Michigan International Speedway results from June 18th, 2017 in the Monster Energy NASCAR Cup Series
Today, the MENCS heads to Michigan International Speedway.
Kevin Harvick and Kyle Busch were sent to the tail, just at the start of the event. Unapproved body modifications, after inspection, on pit road. Kevin Harvick was suppose to start 11th, Kurt Busch 15th. Both of these cars are fielded by Stewart-Haas Racing.
Ty Dillon, Daniel Suarez, AJ Allmendinger and Jimmie Johnson were also sent to the tail. Those penalties were handed out prior to today’s race.
Kyle Larson and Martin Truex Jr lead the field to green. 200 laps around Michigan International Speedway. Stage 1 is 60 laps, stage 2 is another 6. The final stage is 80 laps.
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Green flag, poles sitter Kyle Larson takes the highside. It was the correct move, he sweeps around Martin Truex Jr on the outside and carries Kyle Busch with him. Martin Truex Jr takes that spot back, 2 laps later. Kyle Larson leads by 1 second on lap 4.
Caution, debris. Lap 7. Exact same scenario as the last restart. This time Kyle Larson pulls Clint Bowyer around Martin Truex Jr.
Lap 15, Matt Kenseth throws a slide job on Dale Earnhardt Jr. for 10th. Dale Jr is forced to jump way out of the gas. Earnhardt gets swallowed by a fleet of cars behind. A bump draft from Ricky Stenhouse Jr and Jr is back up to speed.
Competition caution. It’s perfect timing for Jamie McMurray. He thinks he has an issue, either setup, flat tire or loose wheel. The field pits, 2 tires for everyone in the top 10.
Green, lap 30. Larson gets the jump. Denny Hamlin and Martin Truex Jr split Kyle Busch. Busch falls from 2nd to 6th. Martin Truex Jr is back around Hamlin, the #78 Toyota is now setting sights on the leader, Larson.
26 to go in stage 1. Martin Truex Jr to the lead. He chased down Kyle Larson, new leader.
19 to go, Erik Jones is on pit road again. He questions if the crew hit all the lug nuts. He was running 8th.
15 to go, Jimmie Johnson is back into the top 10. Kurt Busch up to 13th, Harvick 14th. All those drivers had to start at the rear.
5 to go, Truex leads by 4 seconds. Matt Kenseth is charging through the field. Aggressively, he’s up to 5th.
Martin Truex Jr wins stage 1 at Michigan International Speedway
Michigan Stage 1 Results: 1. Martin Truex Jr; 2. Kyle Larson; 3. Kyle Busch; 4. Denny Hamlin; 5. Matt Kenseth; 6. Clint Bowyer; 7. Ryan Blaney; 8 Chase Elliott; 9. Joey Logano; 10. Jimmie Johnson;
Martin Truex Jr radio, Hopefully we’ll keep this thing up front all day.”
Green flag on stage 2. Kyle Larson sweeps around the outside as Martin Truex Jr picks the bottom. Meanwhile, Kyle Busch is tired of getting passed on restarts by highside momentum. Busch jumps from the bottom to the top, he takes Clint Bowyer’s lane away, big block. A bump from Clint Bowyer, they all continue.
Joey Logano has lost the hose to his helmet. No A/C and now he also has no air.
35 to go in stage 2. Larson leads. Matt Kenseth is still coming, he runs 2nd. Keseth only has 1 stage win this year. Larson has 3.
Johnson has fallen to 19th. Chad Knaus wants Jimmie Johnson to run lower. Johnson replies, “I know you’re trying to help. But I can’t hold the wheel down there, I’m loose in.”
15 to go, Matt Kenseth is all over Kyle Larson for the lead. The pit stop cycle has already begun. 12 to go, Kenseth is first to pit road. Kenseth slides through his pit stall! He’s forced to backup. Larson hit pit road a lap later. Kyle Busch is the new leader, yet to pit.
9 to go, Busch pits, as does Hamlin and Harvick. Brad Keselowski is the new leader. 6 to go, Keselowski is in. Kyle Larson regains the lead, pit cycle complete.
5 to go, Kyle Larson, Martin Truex Jr and Kyle Busch battle for a stage win. Side draft after side draft. Larson and Truex Jr exchange the top spot. Martin Truex Jr is around, clears Larson, 4 to go.
Martin Truex Jr wins stage 2!
Michigan Stage 2 Results: 1. Martin Truex Jr; 2. Kyle Busch; 3. Kyle Larson; 4. Matt Kenseth; 5. Clint Bowyer; 6. Kevin Harvick; 7. Denny Hamlin; 8. Kurt Busch; 9. Chase Elliott; 10. Brad Keselowski;
Jeff Gordon tells Kyle Larson, “Keep dirt trackin’ that thing like you did in that sprint car race.”
Related: Kyle Larson gives new sprint car owner Ricky Stenhouse Jr his first World of Outlaws win (VIDEO)
Green flag, final stage and 80 laps to go. Martin Truex Jr picks the outside lane, for the first time all day. Kyle Busch inside. The outside prevails, Busch falls into 2nd.
