NASCAR - NASACR Race 15: Denny Hamlin wins spectacularly in Michigan

Motorsport-Magazin.com

News, information, statistics, starters, live TV, driver rankings, timeline, practice, qualifying & race report from the 15th race of the regular season at Michigan International Speedway.

Stephan Vornbäumen 08.06.2025, 23:56 Race report

Regular Season Michigan International Speedway Saturday, June 7: from 3:35 p.m.: Final Practice I followed by Qualifying

Sunday, June 8: from 7:30 PM: Pay-TV LIVE on Sportdigital1+ from 8:15 PM: FireKeepers Casino 400

200 (45/75/80) laps

Pictures (gallery is constantly being expanded) Sunday, June 8, 2025 Race report Michigan: Denny Hamlin wins spectacularly after fuel thriller

Denny Hamlin won the 15th race of the season at Michigan International Speedway after 200 laps in a fuel-fueled thriller. It was Hamlin's third win of the season and also his third victory on the two-mile D-oval after leading just five laps at the end of the race. The 44-year-old thus achieved his 57th career victory in his 702nd Cup race.

Chris Buescher won the first stage after 45 laps in the RFK Ford. After 120 laps, William Byron took the second stage. After a spectacular comeback, Hamlin took the win after battling with Byron for the lead for several laps. Hamlin then took the lead with five laps to go. The battle ended with Byron's Hendrick Chevrolet running out of fuel.

Behind Hamlin, Buescher finished second, ahead of Ty Gibbs in the Gibbs Toyota and Bubba Wallace in the 23XI Toyota. This meant three Toyota teams finished in the top four at Michigan. Kyle Larson was the best-placed Chevrolet driver in fifth. Rounding out the top 10 were Ross Chastain, a strong Zane Smith, Kyle Busch, Ryan Preece, and Brad Keselowski, who, as a co-owner, celebrated three RFK top-10 finishes.

A detailed race report with statistics will follow on Monday…

Saturday, June 7, 2025 Qualifying: Chase Briscoe wins third consecutive pole award in Michigan

Qualifying for the 15th race of the season at Michigan International Speedway ended with Chase Briscoe (#19 Joe Gibbs Racing) setting the fastest time. Briscoe won the pole for the Toyota for the third consecutive time and for the fourth time this season. He is on the starting grid for the first time in Michigan. It was the sixth pole award of his career.

Briscoe took pole position on the two-mile D-oval with a speed of 195.514 mph in 36.826 seconds. Briscoe also finished the only practice session with the fastest time in the Gibbs Toyota. However, teammate Ty Gibbs led the long-run standings by a significant margin.

Briscoe won the pole award by a slim margin of 0.027 seconds over Kyle Busch in the RCR Chevrolet. Briscoe's teammate Denny Hamlin finished third, ahead of the two Hendrick drivers, William Byron and Kyle Larson.

Chris Buescher, Josh Berry, Gibbs, Bubba Wallace, and Zane Smith round out the top 10. The top 10 drivers crossed the finish line within just 0.111 seconds of each other. Last year's winner Tyler Reddick will start from 12th position, and defending champion Joey Logan will begin Sunday's 200-lap race from 15th place. The fastest rookie was Shane van Gisbergen, who will start the race from 26th place.

Update: Last year's winner Tyler Reddick has to start from the back

Driver Ranking 14/2025

Top 20 after the 14th race of the 2025 season at Nashville Superspeedway

After each race, Motorsport-Magazin.com determines the current form of all NASCAR drivers based on the results of the last six races.

After the race at Nashville Superspeedway, there were some changes in our rankings. William Byron remains the leader. The Hendrick driver is number one for the second consecutive year and the sixth time overall.

Kyle Larson and Christopher Bell also remain unchanged in second and third place, respectively. Following his first win of the season in Nashville, Ryan Blaney moved up five positions and is now fourth, ahead of Denny Hamlin. Carson Hocevar, in ninth place, is the only newcomer to the top 10. For Hocevar, this is also the best finish of his career.

The biggest loser on the concrete track in Nashville was Ricky Stenhouse Junior, who dropped nine places and barely managed to stay in the top 20. Austin Dillon, Ryan Preece, and Noah Gragson dropped out of the rankings. Erik Jones, Kyle Busch, and Michael McDowell, however, managed to return to the top 20. Jones was last in the top 20 after the season opener in Daytona.

Four of last year's playoff participants, Alex Bowman, Ty Gibbs, Brad Keselowski, and Daniel Suarez, are still missing from the current rankings. The four drivers occupy positions 28 to 31.

Friday, June 6, 2025 Starting list with driver change for the 15th race of the season in Michigan

Only 36 drivers were registered by the teams for the 15th race of the season at Michigan International Speedway. This marks the 13th time this season that there will be no full field of 40 drivers.

There were no driver changes among the 36 charter teams. The Open teams will be racing without a driver for the second time since Las Vegas.

