FireKeepers Casino 400

The FireKeepers Casino 400 is a 400-mile (643.737 km) NASCAR Cup Series stock car race held annually at Michigan International Speedway in Brooklyn, Michigan (15 of 36). It is the first of two NASCAR Cup Series races at Michigan, with the other one being the Consumers Energy 400 in mid-August.

FireKeepers Casino 400
NASCAR Cup Series
VenueMichigan International Speedway
LocationBrooklyn, Michigan, United States
Corporate sponsorFireKeepers Casino
First race1969 (1969)
Distance400 miles (640 km)
Laps200[1]
Stages 1/2: 60 each
Final stage: 80
Previous namesMotor State 500 (1969)
Motor State 400 (1970–1973, 1975)
Motor State 360 (1974)
Cam 2 Motor Oil 400 (1976–1977)
Gabriel 400 (1978–1983)
Miller High Life 400 (1984, 1988–1989)
Miller 400 (1985, 1996–1997)
Miller American 400 (1986–1987)
Miller Genuine Draft 400 (1990–1995)
Miller Lite 400 (1998)
Kmart 400 (1999–2001)
Sirius Satellite Radio 400 (2002)
Sirius 400 (2003)
DHL 400 (2004)
Batman Begins 400 (2005)
3M Performance 400 Presented by Post-it Picture Paper (2006)
Citizens Bank 400 (2007)
LifeLock 400 (2008–2009)
Heluva Good! Sour Cream Dips 400 (2010–2011)
Quicken Loans 400 (2012–2015)
Most wins (driver)Cale Yarborough (6)
Most wins (team)Hendrick Motorsports
Roush Fenway Racing
Wood Brothers Racing (6)
Most wins (manufacturer)Ford (20)
Circuit information
SurfaceAsphalt
Length2.0 mi (3.2 km)
Turns4

This particular event had one of the longer title sponsorship arrangements. Miller Brewing Company sponsored the race from 1984 to 1998. In 2006, 3M signed a three-year agreement to sponsor the race, but after one year moved its sponsorship to the August race. Starting with the 2008 race, LifeLock had title sponsorship rights for three years pending the announcement by the speedway but left after two. The LifeLock 400 was the name of the race formerly known as the Banquet 400 in 2007. From 2012 to 2015, Quicken Loans sponsored the race and was replaced by FireKeepers Casino in 2016.[2] On October 7, 2020, the track announced that FireKeepers Casino will continue as the race sponsor.[3]

The 1999 race, won by Dale Jarrett, went without a caution. At an average speed of 173.997 mph, it set the NASCAR all-time record for a 400-mile race. In many seasons, the race falls on Father's Day weekend.

Kevin Harvick is the defending winner of the race.

