Greg Biffle takes the winner’s cheers at Michigan. (AP Photo)

While it was Greg Biffle winning the Pure Michigan 400 at Michigan International Speedway on Sunday, it is Kyle Busch getting the headlines for penalties on Tuesday. Prior to practice for the race on Friday, NASCAR found that the No. 18 Interstates Batteries Toyota had improperly attached weights.

On Tuesday, NASCAR announced penalties for the No. 18 crew.  The No. 18 car was found to be in violation of Sections 12-1 (actions detrimental to stock car racing); 12-4J (any determination by NASCAR officials that the race equipment used in the event does not conform to NASCAR rules); and 20-2.3A (improperly attached weight) of the 2012 NASCAR rule book.

Dave Rogers has been fined $25,000 and placed on NASCAR probation until Oct. 3. In addition, car chief Wesley Sherrill has been placed on NASCAR probation until Oct. 3.

No points were taken, so there is no change in the NASCAR Sprint Cup Series points standings. Wonder why?

Greg Biffle takes the winner’s cheers at Michigan. (AP Photo)

Greg Biffle won the Pure Michigan 400 from Michigan International Speedway on Sunday afternoon and became the points leader in the process.

The Biff, as he is called by many, captured his second win of the 2012 NASCAR Sprint Cup season and was able to snap a seven race winless streak at MIS for Roush-Fenway Racing.

Jimmie Johnson, who looked to be the one to beat towards the end of the race, would blow an engine with four laps to go.  This wasn’t the first engine issue for the Hendrick organization. Tony Stewart and Jeff Gordon also had engine issues earlier in the race.

“I was closing in on [Johnson] and I don’t know if I would have got him in those eight laps or not but it would have been a hell of a run to the end,” said Biffle.

Polesitter Mark Martin led the most laps but finished his race on lap 65 in a scary crash against one of the pitwall openings. The concrete barrier penetrated the side of the car right behind the driver’s seat, while Kahne’s crew members were also lucky to escape getting hit by Martin’s car.

The next race for the Sprint Cup Series is Saturday night at Bristol Motor Speedway.

Unofficial Race Results:
(Finish/Start) Read the rest of this entry »

Dale Earnhardt Jr. celebrates in Victory Lane after winning the NASCAR Sprint Cup Series Quicken Loans 400 at Michigan International Speedway on June 17, 2012 in Brooklyn, Michigan. (Photo by Jeff Zelevansky/Getty Images)

Dust off your 88 gear. Pop open a Diet Mountain Dew. It’s time to celebrate.

Dale Earnhardt, Jr.’s 143 winless streak is officially over, at the same track that it started at four years ago, Michigan International Speedway.

Read the rest of this entry »

The Quicken Loans 400 from Michigan International Speedway beings with the Countdown to Green on TNT at 12pm EST on Sunday. Can Marcos Ambrose win from the pole like Joey Logano did last weekend or will Carl Edwards have a spectacular race and come from last to first? Turn in to TNT for all the drama!

By Tom Pennington, Getty Images
Denny Hamlin celebrates in victory lane after winning the Heluva Good! Sour Cream Dips 400 at Michigan International Speedway.

Race Information:

When: Sunday, June 17, 2012
Where: Michigan International Speedway in Brooklyn, MI
Laps: 200
Distance: 400 Miles

Before I even start the race preview for the weekend, let me just get it out of the way now. This weekend marks the 143rd race, that’s FOUR years, since NASCAR’s Most Popular Driver, Dale Earnhardt, Jr. has been in Gatorade Victory Lane in the NASCAR Sprint Cup Series. Now that that has been said, let’s preview the Quicken Loans 400 from Michigan International Speedway.

The Quicken Loans 400 marks the final race of the spring season, and the second week in a row the NASCAR Sprint Cup Series is racing at a newly repaved track.

Denny Hamlin has won the last two June Quicken Loan 400′s from MIS. Can he make is three in a row?

Also expect a new track record in qualifying again this weekend, as speeds during the Goodyear tire test a few weeks ago went well over 200 mph. Read the rest of this entry »

LAT PHOTOGRAPHIC – Carl Edwards’s win on Saturday was the 33rd in his Nationwide Series career.

