ No. 21 Mercury at a speed of 139.254 mph.
• The first NASCAR Cup Series 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.
• Michigan International Speedway has hosted a total of 101 NASCAR Cup Series races. Other than 1973, which had just one race, there have been two races each season since 1969.

STARTS

• A total of 402 different drivers have competed in at least one NASCAR Cup Series race at Michigan International Speedway; 297 have competed in more than one.
• NASCAR Hall of Famer Bill Elliott leads the series in starts at Michigan with 61.
• Kevin Harvick, Matt Kenseth and Kurt Busch lead all active series drivers in Michigan starts with 38 each.
• A total of 40 different drivers have made their first NASCAR Cup Series start at Michigan International Speedway. The three most recent are:
  • Spencer Boyd – August 11, 2019
  • Garrett Smithley – June 10, 2018
  • Landon Cassill – June 13, 2010
• Best finish by a driver making his first career NASCAR Cup Series start at Michigan International Speedway was a fifth-place finish by John Anderson, from Massillon, Ohio on Aug. 19, 1979; he started 20th and finished fifth driving for Russ Draime (Chevrolet).

STARTS

• Bobby Isaac leads the series in average starting position at Michigan with a 3.125 in eight starts.
• Ryan Blaney leads all active series drivers in average starting position at Michigan with an 9.1 in 10 starts.

Top 10 in Average Starting Position at Michigan (All-Time & Active)

POLES

• A total of 50 different drivers have won the Pole Award at Michigan International Speedway in the NASCAR Cup Series; seven of the 50 are active this weekend.
• NASCAR Hall of Famer David Pearson leads the series in poles at Michigan with 10 poles (1969, 1974 sweep, 1975, 1976, 1977 sweep, 1978 sweep and 1979).
• Joey Logano (2013, 2016 sweep, 2019) leads all active drivers in poles at Michigan with four; followed by Kurt Busch (2010, 2011 and 2018) with three.
• Donnie Allison won the inaugural pole at Michigan in 1969 with a speed of 160.135 mph (Ford).
• Seven drivers have won consecutive poles 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)
  • Joey Logano (2016 sweep).

POLES

• David Pearson holds the record for most consecutive poles at Michigan with five; from the Fall race of 1976 through 1978.
• Youngest series Michigan pole winner: Joey Logano (August 16, 2013 – 23 years, 2 months, 23 days).
• Oldest series Michigan pole winner: Mark Martin (August 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; JJ Yeley (6/17/2007) is the only one currently still active.

• Nine different manufacturers have won a pole at Michigan in the NASCAR Cup Series.
• Ford leads the series in poles at Michigan with 31; followed by Chevrolet (27), Mercury (10), Dodge (nine), Pontiac (eight), Toyota (six), Buick (three), Plymouth (two) and Oldsmobile (one).

WINS

• A total of 38 different drivers have won in the NASCAR Cup Series at Michigan International Speedway; nine are active this weekend.
• NASCAR Hall of Famer David Pearson leads the series in wins at Michigan with nine victories (1969, 1972 sweep, 1973, 1974, 1975, 1976 sweep, 1978).
• Kurt Busch (2003, 2007, 2015), Matt Kenseth (2002, 2006, 2015), Joey Logano (2013, 2016, 2019) and Kevin Harvick (2010, 2018, 2019) lead all active series drivers in wins at Michigan with three each.
• NASCAR Hall of Famer Cale Yarborough won the inaugural NASCAR Cup Series race at Michigan International Speedway driving for Wood Brothers Racing in a Mercury on June 15, 1969.

WINS

• Youngest series Michigan winner: Joey Logano (August 18, 2013 – 23 years, 2 months, 25 days).
• Oldest Michigan winner: Harry Gant (August 16, 1992 – 52 years, 7 months, 6 days).
• Nine drivers have posted consecutive wins at Michigan International Speedway –
  • Bobby Allison (1971 sweep),
  • David Pearson (1972 sweep – 1973), (1974-1975),
  • Cale Yarborough (1983 sweep),
  • Bill Elliott (1985 sweep – 1986 sweep),
  • Bobby Labonte (1995 sweep),
  • Mark Martin (1997-1998),
  • Ryan Newman (2003-2004),
  • Greg Biffle (2004-2005), (2012-2013)
  • Kyle Larson won three-straight at Michigan (2016-2017).
• Bill Elliott holds the record for the most consecutive wins in the series at Michigan with four (1985 sweep and 1986 sweep).
• 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 (August 18, 1991)
  • Kyle Larson (August 28, 2016).
• Among the nine 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 Michigan.
• Martin Truex Jr. (28), and Michigan native Brad Keselowski (21) lead all active drivers in the series in starts without a win at Michigan International Speedway.
• The first starting position is the most proficient starting position in the field, producing more winners (22) than any other starting position at Michigan International Speedway:
  • 20 from the pole and one from the first starting position due to qualifying being cancelled – 1985 (Bill Elliott).
• 21 of the 101 (21%) NASCAR Cup Series races at Michigan have been won from the pole or first starting position; the most recent win from the pole at Michigan was June 2019 (Joey Logano).
• The deepest in the field that a race winner has started at Michigan is 32nd, by NASCAR Hall of Famer Mark Martin in the spring of 2009.
• The deepest in the field that an active race winner has started at Michigan is 24th, by Kurt Busch in the June of 2015.

WINS

NASCAR Cup Series Wins by Starting Positions at Michigan International Speedway

• A total of 21 different organizations have won in the NASCAR Cup Series at Michigan; eight of the 21 are active this weekend.
• Roush Fenway Racing leads the series in wins at Michigan with 13: Mark Martin (four), Greg Biffle (four), Carl Edwards (two), Matt Kenseth (two) and Kurt Busch (one).
• The Wood Brothers Racing organization has the second-most series wins at Michigan with 11, including the inaugural race in 1969 – David Pearson (eight wins), Cale Yarborough (two) and Dale Jarrett (one).
• Eight different manufacturers have won in the NASCAR Cup Series at Michigan; led by Ford with 39 victories; followed by Chevrolet with 26, Mercury (12), Dodge (nine), Toyota (five), Buick (four) Pontiac (four) and Oldsmobile (two).

ADDITIONAL FINISHING POSITIONS

Runner-Up Finishes:

• A total of 42 different drivers in the NASCAR Cup Series have finished runner-up at Michigan International Speedway.
• NASCAR Hall of Famer Jeff Gordon leads the series in runner-up finishes with eight.
• Kevin Harvick, tied with NASCAR Hall of Famer Darrell Waltrip for second-most all-time, leads all active drivers in runner-up finishes at Michigan with seven.

Top-Five Finishes:

• A total of 92 different drivers in the series have posted top-five finishes at Michigan.
• NASCAR Hall of Famer Cale Yarborough leads the series in top-five finishes at Michigan with 21.
• Matt Kenseth leads all active series drivers in top-five finishes at Michigan with 14.

Top-10 Finishes:

• A total of 149 different drivers in the series have finished inside the top-10 at Michigan.
• NASCAR Hall of Famer Mark Martin leads the series in top-10 finishes at Michigan with 31 top 10s.
• Matt Kenseth leads all active drivers in top 10s at Michigan with 20.

Average Finishing Position:

• Sam Sommers leads the series in average finishing position at Michigan with a 6.0 in two starts.
• Chase Elliott leads all active drivers in the series in average finishing position at Michigan with a 7.625 in eight starts.

Top 10 in Average Finishing Position at Michigan (All-Time & Active)

LAP LEADERS

• A total of 152 different drivers have led at least one lap in the NASCAR Cup Series at Michigan International Speedway.
• Cale Yarborough leads the series in laps led at Michigan with 1,308 laps led in 36 starts.
• Jimmie Johnson leads all active drivers in the NASCAR Cup Series in laps led at Michigan with 700 laps led in 36 starts. 4

Top 10 All-Time Lap Leaders at Michigan International Speedway

Top 10 Active Lap Leaders at Michigan International Speedway

• The most laps led in a NASCAR Cup Series race at Michigan International Speedway is 163 laps led by Joey Logano on June 10, 2019 – he won the event starting from the pole position.
• The most laps led in a series race at Michigan International Speedway by a driver that did not win the event was 146 laps led by Jimmie Johnson who finished 22nd on June 14, 2009 – he started third.

TRACK / EVENT 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 margin of victory of 0.085 second.

Top Five Closest Margins of Victory at Michigan in NASCAR Cup Series

• Six of 101 (5.9%) NASCAR Cup Series races have resulted with NASCAR Overtime at Michigan:

• Five of the 101 (4.9%) series races at Michigan have been shortened due to weather:

• Qualifying has been cancelled due to weather conditions in the NASCAR Cup Series at Michigan International Speedway four times:

FEMALE COMPETITORS

• Four female drivers have competed at Michigan International Speedway in the NASCAR 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 152 NASCAR national series races among four tracks in the state of Michigan.

• The first NASCAR Cup Series race held in the state of Michigan was at Grand River Speedrome in Grand Rapids, Michigan on July 1, 1951. The race was won by Marshall Teague from the pole in a Hudson.

MICHIGAN DRIVERS IN NASCAR

• A total of 100 different drivers in NASCAR national series history have their home state recorded as Michigan.
• Nine of the 100 have won at least one race in NASCAR’s national series; they combined to win 156 NASCAR national series races.

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