Past winners

Year Date No. Driver Team Manufacturer Race distance Race time Average speed
(mph)
Report
Laps Miles (km)
1969 June 15 21 Cale Yarborough Wood Brothers Racing Mercury 250 500 (804.672) 3:35:26 139.254 Report
1970 June 7 21 Cale Yarborough Wood Brothers Racing Mercury 200 400 (643.737) 2:53:02 138.302 Report
1971 June 13 12 Bobby Allison Holman-Moody Mercury 197 401.88 (646.763) 2:41:13 149.567 Report
1972 June 11 21 David Pearson Wood Brothers Racing Mercury 200 400 (643.737) 2:43:40 146.639 Report
1973 June 24 21 David Pearson Wood Brothers Racing Mercury 200 400 (643.737) 2:36:22 153.485 Report
1974 June 16 43 Richard Petty Petty Enterprises Dodge 180* 360 (579.363) 2:48:46 127.098 Report
1975 June 15 21 David Pearson Wood Brothers Racing Mercury 200 400 (643.737) 3:02:39 131.398 Report
1976 June 20 21 David Pearson Wood Brothers Racing Mercury 200 400 (643.737) 2:50:02 141.148 Report
1977 June 19 11 Cale Yarborough Junior Johnson &
Associates
Chevrolet 200 400 (643.737) 2:57:44 135.033 Report
1978 June 18 11 Cale Yarborough Junior Johnson &
Associates
Oldsmobile 200 400 (643.737) 2:40:28 149.563 Report
1979 June 17 28 Buddy Baker Ranier-Lundy Chevrolet 200 400 (643.737) 2:56:44 135.798 Report
1980 June 15 27 Benny Parsons M.C. Anderson Racing Chevrolet 200 400 (643.737) 3:02:05 131.808 Report
1981 June 21 28 Bobby Allison Ranier-Lundy Buick 200 400 (643.737) 3:03:47 130.589 Report
1982 June 20 27 Cale Yarborough M.C. Anderson Racing Buick 200 400 (643.737) 3:23:13 118.101 Report
1983 June 19 28 Cale Yarborough Ranier-Lundy Chevrolet 200 400 (643.737) 2:53:00 138.728 Report
1984 June 17 9 Bill Elliott Melling Racing Ford 200 400 (643.737) 2:58:10 134.705 Report
1985 June 16 9 Bill Elliott Melling Racing Ford 200 400 (643.737) 2:45:48 144.724 Report
1986 June 15 9 Bill Elliott Melling Racing Ford 200 400 (643.737) 2:53:21 138.851 Report
1987 June 28 3 Dale Earnhardt Richard Childress Racing Chevrolet 200 400 (643.737) 2:41:40 148.454 Report
1988 June 26 27 Rusty Wallace Blue Max Racing Pontiac 200 400 (643.737) 2:36:18 153.551 Report
1989 June 25 9 Bill Elliott Melling Racing Ford 200 400 (643.737) 2:52:38 139.023 Report
1990 June 24 3 Dale Earnhardt Richard Childress Racing Chevrolet 200 400 (643.737) 2:39:46 150.219 Report
1991 June 23 28 Davey Allison Robert Yates Racing Ford 200 400 (643.737) 2:29:09 160.912 Report
1992 June 21 28 Davey Allison Robert Yates Racing Ford 200 400 (643.737) 2:37:12 152.672 Report
1993 June 20 5 Ricky Rudd Hendrick Motorsports Chevrolet 200 400 (643.737) 2:41:38 148.484 Report
1994 June 19 2 Rusty Wallace Penske Racing Ford 200 400 (643.737) 3:11:58 125.022 Report
1995 June 18 18 Bobby Labonte Joe Gibbs Racing Chevrolet 200 400 (643.737) 2:58:58 134.141 Report
1996 June 23 2 Rusty Wallace Penske Racing Ford 200 400 (643.737) 2:24:23 166.033 Report
1997 June 15 28 Ernie Irvan Robert Yates Racing Ford 200 400 (643.737) 2:36:31 153.338 Report
1998 June 14 6 Mark Martin Roush Racing Ford 200 400 (643.737) 2:31:14 158.695 Report
1999 June 13 88 Dale Jarrett Robert Yates Racing Ford 200 400 (643.737) 2:17:56 173.997 Report
2000 June 11 20 Tony Stewart Joe Gibbs Racing Pontiac 194* 388 (624.425) 2:41:45 143.926 Report
2001 June 10 24 Jeff Gordon Hendrick Motorsports Chevrolet 200 400 (643.737) 2:58:50 134.203 Report
2002 June 16 17 Matt Kenseth Roush Racing Ford 200 400 (643.737) 2:35:01 154.822 Report
2003 June 15 97 Kurt Busch Roush Racing Ford 200 400 (643.737) 3:02:54 131.219 Report
2004 June 20 12 Ryan Newman Penske Racing Dodge 200 400 (643.737) 2:52:18 139.292 Report
2005 June 19 16 Greg Biffle Roush Racing Ford 200 400 (643.737) 2:39:22 150.596 Report
2006 June 18 9 Kasey Kahne Evernham Motorsports Dodge 129* 258 (415.21) 2:10:19 118.788 Report
2007 June 17 99 Carl Edwards Roush Fenway Racing Ford 200 400 (643.737) 2:42:05 148.07 Report
2008 June 15 88 Dale Earnhardt Jr. Hendrick Motorsports Chevrolet 203* 406 (653.393) 2:47:34 145.375 Report
2009 June 14 5 Mark Martin Hendrick Motorsports Chevrolet 200 400 (643.737) 2:34:21 155.491 Report
2010 June 13 11 Denny Hamlin Joe Gibbs Racing Toyota 200 400 (643.737) 2:33:28 156.386 Report
2011 June 19 11 Denny Hamlin Joe Gibbs Racing Toyota 200 400 (643.737) 2:36:50 153.029 Report
2012 June 17 88 Dale Earnhardt Jr. Hendrick Motorsports Chevrolet 200 400 (643.737) 2:52:29 139.144 Report
2013 June 16 16 Greg Biffle Roush Fenway Racing Ford 200 400 (643.737) 2:52:19 139.278 Report
2014 June 15 48 Jimmie Johnson Hendrick Motorsports Chevrolet 200 400 (643.737) 2:47:19 143.441 Report
2015* June 14 41 Kurt Busch Stewart-Haas Racing Chevrolet 138* 276 (444.179) 2:21:55 116.688 Report
2016 June 12 22 Joey Logano Team Penske Ford 200 400 (643.737) 2:58:47 134.241 Report
2017 June 18 42 Kyle Larson Chip Ganassi Racing Chevrolet 200 400 (643.737) 2:47:24 143.369 Report
2018 June 10 14 Clint Bowyer Stewart-Haas Racing Ford 133* 266 (428.085) 2:00:15 132.723 Report
2019 June 10* 22 Joey Logano Team Penske Ford 203* 406 (653.393) 2:52:50 140.945 Report
2020 August 8 4 Kevin Harvick Stewart-Haas Racing Ford 161* 322 (518.208) 2:34:55 124.712 Report
2021 August 28 Report