Race Information:

When: Saturday, June 16, 2012
Where: Michigan International Speedway in Brooklyn, MI
Laps: 125
Distance: 250 Miles 

Look for the NASCAR Nationwide Series boys to get some extra practice time early on Friday morning because of the newly paved 2-mile surface at Michigan International Speedway.

However, MIS isn’t a Toyota track, but it could be turn out to be for Joey Logano. Who figured out the newly paved Pocono Raceway last week in the Sprint Cup Series. Logano looks to build on his series leading four races. Logano is currently leading the Nationwide Series owners standing over the No. 2 Richard Childress Racing Chevrolet driven by Elliott Sadler by 34 points.

Ricky Stenhouse, Jr., who is coming off a great weekend in Nashville at the CMT Awards, is looking to rebound after a rough two weeks in Charlotte and Dover is now in second place in the point standings. Can he climb his way back top the top? MIS could be the perfect remedy for Stenhouse, as Roush bases Roush Industries in Michigan. Read the rest of this entry »

Kurt Busch is held back during scuffle with Ryan Newman following the NASCAR Sprint Cup Series Bojangles’ Southern 500 at Darlington Raceway on May 12, 2012. (Photo by Geoff Burke/Getty Images for NASCAR)

Kurt Busch will race this weekend in the No. 51 Phoenix Racing Chevrolet for team owner James Finch at Michigan International Raceway. This comes after the driver and team owner had a “come to Jesus” meeting earlier on Tuesday to discuss his actions following an altercation with The Sporting News reporter Bob Pockrass at Dover two weeks ago after the NASCAR Nationwide Series race.

In hopes to keep what was said in the shop underwraps, Finch released the following statement:

“We have met with Kurt. At the end of the day, we are racers, so we’re going racing together with Kurt and the No. 51 Phoenix Racing Chevrolet. We know adjustments have to be made, but how we fix that is between Kurt and myself. We’re going to go to the track, work hard, race hard and work on trying to attract a sponsor — and we’re going to do that together.” Read the rest of this entry »

Dale Earnhardt Jr. stands on the grid during qualifying for the NASCAR Sprint Cup Series Aaron’s 499 at Talladega Superspeedway on May 5, 2012. (Photo by Jerry Markland/Getty Images for NASCAR)

With Jimmie Johnson already giving Hendrick Motorsports win number 200 at Darlington Raceway and Kasey Kahne winning the Coca-Cola 600 at Charlotte Motor Speedway just last Sunday, all eyes are now on Dale Earnhardt, Jr to win again especially while the team as a whole has made progress.

Many do not known that my favorite driver is Dale Earnhardt, Jr., and no it isn’t because he is a pretty face. He can wheel a car, but the last few years just haven’t been on his side and no matter what I have been on his side.

With 12 races into the NASCAR Sprint Cup Series(NSCS) schedule, NASCAR’s Most Popular Driver has been running consistently. In fact, if you look at the stats, he is on record to have one of the best seasons in his NSCS career.

Dale Earnhardt, Jr., who is currently fourth in point Read the rest of this entry »

(Photo by Getty Images)

What is a number? To Matt Kenseth fans that No.17 is everything. Go to a race and ask members of the Junior Nation all about change. A number in NASCAR is a powerful thing.

Last Friday, when Roush-Fenway Racing put out a press release that the 2012 Daytona 500 Champion would be getting a number change, NASCAR fans all over the country started to freak out. I had people asking me on Twitter and even at church during mass if Jack Roush was really going to change Kenseth’s number 11 races into the 2012 NASCAR Sprint Cup season. Then there were the people asking me if this was going to be just for the NASCAR Sprint All-Star race, similar to what Jimmie Johnson did in 2011 with the No. 5.

For the first time in my short writing career, I had no clue what to tell people. I was just as stumped as they were. When members of the NASCAR media asked Kenseth about it on Friday during his media availability at Darlington Raceway, even he was stumped.

On Monday morning, the question was finally answered and if you had Matt Kenseth driving the Fifth-Third No. 17 Ford Fusion, you win! Read the rest of this entry »