From a NASCAR Fan’s View
There is one thing no one can argue about this weekend and that’s the speed the drivers will be attaining as they run the FireKeepers Casino 400 at Michigan International Speedway. Michigan is the fastest track on the NASCAR circuit and the qualifying speeds are very close. From this fan’s view, there are pros and cons for how closely the qualifying speeds are and whether or not that will carry over to the race. If those close speeds do carry over, it could mean a race where passing will be difficult and track position will be key for most, if not all, of the race.
Another con could be that it will lead to a follow-the-leader type race, which may not be all that exciting to watch. I don’t think that will be the case, but it could mean that one car and driver could lead all the way from the beginning to the end, and that could lead to a relatively boring competition on the day. Whether or not that will happen will depend on a lot of things and it will remain to be seen.
Since we’re talking about one car possibly leading from the beginning to the end, let’s take a look at Chase Briscoe. For the third race in a row, he has qualified on the pole. That doesn’t happen all that often and he is the first to do it since Kyle Larson.
Chase being on the pole for this one is quite an accomplishment and he deserves the accolades that go along with it. He and his number nineteen JGR Toyota team seem to be coming together quite well for their first year as a team. It also appears they have mastered the one-lap qualifying that has put them on the pole for these last three weeks.
From this fan’s observation of his performance for the first two, he hasn’t fared all that well at the beginning of the races and fell back into the field when the races began. They did manage to move back up into the front over the races, but his winning the pole didn’t transfer into the win column. Will that hold true again today as the race runs its course to the final laps? That’s one thing I, as a fan, can’t answer. Only watching how the race runs its course and which of the drivers takes that final checkered flag on the day will tell.
Like I said at the beginning of this, the qualifying speeds are fast and there isn’t all that much separation between the different drivers and cars. In other words, there are a lot of fast cars running the race today and, because this is Michigan, there are a lot of things that can go right and go wrong for the drivers that will or, at least, can go either way for them and dictate the outcome of the race.
There is a mixture of all three manufacturers and hungry drivers spread throughout almost the entire field. Add to that that there are many drivers that didn’t qualify all that well but could move their way to the front by race end. Kyle Bush kind of surprised himself and the rest of us by qualifying on the front row. He has been showing speed lately, but has had his share of problems keeping him from being in Victory Lane. Of all the rest of the field, he is probably one of the drivers that is hungriest for a win. It has been a while since he has won a race.
The rest of the top ten is full of drivers who are capable of taking the win. In fact, I would go so far as to say that the possible winner could come from just about anywhere in the field. Once again, I remind you that this is Michigan International Speedway. Because the speeds appear to be so close between the competitors, passing and moving from way back in the field will probably be difficult and that’s an understatement at best.
Looking at the top ten, the top qualifiers are all ones that could win. There’s Denny Hamlin starting in third, William Byron in fourth and Kyle Larson in fifth. Then there’s Beuscher, Berry, Gibbs, Wallace and Smith. Honestly, the list goes on from there.
There are several things that can happen to put someone in Victory Lane. Strategy will likely be the main and most important thing. There are concerns about the tires, but there may not be any problems at all. From this fan’s view, I think it will be on the minds of the crew chiefs until the race is over. Clean air and track position will be the keys to staying or getting up front and that means there can be no mistakes in the pits, whether fueling or tire changes. “Don’t speed!” is what I think every driver will hear from their crew chief when they make a pit stop.
Hey, this is Russ and that’s my view… See ya next time…
All views expressed are strictly the opinion of the writer
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Rusty Norman, Nascarfansview.com and Justafansview.com
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