Ryan Blaney only led eight total laps during Sunday's FireKeepers Casino 400 at Michigan International Speedway, but fortunately for the driver of the No. 12 Ford, those were the last eight laps of the race.
Blaney jumped to the front of the field on a late restart and never relinquished the lead on the way to his second win of the NASCAR Cup Series season. William Byron and Kyle Larson made a hard push down the stretch, but Blaney managed to take the checkered flag by a margin of 0.077 seconds.
"We got a great push by [Kyle Busch] on the restart and was able to get clear there," Blaney said during his postrace interview. "Michigan's a matter of pretty much run it wide open and just trying to play the air game. I hate that you have to race that way, but that's how you have to run, worked out for us. I'm proud of everyone on the 12 team. We weren't great to start the day off, but we kept working and working and got a lot better."
"A great push by the 18." 🤝@Blaney is thankful for the push he received from @KyleBusch on the final restart at @MISpeedway. pic.twitter.com/ayUEaZHATq
— NASCAR (@NASCAR) August 22, 2021
Byron, Larson, Kurt Busch and Denny Hamlin rounded out the top five. Kevin Harvick, who had won his last three races at Michigan International Speedway, finished 14th and clinched a playoff berth via points. There is only one playoff spot remaining with one race left in the regular season.
Sporting News tracked live updates and lap-by-lap highlights from NASCAR's race at Michigan International Speedway. Check out the complete results from the FireKeepers Casino 400.
MORE: Watch Sunday's NASCAR race live with fuboTV (free 7-day trial)
NASCAR at Michigan live updates, highlights from FireKeepers Casino 400
(All times Eastern)
6:30 p.m. — And the latest playoff standings:
ONE RACE LEFT. ONE PLAYOFF SPOT LEFT.
— NASCAR on NBC (@NASCARonNBC) August 22, 2021
The regular season concludes Saturday night at @DAYTONA on @NBC. Here's a look at the standings. #NASCAR pic.twitter.com/BMZnnO3dGb
6:20 p.m. — The unofficial top 10:
- Ryan Blaney
- William Byron
- Kyle Larson
- Kurt Busch
- Denny Hamlin
- Matt DiBenedetto
- Kyle Busch
- Chase Elliott
- Brad Keselowski
- Martin Truex Jr.
6:10 p.m. — Ryan Blaney wins the FireKeepers Casino 400! Wow, what a finish.
RETWEET to congratulate Ryan @Blaney on his WIN at @MISpeedway!
— NASCAR on NBC (@NASCARonNBC) August 22, 2021
WHAT A FINISH! #NASCAR pic.twitter.com/ML4uJBiOSy
6 p.m. — You just knew that restart wasn't going to be clean.
Four-wide racing spells trouble for @TylerReddick , @CBellRacing, and @joeylogano among others with less than 15 to go! 😱 pic.twitter.com/zPJHRnCLX9
— NASCAR (@NASCAR) August 22, 2021
5:45 p.m. — With less than 20 laps to go, the caution flag is out because of some light rain.
Radar shows very small cell. They are going to keep cars out there. pic.twitter.com/ks9fgspuzx
— Bob Pockrass (@bobpockrass) August 22, 2021
5:35 p.m. — Kyle Larson runs out of fuel before he pulls into pit road. How much will that hurt him?
"I'm out of fuel." - @KyleLarsonRacin as he pits during green-flag action. 😮⛽ pic.twitter.com/51cVmmLwCL
— NASCAR (@NASCAR) August 22, 2021
5:20 p.m. — Austin Dillon reacts: "I was just trying to get as many stage points as I could get right there. Did a good job side drafting, came down to the apron. I saw just one quick replay, but I mean, it was after the start-finish line. I was starting to come up off the apron because it's so rough down there. I figured by that point [Brad Keselowski] would have given me a little room. ... That was a heck of a wreck, but I feel fine."
