NASCAR Michigan: Rain Delays Race, Hamlin Holds Pole, Playoffs Tight

One week after a stunning and controversial end to the race at Richmond – which saw race winner Austin Dillon penalized with the loss of an automatic playoff berth after wrecking Joey Logano and Denny Hamlin on the final lap – the NASCAR Cup Series returns to action.

Michigan International Speedway hosts a Sunday afternoon race as winless drivers battle for one of the remaining playoff berths as the regular season winds down. Including Michigan, just three races remain before the playoffs begin Sept. 8 at Atlanta Motor Speedway, and 12 of the 16 playoff spots have been locked up via wins.

Will a new winner celebrate in victory lane on Sunday? Can Dillon bounce back and take the checkered flag for the second consecutive week? Here is all the information you need to get ready for the FireKeepers Casino 400 at Michigan International Speedway:

The FireKeepers Casino 400 starts at 2:30 p.m. ET Sunday at Michigan International Speedway in Brooklyn, Michigan.

USA Network is broadcasting the FireKeepers Casino 400 and has a pre-race show beginning at 2 p.m. ET.

The FireKeepers Casino 400 can be live streamed on the NBCSports website and the NBC Sports app. The race is also available to stream on Fubo.

The FireKeepers Casino 400 is 200 laps around the 2-mile track for a total of 400 miles. The race will feature three segments (laps per stage) – Stage 1: 45 laps; Stage 2: 75 laps; Stage 3: 80 laps.

Chris Buescher led 52 laps, including the final 12, before edging Martin Truex Jr. by a miniscule 0.152 seconds on Aug. 7, 2023 for his second of three wins last season. Buescher, who is winless in 2024, is currently ranked 13th in the drivers standings and on the bubble to make the playoffs.

(Car number in parentheses)

(11) Denny Hamlin, Toyota
(45) Tyler Reddick, Toyota
(20) Christopher Bell, Toyota
(5) Kyle Larson, Chevrolet
(23) Bubba Wallace, Toyota
(9) Chase Elliott, Chevrolet
(1) Ross Chastain, Chevrolet
(12) Ryan Blaney, Ford
(24) William Byron, Chevrolet
(3) Austin Dillon, Chevrolet
(77) Carson Hocevar, Chevrolet
(99) Daniel Suarez, Chevrolet
(8) Kyle Busch, Chevrolet
(22) Joey Logano, Ford
(6) Brad Keselowski, Ford
(4) Josh Berry, Ford
(34) Michael McDowell, Ford
(17) Chris Buescher, Ford
(54) Ty Gibbs, Toyota
(38) Todd Gilliland, Ford
(14) Chase Briscoe, Ford
(48) Alex Bowman, Chevrolet
(2) Austin Cindric, Ford
(19) Martin Truex, Toyota
(10) Noah Gragson, Ford
(41) Ryan Preece, Ford
(71) Zane Smith, Chevrolet
(43) Erik Jones, Toyota
(51) Justin Haley, Ford
(47) Ricky Stenhouse, Chevrolet
(7) Corey LaJoie, Chevrolet
(31) Daniel Hemric, Chevrolet
(42) John Hunter Nemechek, Toyota
(21) Harrison Burton, Ford
(16) AJ Allmendinger, Chevrolet
(15) Cody Ware, Ford

BROOKLYN, Mich. — With the drama of Richmond behind, the NASCAR Cup Series makes its annual trip to Michigan International Speedway.

Rain canceled qualifying and limited practice Saturday, giving teams little track time in preparation for today’s race (2:30 p.m. ET on USA Network).

NASCAR Michigan: Top Drivers to Watch

There are points races throughout the standings to watch. The top three are separated by six points — the closest the top three in the standings have been at this point in a season.

Kyle Larson leads the standings. Tyler Reddick is five points behind. Chase Elliott is six points behind Larson. Lurking is Denny Hamlin, who is 21 points from Larson.

Reddick has been among the hottest drivers, scoring four top-three finishes in the last five races. Reddick starts second today. Larson has scored two consecutive top 10s, including his Indianapolis win. Larson starts fourth today. Elliott has three top 10s in a row. Elliott starts sixth today.

NASCAR Michigan: Playoff Picture

The points are just as intriguing in the race to make the playoffs. Four drivers are clustered together for the final three spots. Ty Gibbs is 18 points above the cutline. Bubba Wallace is three points above the cutline. Chris Buescher holds the final playoff spot. Ross Chastain is the first driver below the cutline even though he’s tied with Buescher in points (Buescher owns the tiebreaker).

