NASCAR In Michigan: Kevin Harvick Breaks Through With Downforce Track Win

Kevin Harvick picked up an important victory on Sunday at Michigan International Speedway, proving he can win on downforce tracks as well as in restrictor-plate races.

Harvick’s win helped give credibility to his Sprint Cup Series points lead, which he had gained through consistency but not necessarily domination.

Nearly every week, anyone who scans Dale Earnhardt Jr.‘s team radio can eavesdrop on a not-so-pleasant conversation between NASCAR’s most popular driver and his crew chief, Lance McGrew.

When things aren’t going right during a race, the duo often snaps at one another and the conversations can sometimes sound – at least to outsiders – like an all-out fight.

Jack Roush returned to the racetrack on Friday for the first time since his plane crash. In speaking with reporters, he confirmed that he lost his left eye in the crash and fractured his back, among other things.

But as everyone now knows, it could have been much worse. Here’s a transcript of Roush’s comments from Friday:

Jimmie Johnson has won 52 career races: 39 on speedways, 10 on short tracks, two on superspeedways and one on a road course.

It seems like Johnson wins all the time, everywhere NASCAR goes.

People can convince themselves of many things, and when it comes to Paul Menard, that seems to be the case with Richard Childress.

Childress kept a completely straight face on Friday when he discussed Richard Childress Racing’s new three-year deal with Menard, a below-average driver who has gotten elite rides due to the Menards sponsorship he brings.

With just four races to go before the Chase begins, it’s getting down to crunch time at Michigan.

Last year, Brian Vickers won this race and it propelled him into a Chase spot. Can Clint Bowyer, Mark Martin or one of the other bubble drivers do the same?