Notes

  • 1974: The race was shortened by 10% in response to the fuel crisis.
  • 2000: Race shortened due to rain/darkness.
  • 2006, 2015, and 2018: Race shortened due to rain.
  • 2008, 2019, and 2020: Race extended due to a NASCAR Overtime finish.
  • 2015: The race was red-flagged for a record of four times, laps 13, 19, 44, and 139.
  • 2019: Race postponed from Sunday to Monday afternoon due to rain and extended due to a NASCAR Overtime finish.
  • 2020: Race postponed from June 7 to August 8 and shortened to 500 kilometers (312 miles) due to the COVID-19 pandemic. However, the race retained the "FireKeepers Casino 400" name.[4]

Multiple winners (drivers)

# Wins Driver Years Won
6 Cale Yarborough 1969, 1970, 1977, 1978, 1982, 1983
4 David Pearson 1972, 1973, 1975, 1976
Bill Elliott 1984, 1985, 1986, 1989
3 Rusty Wallace 1988, 1994, 1996
2 Bobby Allison 1971, 1981
Dale Earnhardt 1987, 1990
Mark Martin 1998, 2009
Denny Hamlin 2010, 2011
Dale Earnhardt Jr. 2008, 2012
Greg Biffle 2005, 2013
Kurt Busch 2003, 2015
Joey Logano 2016, 2019

Multiple winners (teams)

# Wins Team Years Won
6 Wood Brothers Racing 1969, 1970, 1972, 1973, 1975, 1976
Roush Fenway Racing 1998, 2002, 2003, 2005, 2007, 2013
Hendrick Motorsports 1993, 2001, 2008, 2009, 2012, 2014
5 Team Penske 1994, 1996, 2004, 2016, 2019
4 Melling Racing 1984, 1985, 1986, 1989
Robert Yates Racing 1991, 1992, 1997, 1999
Joe Gibbs Racing 1995, 2000, 2010, 2011
3 Ranier-Lundy 1979, 1981, 1983
Stewart-Haas Racing 2015, 2018, 2020
2 Junior Johnson & Associates 1977, 1978
M.C. Anderson Racing 1980, 1982
Richard Childress Racing 1987, 1990

Manufacturer wins

# Wins Manufacturer Years Won
20 Ford 1984, 1985, 1986, 1989, 1991, 1992, 1994, 1996, 1997, 1998, 1999, 2002, 2003, 2005, 2007, 2013, 2016, 2018, 2019, 2020
15 Chevrolet 1977, 1979, 1980, 1983, 1987, 1990, 1993, 1995, 2001, 2008, 2009, 2012, 2014, 2015, 2017
7 Mercury 1969, 1970, 1971, 1972, 1973, 1975, 1976
3 Dodge 1974, 2004, 2006
2 Buick 1981, 1982
Pontiac 1988, 2000
Toyota 2010, 2011
1 Oldsmobile 1978

