2012 Michigan II Race Info Page

THE RACE: Pure Michian 400

TRACK: Michigan International Speedway

NASCAR Sprint Cup Race #23 of 36 for the 2012 season

Updated: often, leading up to the race

Race: Sunday, August 19, 2012 in Brooklyn, MI

Title Sponsor: Michigan

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

Television Coverage/Re-air/TV Team

NASCAR Pre-race: ESPN – 12:00pm/et
Television Race Coverage: ESPN, 1:00pm/et
In the Booth: Allen Bestwick, Dale Jarrett, Andy Petree
Pit Reporters: Dave Burns, Mike Massaro, Dr. Jerry Punch, Vince Welch
NASCAR Countdown: Nicole Briscoe, Brad Daugherty, Rusty Wallace, Ray Evernham
SPEED’s NASCAR Raceday Pre-Race Show: 10:00 am/et with John Roberts, Kyle Petty, Kenny Wallace
Scheduled Race Re-Air Dates/Times:
Monday, August 20 at 2:00am/et on ESPN2
Wednesday, August 22 at 12:00pm/et on SPEED
TV Listings, Links and Info:
Jayski’s TV Listings Page
ESPN Network Schedules
SPEED TV Schedule
NASCAR on TV
TV Racer

Radio Coverage

This Week – Motor Racing Network (MRN) and SiriusXM Satellite NASCAR Channel 90
motorracingnetwork.com
MRN Live Streaming

EVENT SCHEDULE
(Sprint Cup Series)

Times are local to the Track

Friday, August 17

12:30 – 2:00 pm NSCS Practice
4:10 pm NSCS Qualifying

Saturday, August 18

8:30 – 9:25 am NSCS Practice
11:00 – 11:55 am NSCS Final Practice

Sunday, August 19

12:30 pm NSCS Drivers Introductions and Pre-Race Ceremonies
1:00 pm NSCS Pure Michigan 400

NSCS = Sprint Cup Series
SUBJECT TO CHANGE
Times are local to the Track

PRACTICE & QUALIFYING
Dates / Times / TV coverage

(times in eastern time)

Practices:
Friday, August 17, 12:30 – 2:00 pm/et, TV-SPEED
Saturday, August 18, 8:30 – 9:25am/et, TV-SPEED
Happy Hour ‘Final’ practice: Saturday, August 18, 11:10 – 11:55 am/et, TV-SPEED
Qualifying: 2 laps for positions 1-42, Friday, August 17 at 4:10 pm/et, TV-SPEED, re-air scheduled at 10:00pm/et & 2:30am/et.

PURSE/RACE AWARD

2011: TBA
2011: $5,079,398
2010: $5,126,880
2009: $5,279,259
2008: $5,239,780
2007: $5,138,579
2006: $5,038,926
2005: $4,912,254
2004: $4,926,541
2003: $4,265,337
2002: $3,880,083

