Ford has been the dominant force at the Michigan International Speedway for almost a decade now. They’ve won the last nine races at the track and will be hoping to make it a perfect 10 on Sunday. But since it is a home race for Chevrolet, its drivers are hoping to break that streak. Hendrick Motorsports star Chase Elliott has never won at this track before but will be looking to change that when the green flag falls on Sunday.
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Despite never winning there, the 2020 Cup Series champion has a decent record at the track. He has finished P2 thrice at Michigan, making him the second-best performing driver to never win a race at the 2-mile track.
He also has a fantastic average finish of 10.15 in 13 starts, which is the best among drivers with more than three starts at the historic venue. Speaking to the media ahead of the race weekend, Elliott explained what it would mean to him and the team if he took the checkered flag at Michigan.
“I’ve never done it, but I have to imagine it’d be pretty cool, with it being a home race for Team Chevy and with Michigan being what it is. I think that would be a huge deal and I’d love to check that box for them. And I know every driver does for every manufacturer, whoever you’re driving for. It would be a really cool thing, and I’d love to add that to the list of accomplishments.” – Denny Hamlin.
The 28-year-old has only won once so far this season and has confirmed his spot in the playoffs. After the Richmond race last weekend, he dropped from second to third in the regular season championship. Although, it’s only six points behind the top spot with three races to go.
Elliott’s crew chief explains crucial trait for winning at Michigan
The Michigan International Speedway might not have too steep of a banking but the D-shape of the track can make it quite tricky to navigate for drivers. According to the #9’s crew chief Alan Gustafson, stability will be key to being successful. For carrying speed into the corners and not getting loose, one needs to have a lot of confidence in their racecraft.
“The biggest thing about Michigan is you have to have stability. You have to be able to really carry a lot of pace with this car into the corner and really have comfort to do that. And if you can do that, you can kind of load the car and the exit is important.” – Alan Gustafson.
A win on Sunday would propel the driver of the #9 car to the top of the regular championship season. It would also give him five playoff points and a lot of momentum heading into the round of 16.
