Who Will be their Manufacturer’s Top Man in Michigan?

Photo Credit to Meg Oliphant/Getty Images

NASCAR

Stratta’s Six: Who Can Conquer the Mega Speeds of Michigan?

One of NASCAR’s biggest, fastest, and most daunting racetracks has a lot on the line this weekend. Michigan International Speedway brings with it manufacturer bragging rights and the famed Heritage Trophy in the shadow of Motor City. Coming off an electric race in Music City, the Cup Series’ best now shift focus to the wide open two-mile oval. Here are a few contenders that hope to stand tall in the Irish Hills’ victory lane.

Denny Hamlin

Can anyone stop Denny Hamlin’s red hot streak? Driver No. 11 enters Michigan as the reigning winner, fresh off another victory in Nashville last week. 12 months ago marked Michigan win number three for Hamlin, and his first in 14 years. This triumph was a long time coming for Hamlin, who rides a streak of finishing 11th or better in the last 10 Michigan races.

“I love Michigan,” Hamlin said. “It’s one of my favorite tracks. I got lots of favorite tracks, but results have been really good there. Obviously it’s high speed and turns left, those are the two things we are typically good at. And Michigan has always been a momentum based racetrack and I feel like that doesn’t relate in a sense of speed, but like the short tracks, the late models I used to run are very momentum based. So I’ve always just been good at keeping high momentum speed up. It’s kind of a hybrid drafting track as well. All of those skills that you have to have just kind of come together and I’ve always been in really fast cars as well, that helps.”

The electric last lap heroics from Hamlin in Nashville cemented his third podium in four weeks, plus the All-Star Race win. Hamlin deservedly heads to The Wolverine State as the oddsmakers’ favorite. The Joe Gibbs Racing veteran looks to tie past teammate Kyle Busch with a 63rd career victory. A fourth career Michigan checkered flag would fittingly make Hamlin the 11th man to hit this milestone.

Kyle Larson

Tied for winningest active man at Michigan with Hamlin and Joey Logano, Kyle Larson was once unbeatable here. The defending Cup champion picked up his first career victory here 10 years ago, and took two more wins in a perfect three-peat. Since then, however, Larson’s been struck out of victory lane in nine Michigan starts. Across the Next Gen era, the 5’s been fifth here twice including last season.

“I am motivated everywhere but it’s going on several years since I have won at Michigan,” Larson said. “So I would love to find victory lane again. I feel like every time I’ve gone to Michigan, we’ve been really good. I’ve been close to winning a couple different times, just haven’t done it. So hopefully we can go back and get into victory lane.”

Hendrick Motorsports’ No. 5 Chevrolet has shown glimpses of their regular contending speed in recent weeks. Charlotte saw Larson lead 14 laps and finish fifth, before 56 circuits paced at Nashville. Bad luck from a late blown tire erased his chance at a solid result last week, but team 5’s execution was on par. Still winless in his last 38 starts, Michigan is a prime opportunity for Larson to be money again.

Ryan Blaney

2021’s Michigan master, Ryan Blaney yearns for another victory in Ford’s backyard. He’s also gunning to join the 2026 multi-win club from third in points. Team Penske’s No. 12 Mustang has eight top-10s in 17 career Michigan starts, and laps led in all but two of the last 11 races here. Blaney’s best MIS Next Gen showing was fifth in 2022, having issues derail strong results for the last two years.

Ever since winning Phoenix in March, Blaney’s regressed slightly to the back half of the top-10 most weeks. His last four finishes mirror this, but Nashville did show some promise. Blaney’s 46 laps led a week ago were his most put up since Bristol in April, before he backslid to finish eighth. The fastest Ford week in and week out this year will try and take the blue oval brigade back to success at one of their most prolific tracks.

Tyler Reddick

The hottest driver and team so far in 2026, Tyler Reddick has tasted victory in Michigan just two years ago. 23XI Racing’s No. 45 led 15 laps that day, earning Toyota’s first Michigan triumph in almost a decade. Since then, the manufacturer has back-to-back Irish Hills wins. The 45 looks to be number one again for an unprecedented sixth win of the season.

Reddick has yet to have a truly poor result all year, with a worst outing of 15th at Martinsville. 2024’s win is Reddick’s only Michigan result better than 13th. Expect another strong Sunday ahead from the points leader.

Carson Hocevar

Making his first homecoming as a Cup Series winner, Carson Hocevar aims to make history. No Michigan born driver has ever taken the checkers first at Michigan International Speedway. Spire Motorsports’ No. 77 was within 20 laps of this feat last year. A cut tire ended the dream run for Hocevar in 2025, but he still calls taking the lead and driving away that day one of his best racing memories.

“I remember that moment last year really well,” Hocevar said. “I got to (Kyle) Larson’s right rear, and I knew he lost a lot of momentum from it. So I shot out to the lead. I always have tunnel vision while racing. The sky could turn purple and I’d have no idea. But for some reason, I actually looked in the stands when I was coming off of Turn 4. It is a really long straightaway, and I remember seeing so many of them jumping up and cheering. It’s definitely one of the coolest racing memories I have – one I will cherish for a long time. Michigan is somewhere I am really comfortable and we have shown we have the speed to compete up front. Hopefully I can give all the Michigan fans something to cheer for on Sunday.”

“Harold, Aaron and the whole Zeigler family have been really great to me. The Zeigler headquarters is actually just a few miles down the road from where I grew up in Kalamazoo and remember passing it all the time when I was a kid. When you represent the Zeigler family and Zeigler Auto Group, you feel like you are representing the Kalamazoo and Portage areas. Could be a really special day if we can get it done.”

The racing pride of Portage, Michigan will try and tame the two-mile oval lying less than two hours from his hometown. If we thought Hocevar’s Talladega victory celebration was something special, there’s no telling what storm could be brewing from The Hurricane at Michigan. Hocevar will have added track time in Saturday’s Truck race as well, trying to take home two trophies from Brooklyn.

Chris Buescher

Never one to be counted out of a Michigan win, RFK Racing brought the heat here in 2023 with Chris Buescher. Three years ago saw the No. 17 lead 52 laps for his second-straight win that season. Buescher has been sixth and second in his two Michigan starts since then, proving that Roush power is alive and well at their home track.

Buescher currently sits eighth on the Chase grid, within striking distance of a possible top-five seed this fall. A Michigan win would go far for team 17. The Ford crew aspires to return with vengeance to the postseason and reestablish RFK Racing as a title-level threat.

Michigan has been a two-horse barn for manufacturer supremacy in recent years. Nine-straight Ford wins have been matched by back-to-back Toyota triumphs the last two years. This gives Chevrolet a near decade-long dry spell here. The FireKeepers Casino 400 goes green Sunday at 3 p.m. ET on Prime Video, MRN, and SiriusXM NASCAR Radio. Whoever does take the Heritage Trophy home to their car brand will have scored one of the most coveted wins all year.

Written by Peter Stratta

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Photo credits to Meg Oliphant/Getty Images