Restrictor plate racing won’t be an issue this weekend at NASCAR’s fastest venue. The field is expected to display speeds of well over 200 miles per hour when the green flag drops for the Firekeepers Casino 400 this Sunday. The race is scheduled to get started on Sunday, June 10th at approximately 2:00 p.m. EST. The contest can be seen on FOX for some early afternoon racing entertainment. Kyle Larson swept this track in 2017 and big brother Kurt Busch will start his Ford on the pole.
Kurt Busch
The pole position has produced the most winners at Michigan International Speedway. In fact, four of the last seven victors have started from the front. Stewart/Haas Racing’s Kurt Busch hopes that trend will continue for the Firekeepers Casino 400. The veteran driver and former Cup Series champion turned the fastest lap in qualifying on Friday. He also has won this event on three different occasions. Most recently, Busch took the checkered flag in June 2015. Believe it or not, Vegas has the speedster as a juicy +3250 to do it again. Now that is a great bang for your buck when laying down cash for this race.
Kyle Larson
Kyle Larson has five wins in his career. Furthermore, four of those triumphs have come at this speedy 2-mile oval. Unfortunately, Larson failed to qualify well and will be starting out of the 26th spot for the 2018 Firekeepers Casino 400. Nevertheless, he has to be considered a favorite to rally to the front in short fashion. Oddsmakers also think that is the case. The Chip Ganassi Racing stud is slated at +650 to win for his fourth time in a row at Michigan.
Kyle Busch
Little brother Kyle “Rowdy” Busch also knows a little about finding some speed at Michigan International Speedway. He has won here once and was fast in the first practice recording the third quickest time of the session. Oh, by the way, he is starting his M&M’s Toyota from the third position when the green flag waves for the Firekeepers Casino 400 this weekend. Line-setters like his chances, placing Busch at +500 to win once again in 2018.
Kevin Harvick
Kevin Harvick’s only Michigan win came in 2014. Still, the gritty driver is consistent at Michigan. As a result, the freaky fast competitor has record 10 top-five results over his career here. He was the fourth fastest driver in the first practice round. He also qualified fourth and will be starting right next to Kyle Busch on Sunday. Of course, he has to be considered the favorite to win again. Sin City has placed Harvick at +350 to find his way to the front when it matters the most. It’s hard to disagree, he has shown the most speed of all the drivers in the field this year.
Odds to win the Firekeepers Casino 400
Kevin Harvick +350
Kyle Busch +500
Martin Truex Jr. +500
Kyle Larson +650
Ryan Blaney +1350
Brad Keselowski +1350
Joey Logano +1650
Denny Hamlin +1750
Chase Elliott +2200
Erik Jones +2200
Clint Bowyer +2750
Kurt Busch +3250
Aric Almirola +4200
Jimmie Johnson +4200
Daniel Suarez +6500
Alex Bowman +8500
Jamie McMurray +11500
Austin Dillon +12000
Paul Menard +15000
Ricky Stenhouse Jr. +15000
Ryan Newman +15000
William Byron +20000
Matt Kenseth +35000
Kasey Kahne +55000
Darrell Wallace Jr. +55000
AJ Allmendinger +105000
Chris Buescher +105000
Ty Dillon +210000
Michael McDowell +210000
The starting grid for the Firekeepers Casino 400
1 41 Kurt Busch Monster Energy/Haas Automation Ford
2 2 Brad Keselowski Miller Lite Ford
3 18 Kyle Busch M&M’s Red White & Blue Toyota
4 4 Kevin Harvick Jimmy John’s Ford
5 22 Joey Logano Shell Pennzoil Ford
6 10 Aric Almirola Mobil 1 Ford
7 17 Ricky Stenhouse Jr. Fastenal Ford
8 20 Erik Jones DeWalt Toyota
9 12 Ryan Blaney DEX Imaging Ford
10 11 Denny Hamlin FedEx Freight Toyota
11 31 Ryan Newman Okuma Chevrolet
12 14 Clint Bowyer Haas 30 Years of the VF1 Ford
13 9 Chase Elliott Mountain Dew/Little Caesars Chevrolet
14 24 William Byron # Liberty University Chevrolet
15 21 Paul Menard Menards/Jack Links Ford
16 3 Austin Dillon Dow Salutes Veterans Chevrolet
17 78 Martin Truex Jr. Auto-Owners Insurance Toyota
18 37 Chris Buescher Scott Comfort Plus Chevrolet
19 6 Matt Kenseth Wyndham Rewards Ford
20 48 Jimmie Johnson Lowe’s for Pros Chevrolet
21 88 Alex Bowman Nationwide Chevrolet
22 19 Daniel Suarez ARRIS Toyota
23 34 Michael McDowell Dockside Logistics Ford
24 1 Jamie McMurray McDonald’s Chevrolet
25 47 AJ Allmendinger Kroger ClickList Chevrolet
26 42 Kyle Larson Credit One Bank Chevrolet
27 38 David Ragan MDS Transport Ford
28 43 Bubba Wallace Meijer Chevrolet
29 95 Kasey Kahne Chevy Accessories Chevrolet
30 32 Matt DiBenedetto Can-Am/Wholey Ford
31 13 Ty Dillon Twisted Tea Chevrolet
32 72 Corey LaJoie Zomongo Chevrolet
33 15 Ross Chastain(i) FlightPath International Chevrolet
34 23 Gray Gaulding Toyota
35 51 BJ McLeod(i) Prefund Capital Chevrolet
36 00 Landon Cassill Star Com Fiber Chevrolet
37 7 DJ Kennington APC Chevrolet
38 66 Timmy Hill(i) MBM Motorsports Toyota
39 99 Garrett Smithley(i) Victory Lane Quick Oil Change Chevrolet
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