Wallace starts fifth, Chastain seventh, Buescher 18th and Gibbs 19th today.

Wallace comes into today’s race off back-to-back top-five finishes.

“We’ve shown up with a lot of speed the last few weeks,” he said. “We’ve shown up with our heads in the game.”

Buescher moved into the final playoff spot after NASCAR stripped the playoff eligibility that went with Austin Dillon’s win last weekend at Richmond. Richard Childress Racing is appealing the penalty. That will be heard Wednesday.

Buescher, who won last year’s Michigan race, says moving into the final playoff spot won’t change how he races.

“We knew at the beginning of the year before we ever got to Daytona that ... the only way to really be comfortable at any point before playoffs was a win,” he said. “And really, there’s no way to get through the next three weeks and be comfortable without one.”

NASCAR Michigan: Next Gen Spin Out Risks

Last year’s race saw some drivers spin when they were underneath another car, a situation that hadn’t been seen as often with the Next Gen car.

Among the victims in last year’s race was Christopher Bell, who was racing Alex Bowman for the lead in the second stage when he lost control and crashed.

“With the old car, being underneath of (another) car, you would lose a lot of side force and it would cause you to spin out,” Bell said. “This car, we don’t rely on side force near as much and we were very cautious whenever you would go side-by-side and then you got more confident with it.

“It’s like as time has progressed with this car, I don’t know if we’re building more side force into them and that’s coming back now with people spinning out being side-by-side, but certainly this is the most aggressive we’ve been with these cars, making those moves and driving into the corner really hard with guys on your doors.

“It bit me last year, and I certainly learned from that and know to not put myself in that position again. This place is just really fast, so you’re really relying on the aerodynamics of the car. Once the grip is gone, you’re going to be along for the ride. It’s just an easy place to make a mistake at.”

NASCAR Michigan: Rain Factor

The forecast looks much better for today than it did earlier in the week but there is still the chance of rain this afternoon. That could impact how drivers race and crew chiefs make decisions.

With the end of the regular season near and so many drivers trying to score a win to make the playoffs, who might gamble and will they be rewarded? Or will it be a team that has already won this year looking to gamble to score a victory and the five playoff points with it?

That could add another layer in what happens today.

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Last week's finish continues to take the headlines in the sport. Austin Dillon's appeal will be heard next week, and it could again impact the playoff picture if NASCAR's penalty of stripping the automatic playoff berth from Dillon's win at Richmond is overturned.

As of now, four drivers are fighting for three wild card spots in the Cup playoffs: Ty Gibbs, Bubba Wallace, Ross Chastain and Chris Buescher.

Follow along with our live race updates, with green flag set for after 1:30 p.m. CT on Sunday.

CUP PICKS:NASCAR Michigan predictions 2024: Expert picks for Cup Series race

LIVE LEADERBOARD: Full field leaderboard of NASCAR Cup Series FireKeepers Casino 400 at Michigan

The FireKeepers Casino 400 will resume at 10 a.m. Monday as rain continues to approach the speedway with an already-wet surface on Sunday.

USA Network will have the race broadcast.

The field won't get back racing due to rain upcoming. So the cars are coming down pit road, and they are being covered again.

Ryna Blaney gets away before Chase Elliott could get to second on newer tires, so Blaney gets the stage win and playoff point.

The top 10:

Denny Hamlin tries to hold his line and throttle off of turn 4 behind Bubba Wallace, and he loses it and spins through the grass. Wow.

“All my air got pinched off,” Hamlin reports on the radio.

The fans didn't mind seeing that. We'll see how the No. 11 Toyota handled spinning through the wet grass on the frontstretch.

The leaders will opt to pit. Ryan Blaney will inherit the lead. First stage is 45 laps.

Bubba Wallace has been the fastest car among the leaders in the last 20 laps, and he flies past the side-by-side battle between Denny Hamlin and Kyle Larson for the lead.

Josh Berry doesn't report an issue on the radio, but he is the worst car on the race track by nearly a second per lap and is in 36th. He started the race in the top 20, but dropped quickly.

He will get lapped soon if the race stays green. The No. 4 Stewart-Haas Racing Ford has been in victory lane multiple times at Michigan with Kevin Harvick. Doesn't look likely today, though it is early.

Kyle Larson's lead over Denny Hamlin is about three car lengths, with Tyler Reddick and Chase Elliott running in third and fourth.

Bubba Wallace is the fastest car on the track at the moment.

Green flag, and the FireKeepers Casino 400 is underway. Kyle Larson darts under Tyler Reddick and Denny Hamlin, then slides in front of them to take the lead through turns 3 and 4.