Notable races

  • 1969: NASCAR's debut at Michigan International Speedway was a 500-miler where the lead changed 35 times and writer Benny Phillips wrote afterward, "If they gave an Oscar for NASCAR's most exciting race, it would win hands down." Cale Yarborough escaped to the win when LeeRoy Yarbrough crashed on the final lap.
  • 1970: A scoring controversy marred Cale Yarborough's rally to edge Pete Hamilton in a four-lap battle to the flag. Yarborough had lost two laps earlier but was scored on the lead lap at the end; Hamilton's car owner Richard Petty protested, "The (scoring) cards have Cale lapping Pete (on a late caution) without the pace car lapping Pete. That's impossible." Hamilton and Petty led over 100 laps between them in high-winged Plymouth Superbirds.
  • 1971: Bobby Allison edged Bobby Isaac by a car length for his third straight win of the season, driving the Holman-Moody Mercury. The lead changed 35 times with Allison, Isaac, and Donnie Allison at times racing three abreast down the mammoth trioval and the lead changing twice on several laps between Bobby Allison and Isaac.
  • 1972: David Pearson took the second of his record nine Michigan wins, dominating in the Wood Brothers Mercury; the win was the third for the Woods in the Michigan 400's first four runnings. It was the final season the track was operated under the aegis of the defunct empire of Larry Lopatin, as Roger Penske would purchase the facility in 1973.
  • 1974: The rivalry between Richard Petty in the STP Dodge and David Pearson and the Purolator Mercury had begun intensifying in 1973 and reached a new level in 1974 as Petty won the Daytona 500 and Carolina 500 while Pearson had stormed to win the Rebel 450, Winston 500, and World 600. Petty and Pearson faced off with challenges from the Allison brothers, Cale Yarborough, and Buddy Baker, but on this June 1974 day a rookie from Alsa Craig, Ontario, Earl Ross, found himself in the fight as well. A late crash put the race under yellow in the final four laps; Pearson pitted for tires thinking the race would restart but it didn't, as Petty took the win and the Canadian rookie Ross finished second with Pearson third. The lead changed 50 times among nine drivers. Also, this race marked the only Top 5 finish for Marty Robbins.
  • 1976: Pearson's superspeedway vengeance tour of 1976 hit Michigan as Cale Yarborough dominated before losing enough power to finish second to the late rally of The Silver Fox, who posted his seventh win of the season.
  • 1977: Cale Yarborough took his seventh win of the season over Richard Petty, but was upset after the race over the track surface, which had buckled after a hard winter and caused "my car (to jump) out of gear three times."
  • 1979: The lead changed 47 times among eleven drivers and the finish shook into an eight-car battle. In the final laps rookie, Dale Earnhardt hit the apron of Turn Three trying a pass and nearly crashed into Neil Bonnett, Petty, and Darrell Waltrip; both Waltrip and Petty were pointedly critical of Earnhardt ("He nearly took us all out," Waltrip said afterward). Waltrip's blown transmission in the final two laps secured the win for Buddy Baker.
  • 1980: Benny Parsons, raised in Detroit, took the win at the speedway in his home state.
  • 1981: Another eight-car battle exploded with five to go when Kyle Petty blew his engine in, Turn, Two as the leaders were entering One; Bobby Allison was running seventh when five of the top seven spun in the oil, then down the backstretch, Darrell Waltrip and Dale Earnhardt collided and crashed. The win was Allison's fourth of the 1981 season and the race turned out to be the final one for car owner Rod Osterlund as he sold his team to mysterious J.D. Stacy.
  • 1982:Televised live on CBS, the race completed 56 laps before rain delayed resumption until late in the evening. Cale Yarborough setup Darrell Waltrip for a last-lap pass on the backstretch, with Waltrip, aggressively blocking and making contact. Yarborough made the pass and won, while Waltrip tried to make contact with Cale after the checkered, but thought better of it and spun into the turn 1 infield. An agitated Waltrip gave a very blunt interview to CBS pit announcer Larry Nuber for the late-night race summary, as the live telecast was abandoned after the rain delay. Helped by the very late mid-June sunset in Michigan, it is probably the latest a NASCAR Cup race ever concluded (about 9:15 pm EDT) at a track without night lighting.
  • 1984: Cale Yarborough's bid for a ninth Michigan win faltered and Bill Elliott ran away from Dale Earnhardt for his first Michigan win and first win on an oval.
  • 1986: Elliott posted a third straight Michigan 400 win, edging Harry Gant, who was competing despite injuries sustained at Pocono the week earlier.