Hear from @AustinDillon3 after a tangle with Brad Keselowski takes him out of the running at @MISpeedway. #NASCAR x NBCSN pic.twitter.com/oquxQUPO4G
— NASCAR on NBC (@NASCARonNBC) August 22, 2021
5:10 p.m. — So, uh, that's not what you want to see.
Not how Austin Dillon wanted to see his day end. #NASCAR pic.twitter.com/En1aUECDUE
— NASCAR on NBC (@NASCARonNBC) August 22, 2021
5 p.m. — Kyle Busch takes Stage 2. The rest of the top five: Christopher Bell, Kyle Larson, Chase Elliott and Denny Hamlin. Austin Dillon finished sixth in Stage 2, then crashed after appearing to make contact with Brad Keselowski.
A HARD HIT for Austin Dillon at the end of Stage 2!
— NASCAR on NBC (@NASCARonNBC) August 22, 2021
This puts him in a must-win situation next week at Daytona. #NASCAR pic.twitter.com/fFxZseIlEX
4:45 p.m. — We are past the halfway point here at Michigan International Speedway. Chase Elliott and Kyle Larson are battling hard for the lead. Kevin Harvick, meanwhile, is...
Kevin Harvick from 18th: “Lack of stability. Driving like shit.” #NASCAR
— Kelly Crandall (@KellyCrandall) August 22, 2021
4:25 p.m. — Whoa, that was close.
😬@KurtBusch | @mattdracing pic.twitter.com/ZSWuu2qxzz
— NASCAR (@NASCAR) August 22, 2021
4:10 p.m. — Chase Elliott wins the opening stage. Kyle Larson, Austin Dillon, Denny Hamlin and William Byron rounded out the top five.
STAGE WINNER: @chaseelliott holds off @KyleLarsonRacin and @austindillon3 to win Stage 1 of the #FireKeepers400 at @MISpeedway! pic.twitter.com/3vxSCFrkHI
— NASCAR (@NASCAR) August 22, 2021
4:05 p.m. — Well, that explains the damage to Martin Truex Jr.'s car.
A closer look at what happened between Martin Truex Jr. and teammate Kyle Busch.
— NASCAR on NBC (@NASCARonNBC) August 22, 2021
TV: NBCSN pic.twitter.com/QM9ixcycPo
3:50 p.m. — The caution flag comes out after Joey Gase hits the wall in Turn 2.
A helpless feeling for Joey Gase.
— NASCAR on NBC (@NASCARonNBC) August 22, 2021
He smacks the Turn 2 wall hard. #NASCAR x NBCSN pic.twitter.com/wPiPTepYN2
3:45 p.m. — It's going to be difficult for Kevin Harvick to win if his car is, as he so eloquently described it, "complete garbage."
#NASCAR ... At competition caution, Kevin Harvick is 16th and describes the car as "complete garbage"
— Dustin Long (@dustinlong) August 22, 2021
He's won 4 of the last 5 races at Michigan.
3:35 p.m. — Yikes. Not an ideal start for Martin Truex Jr.
Not good for Martin Truex Jr.
— NASCAR on NBC (@NASCARonNBC) August 22, 2021
His car has some damage early, moving him from fifth to below to top 30 within the first 10 laps. #NASCAR pic.twitter.com/v6RYun1hAb
3:25 p.m. — The green flag is out.
Two races until the #NASCARPlayoffs. 🔥
— NASCAR (@NASCAR) August 22, 2021
The #FirekeepersCasino400 is 🟢 at @MISpeedway!
📺: NBCSN 📱: https://t.co/r61CT6B6jq pic.twitter.com/yxMXM8PnbV
3:15 p.m. — Engines have been fired. Here we go...
😎
— NASCAR (@NASCAR) August 22, 2021
We have fired the engines and are ready to go 400 miles from the Irish Hills at @MISpeedway. pic.twitter.com/kFQ00o2MQg
2:50 p.m. — A quick breakdown of what you need to know ahead of Sunday's race:
green flag 3:16p ET ... stages 60-60-80 (200 laps) ... comp caution Lap 20 ... 7 sets tires ... fuel run 46-51 ... NWS: mid-80s, 20% rain. ... to the rear for driver changes after lineup set: 7-Berry, 15-Gase. Nbcsn. pic.twitter.com/c4m1GnBZvc
— Bob Pockrass (@bobpockrass) August 22, 2021
2:30 p.m. — Pistons forward Saddiq Bey pulls off the rare NBA-NASCAR jersey swap with Bubba Wallace before the FireKeepers Casino 400.