The field is back on the race track as the jet dryers are done with drying the track surface. Should be going green soon, even with the weather approaching.

NASCAR will call the drivers to their cars at 4:45 p.m. ET/3:45 p.m. CT, with racing to come soon thereafter. Halfway is 100 laps, which would make the race official.

The rain is coming down a little harder, so the drivers are out of their cars. This will require some track drying before this race can begin.

Today's race won't start on time as rain begins to fall. The field is coming down pit road, and the cars will be covered.

Weather is coming in from the north, but the 36 cars are on the track getting pace laps in. Closing in on the start of the race, but for how long?

Denny Hamlin is on the pole, with qualifying canceled on Saturday.

The top 10:

Find the full starting lineup here.

The FireKeepers Casino 400 at Michigan International Speedway will be aired on the radio by the Motor Racing Network. MRN has affiliates all across the country, and their feed can also be streamed on NASCAR.com as well as the NASCAR app. The race can also be heard on SiriusXM NASCAR Radio, channel 90.

The FireKeepers Casino 400 will be broadcast nationally on USA Network. Streaming options for the race include the NBC Sports app and FUBO, which offers a free trial to potential subscribers.

We occasionally recommend interesting products and services. If you make a purchase by clicking one of the links, we may earn an affiliate fee. USA TODAY Network newsrooms operate independently, and this doesn’t influence our coverage. Denny Hamlin is on the pole for Sunday's FireKeepers Casino 400 NASCAR Cup Series race at Michigan after the field was set via the metric following qualifying cancellation on Saturday.

Hamlin, Austin Dillon and Joey Logano will continue to be in the spotlight throughout the weekend, with Dillon telling NBC Sports that he felt like his team deserves to be in the playoffs following last week's win at Richmond. Dillon's automatic playoff berth was taken away via NASCAR penalty as a result of his wrecking of Hamlin and Logano on the final lap. RCR is appealing the penalty, and the appeal will take place next week.

Michigan will be a different beast than Richmond, with top speeds in the mid-190s MPH. Hamlin will always be a factor, but Ford has been the dominant manufacture at MIS recently.

Norman native Christopher Bell enters this week sixth in the NASCAR playoff standings.

NASCAR Michigan: Starting Lineup

Here's the full starting lineup for Sunday's FireKeepers Casino 400.

SUNDAY PICKS:NASCAR Michigan predictions 2024: Expert picks for Cup Series race

WEEKEND SCHEDULE:NASCAR Michigan full weekend track schedule, TV schedule for FireKeepers Casino 400, other races

Green Flag Time: Approx. 1:30 p.m. CT Sunday, Aug. 18

Track: Michigan International Speedway (2.0-mile oval) at Brooklyn, Michigan

Length: 200 laps, 400 miles

Stages: 45 laps, 75 laps, 80 laps

TV coverage: USA Network

Radio: MRN (102.5 FM in Nashville)

Streaming: FUBO (free trial available); NBC Sports app (subscription required); NASCAR.com and SiriusXM on Channel 90 for audio (subscription required)

The FireKeepers Casino 400 will be broadcast nationally on USA Network. Streaming options for the race include the NBC Sports app and FUBO, which offers a free trial to potential subscribers.

