What Does a Weekend at Michigan International Speedway Look Like?

Watching NASCAR races on TV is one way to spend a race weekend. However, if you’re lucky enough to attend an actual race, the experience is always better. That’s exactly what this past weekend was like for me. I spent the weekend at my home track, Michigan International Speedway. It wasn’t my first time, since I’ve been going to races since I was a little boy. MIS never disappoints. Hence why I like going every year.

What does a weekend at Michigan International Speedway look like?

There is racing action from Friday until Sunday, when NASCAR visits the Irish Hills. A little advice: Sure, the ARCA Menards Series raced on Friday, but that is also the best day to get your merchandising shopping done. I am a big die-cast collector myself. So when I made my way to the Chase Elliott hauler looking for his Amazon Prime 1/64 die-cast, I was very lucky. I got the last one, as the workers at the hauler had to pull the car from their display case. Sometimes you can’t be as fortunate.

Elsewhere, Friday was a good day to get an idea of where your favorite driver could be appearing. Hendrick Motorsports’ Chase Elliott and Kyle Larson would both be signing at their haulers on Sunday. Only 100 wristbands were being given on Friday, plus fans had to purchase a 1/24 die-cast to receive the wristband. I won’t lie, I was one of those people as I got a wristband to get Larson’s autograph.

Another great thing about MIS was seeing all the sponsors with their activation booths. That included a huge RAM Trucks display. Which I’ll get back to more on, given all the rumors that were floating around over the past weekend.

That Truck Wreck on Saturday Was Wild

The best part of going to a NASCAR race is that you never know what could happen. I like taking my dad to the races, and we both had a great time. The Craftsman Truck Series on Saturday didn’t disappoint. From great racing on track for the first time in the series in five years. To maybe one of the craziest moments seen in years.

The truck racers had a big moment with under 10 laps to go on a restart, as none of them got going, leading to a massive wreck. The best part of that incident was that it happened right in front of where I was seated in the grandstands. I’ve seen some wild things in my 28-plus years in NASCAR, but to see that in person was insane.

If that wasn’t enough to see such a great crowd for the Truck Series was simply special. I don’t have a total number, but boy, was everyone around me having a great time. Especially the rowdy group that was throwing Jello-shots at everyone else in the crowd. I suppose that’s just how NASCAR fans do it at Michigan. There is nothing wrong with that.

Cup Race Didn’t Disappoint

Sunday was a great day all around. Sure, plenty of people weren’t happy with Denny Hamlin crossing the line first, but that didn’t ruin my weekend. I got to see hard racing and plenty of drama around the race track.

I spent the morning listening to plenty of the drivers speak at their Q&A sessions. That was before I had to go jump in line to get Kyle Larson’s autograph. While I was doing that, my sister lucked out, as she was at the race with me. She got to get her favorite driver’s autograph on her hat. She got it signed by Elliott at the Chevy display.

It’s great to see all these drivers making appearances, and especially for the fans to interact with their favorite driver. It’s the biggest opportunity I’ve seen for people to get a chance to get something signed by the drivers at MIS in several years. While all that was going on, the biggest reason why I knew the RAM Display was so important was that the NASCAR Craftsman Truck Series had a huge announcement at 1 pm on Sunday before the Cup race.

It’s not a secret anymore. Dodge RAM is returning to the Truck Series. I knew it was true the minute I saw the display on Friday. So welcome back, Dodge. As for the racing action on Sunday. From my seat at the end of pit road heading into turn one, I got to see all of the action. From Alex Bowman’s massive head-on crash into the outside wall off of turn two, to Denny Hamlin outdueling William Byron before he ran out of fuel.

Read More: RAM Trucks returning to the NASCAR Craftsman Truck Series in 2026

Not to mention the pair of Larson fans who were making the rounds on Social Media for cheering him on every lap. Those guys were about four rows below me to the right.

It was yet another great NASCAR weekend at Michigan International Speedway. I’m glad to have been there, and will continue to go to my hometown for as long as possible. There’s nothing like living just about 45 minutes away from a NASCAR track.

Read Next: Chevy Flexes Power, But Denny Hamlin Stands Tall in Irish Hills

Main Photo: Meg Oliphant, Getty Images

Recording Date: 6/8/2025