TRACK/RACE NEWS

Track Specifications:
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 was 137,243
Opened: 1968
Race Festivities/Officials:
Grand Marshal: Kid Rock
Command to start engines: Kid Rock
Honorary Starter/Wave Green Flag: Detroit Radio Host Paul W. Smith
Invocation: TBA
National Anthem: Ride Records singer-songwriter Steve Azar
Military Flyover: TBA
Track Websites:
Michigan International Speedway
ISC Motorsports
Michigan International Speedway – Facebook
Michigan International Speedway – Twitter
MIS Infield Extravaganza
June 2012: see my Michigan Race Info page
August 2011: see my Michigan Race Info page
June 2012 Race Winner: #88-Dale Earnhardt Jr, 139.144, started 17th
August 2011 Race Winner: #18-Kyle Busch, 150.898 mph, started 17th
Track Race Record: Dale Jarrett, June 1999, 173.997mph (no cautions)
Slowest Track Race Record: Richard Petty, 107.583mph, 8/24/1975
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
June 2012 Pole Sitter: #9-Marcos Ambrose, 203.241mph, finished 9th
August 2011 Pole Sitter: #16-Greg Biffle, 190.345mph, finished 20th
New Track Qualifying Record: #9-Marcos Ambrose, June 20125, 203.241mph (after repave 2012)
Old Track Qualifying Record: #12-Ryan Newman, June 2005, 194.232mph (before repave 2012)
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
Some drivers can clinch Chase spot after Michigan: Though seemingly a formality, five drivers can mathematically clinch a spot in the 2013 Chase for the NASCAR Sprint Cup this weekend at Michigan International Speedway. Here are the candidates, and the necessary facts and figures for a clinch:
• #48-Jimmie Johnson: The magic number for this weekend is 145. Any driver 145 points ahead of 11th place leaving Michigan will clinch a top 10 spot, which is of special importance to Johnson. After race No. 26 at Richmond, all 12 Chase drivers will have their points reset to 2,000. But only the top 10 will earn three bonus points for each win during the regular season. Currently Johnson has three wins, equaling nine potential Chase bonus points. Johnson currently sits 124 points ahead of 11th (a maximum of 47 points can be made up in a given race). He could also clinch at least a Wild Card spot by winning on Sunday, regardless of his stature ahead of 11th.
• #16-Greg Biffle: Biffle can lock up a top-10 spot. Currently owning a 123-point cushion over 11th, Biffle needs to reach the magic number of 145 leaving Michigan.
• #17-Matt Kenseth: Like his Roush Fenway Racing teammate, Kenseth can clinch a top-10 spot by leaving Michigan with a 145-point lead over 11th. He currently sits 122 points ahead of 11th.
• #88-Dale Earnhardt Jr.: Earnhardt has a tougher task than the aforementioned drivers. His current cushion over 11th is 107 points. He can lock up a top-10 spot by reaching the 145-point magic number.
• #2-Brad Keselowski: Keselowski has a remote chance of clinching at least a Wild Card spot with a win on Sunday, depending on the finishes of a number of other drivers.
(NASCAR)(8-16-2012)
Facts and Notes Michigan International Speedway:
· 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 NASCAR Sprint Cup Series race at Michigan was held June 15, 1969.
· The track was known as Michigan Speedway during the time Roger Penske was the primary owner (1996-99).
· The 2-mile speedway underwent a repave this season.
· There have been 86 NASCAR Sprint Cup 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.
· The first 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.
· Donnie Allison won the first pole.
· The first NASCAR Sprint Cup race was won by Cale Yarborough.
· There have been 42 different pole winners, led by David Pearson with 10. Mark Martin has five poles.
· 34 different drivers have won races, led by David Pearson (nine); 20 drivers have more than one victory at Michigan.
· The race winner has started from the pole 16 times, the most productive starting position. Brian Vickers (August, 2009) was the last driver to win from the pole.
· 66 of 86 races have been won from a top-10 starting position, including 46 from the first four spots.
· The deepest in the field a race winner has started was 32nd, by Mark Martin in the June race of 2009.
· The Wood Brothers and Roush Fenway Racing both have 11 wins, more than any other car owners.
· Carl Edwards and Matt Kenseth are the only drivers to average a top-10 finish. Edwards, who has two Michigan wins, has an average finish of 8.3. Coincidentally, Edwards’ first NASCAR Sprint Cup Series start came at Michigan. Kenseth, who also has two victories, has an average finish of 9.2.
(NASCAR)(8-14-2012)
For news, stats, records and more about this race track, see: Jayski’s Michigan International Speedway Track News/Rumors/Links page

RACE RUNDOWN….news and links

Race Coverage of the Pure Michigan 400 Sprint Cup Series race at Michigan International Speedway is scheduled for Sunday, August 5, 2012.
Television (TV): ESPN at 1:00 pm/et; NASCAR Countdown Pre-Race show at 12:00 pm/et; green flag approx 1:16pm/et
Radio: Motor Racing Network (MRN) and Sirius XM Satellite NASCAR Radio 90
Scheduled Race Re-Airs:
on ESPN2, Monday, August 20 at 2:00am/et
on SPEED, Wednesday, August 22 at 12:00pm/et
Links to results, practices, qualifying PDF’s:
Entry List
NASCAR Green-White-Checkered Race Procedure: NASCAR allows 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 procedure applies to all three national series. See rule and notes on the Green-White-Checker rule page.
Wave-around rule: The wave-around rule dictates that cars under penalty at the time of the caution are ineligible for the wave around.
See Jayski’s – 2012 Sprint Cup Race Results Page for pole winner, 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

