The NASCAR regular season is coming to a close and fast. The FireKeepers Casino 400 is the last real shot for a handful of drivers before the races get wackier with two road courses and a superspeedway upcoming.
But Michigan International Speedway is a conventional track. It’s a 2-mile-long D-shaped course. With plenty of different winners throughout recent years. So as usual, I’ll give you five drivers that I’m looking at to make some noise in Michigan. Not necessarily ones that will be upfront, but also some drivers who might only have this race to squeak into the playoffs. As we stated earlier, it doesn’t get any easier from here track-wise. So without further delay, here is the FireKeepers Casino 400 preview!
#4 Kevin Harvick
Embed from Getty ImagesKevin Harvick has yet to snag a win in his last season of racing, but Michigan is a track that’s been kind to him. In 42 races the 47-year-old driver has six wins, the second most of his career at one track. With 10 additional top-five finishes to add to his resume. He also won at this race last season, so the Stewart-Haas driver can count on this race to be a good outing for him. Harvick is comfortably in the playoffs on points alone, but it’d be awesome to see the longtime driver get at least one win before he retires this off-season. Look out for the #4 here this weekend.
#22 Joey Logano
Embed from Getty ImagesLogano has also been quite good at Michigan in his career. In 26 races he has three checkered flags and five more top-fives. The playoffs aren’t of concern to the 22, as his win in the spring at Atlanta has him locked in for the playoffs. But he’s always a car to watch, and he’s turned up in the last few weeks. Scoring a stage win at Pocono and a second-place finish at New Hampshire, with a fourth-place finish last week at Richmond. The #22 car is heating up just in time to make an effort as repeating as Cup Series champion. He’ll be at the front in Michigan at some point this weekend.
#23 Bubba Wallace Jr
Embed from Getty ImagesWallace last year quietly finished runner-up at the FireKeepers Casino 400. He won the poll and only lost one spot. With two road courses coming up, it’s unlikely the #23 team gets the win in either of those and if they’re looking to get out of the bubble race and lock themselves in, they’ve proven capable to be a contender here at this track. In his career, Wallace has just the one top-five, with another top-10 in nine races at the course. But last year it was kind to him. Wallace is riding a streak of three straight top-15 finishes and could be a strong option here to lock himself into the postseason before the challenging road courses ahead. But then again, there’s always Daytona in three weeks. And Wallace has shown to be a real force at plate races.
#48 Alex Bowman
Embed from Getty ImagesThis is probably Bowman’s last gasp at a chance to squeak into the playoffs. With two road courses coming up and Daytona, the Hendrick Motorsports driver hasn’t exactly shined at those kinds of races. He currently sits -42 outside of the playoff bubble. So he’s going to need to get a win to make it. He doesn’t have the reputation of his teammate Chase Elliott, who’s been damn good at road courses (despite what he might tell you) and has solid placements at Super Speedways.
Pumped to head to @allyracing’s home track with some special allies on the car, the @DetroitPistons. Looking forward to a great weekend in Michigan! pic.twitter.com/6mxfO0yjTW
— Alex Bowman (@Alex_Bowman) August 3, 2023
The #48 has had to overcome some brutal circumstances. Missing a month’s worth of races due to a broken back, and a 60-point penalty due to a greenhouse violation earlier this year. But if anybody has been able to have some luck on their side historically, Bowman is the guy to look at. He finished ninth in this race last year after starting 30th. And in his career here he has two more top-10s. Bowman has struggled as of late, but it’s time to put all that aside and just get it done.
#54 Ty Gibbs
Embed from Getty ImagesTy Gibbs is another driver just barely above the playoff bubble, and he’s already impressed most race fans with the effort he’s put on in his rookie season in the Cup Series. He’s got a top-five finish with five other top-10s. What makes him an interesting selection for this race, in particular, is that he finished ninth here in 2022 while filling in for the injured Kurt Busch while driving the #45. This is a track he has some familiarity with and that’s rare as a 20-year-old driving in the Cup Series. A win would be putting a cherry on top of his already impressive debut season as a full-time Cup driver. Watch out for him here at the FireKeepers Casino 400.
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