How NASCAR’s plan to keep cars on the ground is coming together
When Ryan Preece pulled a wheelie and flipped at the Daytona 500 earlier this year, he called for NASCAR to take action to help keep the Next Gen (Gen-7) cars from taking flight. There have been eight occasions where Cup cars have gone completely upside down in the last three years of competition, including five […]
When Ryan Preece pulled a wheelie and flipped at the Daytona 500 earlier this year, he called for NASCAR to take action to help keep the Next Gen (Gen-7) cars from taking flight. There have been eight occasions where Cup cars have gone completely upside down in the last three years of competition, including five in the last calendar year.
Unfortunately, Preece has the distinction of being the most recent driver to flip a Gen-7 Cup car, and the driver who endured the most violent airborne crash when he barrel-rolled nearly a dozen times at Daytona in the summer of 2023. In a recent interview with Motorsport.com, Preece said how he hopes for a solution “sooner than later” and believes NASCAR will “find a solution that everybody is happy with” in the end.
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Ryan Preece hopes for a solution to airborne wrecks “sooner than later”
However, there have been no aero updates between February’s Daytona 500 and this weekend’s Talladega race. Last year, NASCAR was extremely aggressive in combating the issue, especially after Corey Lajoie experienced a blow-over at a non-superspeedway track. However, it didn’t stop the rash of airborne incidents.
And while the status quo remains for Talladega, work is ongoing to counter this issue of airborne stock cars. A recent Goodyear tire test at Michigan was utilized to test some potential updates, but what exactly is NASCAR considering?
Another new anti-flip flap?
Dr. Eric Jacuzzi, an aero specialist who works for NASCAR as the vice president of vehicle performance innovation and aerodynamics, gave some insight into that very topic this week. Speaking to Daytona 500-winning crew chief Steve Letarte on the Inside The Race podcast, he revealed that NASCAR is creating a new flap, functionally similar to the roof flaps but on the A-post of the vehicles. He indicated that their tests showed that liftoff speed increased by somewhere between 40% and 50%, making it far more difficult for cars to blow over on their own.
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He also broke down some of the more infamous flips of recent memory, pointing out how Preece’s car became unstuck from the ground when it transitioned from asphalt to grass in 2023, allowing air to get under the car and lift it. A small lip there also helped to propel the car upwards in a terrifying airborne accident, leading to the removal of grass on Daytona’s backstretch.
Watch: Ryan Preece’s No. 41 flips in closing laps at Daytona; SHR driver climbed from car
He conceded that Preece’s 190mph wheelie in this year’s Daytona 500 was “pretty odd” and didn’t believe there was much they could do in that situation. NASCAR even played around with the idea of removing parts of the floor, but that didn’t seem to help.
However, the most eyebrow-raising flip of the 2024 season came at Michigan when LaJoie went up and over in a simple spin at Michigan — a non-superspeedway track. Jacuzzi explained that environmental factors also played a role in this. While spinning at a 90 degree angle at such a high of speed, a 30mph wind pushed the air speed to above 220mph, making it easy for the car go onto its lid.
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As for this new flap on the A-post, it is not yet ready for deployment, but Jacuzzi expects it to be ready for the summer race at Daytona. They are currently running some more tests to make sure it is strong enough.
A source was able to confirm to Motorsport.com that these updates have been in the works even before Preece’s 500 flip, and that the August 23 event at Daytona International Speedway remains the target race.
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To read more Motorsport.com articles visit our website.
Kevin Harvick’s Team Reveals Eye-Opening Hendrick Motorsports Stat Ahead of Special Michigan Weekend
As the NASCAR circus rolls into the wide, high-speed expanse of Michigan International Speedway, the battle for Cup Series supremacy takes center stage, pitting two automotive giants, Chevrolet and Ford, against one another in their own backyard. In the lead-up to Sunday’s 400-mile showdown, Kevin Harvick and his FOX Sports “Happy Hour” crew have spotlighted […]
As the NASCAR circus rolls into the wide, high-speed expanse of Michigan International Speedway, the battle for Cup Series supremacy takes center stage, pitting two automotive giants, Chevrolet and Ford, against one another in their own backyard.
In the lead-up to Sunday’s 400-mile showdown, Kevin Harvick and his FOX Sports “Happy Hour” crew have spotlighted a striking statistic that reveals Ford’s recent dominance at Michigan, raising eyebrows and putting added pressure on Chevy powerhouses like Hendrick Motorsports.