Saddiq Bey, meet @BubbaWallace. Bubba, meet Saddiq.@DoorDash | #NoBrakes | @23xiracing pic.twitter.com/EiiCsOiauZ
— Detroit Pistons (@DetroitPistons) August 22, 2021
NASCAR start time today
- Time: 3 p.m. ET (TV time)
- TV channel: NBCSN (TSN5 in Canada)
- Live stream: NBCSports.com | fuboTV (7-day free trial)
The green flag for Sunday's NASCAR Cup Series race on Michigan International Speedway's 2-mile oval is scheduled to drop at 3:16 p.m. ET.
There is a slight chance that weather will be a factor. The National Weather Service's forecast for the area near the track in Brooklyn, Mich., is for mostly sunny skies and a high temperature in the mid-80s, but there is also a 30 percent chance of showers and thunderstorms after 2 p.m. ET.
NASCAR starting lineup at Michigan
Here is the complete NASCAR starting lineup for Sunday's race at Michigan International Speedway, the FireKeepers Casino 400.
Start pos. | Driver | Car No. | Team |
1 | Kyle Larson | 5 | Hendrick Motorsports |
2 | Chase Elliott | 9 | Hendrick Motorsports |
3 | Ryan Blaney | 12 | Team Penske |
4 | Matt DiBenedetto | 21 | Wood Brothers Racing |
5 | Martin Truex Jr. | 19 | Joe Gibbs Racing |
6 | Kurt Busch | 1 | Chip Ganassi Racing |
7 | Kyle Busch | 18 | Joe Gibbs Racing |
8 | Kevin Harvick | 4 | Stewart-Haas Racing |
9 | Denny Hamlin | 11 | Joe Gibbs Racing |
10 | Alex Bowman | 48 | Hendrick Motorsports |
11 | Chris Buescher | 17 | Roush Fenway Racing |
12 | Ricky Stenhouse Jr. | 47 | JTG Daugherty Racing |
13 | Erik Jones | 43 | Richard Petty Motorsports |
14 | Tyler Reddick | 8 | Richard Childress Racing |
15 | Bubba Wallace | 23 | 23XI Racing |
16 | Ryan Newman | 6 | Roush Fenway Racing |
17 | Justin Haley | 77 | Spire Motorsports |
18 | William Byron | 24 | Hendrick Motorsports |
19 | Joey Logano | 22 | Team Penske |
20 | Brad Keselowski | 2 | Team Penske |
21 | Chase Briscoe | 14 | Stewart-Haas Racing |
22 | Ross Chastain | 42 | Chip Ganassi Racing |
23 | Aric Almirola | 10 | Stewart-Haas Racing |
24 | Corey LaJoie | 7 | Spire Motorsports |
25 | Michael McDowell | 34 | Front Row Motorsports |
26 | Austin Dillon | 3 | Richard Childress Racing |
27 | Cole Custer | 41 | Stewart-Haas Racing |
28 | Christopher Bell | 20 | Joe Gibbs Racing |
29 | Josh Bilicki | 52 | Rick Ware Racing |
30 | Daniel Suarez | 99 | Trackhouse Racing |
31 | Quin Houff | 00 | StarCom Racing |
32 | Ryan Preece | 37 | JTG Daugherty Racing |
33 | Garrett Smithley | 53 | Rick Ware Racing |
34 | James Davison | 15 | Rick Ware Racing |
35 | Anthony Alfredo | 38 | Front Row Motorsports |
36 | BJ McLeod | 78 | Live Fast Motorsports |
37 | Cody Ware | 51 | Petty Ware Racing |