NASCAR Preview: Michigan Race Weekend
- DIVEBOMB Motorsport
- Jun 6, 2025
- 5 min read
Written by Gabriel Tsui & Krystal Diane
For the sole non-drafting superspeedway of the year, the Cup and Truck Series’ head to Michigan for the only visit to this track this year.
Michigan is a D-shaped, two-mile (3.29-kilometre) oval that opened in 1968. With 18 degrees of banking in the turns, 12 degrees on the frontstretch and five degrees on the backstretch, this track has consistently hosted NASCAR competition every year since 1968.
Below are the start times for each race plus lap count:
Trucks: Saturday, 7 June, 12:00 local (17:00 UK) – 100 laps
Cup: Sunday, 8 June, 14:00 local (19:00 UK) – 200 laps
Below are the defending winners of each race:
Trucks: not held
Cup: No. 45 - Tyler Reddick (23XI Racing)
Cup Series: Firekeepers Casino 400 Preview
Written by Gabriel Tsui
After Nashville, we find ourselves in Michigan for the first seeding race of the NASCAR in-season tournament. On the larger scale, with Ryan Blaney taking his first win of the season, there are only seven playoff spots up for grabs. Will we see another driver secure his playoff berth, or would we see one of the playoff drivers strengthen their position in the championship?
In Brooklyn Michigan, the drivers will be rolling around the two-mile-long racetrack for 200 laps, with 45 laps in stage one, 75 laps in stage two, and 80 laps in the final stage, totalling a distance run of 400 miles (640 kilometres).
The weather report indicates there will be rain throughout the weekend, while temperatures will sit around 22 degrees Celsius (72 degrees Celsius). The race will commence on the Sunday of June 8th, at 14:00 Eastern (11:00 Pacific, 19:00 British).
Race Predictions
Different from the past few racetracks on the calendar, Michigan is one of the rare 2-mile racetracks. The unpredictable design of the track and the stages makes it tough to predict one single race winner, however we can use past records as an aid to our predictions.
In the past few years, Michigan has been dominated by Ford, winning six-straight before Tyler Reddick broke the streak in 2024. Reddick has been one of the more consistent drivers on the grid this season, holding sixth place in the championship standings.
However, he has yet to find his first win of the season despite three top-five finishes on the season. We believe that is about to change. The bulk of his career wins, similar to Ryan Blaney (who we predicted to win last week), came from the second half of the season. If there is anywhere to turn around your luck, a place where you found previous success is the best place to do so.
Three storylines to look out for
Make or break for FRM
Front Row Motorsport had an ambitious plan with the acquisition of their third charter, but that plan has not gone well so far. At this moment, all three drivers sit well below the playoff cut line and it seems the season is a bust.
However, NASCAR is a sport of boom-or-bust, and one’s season could be turned around in a split second. Should any of their drivers find a win or string together a few good performances, they can easily find themselves back in the mix, but time is running out for them.
Can Daniel Suarez turn his season around?
To say Daniel Suárez’s season has not gone to plan is an understatement. Some would describe Suárez’s season as a failure, but most would describe it as a disaster. Despite being in a contract year, he severely underperformed the abilities of the car.
While teammate Ross Chastain has been practically living within the top-15, currently sitting in ninth in the championship standings, Suarez is on the other end of the standings at 28th place. As mentioned, time is running out for the Mexican, to prove he is still a decent driver, to prove he deserves an extension, and to prove he is better than Connor Zilisch, a Trackhouse junior driver.
Carson Hocevar making his own luck
After having his engine blow up in his face in Charlotte, Carson Hocevar made his own luck in Nashville, carving through the field for a second place finish. Although in the process Hocevar may have made more enemies for himself, this sets up a huge weekend for the Spire driver who needs that little bit of momentum for the rest of his season.
Truck Series: DQS Solutions & Staffings 200 Preview
Written by Krystal Diane
Michigan’s big. Wide straights, long arcs, and enough room to either make a move or disappear trying. It’s been a minute since Trucks ran here, but this time, the return comes with weight. New race, new sponsor, no past winner to measure against. Just 100 laps where clean air is currency and momentum can vanish in half a heartbeat.
This track doesn’t hand out control. It dangles it, then takes it back on a restart. Two-mile speedways have a way of making the brave look brilliant and the impatient look wrecked. The draft works until it doesn’t. And if you’re lifting, you’re losing.
Race Predictions
Rajah Caruth closed Nashville like a driver who meant it. He didn’t win the stages or lead early, but once he got the track position, he never gave it back. He held off Heim and Riggs lap after lap and didn’t crack once. With two wins now and a spot locked for the playoffs, Caruth comes into Michigan with momentum and nothing to lose.
Corey Heim stays sharp. He won Stage 2, led laps, and was glued to Caruth’s bumper down the stretch. He tried the outside with five to go, but traffic got in the way and the door closed. Still, if you’re looking for control, the 11 team brings it every week. Michigan suits his style, and it would not be surprising if he gets number five here.
Layne Riggs looked hungry. He won Stage 1, dropped back after a slow stop, then drove it back to third. He didn’t have enough time to chase the win, but he made sure Heim had to look in his mirror. Riggs is getting sharper, and if the race flips late, he’s one of the few who can make something out of nothing.
If you want someone outside the usual names, watch Corey Day. He finished fifth at Nashville and kept it clean all night. The bigger track at Michigan will be a new challenge, but if he stays out of the mess and manages the runs, he could turn heads again. Michigan isn’t about who leads first. It’s about who’s ready when the field tightens up and the pressure shows.
Two storylines to watch
Rajah Caruth is no longer a maybe
Last year, Caruth was trying to prove he belonged. Now he’s showing how dangerous he can be when everything clicks. Nashville was a full-race performance: quick on pit road, calm on restarts, and focused through traffic. He’s already locked into the playoffs, but this part of the season is where drivers start building something bigger. Caruth might be doing just that.
Winning isn’t the question for Riggs; repeating it is
Riggs has the résumé. He’s won at the local level, has a national title, and knows what it takes to run up front. But Nashville felt like the sharpest version of him we’ve seen this season. Stage win, bounce-back drive, and a podium that looked earned, not inherited. If he keeps stringing races together like that, he won’t just be a threat, he’ll be a fixture.
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