60 to go, Ryan Newman and MENCS newcomer, Darrell Wallace Jr nearly crash. Bubba Wallace threw a light block to Newman. The #39 didn’t lift. Wallace hangs his left rear on Newman’s right front. Bubba nearly spins, Newman lifts.
50 to go, Ryan Sieg is sideways trying to get to pit road. He spins through the gras in turn 4, directly ahead of the leader. Martin Truex Jr locks up the brakes, he slides behind him to avoid it. The leader saves it but that was a big moment. Caution.
Kyle Busch, Dale Earnhardt Jr, Ryan Blaney, Erik Jones and others take 2 tires. Martin Truex Jr will restart 5th. Ricky Stenhouse Jr, gets a speeding ticket.
Green flag, Kyle Larson gets a big jump on Erik Jones. Jones nearly comes to a stop in the middle of tuns 1-2. Martin Truex Jr has to jump on the brakes to avoid running into Jones. Matt Kenseth is on the brakes to avoid smashing Truex. The whole bottom lane can’t go moving. Truex falls deep into the pack, he now runs 8th. Kenseth is 9th.
42 to go, Kyle Busch leads but 4 tires are coming. Ryan Blaney running 2nd after the pit strategy and the restart stack-up. Chase Elliott is 3rd.
36 to go, Kyle Larson is on the apron as he looks for room around Chase Elliott. He’s around, slides in front of him, by inches as dust fly’s from exiting the groove. Larson to 3rd.
24 to go, Dale Earnhardt Jr has fallen to 12th. The 2-tire strategy hasn’t worked out for him.
21 to go, caution. Debris. The top 14 cars stay on the racetrack. Matt Kenseth leads the takers to pit road. Dale Earnhardt jr is back in as well.
Green flag, 15 to go. Blaney gives Kyle Larson a huge push on the bottom. Kyle Larson drives to Kyle Busch’s left rear. The side draft stalls his momentum into the corner, Larson dives quick to the bottom on entry so Kyle can’t side draft him back. Larson clears Kyle Busch, that’s the first time all day the bottom lane wins on the bottom.
Clint Bowyer is 3 wide and in the middle. He drives it in deep trying to clear the outside car. Too hard, he drifts up the track, out of the groove. He chases it up the racetrack and into the wall. Caution.
Green, 10 to go. They are trying really hard to wreck, everywhere. Chase Elliott is loose on the bottom, as is Ryan Blaney. They both stack up the field. 4 wide, 5 wide. Bubba Wallace clips Daniel Suarez as they run out of room. Suarez slides sideways down the track. Danica Patrick comes along with nowhere to go, she slams into the door of Suarez. Caution. Kasey Kahne did an amazing job avoiding that wreck.
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They will rack ’em again. Larson and Hamlin lead the field. Green, 5 to go. Hamlin and Kyle Busch both slip on the bottom, they drift up the track. Larson clears the field. Chase Elliott is up to 2nd.
Joey Logano and Denny Hamlin make contact on the exit of turn 4. An aggressive side draft by Joey Logano. He got too close, tire rub for Hamlin. Logano is up to 3rd, Hamlin is all over his bumper.
2 to go, Kyle Larson leads Elliott by a full second.
Kyle Larson is going to win at Michigan International Speedway!
View full Michigan results below.
Kyle Larson drives the Cars 3 sponsored NASCAR racecar to victory lane. Donut celebrations, in victory lane. He climbs from the car, picks up his son Owen. Ricky Stenhouse Jr comes over to congratulate him.
From victory lane, “Ryan Blaney gave me a heck of a push. So, I really gotta thank him a ton. I knew the Penske cars took off good, so I was happy to see him behind me. For us to withstand a few restarts there, with some tough competitors was pretty important. My dad’s here today too, I’m looking forward to celebrating with them.”
New Monster Energy NASCAR Cup Series point leader, Kyle Larson
Author: Shane Walters
Michigan International Speedway
Crash Video
June 18th, 2017
Kyle Larson
Victory Lane Donuts Video
June 18th, 2017
Michigan Results
NASCAR Cup Series
June 18th, 2017
Related: Michigan Starting Lineup
1. Kyle Larson
2. Chase Elliott
3. Joey Logano
4. Denny Hamlin
5. Jamie McMurray
6. Martin Truex Jr
7. Kyle Busch
8. Ricky Stenhouse Jr
9. Dale Earnhardt Jr
10. Jimmie Johnson
11. Matt Kenseth
12. Kurt Busch
13. Erik Jones
14. Kevin Harvick
15. Ryan Newman
16. Brad Keselowski
17. Trevor Bayne
18. AJ Allmendinger
19. Darrell Wallace Jr
20. Ty Dillon
21. Kasey Kahne
22. Paul Menard
23. Michael McDowell
24. Daniel Suarez
25. Ryan Blaney
26. Clint Bowyer
27. Austin Dillon
28. Matt DiBenedetto
29. David Ragan
30. Corey LaJoie
31. Cole Whitt
32. Landon Cassill
33. Ryan Sieg
34. Reed Sorenson
35. Jefferey Earnhardt
36. Chris Buescher
37. Danica Patrick
Links
Michigan International Speedway
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