MICHIGAN INTERNATIONAL SPEEDWAY

Track Facts

Opened: 1968

Location: Brooklyn, Mich.

First NASCAR Cup Series Race: June 15, 1969 (Cale Yarborough, winner)

Qualifying Record: Ryan Newman, Dodge; 194.232 mph (37.069 seconds), June 19, 2005

Race Record: Dale Jarrett, Ford; 173.997 mph (2:17:56), June 13, 1999

Distance: 2 miles

Front Stretch: 3,600 feet

Back Stretch: 2.242 feet

Banking in Turns 1-4: 18 degrees

Banking on Front Stretch: 12 degrees

Banking on Back Stretch:  5 degrees

Miles/Laps: 400 miles/200 laps

Grandstand Seats: 137,243

Tickets: 800-354-1010

Website: www.mispeedway.com

Did You Know? MIS is the largest registered campground in the state of Michigan, with over 8,500 spots alone on its property.

Another Tidbit:  It was at Michigan that Ernie Irvan nearly lost his life in a crash in 1994.  His recovery was nothing short of remarkable.  Irvan not only returned to racing, he won at MIS in 1997.

Last Year:  Greg Biffle won his fifth race of the year as he outran Tony Stewart in taking the Batman Begins 400 on June 19.  Stewart's second-place finish sparked the run that would lead him to the title.  Jeremy Mayfield had to walk to Victory Lane because he blew two tires during his burnout after winning the fuel mileage gamble and the GFS Marketplace 400 on August 21.

Drivers To Watch:  It wasn't that long ago that you could count on Ryan Newman to pace the field and ultimately outrun it here.  That didn't happen last year.  The jury is still out on whether or not the Rocket Man will ever match his qualifying success on Sundays.  If he is to rebound - this is a place he can do it.  Biffle will most likely take one and look for Jamie McMurray to have a Top five. Other drivers not in the Top Ten (Below) to watch include Carl Edwards, Elliott Sadler, Kyle Busch, and Casey Mears.  Rookies Clint Bowyer & JJ Yeley should have good runs here.  Of course Denny Hamlin is good at just about every track.

Track Report:  Drivers can run three abreast here easy, all the way around.  There's a lot of room; drivers carry a lot of speed.  It's a very smooth track.  The drivers really enjoy racing here.  You don't see a lot of cautions here because it's so wide, also if your driver(s) are starting in the back don't worry, they can move up through the field with ease.

Tracking The Top 10

Best active drivers at Michigan based on average finish (minimum of four starts)

Driver                 Races   Avg Fin   Wins   Top 5s   Top 10s   DNF   Avg Start  Poles

Matt Kenseth         13         8.1         1          5           9           0         22.5         0

Jeff Gordon            26        10.4         2        14          17          3           9.3         4

Greg Biffle               6        11.0         2          3           4           0         22.3         0

Mark Martin           40        11.8         4         15         26          5          11.2         0

Bobby Labonte       27        12.2         3         19         15          3          11.8        4

Tony Stewart          14        12.5         1          6           9          2          20.6         0

Bill Elliott               54         13.4        7         17          29         9           9.4         6

Kasey Kahne           4         13.5        0          2            2          0          13.0        0

Ryan Newman          9         13.7        2          4           4          1            6.6         1

Jeff Burton               24        14.9        0          4           8          0           20.0        1