Michigan International Speedway in Brooklyn, Mich., boasts a proud, 43-year history of hosting America's best racing action on its 1,400-plus acres in the scenic Irish Hills. With 18 degree banking and 73-foot wide sweeping turns, Michigan International Speedway provides drivers with three and four grooves to run around the two-mile speedway.
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Cale Yarborough won the first NASCAR race at the speedway on June 15, 1969, in a thrilling duel with LeeRoy Yarbrough. The two drivers battled door-to-door for most of the final 150 laps. On their final circuit, they touched twice-entering turn one, with Yarbrough brushing the outside wall. They then drafted down the back straight, and through turn three. But while coming out of the final turn, LeeRoy Yarbrough spun and crashed just 300 yards from the finish line, handing the victory to Yarborough.
Lap 200 — CHECKERED FLAG: After his last win, also at Michigan, Dale Earnhardt Jr. said: “It’s a special day for my family. ... And it makes me feel good. I know I can’t tell my father ‘Happy Father’s Day,’ but I get the opportunity to wish it upon all of the other fathers out there, and I genuinely mean that when I say it — because that’s what today is all about.” Well said, even four years later. Happy Father’s Day, everyone.
Lap 199 — WHITE FLAG: One more.
Lap 197 — He’s all alone ... up to almost six seconds in front.
Lap 195 — “Five more, buddy,” says a voice over the radio...
Lap 194 — It’s a one-man race now. Can it happen?
Lap 191 — If Dale Earnhardt Jr. stays strong, his finish will match the most top-10 finishes he had in ALL of 2011.
Lap 189 — JuanMontoya and Marcos Ambrose looking to hold on to top-10 finishes. Good stuff, guys.
Lap 188 — Junior REALLY wide open now, pushing lead over Tony Stewart to almost five full seconds...
Lap 186 — Dale Earnhardt Jr. is looking at a near-2.5 second lead now...
Lap 185 — The field cruising by a very dinged-up Kurt Busch.
Lap 183 — Junior creeps lead near 2.0 seconds...
Lap 181 — TNT commentators talking about the winless streak ... still 19 left.
Lap 180 — Dale Jr. builds lead to 1.6 seconds...
Lap 177 — Stewart-Biffle-Johnson-Kenseth round out the current top five.
Lap 174 — Junior back up to first ... more than a one-second lead up in front.
Lap 169 — Landon Cassill up to fifth place as green-flag pits sort spots out. Oh yeah, baby.
Lap 168 — Kes does not pit, neither does Jeff Burton, and the Blue Deuce leads ... for now.
Lap 167 — Jamie McMurray does the same as he heads to pit road for right-sides and fuel.
Lap 166 — As Greg Biffle goes in, Clint Bowyer gives up his brief lead for a pit himself.
Lap 165 — Greg Biffle stay out to lead during green-flag pits by a portion of the field.
Lap 158 — Jimmie Johnson not giving up yet, coming from the back to start for a seventh-place run at the moment.
Lap 157 — Jeff Gordon still in third, followed by Greg Biffle and Clint Bowyer...
Lap 155 — Tony Stewart tells crew over radio that he’s not going anywhere. He closes in second place.
Lap 154 — Dale Jr. has lead 55 laps today — best of the race.
Lap 150 — Junior leads the field with just a quarter left of racing at MIS ... what say you?
Lap 149 — Carl Edwards is in the top 10 after a rough 40th start. Nice work.
Lap 147 — Nice runs so far outside the top 10? Jamie McMurray in 13th, Regan Smith 14th, Casey Mears 20th and Austin Dillon 25th.
Lap 144 — Matt Kenseth and Jimmie Johnson are charging hard in sixth and eighth, respectively.
Lap 142 — Dale Jr. takes the lead again, but Tony Stewart moves into second with another strong restart. His secret: an extra nap, he tells his crew via radio. Life lesson.
Lap 141 — GREEN FLAG: Here they go again to green after three cautions in the last 20 laps.
