Michigan International Speedway, Brooklyn, MI — June 6, 2025
Race fans, Friday, June 6th through Sunday, June 8th, NASCAR makes its annual stop at Michigan International Speedway. It’s a “Home Game (Race)” for us locals. Let’s start with some important announcements.
Speedway Traffic Updates
Michigan International Speedway worked closely with Michigan State Police and a logistics company to update the traffic patterns and parking lots to ensure that your trip in and out of the facility is as quick as possible on Sunday, June 8th. These changes include opening additional parking lots (Yellow Lot 8 & 9) and directing traffic into specific parking lots depending on the direction you arrive at the property.
Be sure to review the Traffic Maps and detailed directions on the Speedway’s website so you approach the track and park in your preferred parking lot. If there is a specific parking lot you typically park in, you may need to change the route you typically use. All parking will be one direction inbound and one direction outbound.
Patterns may change due to traffic situations and capacity of parking lots.
Day parking on Michigan International Speedway property is FREE to Speedway guests! Please follow the parking attendant’s directions. A one-way traffic pattern will be implemented if deemed necessary on Sunday.
Busch Light Summer Music Series Concert News
Michigan International Speedway announced today that award-winning country singer and songwriter Ashley Cooke is stepping in to headline the Busch Light Summer Music Series performance prior to Sunday’s FireKeepers Casino 400 NASCAR Cup Series race.
Cooke replaces Nate Smith during pre-race festivities after he announced Wednesday afternoon that he’s going on strict vocal rest through the rest of June, thereby canceling his performances for the month.
“It means a lot that Ashley is stepping up to the plate to perform for our passionate fans before our NASCAR Cup Series stars hit the track,” said Joe Fowler, Michigan International Speedway President. “Ashley is one of the most exciting rising stars in country music and her show will have everyone singing along before the race on Sunday. We also wish Nate the best in his recovery and hope to see him out at the track soon.”
Since her debut album shot in the dark earned her critical acclaim, Cooke has been recognized as MusicRow’s Discovery Artist of the Year and Next Big Thing, Billboard’s Rookie of the Month and iHeartCountry’s On The Verge Artist.
Cooke won her first CMT Award for Breakthrough Female Video of the Year at the 2024 CMT Awards before being nominated for ACM New Female Artist of the Year, and is currently up for Best New Country Artist at the 2025 iHeartRadio Music Awards.
In 2024, Cooke earned her first No.1 at Country radio with her single, “your place,” making her one of the only women to reach the top of the charts that year. With national TV appearances on NBC’s TODAY and ABC’s The Bachelorette, as well as tours with Luke Bryan, Cole Swindell and Jordan Davis under her belt, Cooke is ready to take 2025 by storm. Cooke started her year headlining her “your place Tour,” before hitting the road with Cody Johnson in Australia and Kane Brown throughout the US. She’ll be Performing at festivals all summer long, before heading out on the road withParker McCollumandLee Bricein the fall.”
“We enjoyed collaborating with Ashley Cooke last year to surprise our fans in Nashville through the ‘Busch on Broadway’ pop-up series, right after her big CMT award win,” said Krystyn Stowe, Head of Marketing, Busch Family & Natural Family at Anheuser-Busch. “With the second show of our Summer Music Series coming up this weekend, we know she will give our fans in Michigan a pre-race experience they won’t forget.”
The inaugural Busch Light Summer Music Series consists of five full-length concerts at NASCAR races throughout the country. The series is an exciting new fan experience born from the renewed partnership with NASCAR’S Official Beer Sponsor.
Since the 1990s, the Anheuser-Busch family of brands has created countless opportunities for 21+ NASCAR fans to get closer to the sport they love. The first performance in the series took place earlier this spring, with ERNEST taking the stage at Texas Motor Speedway. After Michigan, the series moves to Chicago Street Race (Zac Brown Band – July 5), Iowa Speedway (Corey Kent – Aug. 3) and will conclude in Busch Light’s hometown of St. Louis at World Wide Technology Raceway (Sept. 7). Artists and details on the final concert will be announced at a later date.
Race Schedule and News
The June race weekend at Michigan International Speedway begins with the ARCA Menards Series Henry Ford Health 200 on Friday, June 6, followed by the NASCAR CRAFTSMAN Truck Series DQS Solutions & Staffing 250 Powered by Precision Vehicle Logistics on Saturday, June 7. The NASCAR Cup Series will cap off the weekend’s action with the FireKeepers Casino 400 on Sunday, June 8.
Tickets are available for purchase via phone at 888-905-7223 or online at mispeedway.com.
