Fast Forward ~ The Quicken Loans 400 At Michigan Fantasy Race Picks And Preview
5/13/2013
Jim Fitzgerald And
Staff
“The future is like a corridor into which we
can see only by the light coming from behind.”
–Edward Weyer, Jr.
After a journey to Pennsylvania for a spin
around Pocono, the kids of the NASCAR Sprint Cup Series head to Brooklyn,
Michigan for (hopefully) 200 trips around the wide, sweeping turns of the
Michigan International Speedway.
The Track:
Location: Brooklyn, Michigan
Length: 2.0 Mile Tri-oval
Banking: 18 degrees in turns 1-2;
18 degrees in turns 3-4;
12 degrees on the front stretch
5 degrees on the back stretch
Pit Road Speed:45
MPH
The Race:
200 Laps/ 400 Miles
Defending Champion: Dale Earnhardt, Jr,
139.144 MPH
Most recent winner: Greg Biffle, 144.662 MPH
Track Record: Dale Jarrett, 173.997 MPH, June
1999
Race Record: Dale Jarrett, 173.997 MPH, June
1999
Qualifying record: Marcos Ambrose, 203.241,
June 2012
2012 Purse: $3,798,525
TV:TNT, 1:00PM
EST 6/16/2013
Radio: Motor Racing Network (MRN) Sirius XM
90; www.MRN.com
The History:
9/28/1967-Construction begins
6/15/1969- First race, won by Cale Yarborough
8/16/1992-Harry Gant becomes the oldest
winner at 52 years, 7 months, 6 days.
6/10/2001-Closest finish, Jeff Gordon over
Ricky Rudd, margin of victory: .085 seconds.
6/15/2003-Kurt Busch becomes the youngest
winner at 24 years, 10 months, 11 days
The
Contenders:
Who do I think will have a shot to win at
Michigan?
Jimmie
Johnson: Here it is. We found one!
A Track Jimmie Johnson has not one on.
However, Johnson and his team are on a different level this right now, and
you can never count them out.
Dale
Earnhardt, Jr: The defending champion of the
event’s last two wins came at this track…4 years apart. Look for Earnhardt to be strong here on the
heels of a solid effort at Pocono.
Tony Stewart: It’s getting hot, and where there’s fire,
there’s Smoke. It’s Tony’s
time of year, and I would not be surprised to see him or Newman pull this one
off.
Matt Kenseth: Trying to pull out of a mini slump of engine
breaks and silly crashes. Kenseth has
two Michigan wins, 12 top 5’s, and 17 top 10’s.
Greg Biffle: This is and has been a Roush car track, and
Biffle has been the beneficiary of three wins under than banner.
DARK HORSE
PICK-Martin Truex, Jr: In 14
starts he has two top 5’s and 4 top 10’s.
There are my contenders for Michigan. How did I do with my picks from last week?
Denny Hamlin: Never led, but finished in 8th
place.
Jeff Gordon: 12th place finish at Pocono.
Kurt Busch: Good day, finished 7th.
Matt Kenseth: Got a slight case of the spinners. Finished 25th.
Kasey Kahne: Finished 36th after a mechanical
issue on the first lap.
DARK HORSE
PICK-Ryan Newman: Led 19 laps and finished 5th
Pocono recap: a 5th, a 7th,
an 8th, a 12th, a 25th, and a 36th. Rubbish.
Race Pro
Picks!
PattyKay Lilley picked Jimmie Johnson last week. Will she do it again this week with the same
results?
Here are our picks for the Quicken Loans 400
at Michigan, at 1:00 PM on TNT:
PattyKay (@MamaPKL): Hi guys! How's the weather down there? Jim says no
one likes me because I'm ahead. I think he's wrong. I think no one likes me
because I rub it in like a noogie that I'm
ahead. Well, I've got good news and bad
news. The good news is, I'm not picking Jimmie again
this week. Michigan isn't his best track, so any of you are free to make use of
him. The bad news is, I'm picking the winner, although
he may surprise you. Michigan was always known as a Ford track, and when I look
at the records, that was well justified... but this is the Gen-6 car and unless
things have changed drastically since last year, they are running on a
lightning fast track with the new pavement. So what? I'm picking the guy that
loves to win here, runs Michigan like he owns it and is l-o-n-g overdue for a
trip to Victory Lane. I'm riding shotgun this week with Dale Earnhardt Jr. Read
it and weep guys.
Brian: (Brian is on vacation this week, but
has selected Kyle Busch as his pick.):)
Kevin (@KEVDOGG329): Heading
to the Irish Hills of Michigan there is no driver hotter than Jimmie
Johnson. He would have had 3 wins in a row if not for a driver error in
two of those races (Charlotte and Dover). Jimmie also DOMINATED the race in
Pocono, only giving up the lead on pit stops. I suspect at least
one of my fellow colleagues will pick Johnson to win at Michigan as well, however I am going to pick another Hendrick driver to
win Michigan. This Hendrick driver has earned his past two wins in Sprint
Cup at this track, on this weekend, in 2008 and 2012. That's right, I am
taking Dale Earnhardt Jr to win at Michigan once again, and solidify his place
in the Chase.
Mr. Seven:
I think I’m just going to take whoever finished in seventh place. Deal with it.
(Editor’s Note: Mr. Seven will be
given credit for the points of the seventh place finishing driver each week.)
Alabama: Ok, I gathered up the usual suspects again and wound up with 4 in my
lineup: 99, 2, 16, and 20. They all had good stories: Matt's 4 out of 5 most
recent history was hard to shake; Biffle stuck by his
3 and 12 out of 20; I couldn't shake Brad's 2 out of 3 posture; and Carl's 13
out of 17 and 21 to 8 ratio had me looking hard to find a weakness in his
story. I couldn't find one in his history, or a better story to take him off
the hot seat. 99 to win it, but keep an eye on the 16
and 20.
Jim (@Forewasabi):
I’m following my own silly advice this week and will be taking a proven
Michigan winner. True, he is not having
the best year, but this may be the race where the heat intensifies. I’m looking for Greg Biffle to end the day
with a win!
There are my contenders and our pro picks for
the Quicken Loans 400 at Michigan. I’d
like to take this time to wish all of the dads out there a happy and safe
Father’s Day! Enjoy those ties!
“There is a gentleness in Michigan that you just can't replicate.” –Jennifer Granholm
Jim Fitzgerald @Forewasabi
PattyKay Lilley @MamaPKL
Kevin Abraham @KevDogg329
Marshall Gabell @Gabell_Racing
Who is YOUR pick to win this week?