Row 1

1. Denny Hamlin, No. 11 Joe Gibbs Racing Toyota

2. Tyler Reddick, No. 45 23XI Racing Toyota

Row 2

3. Christopher Bell, No. 20 Joe Gibbs Racing Toyota

4. Kyle Larson, No. 5 Hendrick Motorsports Chevrolet

Row 3

5. Bubba Wallace, No. 23 23XI Racing Toyota

6. Chase Elliott, No. 9 Hendrick Motorsports Chevrolet

Row 4

7. Ross Chastain, No. 1 Trackhouse Racing Chevrolet

8. Ryan Blaney, No. 12 Team Penske Ford

Row 5

9. William Byron, No. 24 Hendrick Motorsports Chevrolet

10. Austin Dillon, No. 3 Richard Childress Racing Chevrolet

Row 6

11. Carson Hocevar, No. 77 Spire Motorsports Chevrolet

12. Daniel Suarez, No. 99 Trackhouse Racing Chevrolet

Row 7

13. Kyle Busch, No. 8 Richard Childress Racing Chevrolet

14. Joey Logano, No. 22 Team Penske Ford

Row 8

15. Brad Keselowski, No. 6 Roush Fenway Keselowski Racing Ford

16. Josh Berry, No. 4 Stewart-Haas Racing Ford

Row 9

17. Michael McDowell, No. 34 Front Row Motorsports Ford

18. Chris Buescher, No. 17 Roush Fenway Keselowski Racing Ford

Row 10

19. Ty Gibbs, No. 54 Joe Gibbs Racing Toyota

20. Todd Gilliland, No. 38 Front Row Motorsports Ford

Row 11

21. Chase Briscoe, No. 14 Stewart-Haas Racing Ford

22. Alex Bowman, No. 48 Hendrick Motorsports Chevrolet

Row 12

23. Austin Cindric, No. 2 Team Penske Ford

24. Martin Truex Jr., No. 19 Joe Gibbs Racing Toyota

Row 13

25. Noah Gragson, No. 10 Stewart-Haas Racing Ford

26. Ryan Preece, No. 41 Stewart-Haas Racing Ford

Row 14

27. Zane Smith, No. 71 Spire Motorsports Chevrolet

28. Erik Jones, No. 43 Legacy Motor Club Toyota

Row 15

29. Justin Haley, No. 51 Rick Ware Racing Chevrolet

30. Ricky Stenhouse Jr., No. 47 JTG Daugherty Racing Chevrolet

Row 16

31. Corey Lajoie, No. 7 Spire Motorsports Chevrolet

32. Daniel Hemric, No. 31 Kaulig Racing Chevrolet

Row 17

33. John Hunter Nemechek, No. 42 Legacy Motor Club Toyota

34. Harrison Burton, No. 21 Wood Brothers Racing Ford

Row 18

35. AJ Allmendinger, No. 16 Kaulig Racing Chevrolet

36. Cody Ware, No. 15 Rick Ware Racing Chevrolet

We occasionally recommend interesting products and services. If you make a purchase by clicking one of the links, we may earn an affiliate fee. USA TODAY Network newsrooms operate independently, and this doesn’t influence our coverage. With just three races remaining on the Cup Series regular-season schedule, this weekend's race at Michigan International Speedway should be a fun one.

NASCAR Michigan: Playoff Implications

The FireKeepers Casino 400 will tremendously impact the standings as drivers look to lock up the best spot possible for the playoffs, which begin Sept. 8.

The distance between first place Kyle Larson (779) and third place Chase Elliot (773) is six points, with second place Tyler Reddick in second place with 774 points. Larson is the only driver ranked in the top three with multiple wins this season, totaling four. Larson has winning history at the track, winning both the Pure Michigan 400 in 2016 before winning the FireKeepers Casino 400 and the Pure Michigan again in 2017.

Denny Hamlin (4th place), Ryan Blaney (5th place) Chris Buescher (13th place) and Joey Logano (15th place) are the only other drivers in the the top 20 of the standings who have victories at the track. Buescher won the FireKeepers Casino 400 last year, while Logano (2013, 2016, 2019) and Hamlin (2010, 2011) each have multiple victories.

NASCAR Michigan: Watching & Scheduling

Here is everything you need to know to watch the FireKeepers Casino 400 at Michigan, including viewing options and scheduling.

WATCH:Today's NASCAR race live on Fubo (free trial)

The FireKeepers Casino 400 will be covered on USA Network in the U.S. and TSN in Canada. The race can also be streamed on Fubo in both markets, as there is a free trial to test the service before purchase.

WATCH THE NASCAR RACE AT MICHIGAN LIVE WITH FUBO. START YOUR FREE TRIAL TODAY.

The 2024 FireKeepers Casino 400 will start shortly after 2:30 p.m. ET on Sunday, Aug. 18 at Michigan International Speedway in Brooklyn, Michigan.

Fans can listen to the FireKeepers Casino 400 with SiriusXM. Every NASCAR race in 2024 is available via SiriusXM Channel 90.

Get 3 months of SiriusXM for just $1. Listen to live NASCAR, plus NFL, MLB, NBA and NHL games, college sports and more. Stay updated with all the news and get all the analysis on multiple sport-specific channels.

Tickets to the NASCAR race at Michigan International Speedway are available now. You can find passes on StubHub.

The price to see this year's FireKeepers Casino 400 starts at about $30, which is enough to guarantee seats in the grandstand of the track. For those that want to find specific sections to sit in, like at Turns 1 and 4 or near the Pit, you can view a seat map using the link below to ensure the best views.

BUY NOW: Cheapest cost to see NASCAR Michigan race on StubHub

Below are the updated standings ahead of NASCAR at Michigan.

(All times Eastern)

Isaiah Lucas is a freelance writer for The Sporting News.