June 10, 2013- Michigan International Speedway offers plenty of storylines, race trivia and associated notes of interest for fans preparing for the upcoming Quicken Loans 400 NASCAR Sprint Cup Race.
… Kurt Busch and Trevor Bayne tested their Gen 6 race cars at Michigan International Speedway in May, the first time the Gen 6 made an appearance at MIS. Both drivers were impressed with their speeds, with Busch hitting a high speed of 212 mph, while Bayne hit 211.500 on one lap. Busch’s average speed was 195.865 and Bayne had an average speed of 193.500.
… Michigan International Speedway has added WiFi hot spots at select locations around the facility. These locations include the Budweiser Party Porch at Turn 4, Champion’s Club presented by CP Federal Credit Union, Pit Patio, MISCamping.com APEX and MISCamping.com Turn 2 Retreat.
… MIS has added two new items to the food menu in 2013. The first new delicacy will be the Pieorgi burger, a traditional hamburger featuring a Polish dumpling on top. The other new item will be gravy cakes, potato pancakes topped with a chipped beef gravy, sour cream and green scallions.
… MIS has made it easier for fans visiting the 2013 Quicken Loans 400 with updated tram services. Tram hubs will be located at Turns Two and Four to take fans to their respective parking lots. These tram routes will be much more efficient for fans going to and from the lots.
… Michigan International Speedway has upgraded numerous bathrooms and restrooms around the facility. Campers in the infield and fans in the grandstands will be treated to refurbished restrooms and some completely rebuilt restroom facilities.
…The new Budweiser Party Porch at Michigan International Speedway is a respite area and hang-out at the track, all overlooking Turn Four. The patio includes concession and merchandise stands, as well as a full bar. Plus, there will be umbrella-covered picnic tables for fans to sit and relax during the day. On Friday, DJ Services will be spinning the tunes from 12- 5 p.m. and again from 7-11 p.m. Country music artist Dani Jamerson will play Saturday night from 7 – 11 p.m.
… Finger Eleven will headline the annual McDonald’s Rock and Race Saturday concert on Saturday, June 15. The band, best known for their hits “One Thing” and “Paralyzer” will take the stage after Tony Lucca. Lucca is a former finalist from NBC’s “The Voice”. The concert will begin after the checkered flag for the Alliance Truck Parts 250. The Finger Eleven and Tony Lucca concert will be held in Lot 10 and is free to anyone with an Alliance Truck Parts 250 race ticket.
… Stop by the “MIS Welcome Center” for all information MIS and NASCAR. Throughout the race weekend, fans can stop by to find out what’s going on around the facility or find out more about NASCAR. The speedway’s Fan Advisory Board (FAB) will be there to offer some motorsports insider tips and will answer questions about the speedway and the sport of NASCAR. The welcome center will also feature the Pit Stop Challenge, where fans can attempt their own pit stop, complete with tire changes. There will also be a mock pit where fans can see everything that goes into a NASCAR pit stop. It’s your one-stop for everything MIS and NASCAR.
NSCS Quicken Loans 400 Facts and Storylines:
… The National Anthem will be performed by Larry Callahan and Selected of God, the Detroit-based choir best known for their 2011 Super Bowl “Born of Fire” spot with Eminem.
… Detroit Red Wings defender and alternate captain Niklas Kronwall will serve as the Grand Marshal. Kronwall helped lead Detroit to the Western Conference semifinals this season
… Olympic gold medalist Tyler Clary will serve as the honorary starter. Clary won the gold medal in the 200-meter backstroke during the 2012 Summer Olympics in London. He was also a three-time NCAA champion in swimming at the University of Michigan.
… Seth Gold, a reality television star from TruTv’s “Hardcore Pawn”, will drive the pace car on Sunday. The University of Michigan graduate will drive the Ford Fusion Energi, which will be given away to one lucky NASCAR fan at the Pure Michigan 400 in August.
… Dale Earnhardt’s Jr.’s last two NASCAR Sprint Cup Series wins have come at MIS, including last year’s Quicken Loans 400, where he broke a 143-race winless streak. His previous win came in June of 2008, also at MIS in the LifeLock 400. He has an average finish of 15.2 and has led 268 laps at Michigan International Speedway. In 27 starts at MIS, Earnhardt, Jr. has 10 top 10 finishes.
… Dale Earnhardt Jr. and Greg Biffle were the winners of last year’s NASCAR Sprint Cup races at MIS. Earnhardt Jr. won the Quicken Loans 400 in June, while Biffle recorded his third MIS win at the Pure Michigan 400 in August.
… Marcos Ambrose set a track qualifying record of 203.241 mph to garner the pole for the 2012 Quicken Loans 400. That speed made MIS the fastest track in NASCAR.
…The Quicken Loans 400 features nine drivers who have won multiple times at MIS. Mark Martin leads active drivers with five wins, Greg Biffle has three wins each while Kurt Busch, Dale Earnhardt, Jr., Carl Edwards, Jeff Gordon, Denny Hamlin, Matt Kenseth and Ryan Newman each have two victories.
… Jimmie Johnson currently leads the NASCAR Sprint Cup Series Point Standings with 521 points. Carl Edwards is second with 470 and Clint Bowyer, Dale Earnhardt, Jr. and Kevin Harvick round out the top five.
… Mark Martin has 965 laps led in 54 starts at Michigan International Speedway, the most laps led by an active driver. Jeff Gordon is second on the list with 954 laps led in 40 starts.
… Jimmie Johnson has yet to win a race in the Irish Hills in 22 Cup race appearances. In fact, MIS is just one of four Sprint Cup Series tracks overall that he has not won at in his brilliant career, a list which also includes Chicagoland, Homestead-Miami and Watkins Glen. MIS is the only track left on the list that hosts two Sprint Cup races a year. His average finish at MIS is 15.2.