Lap 137 — Junior-Gordon-Bowyer-Stewart-Biffle will restart in the top five.
Lap 136 — Pretty sure Denny Hamlin’s hat he wore in that TNT interview has HIS OWN autograph on the back ... that’s either the coolest or dorkiest thing ever. Thoughts?
Lap 135 — Ryan Newman and Martin Truex Jr. get back in the swing of things under caution after just sandwiching Denny Hamlin.
Lap 134 — YELLOW FLAG NO. 8: Denny Hamlin just imploded like Lindsay Lohan’s career, and even caught fire. His boys put him out, but now he’s REALLY out.
Lap 133 — Junior takes the lead after a three-wide green-flag run.
Lap 132 — GREEN FLAG: Joey Logano took all the bad luck on the last restart, so Dale Jr. and Jeff Gordon will re-scuffle for the lead on this restart.
Lap 128 — The lineup to restart will be Junior-Gordon-Montoya-Bowyer-Stewart.
Lap 127 — YELLOW FLAG NO. 7: CRUNCH. Mr. Momentum, Joey Logano, just ate some serious wall. He takes Kasey Kahne with him. The driver of the No. 20 will be taken away by ambulance — just a precaution.
Lap 126 — GREEN FLAG: Junior will battle Jeff Gordon for the lead. Bad luck stay away...
Lap 123 — Mark Martin gets the free pass, while Juan Pablo Montoya finally pits under caution — goodbye lead.
Lap 121 — YELLOW FLAG NO. 6: Kurt Busch takes issue with the track, spinning out for his second time for the day’s sixth yellow.
Lap 120 — Who’s your padre! Juan Montoya leads.
Lap 118 — Kevin Harvick gets a chassis adjustment in the pits ... Dale Jr. goes for four tires in his wake.
Lap 116 — Following Kes, Joey Logano and Ryan Newman lead a big field into the pits.
Lap 115 — Brad Keselowski grabs a green-flag pit stop for a “really loose” car. “This ain’t right,” he says. Ugh.
Lap 114 — Ryan Newman, repping those US Army dads, has made up a whopping 37 spots (!) up to sixth place.
Lap 112 — Junior and Smoke are WAY up front in one-two. Third and the rest may need a caution.
Lap 109 — Got ‘em. Junior is back atop the leaderboard.
Lap 106 — BANG! POW! ZAP! Dale Jr.’s Batman car is back up closing in on leader Tony Stewart. Holy paint job, Junior! Ok. Now, I’m really stopping...
Lap 104 — In case you were wondering, and you were, older bro Kurt Busch is still out there despite early spin ... in 32nd.
Lap 103 — Candy-colored shirts are everywhere! It looks delicious, but Kyle Busch’s car look like melted chocolate in that garage.
Lap 100 — Halfway through, and it’s Stewart-Junior-Bowyer(!)-Gordon-Biffle in the top five.
Lap 97 — Tony Stewart is still in the lead, seven-tenths of a second in front of Junior.
Lap 92 — Jeff Gordon pulls into fourth. Watch out for banana peels, third place and fifth!
Lap 89 — Too bad for Trevor Bayne. He is way out, by the way, and missed a good chance after some real fast practices.
Lap 88 — Boom. Just like that, Tony Stewart — who is taking no prisoners — makes the move for the lead after the restart.
Lap 87 — GREEN FLAG: Junior was so far ahead of the field that he could have had a sandwich before coming off pit road in the first spot. A vegemite sandwich? Ask Marcos Ambrose, who is close behind him on the restart.
Lap 86 — Remember those blistering tires? Kyle Busch knows about them now, as he’s heading into the garage with a blown tire.
Lap 85 — NASCAR clean-up crew picking up debris with their hands to help get this thing restarted.
Mark Martin @55MarkMartin Broke our motor with 10 to go running 7th. RT @GavinLanders: What happened to @55MarkMartin ?
