One of the fastest tracks in NASCAR welcomes the men and women of the Sprint Cup Series and Camping World Truck Series back to the Irish Hills. And with new rules changes in place for at least one of them, things could look a lot different this time with NASCAR at Michigan.
Here are the four to follow, storylines from Michigan International Speedway:
Four to Follow: Stories from the Irish Hills for NASCAR at Michigan
Some Rules, Just Right?
NASCAR brings back the high drag rules package to Michigan, after debuting the package at Indy. The rules came to a variety of responses, though the overwhelming issue that persisted was the lack of airflow into the car. With adjustments made to allow the drivers to stay cooler on Sunday, the question becomes how teams will adapt their cars to the higher speeds on the banks of Michigan.
Speed Kills
Speaking of the high banks and high speeds, Michigan is arguably the fastest track in NASCAR outside of the superspeedways. And in their final consistent run at over 200 miles per hour before a Chase run at Talladega, speed trumps almost all when challenging for the lead, and the win, at MIS.
Give me Fuel!
However, the only thing at Michigan International Speedway that may trump speed is fuel mileage. The track has a history of fuel mileage races down to the finish, and could create a repeat performance to last week’s narrow finish between Kevin Harvick and Joey Logano at The Glen.
It’s all about Time
Meanwhile, while fuelling will all be about the pit crews, time is another item in short supply for many at Michigan. Drivers like Kasey Kahne, Aric Almirola, and Clint Bowyer are running out of time to lock in their spot in the Chase for the Sprint Cup. And mathematically, only a driver who notches their first win of the season could lock in a spot in the Chase.
Be sure to tune in for all the action from the fast Michigan International Speedway. Coverage of the NASCAR Camping World Truck Series can be seen Saturday afternoon on Fox Sports 1, with Cup Series action live on Sunday on NBCSN.