…Mark Martin has 31 career Top 10 finishes at MIS in 54 Sprint Cup starts.
…Carl Edwards and Matt Kenseth are the only active drivers to average a top-10 finish at MIS. Edwards ranks first all-time at MIS with an average finishing position of 8.2 among drivers, with at least five Sprint Cup starts since 1969. In 26 career starts at MIS (17 Cup, 7 Nationwide, 2 Truck), Edwards has 19 top-10 finishes (13 in Cup, 4 Nationwide, 2 Truck). Edwards’ first career Sprint Cup Series start came at MIS in August of 2004.
… The Quicken Loans 400 will be the 88th NASCAR Sprint Cup Series race at MIS. In the 87 previous races, there have been 42 different pole winners. David Pearson leads with 10. Mark Martin has six poles.
…There have been 87 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.
…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 87 races have been won from a top 10 starting position, including 46 from the first four spots.
…34 different drivers have won races, led by David Pearson (nine); 20 drivers have more than one victory at Michigan.
…Roush Fenway Racing has 12 wins at MIS, more than any other team. The Wood Brothers are second with 11 wins.
…Four Keselowski’s have raced at MIS. Bob and his sons, Brad and Brian, have challenged the two-mile track. Also, Ron Keselowski, Bob’s brother, has started races in the Irish Hills. They have combined for 14 starts in ARCA, three starts in the NASCAR Camping World Truck Series, nine starts in the Nationwide series and 16 starts in the NASCAR Sprint Cup Series. Ron also started three USSC races. They have two Nationwide wins (Brad) and one ARCA victory (Bob).
…Brad Keselowski will be making his eighth career Sprint Cup Series start at MIS in the Quicken Loans 400. His best finish at MIS is second, achieved at last year’s Pure Michigan 400 in August.
…The manufacturer Chevrolet has 709 NASCAR Sprint Cup wins. Dale Earnhardt, Jr. drove a Chevy to Gatorade Victory Lane in June of 2012 for the Quicken Loans 400.
…Cale Yarborough leads all drivers by wheeling four different makes of cars to Gatorade Victory Lane in the backyard of the automotive capital of the world. Yarborough won in a Buick, Chevrolet, Mercury, and Oldsmobile at MIS.
Alliance Truck Parts 250 Facts and Storylines:
…Austin Dillon set the NASCAR Nationwide Series qualifying record at MIS of 190.375 mph to garner the pole for the 2012 Alliance Truck Parts 250.
…Joey Logano is the defending race champion of the Alliance Truck Parts 250.
…NASCAR Sprint Cup Series drivers have dominated the Nationwide Series races so far with Kyle Busch garnering six wins and Brad Keselowski, Joey Logano and Tony Stewart each winning one race. Nationwide Series regulars Trevor Bayne, Sam Hornish Jr., and Regan Smith all have one win on the season.
…Six drivers have won the NASCAR Nationwide Series race at MIS twice. That list includes Todd Bodine, Dale Earnhardt Jr., Carl Edwards, Brad Keselowski, Mark Martin and Ryan Newman.
…Regan Smith currently leads the NASCAR Nationwide Series Point Standings with 448 points. Sam Hornish Jr. is second with 425 and Justin Allgaier, Austin Dillon and Elliott Sadler round out the top five.
ARCA Racing Series presented by Menards Facts and Storylines:
…Joey Coulter set the ARCA track qualifying record of 192.149 mph to garner the pole for the 2012 ARCA Racing Series presented by Menards race.
…Chris Buescher is the defending race champion of the ARCA race at Michigan International Speedway in 2012.
…Frank Kimmel currently sits at 78 wins in the ARCA Racing Series presented by Menards, one win away from tying Iggy Katona’s all-time win mark.
…The 2013 event marks the 32nd appearance by the ARCA Racing Series presented by Menards at MIS.
…Frank Kimmel has more wins (two) at MIS than any other driver entered in the race. Kimmel won the race in 1998 and 2005.
…Frank Kimmel currently leads the ARCA Racing Series presented by Menards Point Standings with 1,760 points. Mason Mingus is second with 1,685 and Tom Hessert, Mason Mitchell and Josh Williams round out the top five.
… Ryan Blaney will race in the ARCA Racing Series presented by Menards. His father, Dave Blaney, drives in the NASCAR Sprint Cup Series race with Tommy Baldwin Racing and raced in ARCA twice at MIS in 1997. Blaney drives for Brad Keselowski Racing in the NASCAR Camping World Series.
The Social Lounge – Hashtags for June weekend for @MISpeedway
Weekend #SummerfastFriday #PP200Saturday #ATP250Sunday #QL400
From: Brad Kuhbander | Manager of Media Relations | Michigan International Speedway
12626 U.S.Highway 12 | Brooklyn, MI 49230
Office: 517.592.1204 | Mobile: 816.507.1294 | E-Mail bkuhbander@mispeedway.com
800.354.1010 TICKET HOTLINE | Visit us at MISpeedway.com
2013 SCHEDULE OF EVENTS:
May 18 – Michigan Wine and Beer Festival Presented by Experience Jackson
June 14 – ARCA Racing Series presented by Menards and Sprint Cup Qualifying
June 15 – NASCAR Nationwide Series Alliance Truck Parts 250
June 16 – NASCAR Sprint Cup Series Quicken Loans 400
August 16 – NASCAR Sprint Cup Practice and Qualifying
August 17 – NASCAR Camping World Truck Series Michigan National Guard 200
August 18 – NASCAR Sprint Cup Series Pure Michigan 400
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