Kevin Harvick’s FOX Crew Uncovers Ford Dominance As Chevrolet Looks To Strike Back
The world’s largest automobile manufacturer, Toyota, may have entered NASCAR in 2007, but the spotlight has consistently remained on the storied rivalry between American powerhouses Ford and Chevrolet.
Now, with the NASCAR bandwagon rolling into MIS, set in the heart of America’s auto industry, Mamba Smith was quick to point out a potential vulnerability in HMS.
He asked, “Do you know the last time a Hendrick car went to victory lane at Michigan?” To which, Harvick answered, “Probably been a while.”
Following this, the co-host noted that HMS’s last win at the 2-mile facility came way back in 2014, when four-time champion Jeff Gordon won the Pure Michigan 400 in his No. 24 HMS Chevy. Meanwhile, Chevy’s last one came when Kyle Larson took the checkered flag in 2016, plotting the Chip Ganassi Racing No. 42 Chevy into the victory lane.
He was followed by the 2014 Cup Series champion, Harvick, who at that time piloted the No. 4 SHR Chevy. In fact, back then, four of the top-5 cars were Chevrolets with Team Penske ace Joey Logano being the only exception.
But times have changed, and Ford now has its chokehold on the facility, as Ford-backed drivers have won all the Cup Series events at Michigan from 2018 until Tyler Reddick broke the streak last year. Out of which, Harvick won five races.
The former SHR veteran then revealed what he believes is the key to Ford’s success at MIS. He said, “I think they had a lot of power. Doug Yates and his team put a lot of emphasis on going to Michigan. I think that was part of the RFK, Rousch, but I think that the other piece was, they also made a lot of downforce.”
Harvick continued, “I think with this car, the Ford seems to have a little bit of less drag, it’s a little bit tightly balanced than the other cars, and the powerband of the Ford with where you run the rpm, fits the Ford engine very well. It’s like they designed everything around Michigan.”
More: Kevin Harvick Reveals How CARS Tour Racing Rekindled Connection With His Lifelong Fans
As the green flag nears at Michigan, all eyes will be on whether Chevrolet – especially Hendrick Motorsports – can break Ford’s stronghold on their home turf. With history, horsepower, and pride on the line, Sunday’s showdown is shaping up to be a worthy battle.
Michigan International Speedway is scheduled to host its annual NASCAR Cup Series race, the FireKeepers Casino 400, in early June this year, as opposed to mid-August like it has in past years. Michigan did formerly host a June race before it lost its second race date after 2020. Sunday’s race is scheduled to be a […]
Michigan International Speedway is scheduled to host its annual NASCAR Cup Series race, the FireKeepers Casino 400, in early June this year, as opposed to mid-August like it has in past years. Michigan did formerly host a June race before it lost its second race date after 2020.
Sunday’s race is scheduled to be a 200-lap race around the four-turn, 2.0-mile (3.219-kilometer) Brooklyn, Michigan oval, and the starting lineup is determined using the regular qualifying format used for non-superspeedway and non-short track ovals.
Qualifying is much more straightforward this year than it has been in past years. Last year, there were qualifying groups and row-by-row lane designation, and there was a second round shootout for the pole position. Additionally, the qualifying order was determined by a four-variable metric used since 2020.
This year, each driver simply makes one single-lap qualifying attempt, and those speeds determine the full 36-driver starting lineup. There are no qualifying groups, no row-by-row lane designations, and no second round shootout. There is also a new qualifying metric which features only two variables.
A full breakdown of the new formula can be found here.
Follow along with our FireKeepers Casino 400 qualifying updates from Michigan.
NASCAR at Michigan: Full starting lineup
1st – Chase Briscoe, No. 19 Joe Gibbs Racing Toyota
2nd – Kyle Busch, No. 8 Richard Childress Racing Chevrolet
3rd – Denny Hamlin, No. 11 Joe Gibbs Racing Toyota
4th – William Byron, No. 24 Hendrick Motorsports Chevrolet
5th – Kyle Larson, No. 5 Hendrick Motorsports Chevrolet
6th – Chris Buescher, No. 17 RFK Racing Ford
7th – Josh Berry, No. 21 Wood Brothers Racing Ford
8th – Ty Gibbs, No. 54 Joe Gibbs Racing Toyota
9th – Bubba Wallace, No. 23 23XI Racing Toyota
10th – Zane Smith, No. 38 Front Row Motorsports Ford
11th – Austin Cindric, No. 2 Team Penske Ford
12th – Tyler Reddick, No. 45 23XI Racing Toyota
13th – Ryan Blaney, No. 12 Team Penske Ford
14th – Carson Hocevar, No. 77 Spire Motorsports Chevrolet
15th – Joey Logano, No. 22 Team Penske Ford
16th – Alex Bowman, No. 48 Hendrick Motorsports Chevrolet
17th – Chase Elliott, No. 9 Hendrick Motorsports Chevrolet
18th – Ty Dillon, No. 10 Kaulig Racing Chevrolet
19th – A.J. Allmendinger, No. 16 Kaulig Racing Chevrolet
20th – Ross Chastain, No. 1 Trackhouse Racing Chevrolet
21st – John Hunter Nemechek, No. 42 Legacy Motor Club Toyota
22nd – Erik Jones, No. 43 Legacy Motor Club Toyota
23rd – Ryan Preece, No. 60 RFK Racing Ford
24th – Cole Custer, No. 41 Haas Factory Team Ford
25th – Christopher Bell, No. 20 Joe Gibbs Racing Toyota
26th – Shane van Gisbergen, No. 88 Trackhouse Racing Chevrolet
27th – Brad Keselowski, No. 6 RFK Racing Ford
28th – Austin Dillon, No. 3 Richard Childress Racing Chevrolet
29th – Noah Gragson, No. 4 Front Row Motorsports Ford
30th – Ricky Stenhouse Jr., No. 47 Hyak Motorsports Chevrolet
31st – Justin Haley, No. 7 Spire Motorsports Chevrolet
32nd – Michael McDowell, No. 71 Spire Motorsports Chevrolet
33rd – Todd Gilliland, No. 34 Front Row Motorsports Ford
34th – Riley Herbst, No. 35 23XI Racing Toyota
35th – Daniel Suarez, No. 99 Trackhouse Racing Chevrolet
36th – Cody Ware, No. 51 Rick Ware Racing Ford
Amazon Prime Video is set to provide live coverage of the FireKeepers Casino 400 from Michigan International Speedway beginning at 2:00 p.m. ET this Sunday, June 8.
Carson Hocevar living the dream back home in Michigan as aggressive, headline-grabbing NASCAR driver – News-Herald
By LARRY LAGE BROOKLYN, Mich. — Carson Hocevar grew up 80 miles west of Michigan International Speedway, where he attended his first race at the age of 5. As a kid in Portage, he dreamed of becoming a NASCAR driver that people talked about. The 22-year-old Hocevar got his wish. He knocked Ricky Stenhouse Jr. out of […]
By LARRY LAGE BROOKLYN, Mich. — Carson Hocevar grew up 80 miles west of Michigan International Speedway, where he attended his first race at the age of 5. As a kid in Portage, he dreamed of becoming a NASCAR driver that people talked about. The 22-year-old Hocevar got his wish. He knocked Ricky Stenhouse Jr. out of […]
Hamlin undeterred by ruling siding with NASCAR in lawsuit filed by Jordan-owned 23XI and Front Row | National News
BROOKLYN, Mich. (AP) — Denny Hamlin is unfazed that a three-judge federal appellate panel vacated an injunction that required NASCAR to recognize 23XI, which he owns with Michael Jordan, and Front Row as chartered teams as part of an antitrust lawsuit. “That’s just such a small part of the entire litigation,” Hamlin said Saturday, a […]
BROOKLYN, Mich. (AP) — Denny Hamlin is unfazed that a three-judge federal appellate panel vacated an injunction that required NASCAR to recognize 23XI, which he owns with Michael Jordan, and Front Row as chartered teams as part of an antitrust lawsuit.
“That’s just such a small part of the entire litigation,” Hamlin said Saturday, a day ahead of the FireKeepers Casino 400. “I’m not deterred at all. We’re in good shape.”
Hamlin said Jordan feels the same way.
“He just remains very confident, just like I do,” Hamiln said.
NASCAR has not commented on the latest ruling.
23XI and Front Row sued NASCAR late last year after refusing to sign new agreements on charter renewals. They asked for a temporary injunction that would recognize them as chartered teams for this season, but the Fourth Circuit Court of Appeals in Richmond, Virginia, on Thursday ruled in NASCAR’s favor.
“We’re looking at all options right now,” Hamlin said.
The teams, each winless this year, said they needed the injunction because the current charter agreement prohibits them from suing NASCAR. 23XI also argued it would be harmed because Tyler Reddick’s contract would have made him a free agent if the team could not guarantee him a charter-protected car.
Hamlin insisted he’s not worried about losing drivers because of the uncertainty.
“I’m not focused on that particularly right this second,” he said.
Reddick, who was last year’s regular-season champion and competed for the Cup title in November, enters the race Sunday at Michigan ranked sixth in the Cup Series standings.
The charter system is similar to franchises in other sports, but the charters are revocable by NASCAR and have expiration dates.
The six teams may have to compete as “open” cars and would have to qualify on speed each week to make the race and would receive a fraction of the money.
Without a charter, Hamlin said it would cost the teams “tens of millions,” to run three cars.
“We’re committed to run this season open if we have to,” he said. “We’re going to race and fulfill all of our commitments no matter what. We’re here to race. Our team is going to be here for the long haul and we’re confident of that.”
The antitrust case isn’t scheduled to be heard until December.
NASCAR has not said what it would do with the six charters held by the two organizations if they are returned to the sanctioning body. There are 36 chartered cars for a 40-car field.
“We feel like facts were on our side,” Hamlin said. “I think if you listen to the judges, even they mentioned that we might be in pretty good shape.”
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Chase Briscoe stays hot in qualifying, claims pole for MIS NASCAR Cup race
Brooklyn — Chase Briscoe earned the pole for Sunday’s Firekeepers 400 NASCAR Cup race at Michigan International Speedway. Briscoe put his Bass Pro Shops No. 19 Toyota into the top spot, circling the two-mile superspeedway with a time of 195.514 on Saturday afternoon. It has been common for Briscoe to win poles in his first […]
Brooklyn — Chase Briscoe earned the pole for Sunday’s Firekeepers 400 NASCAR Cup race at Michigan International Speedway.
Briscoe put his Bass Pro Shops No. 19 Toyota into the top spot, circling the two-mile superspeedway with a time of 195.514 on Saturday afternoon.
It has been common for Briscoe to win poles in his first year with Joe Gibbs Racing, winning his third straight pole, leading the field in the Coca-Cola 600 over Memorial Day weekend in Charlotte, then again Sunday night at Nashville and now at MIS.
“Qualifying has always been a strength of mine,” Briscoe, 30, said. “Noah (Gragson) was first out and he went wide open. I called him up and he said it was easy going wide open. It wasn’t easy for me. My car was on the edge.”
So, what does Briscoe expect Sunday?
“Michigan is it’s own unique animal,” Briscoe said. “The speed comes from the corner speeds, so it’s going to be intense tomorrow. For me. It’s all about maintaining track position, something I haven’t been able to do (during pole winning streak). It’s either some mistake I made, bad pit stops (or something else).”
Briscoe’s future was in doubt last year when Stewart-Haas shut down its operation. Briscoe ended his 73-race winless streak at Darlington and is now looking for his first win with JGR.
Briscoe replaced former Cup champion Martin Truex Jr. in the No. 19 car after Truex retired following last season.
Briscoe has five top-five finishes with a third-place spot at Charlotte. He didn’t fare well at MIS during his four-year career at Stewart-Haas, finishing 11th in 2021, followed by finishes of 20th, 31st and 31st.
While Briscoe is still in search of that first victory which would lock him into the playoffs — the final 10 races of the season to battle for the series championship — Kyle Busch will start second and in search of every single point to make the playoffs, owning the 16th and final spot, but just by two points over Ryan Preece and four more than Carson Hocevar of Portage, Michigan.
More: Portage’s Carson Hocevar gunning for ‘super special’ showing in MIS return
“Michigan is its own unique beast where in the middle of the corner you’re going 185, 186 and that’s flying,” Busch said. “I just went out (for qualifying) and had a good lap, but the race trim is not very fast.”
So what is his chance of winning Sunday’s race?
“It’s OK, but we want to get stage points and that’s been our weakness,” said Busch.
Denny Hamlin, Briscoe’s teammate, will start third (195.328), followed by William Byron (195.238) in a Chevrolet for Rick Hendrick Motorsports and Kyle Larson (195.180) of Hendrick fifth fastest.
Hocevar is one of three drivers trying to become the first Michigan-born driver to win a Cup race at MIS. Former Cup champion Brad Keselowski and Erik Jones are also still trying to win at the Irish Hills’ track.
Hocevar, coming off a second-place finish at Nashville, will start 14th at 195.
Jones (22nd, 194.416) and Keselowski (27th, 194.170) both need wins to earn postseason spots. They had sub-par qualifying runs.
Keselowski became partners with Jack Roush to form RFK Racing (Roush, Fenway, Keselowski) two years ago and has driver Chris Buescher starting sixth.
Firekeepers Casino 400
When: 2 p.m. Sunday
Where: Michigan International Speedway, Brooklyn
TV: Prime Video and MAX
Race distance: 200 laps, 400 miles
2024 winner: Tyler Reddick
david.goricki@detroitnews.com
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When: 2 p.m. Sunday
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