Fans can view the full 2025 NASCAR Cup Series schedule and purchase tickets at nascar.com/tickets, and can stay connected to Michigan International Speedway on Facebook, Instagram and X.
The FireKeepers Casino 400 will be streamed live on Amazon Prime, Sunday, June 8 beginning at 2 p.m. Eastern Daylight Time (EDT). The 15th of 36 points-paying races on the 2025 NASCAR Cup Series calendar will be broadcast live on the Motor Racing Network and SiriusXM NASCAR Radio Channel 90.
Beginning this weekend at Michigan International Speedway in Brooklyn and continuing through the Mexico City and Pocono races, the top 32 drivers in the NASCAR Cup Series point standings will race for seeding in the $1 million, five-race, in-season tournament that begins June 28 at Atlanta Motor Speedway.
Seeding will be based on the best finish in the upcoming three races, with tiebreakers determined by the next-best finish, followed by the season points position.
The 32 seeds will race head-to-head in a knockout-style format beginning at Atlanta Motor Speedway. The field will be narrowed to 16 after Atlanta, eight after the July 6 Chicago Street Race, four after the July 13 road course race at Sonoma (Calif.) Raceway and two after the July 20 race at Dover (Del.) Motor Speedway.
The remaining two drivers will battle for the in-season title and the $1 million prize on July 27 at the Indianapolis Motor Speedway. Trackhouse drivers Ross Chastain and Daniel Suárez are part of the 32 drivers in the tournament.
Amazon’s Prime Video will broadcast all three upcoming seeding races before TNT Sports, and Max will broadcast the five in-season tournament races.
Erik Jones / Lasco Press Photo
HOMETOWN HERO: Jones is returning to his home track of Michigan for Sunday’s Firekeepers Casino 400. The Michigan native grew up just 73 miles north of the track in the small town of Byron, where he started his racing career at a young age before transitioning to stock cars at age 13. He quickly moved up the ranks in NASCAR but never forgot his Michigan roots along the way. He is one of only three Michigan natives racing in the Cup Series fulltime along with Brad Keselowski and Carson Hocevar.
ERIK JONES QUOTE: “I always look forward to Michigan. Obviously, it’s a home race for me and my home track. It’s a lot of fun to get up there and be with family and friends. I typically get there earlier in the week to go spend more time with them and get to see them before the busy weekend. It’s always exciting and a lot of fun. The race itself – I just really enjoy the track. It’s come into its own here as it’s aged and widened out. Racing there with this NextGen car has been good. I’m looking forward to it. This one is high on my bucket list of tracks to win at one day. I just look forward for the chance to be out there every year.”
Ryan Blaney: Blaney heads to Michigan coming off his first win in 2025 at Nashville Superspeedway. The 2023 Cup Series champion has secured a playoff spot and looks to ride the momentum into the Irish Hills this weekend. Blaney was last victorious at Michigan in 2021.
Christopher Bell: Bell has remained a strong force throughout the first half of the 2025 season. Bell has three wins and currently sits third in points standings. He looks to earn his first career victory at Michigan this weekend.
Carson Hocevar: Carson returns to his native state after a strong 2nd place finish in Nashville. Sitting 17th in the points standings, he looks to head to victory lane in front of a home crowd and lock himself into the playoffs.
Brad Keselowski: Brad has been chasing a win in the Cup Series at Michigan his entire career. Keselowski returns home looking to add to Ford’s dominance in the Cup Series at MIS as the OEM has won 9 of the last 10 races at MIS. Keselowski has just one top five finish this year and looks to strike gold at MIS.
Chase Elliott / Lasco Press Photo
Chase Elliott: The fan favorite is still searching for his first win in 2025 and sits 5th in the points standings. Elliott has 7 top 10 finishes and 3 top five finishes while leading 76 laps this season. Elliott also has never won at Michigan and is hungry to visit Victory Lane as his last win came at Texas Motor Speedway in 2024.
Tyler Reddick: Reddickreturns to Michigan as the defending champion of the FireKeepers Casino 400. Reddick is winless in 2025 but sits 6th in points standings currently.
The Heritage Trophy
Since Michigan International Speedway began handing out the Heritage Trophy to the winning manufacturer in August 2013, Ford has taken it back to World Headquarters in nearby Dearborn more times than any other manufacturer. Ford has won 11 races since the trophy came into existence while Chevrolet has won six and Toyota two. Joey Logano’s win in the Pure Michigan 400 on Aug. 18, 2013 was his first win with Ford and new car owner Roger Penske, but it also marked the first time the trophy was awarded. Logano, who won the pole and led a race-high 51 laps, passed Mark Martin for the lead with four laps to go after Martin’s car ran out of gas.
Ryan Blaney’s victory on Sunday at Nashville Superspeedway means that all three Team Penske drivers have a win this season. Blaney followed Austin Cindric (Talladega) and Joey Logano (Texas) in clinching a playoff berth, and it continues an impressive record for the organization. Since Team Penske went to three NASCAR Cup Series cars in 2018, it has seen each team win at least one race in the same season six times. Overall, Team Penske has won 104 races with Ford and the current lineup of Blaney, Cindric and Logano have combined for 51 of those.
JOEY LOGANO QUOTE:IS MORE EMPHASIS PUT ON THE RACE AT MICHIGAN? “No more emphasis than any other race. We try to win them all. It’s not like we say, ‘Ah, this one doesn’t matter. We’ll just coast this one through.’ That’s not who we are. We don’t do that because every race matters, especially with the playoff format we have. Every win, every playoff point that you can get can be the difference at the end of the day, so we don’t really put more into any of them. I will say though that the manufacturers take pride in that trophy that they hand out there to the winning manufacturer, so it’s always a topic of discussion. We go up there early more times than not and go visit Ford headquarters and it’s a topic that comes up. They want that trophy in their main lobby, so when people walk in they can walk by it.”
The Lasco Press will be live all weekend at the track, follow Sports Editor Steve Sweitzer on Facebook, and look for his Cup Series Race Report of the FireKeepers Casino 400 on Sunday evening after the race. Only at thelascopress.com.
If you see us at the track, be sure and say hi, we will capture your picture.
NASCAR Fan at Michigan International Speedway / Lasco Press Photo
Dale Earnhardt Jr. and Amy Earnhardt do not shy away from sharing stories about life at home with their daughters, Isla and Nicole. Over time, on their podcast Bless Your Hardt, they have revealed that their daughters have two very different personalities. However, it has been a while since the NASCAR icon last spoke about Amy’s pregnancy.
Junior has admitted that parenting often tests his patience, joking about how challenging the girls can be for both him and Amy. Still, those everyday frustrations never overshadow the memory of the moment his life shifted in a way no racetrack ever could.
That moment dates back to 2017, when Dale Jr. appeared on Jimmy Kimmel Live and reflected on how Amy revealed her first pregnancy. At the time, Amy was expecting Isla. Junior recalled that the day had already felt special long before he stepped through the front door. A lifelong Washington Redskins fan, he had been invited to a luncheon that served as the team’s season kickoff. The invitation alone thrilled him.
The event turned out to be better than he could have imagined, as Junior took the stage for a Q&A session in front of the entire team, soaking in an atmosphere he described as unforgettable. In his words, it felt like the greatest day. Riding that high, he returned home eager to tell Amy every detail, unaware that something far more significant awaited him.
The Earnhardts shared a household rule shaped by their shared addiction to Amazon shopping. Packages arrived frequently, but neither opened the other’s deliveries. That routine held firm until that day. Amy casually mentioned that she had opened one of his packages, a detail that barely registered with him at first. As Junior moved toward the parcel, Amy quietly started recording him.
What happened next was something surreal to Dale Jr. “So I reach into this little pouch, and I pull out a onesie. And I’m like, I don’t, I mean, I know right away what that means. And I’m like, just weird words are coming out of my mouth. I don’t even know what I said. It made zero sense.”
Before he could gather himself, Amy urged him to keep going. “And then she’s like, ‘Well, there’s more in the bag.’ So I reach in there. I pull out the pregnancy test. And so we’re crying. She’s crying, I’m crying.”
The shock gave way to emotion. Junior described how overwhelming the moment felt because of the big news itself. He later explained that he wanted to preserve that instant forever. He planned to place the onesie and the pregnancy test inside a Ziploc bag and store them safely downstairs.
To him, those items were the first tangible proof of his child’s existence. He wanted to keep them intact so that one day he could show his daughter the very test that confirmed she was on the way.
Now, as Bless Your ‘Hardt prepares for its next episode, the story might come full circle. Viewers might be eager to learn whether Junior followed through on that intention and ever showed Isla the onesie and pregnancy test.
The Comeback with a Backbone: Single-Mom Alli Owens Charges into ARCA to Champion Blue-Collar America and Empower the Next Generation of Women – Speedway Digest
Alli Owens is no stranger to grit. As a sole-custody single mother of three, a lifelong racer, and a woman carved from the blue-collar foundation of grassroots America, she is officially announcing her return to the ARCA Menards Series — and she’s coming back with purpose, conviction, and a message the sport needs to hear.
The Daytona Beach, Fla. native will make her official return in next month’s open practice session at Daytona (Fla.) International Speedway, before arriving for her return to series competition at the “World Center of Racing” for the season-opening race on Saturday, February 14, 2026.
She will pilot a car for Kimmel Racing, a mainstay organization in the ARCA Menards Series.
Owens’ comeback to the high banks isn’t just about racing again; it’s about reshaping the narrative of who belongs in motorsports.
Raised on hard work, built by real American families, and strengthened by the battles she’s faced off the track, Owens is stepping back into the driver’s seat to represent those who rarely get the spotlight — the working moms, the dreamers, the underdogs and the girls who need someone in the arena showing them what strength looks like.
“This comeback isn’t about nostalgia. It’s about responsibility,” said Owens.
“I’m returning to ARCA to carry the stories of the families who built this sport. The blue-collar men and women who passed racing down through generations.
“And I’m doing it to show young girls — including my daughters — that even when life hits hard, you can still rise, rebuild and lead.”
Her return also aligns with the community-focused nonprofit Raising Hearts Building Futures Foundation (RHBFF), run by Owens and founded by Terri Lynn Brearey, which works directly with middle – and high-school students, single parents and struggling families.
Together, the mission is simple: bring heart, history, mentorship, and human connection back into communities that feel overlooked.
Owens plans to bridge the world of motorsports with real-life impact by integrating career-driven programs, school engagement, youth sports empowerment, and storytelling rooted in lived experience.
Through the ARCA Menards Series, she aims to give a platform to the families and kids who deserve to be seen, heard and believed in.
Her presence in ARCA marks a refreshing shift at a time when NASCAR’s grassroots audience craves authenticity.
Owens isn’t returning quiet, polished or packaged — she’s returning real, driven by the people who built the sport: blue-collar, hardworking Americans who understand grit better than anyone.
“Women aren’t here just to fill a quota, we’re here to lead,” explained Owens. “My journey has been messy, painful, beautiful and brave — and I’m stepping back into ARCA to prove that motherhood doesn’t end dreams; it multiplies the purpose behind them.”
As anticipation builds for her Daytona return, Owens is inviting partners, brands and organizations who share her passion for impact, authenticity and community storytelling to join her mission.
Her comeback isn’t about getting back in the game. It’s about changing it.
Jade Avedisian, who continues to see her star rise in the stock car racing world, will take another step forward in her trajectory in 2026. The 19-year-old racer has signed with Nitro Motorsports and will compete part-time in the ARCA Menards Series in 2026.
Avedisian will pilot a Toyota Camry for the race team with Mobil 1 and Yahoo serving as the partners for the effort. The California native says she is ready for the challenge in 2026.
“I’m really excited to take the next step in my career with Nitro Motorsports,” said Avedisian in a press release. “Nitro Motorsports has been a huge part of my growth and transition into asphalt competition. Each level has taught me something new, and now getting the opportunity to move into ARCA is something I’ve worked hard for. I know there’s a lot to learn with these cars and these tracks, but I’m ready for the challenge and grateful to have Mobil 1, Yahoo, and Toyota supporting this next chapter.”
Nitro Motorsports, which teamed with Avedisian in the 2025 Toyota GR Cup North America Series, feels that the young driver is perfect for its lineup as she has proven to be quite adaptable.
“Jade is exactly the kind of talent our program is designed to support,” added Nick Tucker, co-owner of Nitro Motorsports. “Her professionalism and her ability to adapt across different platforms make her an exciting young driver. She’s been impressive at every step, and now we’re looking forward to helping her succeed in ARCA. With the support of Mobil 1, Yahoo, and Toyota, we believe Jade will turn heads in 2026.”
The team has not revealed the full 2026 part-time schedule for Avedisian in the ARCA Menards Series, but will do so at a later date. The team will also have additional sponsorship announcements coming.
In 2025, Avedisian became the first-ever female race winner in the zMAX CARS Tour Pro Late Model division as she took the win on March 1 in the National Dodge 225 at New River All-American Speedway. Avedisian came home ahead of Spire Motorsports development driver Tristan McKee, who had led 96 of the race’s 100 laps, to score the milestone win.
Avedisian was initially credited with a runner-up finish to T.J. DeCaire in that event, but in post-race inspection, DeCaire’s car was deemed illegal, and he was disqualified as a result.
Avedisian got her feet wet in the ARCA Menards Series-level of competition as she competed in the ARCA Menards Series event on the dirt at the DuQuoin State Fairgrounds, where she finished 17th, and two ARCA West events in 2025. She finished 12th in her West series debut at the LVMS Bullring, and followed that up with a 19th-place result in the season finale at Phoenix Raceway.
Even with 23XI Racing and Front Row Motorsports settling their dispute with NASCAR, Denny Hamlin remains in attack mode, rattling cages. Last year, the Joe Gibbs Racing veteran went after the media, citing that some sources were spreading “disinformation” about the charter dispute.
Now, the three-time Daytona 500 winner is reopening old wounds, turning his attention to Channel 90, even after a court-mediated settlement designed to unify the sport.
‘Animosity Ends With Accountability’ – Denny Hamlin Goes Ballistic
Hamlin’s frustration with the media didn’t start yesterday. In November 2024, the JGR driver publicly challenged veteran broadcaster Larry McReynolds, accusing him of muddying the water with false information in the early coverage of the 23XI and FRM lawsuit against NASCAR. More than a year later (13 months), the legal battle has finally reached its conclusion.
After nine days inside a courtroom, the sanctioning body and the two Cup Series teams settled the dispute this past Thursday, formally closing the case. But while the lawsuit may be over on paper, Hamlin made it clear the reckoning isn’t. When McReynolds, the SiriusXM NASCAR Radio, posted a promotional teaser for Tuesday’s show, Hamlin stepped into the conversation himself.
“Good morning,” the 45-year-old began cordially, then came the wake-up call. “Now that the case is settled and the evidence is out, will you or anyone on channel 90 be issuing an apology for what you all said about 23XI/FRM when the lawsuit was filed?”
The roots of the dispute trace back to October 2024, when 23XI Racing and Front Row Motorsports refused to sign NASCAR’s proposed Charter Agreement, labeling it a nonstarter. Their antitrust lawsuit, which also named NASCAR CEO Jim France, accused the sanctioning body of maintaining monopolistic control over the sport.
At the time, McReynolds openly criticized the teams, arguing they were attempting to disrupt the way Charlotte has done business for 76 and a half years.
Now, with Hamlin rattling the cage once again, McReynolds found support from a familiar voice. Fellow SiriusXM NASCAR Radio co-host and PRN podcaster Brad Gillie stepped in to defend him.
Responding to Hamlin’s comments, Gillie wrote, “I realize you’re responding to Larry, but shouldn’t we let the animosity end? I would love to see us all positively move the sport forward with unity and grace.”
Hamlin, however, wasn’t interested in smoothing things over. The 23XI co-owner fired back with a brief yet blunt response: “Animosity ends with accountability.”
The remark struck a nerve, quickly lighting up social media as fans flooded the comments and pushed the post past thousands of likes, an unmistakable show of support for Hamlin’s hard-line stance.
Ty Dillon, the 33-year-old youngest grandson of racing icon Richard Childress, will return to Kaulig Racing in 2025 in the No. 10 Chevrolet.
Outside of a surprising run in the maiden mid-season tournament, where he made a run all the way to the final, it wasn’t a 2025 to remember for Dillon. The Kaulig driver finished 33rd overall in the NASCAR Cup Series standings.
Speaking on his ‘Dale Jr. Download’ podcast, Dale Earnhardt Jr. seemed pessimistic about Dillon’s chances in 2026, partially due wit the changes at Kauli, who are moving away from their deal with Dodge cars. Kaulig also paused its Xfinity team (now the O’Reilly Auto Parts circuit).
“Man, is it going to be a frustrating year? I would predict that next year for him will be one of his toughest personally, physically, mentally,” Earnhardt warned.
“He’s racing for Kaulig, and they’ve got little to no support in terms of engineering and resources…Chevrolet is not going to be helping them. They’re not driving Dodges in Cup,” the former driver continued. “It’ll be a hot mess.”
Dillon raced for Richard Childress Racing in the Cup Series in 2015 and in the Xfinity Series from 2012 to 2019. He switched to Germain Racing in 2017, Gaunt Borther Racing in 2021, Petty GMS Motorsports in 2022, SPire Motorsports in 2023, before joining Kaulig in 2024.
“Ty Dillon is returning to Kaulig. I’m surprised by that because I thought when Kaulig got shut out of the Chevrolet deal,” Earnhardt continued.
DON’T MISS:
“[Because] I thought Ty Dillon was at Kaulig because of RCR and that connection….So RCR is now going to be working with Rick Ware. So, Kaulig is shoved off the Chevrolet ship.”
Dillon finished a career-best 24th in the Cup Series in both the 2017 and 2019 seasons. He has zero wins in 281 career starts, including eight top 10s.
The younger brother of fellow driver Austin Dillon expressed excitement about his deal with Kaulig. “I am incredibly grateful for another opportunity to run full-time in the Cup Series and honored to do it with the men and women at Kaulig Racing, which means a lot to me personally,” Dillon said in a press release
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