QUALIFYING INFO, PRACTICE SPEED and ENTRIES
info, news, speeds and links

Coverage of Qualifying for the Pure Michigan 400 Sprint Cup Series race at Michigan International Speedway is scheduled for Friday, August 17, 2012 at 4:10pm/et.
Television (TV): SPEED, 4:00pm/et
Scheduled Qualifying Re-Air: 10:00pm/et & 2:30am/et.
Rain Out Procedures: the rain-out qualifying procedure for all three NASCAR national series is as follows: If first practice is run, but qualifying is unable to take place, the starting lineup will be based on speeds from the car’s fastest lap from the first practice, with top-35 cars in owner points no longer segregated from the non-top 35 cars. Previously, the top 35 cars lined up in front of all other eligible car owners.
The Entry List for the Pure Michigan 400 Sprint Cup Series race at Michigan International Speedway is posted, 45 teams/drivers [for 43 spots] are listed, including:
#32-TJ Bell is now listed as the driver of the FAS Lane #32. Ken Schrader was originally listed as the driver.
Not in top 35 of owners points:
#19-Jason Leffler(i)(45/16)
#21-Trevor Bayne(i)(37/8)(2011 Race Winner)
#23-Scott Riggs (44/20)
#26-Josh Wise (40/22)
#30-David Stremme (38/22)
#33-Stephen Leicht (36/22)
#37-J.J. Yeley (53/7)
#87-Joe Nemechek(i)(42/22)
#91-Reed Sorenson(i)(55/2)
#98-Mike Skinner (41/22)
In the event that qualifying is cancelled:
the eight who would make it [8]: #’s 21,33,30,26,98,87,23,19
missing the race would be [2]: #’s 37,91
See the full entry list at my Jayski’s Pocono Entry List.(8-13/15-2012)
Top-35 in Owner Points and guaranteed a starting spot at Michigan:
#36 remains in 35th and is now 82 points ahead of 36th, the #33 team.
Rank) Car#-Driver/Team, owners pts, +/-
32) #83-Cassill/BK Racing, 332 +131
33) #32-Schrader/FAS Lane Racing, 313 +112
34) #10-Reutimann-Patrick/Baldwin, 309 +108
35) #36-Blaney/Baldwin, 283 +82 ahead of 36th
these teams / drivers will need to qualify by speed:
36) #33-Leicht/Childress-Falk, 201, -82 from the top 35
37) #21-Bayne/Wood Bros., 161, -122
38) #30-Stremme/Inception, 157, -126
The teams are NOT locked in past the next race as the owners points change after each race.
For the owner points standings, see the Owners Points Standings (pdf).(8-12-2012)
2012 Sprint Cup Driver Championship Points Standings:
[after Watkins Glen, race 22 of 36]
1) #48-Jimmie Johnson [3 wins], 777
2) #16-Greg Biffle [1 win], 776, -1
3) #17-Matt Kenseth [1 win], 775, -2
4) #88-Dale Earnhardt Jr. [1 win], 760, -17
5) #2-Brad Keselowski [3 wins], 733, -44
6) #56-Martin Truex Jr. [0 wins], 728, -49
7) #15-Clint Bowyer [1 wins], 719, -58
8) #14-Tony Stewart [3 wins], 716, -61
9) #29-Kevin Harvick [0 wins], 710, -67
10) #11-Denny Hamlin [2 wins], 693, -84
Current wild card Chase drivers:
WC1) #5-Kasey Kahne [2 wins, 11th in points]
WC2) #39-Ryan Newman [1 win, 13th in points]
(ties broken by 1sts, 2nds, 3rd, etc)
See drivers championship points standings on the Drivers Points Standings (pdf).(8-12-2012)
2012 Sprint Cup Driver Chase Wild-Card Race:
[after Watkins Glen, race 22 of 36]
A look at the race for the two wild-card positions for the Chase based on wins and being inside the top 20 in points.
Driver [wins] standings, behind 10th
first two would make the chase as wild cards:
#5-Kasey Kahne [2 wins] 11th -40 points out of 10th
#39-Ryan Newman [1 win] 13th -49
eight other drivers currently in the running for the wild cards:
#18-Kyle Busch [1 win] 14th -55
#24-Jeff Gordon [1 win] 15th -59
#9-Marcos Ambrose [1 win] 17th -93
#20-Joey Logano [1 win] 18th -106
these drivers have no wins but are in the top-20
#99-Carl Edwards 12th -43
#27-Paul Menard 16th -64
#31-Jeff Burton 19th -152
#1-Jamie McMurray 20th -152
(ties broken by 1sts, 2nds, 3rd, etc)
The Chase: The top-10 drivers will make the Chase for the NASCAR Sprint Cup. Positions 11 and 12 in the 12-driver Chase for the NASCAR Sprint Cup are Wild Cards, and will go to drivers outside the top 10 with the most wins, as long as they are ranked in the top 20 in points. If multiple drivers outside the top
10 tie for wins, the tie-breaker will go to the race winner with the highest points position.
See drivers championship points standings on the Drivers Points Standings (pdf).(8-12-2012)

