Michigan Speedway FireKeeper Casino 400 Preview

The FireKeeper’s Casino 400 at Michigan Speedway will begin on Sunday, June 12 at 1:15 pm E.T. on Fox Sports 1. Kurt Busch, who won here in the spring last year, will be looking to carry the momentum from Pocono over to a track he runs very well at. The crafty veteran should have his hands full when the green flag drops to start the race, as Joe Gibbs Racing placed four drivers into the top 12 to start the event.

Once again, qualifying stand-out Joey Logano will start out in front after winning the Coors Light Pole Award for his qualifying efforts on Friday afternoon. The Penske Racing phenom drove his #22 Pennzoil Ford Fusion to a solid fifth place finish in last year’s race and hopes his superb qualifying effort culminates into a trip victory lane at Michigan Speedway.

The only thing Logano needs to be wary of is his inability to stay out of trouble with other drivers on the track, which has caused him to not finish two of the races in 2016. Obviously, Las Vegas thinks that won’t occur and has placed him at 7/1 to take the checkered flag.

Starting second right next to Joey Logano is Joe Gibbs Racing’s newest addition, Martin Truex Jr. The #78 Furniture Row/Bass Pro Shop’s team was stellar here in the spring race of 2015. Although Truex Jr. didn’t lead a lap in the contest, he ran up front for the better part of the race and finished in an impressive third. The hot driver has as good as chance to win this event as anybody and bookmakers recognize that by placing him in at 7/1 to drive on to victory.

Tony Stewart has been showing some considerable improvement since his return from injury over the last few weeks. He raced his #14 Haas Automotive Chevrolet to a surprising third place qualifying position. Over the last few weeks it has looked like Stewart was going to be a factor in his swan song of a season but inconsistency has plagued the driver over the last few races. Whether or not the future Hall of Fame driver can keep his speed for 400 laps is debatable. Odds-makers in Sin City say no, and slotted him at 100/1 to capture his first win of the 2016 Sprint Cup season at Michigan Speedway.

Denny Hamlin, another Joe Gibbs Racing work-horse, drove his #11 Fed Ex Ground Toyota Camry to the fourth qualifying spot. It is obvious that Hamlin has what it takes on the faster, larger speedways. His win in the Daytona 500 to start the year speaks for itself. Hamlin has recorded to victories in the spring at Michigan Speedway, one in 2010 and the other a year later in 2011. He just missed the top 10 in last race by coming in the 11th spot. Hamlin could be a good bang for your buck at 18/1.

Rookie sensation Ryan Blaney is once again proving his accomplishments during the 2016 season are not a fluke. He powered his #21 Woods Brothers Racing’s Ford Fusion to a fifth place slot on the starting grid. Blaney only raced at certain venues in 2015 but Michigan Speedway was one of them. He qualified in the fifth spot for that contest also but couldn’t keep his power and finished out the afternoon in the 24th spot. Las Vegas insiders give him a 80/1 chance to win his first NASCAR Sprint Cup Series event.

Two drivers that are mired in the middle of the Sprint Cup Series point standings sit in the sixth and seventh starting positions. Ryan Newman and his #31 Granger Chevrolet will be looking to climb up the points ladder with a solid performance on Sunday. The quiet driver finished 18th in the spring last year and is also an 80/1 pick.

Kyle Larson flexed a little muscle once again in his #42 Target Chevrolet and qualified seventh on Friday. It seems that the Chip Gnassi owned team is gathering some momentum over the last few contests including a win in the Xfinity Series race at Pocono last weekend.

Larson like to search around on the track to find the right lines to improve on lap times throughout the races he runs and the wide pavement at Michigan Speedway should suit him just fine. Las Vegas gave him a 25/1 chance of winning for that very reason.

Austin Dillon will be starting the race out of the 8th position. Dillon, who is the grandson of team owner Richard Childress, will hope to capitalize on what he learned here in 2015. The #3 Dow Salutes Veterans team qualified in seventh at Michigan Speedway in the spring of 2015, but slipped to a 20th place finish by the end of the race on Sunday. He is a 60/1 favorite to drive on to victory.

The last two speedsters that round out the top 10 are NASCAR’s defending champion and the Sprint Cup Series rookie phenom. Kyle Busch, who is no stranger to performing well here, will be looking to recover from a few weeks of misfortune. Busch won here in 2011 but was forced out in the spring event when he was caught up in an accident.

I fully expect the aggressive driver to use the wide track to his advantage and nobody is better on the re-starts, so he is a must for fantasy players in the A spot. Vegas agrees and gives him a 8/1 chance to bring home his second win at Michigan Speedway.

Chase Elliott found his way into the top ten yet again for the green flag start at the FireKeeper’s 400 at Michigan Speedway. Chase, who is in his rookie campaign, has no previous starts in the Sprint Cup Series so previous results are off the table. If momentum is any indication of how he will perform here on Sunday, I fully expect him to be running towards the front when the race gets down to the nitty gritty. Elliott is an A driver for fantasy enthusiasts so I would stay clear of him until he actually wins an event. Odds-makers tend to agree and have him slated at 20/1 to win his first Sprint Cup race at Michigan Speedway.

The Hun’s Fantasy Picks:

A: Joey Logano

B: Dale Earnhardt Jr  Denny Hamlin  Ryan Blaney

C: Ty Dillon

Starting Grid for the FireKeeper 400 at Michigan Speedway: