Real American Beer is back on the NASCAR track this weekend, teaming up with Hyak Motorsports to bring its 200% American energy to Michigan International Speedway for the FireKeepers Casino 400 on June 8.

The No. 47 Chevrolet, driven by Ricky Stenhouse Jr, will debut a refreshed Real American Beer paint scheme—marking the second time this season Hyak Motorsports and the fast-growing beer brand have joined forces.

This latest collaboration builds on Real American Beer’s momentum as a disruptive new name in the premium light beer space. With Real American Beer now in 27 states and growing support across national retail, the brand has quickly become a fan-favorite among beer drinkers who live for race days, tailgates and flag-flying weekends.

“We didn’t get the result we were after in Nashville, and that’s frustrating for sure,” said Ricky Stenhouse Jr, Driver of the No. 47Chevrolet for Hyak Motorsports. “But this team’s got heart. We’ve put in the work this week, and we’re heading to Michigan with a clean state and a fast Real American Beer Chevy.”

The FireKeepers 400 paint scheme brings Real American Beer’s signature 200% American aesthetic to one of the fastest tracks in the series—giving fans on the ground and watching at home a taste of the brand’s trademark energy.

“Brother, Michigan knows how to go full throttle—and so does Real American Beer,” said Hulk Hogan, WWE Hall of Famer and co-founder of Real American Beer. “We’re back on the track, back in the fight, and there’s no better time to crack one open and let it rip.”

The partnership with Hyak Motorsports underscores Real American Beer’s commitment to the NASCAR community, especially in markets where beer drinkers are seeking alternatives with real identity and American-made values.

“Motorsports fans have been some of our loudest supporters from day one,” said Terri Francis, CEO of Real American Beer. “This partnership is part of our strategy to meet them where they are—on the road, in the stands and in the beer aisle.”

Jimmy Hart, aka The Mouth of the South, will be trackside bringing the heat—and handing out the cold ones. He’ll be repping Real American Beer all weekend long with meet-and-greets, media hits, and a megaphone in hand. If you’re in the infield, you’ll hear him before you see him.

Fans can catch the FireKeepers Casino 400 live from Michigan International Speedway on Sunday, June 8 at 2PM EDT, broadcast on PRIME, MRN and SiriusXM NASCAR Radio.

And now, for fans who want to skip the beer run, Real American Beer is also available online. With just a few clicks, RAB can be delivered straight to your door—just in time for race day. Visit the Real American Beer Finder to order.

Hyak Motorsports PR

Michigan Next Gen Top Ten via Average Finishes

1. Denny Hamlin – 5.0
2. Zane Smith – 7.0 (One race)
3. Chris Buescher – 7.7
4. Ty Gibbs – 8.0
5. Brad Keselowski – 8.0 (Tied for 4th)
6. Carson Hocevar – 10.0 (One race)
7. Ryan Blaney – 10.7
8. Erik Jones – 11.3
9. Daniel Suarez – 13.0
10. Kyle Larson / Bubba Wallace – 15.3

Michigan Next Gen Top Ten Average Finishes Heat Chart 

Michigan Next Gen Top Ten via Total Speed Rankings

1. Kyle Larson
2. Denny Hamlin
3. William Byron
4. Chase Elliott (Tied for 3rd)
5. Kyle Busch
6. Chris Buescher (Tied for 5th)
7. Bubba Wallace
8. Ross Chastain
9. Ryan Blaney
10. Ty Gibbs

Michigan Next Gen Top Ten Total Speed Rankings Heat Chart

Michigan Next Gen Top Ten via Driver Rating

1. Denny Hamlin
2. Kyle Larson
3. Chris Buescher
4. Bubba Wallace
5. Tyler Reddick
6. Brad Keselowski
7. Ty Gibbs
8. Ryan Blaney
9. Ross Chastain
10. Daniel Suarez

Michigan Next Gen Top Ten via Average Running Position

1. Denny Hamlin
2. Bubba Wallace (Tied for 1st)
3. Ryan Blaney
4. Ross Chastain
5. Chris Buescher
6. Brad Keselowski
7. Kyle Larson
8. Daniel Suarez
9. Ty Gibbs
10. Erik Jones

Related

What if Billings, Montana, became home to a racing circuit? 150+ miles per hour flying through the streets of Billings, wheelbanging and swapping paint underneath the Big Sky.  Here’s my vision of a Billings Grand Prix, where twisting curves and engines roar through the open plains, crafting epic races that would live in the hearts of fans everywhere.

Envisioning Speed Under the Big Sky

Downtown Billings is home to my imagined Billings Grand Prix, a 3.53 mile counter-clockwise course featuring views of the Montana District Court, Yellowstone Art Museum, and starting beneath Skypoint. The 16-corner course features both high speeds and technical corners, with long straights down 1st Ave South and Montana Avenue. The unique pit lane (marked in pink) adds strategic complexity, with the shortened time-loss allowing for a multi-stop strategy over the “as few as possible” strategy required at most circuits. 

Learning from the Legends

Street circuits aren’t new to racing, with 3 of the major US motorsports (NASCAR, Indycar, Formula 1) already visiting these tight, technical tracks on their calendars. Inspired by the recent Indycar Chevrolet Detroit Grand Prix and the famous Baku Street Circuit of Formula 1, the Billings Grand Prix has room for F1’s DRS zones, as well as plenty of opportunities for push-to-pass to be of use in Indycar. And don’t worry, there will be plenty of paint-swapping—especially when the stockcars roll in.

Three Sectors, One Bold Circuit

Sector 1 begins with the starting line, right beneath Skypoint in downtown Billings. A quick left-right takes the cars down N 27th Street before the cars blast down 1st Avenue South and onto Minnesota Avenue. The end of sector 1 is the most interesting section of the track, as the cars dive down beneath the railroad tracks via the N 13th Street underpass. Sector 2 brings the cars back towards downtown, utilizing N 18th Street to send the vehicles down Montana Avenue from 1st Avenue South before turning onto N 25th Street and sector 3. N 24th Street begins the technical portion of the track, with an gauntlet of 90-degree corners navigating through 6th Avenue N and onto N 27th Street before the pit lane entrance and the start/finish straight on N 28th Street.

Can Billings Make the Grid?

While a Billings Grand Prix would be incredible, both for tourism and the economy, it’s not very feasible. Safety standards of these racing leagues leave a lot of infrastructure work for the City of Billings, projects which may cost more than could be recovered. Not to mention that Billings only has a population of 123,000, which would make it the smallest market on any schedule.

What’s Your Montana Motorsport Dream?

Do you have a racing series you’d like to see come to Montana? What other cities or layouts could be possible? Send me an email at caden.bjornstad@townsquaremedia.com and let me know your thoughts!

Team Stats & Notes

• Niece Motorsports Michigan Stats: Niece drivers have made a total of eight NASCAR CRAFTSMAN Truck Series (NCTS) starts at Michigan International Speedway. In 2019, the organization started on pole at this track with Ross Chastain. That same year, Bayley Currey earned the team’s best finish of sixth.
• Entitlement Sponsor Race: This race weekend has been highly anticipated for the Niece Motorsports team as primary partners, DQS Solutions & Staffing and Precision Vehicle Logistics, are the presenting sponsors for the NCTS return to Michigan International Speedway.
• Power of Collaboration: All of the team’s primary partners, including DQS Solutions & Staffing, J.F. Electric, Precision Vehicle Logistics, and Utilitra, will co-brand the team’s three entries this weekend. To learn more about the business-to-business relationships that have been formed through the race team, please visit this link.
  No. 42 J.F. Electric Chevrolet Silverado RST
  Driver: Matt Mills | Crew Chief: Mike Shiplett
  Matt Mills Racing
  @MattMillsRacing
  @MattMillsRacing
  Website
• Mills’ Michigan Stats: Matt Mills has competed in one NCTS race at Michigan which came back in 2018. Mills qualified fourth for that race, which was ultimately cut short due to a crash, resulting in a 31st-place finish. The driver went on to make four NASCAR Xfinity Series (NXS) starts at the 2.0-mile track, posting a best result of 14th in 2021.
• Shiplett’s Michigan Stats: Mike Shiplett will call his first NCTS race at Michigan on Saturday. In seven NXS starts here, Shiplett earned one top-five finish – a third-place effort with Kyle Larson in 2015. Shiplett also directed 11 Cup Series races at the track, finishing as high as 11th in 2010.
• On the Truck: Mills’ No. 42 Chevrolet Silverado RST will race with support from a collaboration among the team’s primary partners: J.F. Electric, DQS Solutions & Staffing, Precision Vehicle Logistics, and Utilitra.
• Recapping Nashville: Matt Mills and the No. 42 team fought hard in Nashville, but struggled to gain track position in dirty air. Mills started 11th and maintained inside the top-15 through the opening part of the race, but began to fade in stage two. Stuck in traffic, the team made adjustments throughout the race to help the balance, and assisted Mills to pick up some spots late to finish 22nd.
• Points Rundown: Mills lost one spot in the championship points standings following his 22nd-place finish in Nashville. Now scored 17th, Mills is only one point behind Jack Wood in 16th and is 13 points ahead of Andres Perez De Lara in 18th. He is currently 125 points behind the Playoffs cutline.
• Quoting Mills: You grew up just a state away from this track, so what will it be like to have a bunch of your supporters in the grandstands this week?

“It’s going to be really cool to come back and race at Michigan. I know we will have a lot of sponsors and family friends that I raced with or supported me throughout my career that are going to be here on Saturday. The track is about four hours away from where I called home, so to be that close just adds more motivation to run well.

I’ve always thought Michigan is a great track for us with the raw speed of it, so going back there in a truck will be great. I’ve only been there once in a truck and had a good time. It was a different kind of race craft, so I imagine it’ll be about the same when we go back this time. We just have to play our cards right; I know we’ll bring a fast truck and it’s going to be a special weekend for Niece Motorsports as a whole.”
No. 44 Niece Equipment Chevrolet Silverado RST
Driver: Ross Chastain | Crew Chief: Wally Rogers
Bayley Currey
@BayleyCurrey
@BayleyCurrey05
Website

• Chastain’s Michigan Stats: Ross Chastain has competed in two NCTS races at Michigan. His best series finish came in 2012 when he finished 18th, but he notably won a pole at the speedway in 2019. Chastain has made seven NXS starts here, finishing as high as seventh in 2023. Through seven Cup Series races, his best finish is seventh, also coming in 2023.
• Rogers’ Michigan Stats: Wally Rogers has called four NCTS races at Michigan. Rogers’ best series finish came in 2004, when Matt Crafton finished in 12th-place. In six NXS starts at the 2.0-mile track, Rogers’ best run was an 11th-place effort with Tony Stewart in 2006. He has also competed in four Cup Series races here, finishing as high as 21st with Elliott Sadler in 2010.
• On the Truck: Chastain’s No. 44 Chevrolet Silverado RST will race with support from a collaboration among the team’s primary partners: J.F. Electric, DQS Solutions & Staffing, Precision Vehicle Logistics, and Utilitra. The hood will feature Niece Equipment.
• Recapping Nashville: Bayley Currey and the No. 44 team showcased raw pace throughout the night in Nashville en route to another solid finish. Currey started sixth in the 150-lap event and maintained track position in both of the opening two stages. By finishing ninth in stage one and seventh in stage two, Currey picked up a total of six stage points. As the checkered flag flew, Currey secured his third top-10 finish of the year in ninth-place.
• Owner Points Rundown: The No. 44 team remains 16th in the owner points standings after Nashville, but gained ground on a few teams. Heading into Michigan, the entry is only five points behind ThorSport Racing’s No. 99 truck in 15th and is 27 points ahead of TRICON Garage’s No. 15 truck in 17th.
• Quoting Chastain: It’s been a while since the trucks raced here, so what does it feel like coming back?

“Yeah, it’s been a few years for us, but I’m so glad we’re coming back. We were so fast the last time we came here and felt like we had a chance to win that race. Over the years, the surface at Michigan has aged a little bit, but what you need to be fast is still the same – it’s all about top speed. It’s just such a fast track that’s fun for us to race on. The draft really plays a big factor in these trucks especially, so I think that should help put on an exciting race. It’s a big weekend for us here at Niece Motorsports with our partners involved in putting the race on, and we’re bringing the same truck that ran well at Charlotte, so I’m really looking forward to Saturday.”
No. 45 DQS Solutions & Staffing Chevrolet Silverado RST
Driver: Kaden Honeycutt | Crew Chief: Phil Gould
Kaden Honeycutt Racing
@KadenWHoneycutt
@KadenHoneycutt10
Website

• Honeycutt’s Michigan Stats: Kaden Honeycutt will make his first start at Michigan International Speedway on Saturday.
• Gould’s Michigan Stats: Phil Gould has called two NCTS races at Michigan. Gould’s team won the pole at this track with Ross Chastain in 2019, and his best series finish of 15th came the following year. His NXS track record is impressive, producing three top-fives (best of fourth in 2018 with Ryan Reed) and five top-10 finishes in six starts.
• Gould’s Milestone Race: Saturday’s DQS Solutions & Staffing 250 Powered by Precision Vehicle Logistics will mark Phil Gould’s 150th-career NCTS race on top of the pit box. As the winningest crew chief for Niece Motorsports, Gould has led his team to eight race wins. His trucks have finished inside the top-10 in nearly 50% of his starts – which all were made at Niece.
• On the Truck: Honeycutt’s No. 45 Chevrolet Silverado RST will race with support from a collaboration among the team’s primary partners: J.F. Electric, DQS Solutions & Staffing, Precision Vehicle Logistics, and Utilitra.
• Recapping Nashville: Kaden Honeycutt and the No. 45 team had a great points night in Nashville. With qualifying cancelled due to rain, Honeycutt started on the front row in second place. The team took full advantage of the track position and stayed near the front of the pack all race long. Honeycutt earned 10 extra points by finishing fifth in both stages. At the end of the night, the No. 45 came home in sixth-place, marking their eighth top-10 of the year.
• Points Rundown: Honeycutt’s sixth-place finish in Nashville kept him sitting seventh in the championship points standings. The driver of the No. 45 is now 17 points behind Layne Riggs in sixth, and 19 points ahead of Jake Garcia in eighth. Since there was a new race winner, his gap over the Playoffs cutline shrunk to 22 points over Ty Majeski, who holds down the final spot.
• Quoting Honeycutt: This is a big race with your primary partners sponsoring the race itself, so how much added effort are you putting into it?

“For me, my preparation is the same every race since we try to go out there and win each week. So we all work hard here, knowing that we have the tools we need to make it happen. I feel like we should have a good shot at it. The Truck Series hasn’t been there in about five years, and I’ve never even turned a lap on this place before, so that will be an interesting challenge in practice to venture out and see what I’ve got to do to be fast.

But yeah, it’s a very important race for us, and hopefully we can win, because it would be huge. Obviously, it would be big for the company as a whole, but to lock ourselves into the Playoffs and have all of our partners be there with us to get into victory lane at their race would be really special.”

Niece Motorsports PR

Threatening weather and rain forced an early stop to day one of a two-day NASCAR tire test at Iowa Speedway Tuesday. Two-time NASCAR Cup Series champion Kyle Busch, and fellow Cup Series Drivers Chase Briscoe and Austin Cindric were limited to two and a half hours of on-track testing in the morning, as they gathered information for the upcoming August 3rd Cup Race at the track. Iowa Speedway President Eric Peterson was pleased with the day, despite the limited time for testing. 

“It’s really exciting to have cars on track today and bring that excitement back to the racetrack after the winter here at Iowa Speedway.”

The Iowa Speedway President also said the opportunity for people to see this year’s NASCAR Cup Series race at the track in-person is dwindling.

“By the end of the week we are going to be out of Cup tickets. So expect an announcement in the next couple of weeks on that sell out. We will still have a few left for Friday and Saturday, and the ARCA Menards Series and the NASCAR XFinity Series.”

The ARCA Menard Series Atlas Roofing 150 will be held at 4:00 p.m. Friday, August 1st. The NASCAR XFinity Series HyVee Perks 250 will start at 3:30 p.m. on Saturday, August 2nd. The NASCAR Cup Series Iowa Corn 350 Powered By Ethanol on Sunday, August 3rd is set to start at 2:30 p.m. Ticket information for all three races is available at iowaspeedway.com

BROOKLYN, MI – Up-and-coming country music artist Nate Smith has canceled all of his shows for June, including his prerace concert scheduled for Michigan International Speedway.

Smith was supposed to lead a concert at MIS on Sunday, June 8, prior to the FireKeepers Casino 400 NASCAR race. The show was part of the Busch Light Summer Music Series.

Smith’s doctors put him on “strict vocal rest” through the end of June.

“We’ve all come to the decision that the best way to get my voice fully back is to rest it for the first time in almost five years,” Smith wrote in a Facebook post. “This is the part that is so hard for me, because I have multiple bucket list shows coming up this month (including CMA Fest) and it breaks my heart knowing I won’t be there to see all of you.”

MIS officials couldn’t be reached Wednesday afternoon to say whether there will be a different performer for the show, prior to Sunday’s race.

The concert was supposed to last for an hour on the grass field near the start/finish line. Fans didn’t need to purchase a separate ticket – anybody with Sunday tickets could watch the show.

Smith is a multi-platinum, award-winning country music artist. In 2024, he was named Billboard’s Rookie of the Year and Amazon’s Breakthrough Country Artist.

His most famous songs include “Whiskey on You,” “World on Fire,” “Wildfire” and “Bulletproof.”

Smith is scheduled to tour this summer on Jason Aldean’s Full Throttle Tour.

No Faster Horses

Smith isn’t the only country music cancellation at MIS in 2025. The annual Faster Horses music festival was canceled for this summer. Organizers said they were “taking the year to make plans for a bigger and better Faster Horses.”

Track officials hope to have Faster Horses return in 2026.

RELATED: Campground owner plans her own ‘mellower’ festival after Faster Horses cancellation

“Obviously we would rather have the event if we could. But it’s a pause year,” MIS President Joe Fowler said. “We have so many things that happen throughout the year here, especially in the summer, event-wise, that we’re going to keep a pretty busy schedule.

“I have no reason to believe that Faster Horses won’t be back next year.”