Some Chassis Selections and Notes by Teams for this race

added towards the end of the week

Goodyear Tires Notes / Fast Facts

Tire: Goodyear Eagle Speedway Radials
Number of Tires: Left-side — 1,400, Right-side — 1,400
Set limits: 5 sets for practice/qualifying and 10 sets for the race
Tire Code: Left-side — D-4558; Right-side — D-4560
Tire Circumference:
Left-side — 87.5 in. (2,222 mm);
Right-side —
88.6 in. (2,250 mm)
Technical Inspection Inflation:
Left Front — 30 psi; Left Rear — 30 psi;
Right Front — 55 psi; Right Rear — 50 psi
Minimum Recommended Inflation:
Left Front — 24 psi; Left Rear — 22 psi;
Right Front — 51 psi; Right Rear — 48 psi
Notes: Teams in the NASCAR Sprint Cup and Camping World Truck Series will run different tire set-ups at Michigan this weekend . . . Sprint Cup teams will be on a new combination of left- and right-side tires . . . this tire set-up was confirmed at a Goodyear test at Michigan on July 30 . . . a total of 27 Sprint Cup teams participated in that test (along with two Camping World Truck teams) . . . compared to what was run at Michigan in June, this left-side tire (D-4558) combines the updated construction that teams ran in practice with the compound they ran in the race, while this right-side tire (D-4560) features just a slight reduction to the gage (tread thickness) from the tire teams ran throughout the weekend . . . as on all NASCAR ovals greater than one mile in length, teams are required to run inner liners in all four tires at Michigan . . . air pressure in those inner liners should be 12-25 psi greater than that of the outer tire.

PAINT SCHEME NEWS

See all Paint Scheme news, links and chart for this race on the:
Paint Schemes Gallery & Race Chart page

The chart was removed from here as it was also posted on the Paint Schemes Gallery page, makes no sense to post the same info in two spots

Race / Cup Odds

Vegas Insider
NASCAR Race and other odds
NASCAR Top-Five Finish Prediction

World Sports Exchange:
Pure Michian 400
2012 Sprint Cup Championship

Bovada Sportsbook:
Pure Michian 400

(this is not to promote gambling but to offer readers odds and ideas on what the ‘experts’ think about the upcoming race and the Cup series season)

THE RACE: Pure Michian 400

TRACK: Michigan International Speedway

NASCAR Sprint Cup Race #23 of 36 for the 2012 season

Television Coverage/Re-air/TV Team

Radio Coverage

EVENT SCHEDULE(Sprint Cup Series)

PRACTICE & QUALIFYINGDates / Times / TV coverage

PURSE/RACE AWARD

TRACK/RACE NEWS

RACE RUNDOWN….news and links

QUALIFYING INFO, PRACTICE SPEED and ENTRIESinfo, news, speeds and links

Local Newspapers

Local TV Network Stations

Weather Links

Camping, Eating andTravel Info