3M Performance 400

Track history

Built in 1968 by Lawrence H. LoPatin, a Detroit land developer, at a cost of about $6 million, Michigan International Speedway is a 2-mile asphalt D-shaped oval located on 1400 acres in the Irish Hills of southeastern Michigan. Charles Moneypenny, designer of the 2.5-mile Daytona International Speedway, designed the Michigan oval as well. It has 18-degree banking in turns and 12-degree banking in the tri-oval, which is part of the 3,600-foot frontstretch. The 2,242-foot backstretch is banked five degrees. After LoPatin overextended himself and filed bankruptcy, Roger Penske took over ownership of Michigan International Speedway in 1973 and invested millions in improving the facility.

In 1999, Penske teamed up with International Speedway Corporation to jointly own the speedway. MIS seated 25,000 fans when it opened. Every few years grandstands were added bringing it up to its current capacity of 137,243 seats. The track was resurfaced in 1977, 1986 and again in 1995. In 2004, Steel and Foam Energy Reduction (SAFER) walls were added to the track.

Since the corners are so long, drivers are in the gas hard all throughout the race. This may contribute to the engine failures seen in past races at MIS. It's not unusual to see cars racing 3 or 4 and sometimes 5-wide on the long straightaways.

First Cup race

Donnie Allison clocked a 160.135 mph lap in the No. 27 Banjo Matthews Ford to start up front for the 1969 Motor State 500. He blew an engine 115 laps into the 250 lap event. Cale Yarborough started the famous Wood Brothers No. 21 Mercury Cyclone fourth in the field of 38 cars and went on to win the event. He beat David Pearson's No. 17 Ford by five car lengths and earned a $17,625 payday.

As fantasy players, your team budget won't allow you to pick all track favorites so Mid-pack Attack is here to help. A mid-packer may not win the race but has as good a shot at a top 15 finish as track favorites Greg Biffle, Carl Edwards, Jeff Gordon and Matt Kenseth. There were 44 cars on the preliminary entry list for this weekend's Cup race. The 43 drivers who qualify will be competing in front of 153,000 fans in the grandstands and in the infield. Here are our picks for Sunday's 3M Performance 400 in Brooklyn, Michigan.

Brian Vickers can be counted on for a strong run at Michigan. His last two Sprint Cup starts here ended in 8th and 4th place finishes. Last season, Vickers entered the August Nationwide Series race here; started on the front row (2nd) and finished 6th. He's pulling MIS double-duty again this week and top tens in both series are a likely possibility.

Two-time Michigan winner, Kurt Busch, is ranked first in the NASCAR loop data "Laps Led" category for the last seven Michigan races (172 laps, 12.9%). They gave him a 6th place driver rating for those seven races as well. Busch is the defending winner of this race. Considering he has four DNF's in fifteen MIS starts and still has a 19.1 average finish, Busch is a good pick for your third of fourth driver.

Now that Dale Earnhardt Inc. and Martin Truex Jr. have settled contract negotiations and will continue their relationship thru the end of 2009, Truex can get back to racing. He had two runner-up Michigan Cup finishes in 2007 and finished 17th here in June. In his two MIS starts back in the Nationwide Series, Truex started on the pole and had top 5 finishes in both events. He has scored 457 Sprint Cup championship points (4th best) at this track over the last three races. Coming off a 5th at The Glen, we expect a top ten from Truex in Brooklyn, Michigan.

A.J. Allmendinger finally gets to breathe easy during Friday's qualifying. After his 11th at Watkins Glen last weekend, his team is 35th in the Sprint Cup owner's points and guaranteed a start on Sunday. He finished 19th, from 39th in the lineup, in the June Michigan race. AJ has averaged a 13.3 over the last four races this season. We think he'll maintain that average this weekend with another top 15 run.

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