  • 1987: Dale Earnhardt took the win as Tim Richmond finished fourth, what would be the final top-five of Richmond's career.
  • 1989: Rusty Wallace dominated but on a late pitstop Barry Dodson missed the peg under the door for the jack to be secured; the lengthy stop dropped Wallace too far back to challenge Bill Elliott, who took his fourth Michigan 400 win. Darrell Waltrip led late but "I had too high a gear and it was killing me off the corners."
  • 1990: Bill Elliott's blown engine opened the door to a late duel between Dale Earnhardt and fiery upstart Ernie Irvan, who finished 1–2; Irvan was driving Oldsmobiles for Morgan-McClure Motorsports and before the race, it was revealed that Chevrolet would provide the team with factory backing.
  • 1991: Only one caution flew as the first half of the race erupted into a ferocious multicar duel. Geoff Bodine and car owner Junior Johnson returned to action after Johnson was suspended for several races, but the primary battle was between Earnhardt, Davey Allison, Mark Martin, and upstart Hut Stricklin, driving for Davey's dad Bobby; the foursome fought it out after a Lap 35 caution and the lead changed over 30 times officially and otherwise, with Earnhardt, in particular, blasting his car into the corners two full seconds deeper than anyone else and the draft kicking into striking effect for Michigan. Past halfway the race shook into a caution-free breeze home for Allison and Stricklin and a satisfying day for Bobby Allison.
  • 1994: A slow stop put Rusty Wallace, in his first year in a Ford, well behind Dale Earnhardt, but Wallace handily clawed his way forward and stormed to his third straight win of the season.
  • 1995: Chevrolet's controversial Monte Carlo dominated as Jeff Gordon was bested by Bobby Labonte; Labonte Joe Gibbs Racing Chevy ran Hendrick Motorsports engines, a fact that irked primary Hendrick driver Gordon afterward and led to the discontinuance of the engine lease program between Hendrick and Gibbs.
  • 1997: Ernie Irvan, two months removed from a controversial weekend and bad crash at Texas Motor Speedway, ran away for the Michigan win, his lone win of the season, final win for Robert Yates, and only career win at the track where he was gravely injured three years earlier.
  • 1999: For the first and only time at Michigan, the race goes caution-free.
  • 2001: Jeff Gordon out-dueled Ricky Rudd to score the 100th win for car owner Rick Hendrick.
  • 2008: On Father's Day and hanging around in 5th conserving fuel, Dale Earnhardt Jr. pulled off the biggest upset of the year by winning at Michigan for the first time and snapping a 76 race winless streak (his father won 76 races) and scored his first points race win with car owner Rick Hendrick in the 88 car. At the time it was Chevrolet's first win at Michigan since Jeff Gordon won there in June 2001.
  • 2012: First race on the new surface. Four years and two days after scoring his first win with Hendrick Motorsports, Dale Earnhardt Jr. snapped a 143 race winless streak by leading 95 of the 200 laps to score the win for the second time on Father's Day. His last win also came at Michigan on Father's Day in 2008. The race was delayed for two hours because of rain.
  • 2014: Jimmie Johnson won his first Michigan race after a streak of bad luck that included engine failures and poor fuel strategy.
  • 2015: Kurt Busch, driving in a back-up car, was declared the winner after the race was called for rain after 138 laps. The first 50 laps had seen three red flags resulting from persistent rain.
  • 2017: Martin Truex Jr. led for most of the race but after a late-race debris caution, Kyle Larson bested him on the restart to win the race. It would be Larson's 2nd of 3 wins in a row at Michigan.
  • 2019: Due to rain and the World Cup happening during the day, the race started at 5 pm EDT. Despite the fact it started late, darkness was never a factor. Joey Logano led a Michigan-record 163 of the 203 laps in a green-white-checkered finish, holding off Kurt Busch.

References

  1. "Stage lengths for 2021 NASCAR season". NASCAR. January 25, 2021. Retrieved January 31, 2021.
  2. Broderick, Bill (October 20, 2015). "NASCAR race at MIS named FireKeepers Casino 400". Battle Creek Enquirer. Retrieved October 20, 2015.
  3. "FireKeepers Casino Entitlement - Michigan International Speedway". Michigan International Speedway. Retrieved October 7, 2020.
  4. "NASCAR OEMs to battle this weekend for coveted Michigan Heritage Trophy". Michigan International Speedway. August 4, 2020. Retrieved August 4, 2020. The NASCAR Cup Series FireKeepers Casino 400 will be held on Saturday, August 8 at 4:00 pm (NBCSN), while the Consumers Energy 400 will take place the following day at 4:30 pm (NBCSN). [...] The distance for each race will be 312 miles.
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