15th race of the season: 36 charter teams, no driver change (DC) No open team (OT) / 2 rookies (R)

Charter Teams: 1. #1 Ross Chastain (Chevrolet) Trackhouse Racing 2. #2 Austin Cindric (Ford) Team Penske 3. #3 Austin Dillon (Chevrolet) Richard Childress Racing 4. #4 Noah Gragson (Ford) Front Row Motorsports 5. #5 Kyle Larson (Chevrolet) Hendrick Motorsports 6. #6 Brad Keselowski (Ford) RFK Racing 7. #7 Justin Haley (Chevrolet) Spire Motorsports 8. #8 Kyle Busch (Chevrolet) Richard Childress Racing 9. #9 Chase Elliott (Chevrolet) Hendrick Motorsports 10. #10 Ty Dillon (Chevrolet) Kaulig Racing 11. #11 Denny Hamlin (Toyota) Joe Gibbs Racing 12. #12 Ryan Blaney (Ford) Team Penske 13. #16 AJ Allmendinger (Chevrolet) Kaulig Racing 14. #17 Chris Buescher (Ford) RFK Racing 15. #19 Chase Briscoe (Toyota) Joe Gibbs Racing 16. #20 Christopher Bell (Toyota) Joe Gibbs Racing 17. #21 Josh Berry (Ford) Wood Brothers Racing 18. #22 Joey Logano (Ford) Team Penske 19. #23 Bubba Wallace (Toyota) 23XI Racing 20. #24 William Byron (Chevrolet) Hendrick Motorsports 21. #34 Todd Gilliland (Ford) Front Row Motorsports 22. #35 (R) Riley Herbst (Toyota) 23XI Racing 23. #38 Zane Smith (Ford) Front Row Motorsports 24. #41 Cole Custer (Ford) Haas Factory Team 25. #42 John Hunter Nemechek (Toyota) Legacy Motor Club 26. #43 Erik Jones (Toyota) Legacy Motor Club 27. #45 Tyler Reddick (Toyota) 23XI Racing 28. #47 Ricky Stenhouse Jr. (Chevrolet) Hyak Motorsports 29. #48 Alex Bowman (Chevrolet) Hendrick Motorsports 30. #51 Cody Ware (Ford) Rick Ware Racing 31. #54 Ty Gibbs (Toyota) Joe Gibbs Racing 32. #60 Ryan Preece (Ford) RFK Racing 33. #71 Michael McDowell (Chevrolet) Spire Motorsports 34. #77 Carson Hocevar (Chevrolet) Spire Motorsports 35. #88 (R) Shane von Gisbergen (Chevrolet) Trackhouse Racing

36. #99 Daniel Suarez (Chevrolet) Trackhouse Racing

Open Teams: No report

15 Chevrolet / 12 Ford / 9 Toyota

Wednesday, June 4, 2025 Standings before Race 15 NASCAR Cup Standings

TOP 20 (after race 14/36) Regular Season 2025 (with all bonus points & penalties) -----

all winners & best-scoring drivers (races 1-26):

1. (1) Kyle Larson, 499 points (3 wins) 2. (2) Christopher Bell, 459 points (3 wins) 3. (3) Denny Hamlin, 443 points (2 wins) 4. (4) William Byron, 547 points (1 win) 5. (11) Ryan Blaney, 417 points (1 win) 6. (6) Joey Logano, 380 points (1 win) 7. (5) Ross Chastain, 377 points (1 win) 8. (7) Austin Cindric, 303 points (1 win) 9. (8) Josh Berry, 278 points (1 win)

Total points (without win):

10. (9) Chase Elliott, 442 points 11. (10) Tyler Reddick, 429 points 12. (14) Bubba Wallace, 343 points 13. (13) Chase Briscoe, 342 points 14. (12) Alex Bowman, 334 points 15. (16) Chris Buescher, 297 points 16. (19) Kyle Busch, 291 points

On the bubble:

17. (17) Ryan Preece, 289 points 18. (20) Carson Hocevar, 287 points 19. (15) Ricky Stenhouse Jr., 285 points 20. (18) AJ Allmendinger, 284 points

The first 16 drivers are qualified for the PLAYOFFS

Race Facts: Preview Race 15

The 15th stop on the 2025 NASCAR calendar will be Michigan International Speedway for the 108th time since 1969.

Michigan International Speedway has been a fixture on the NASCAR calendar since the 1969 season, hosting two races annually. In 1973, however, there was only one event at the two-mile superspeedway. In the 2020 season, the event was run as a doubleheader on Saturday and Sunday. Since the 2021 season, only one championship race has been held.

It's the fastest NASCAR oval, averaging over 200 mph. Cars reach speeds of nearly 350 km/h on the straightaway before turn one. The superspeedway is located near Brooklyn on a more than 1,400-acre site in the Irish Hills of southeastern Michigan.

Fuel window: 48-51 laps

Goodyear Tire Notes: Prime (P), Option (O)

Practice: 1 (P) Qualifying: 1 (P)

Race: 6+1/Qualifying (P)

The D-oval's turns are banked 18 degrees. The banking on the start-finish straight is 12 degrees, and the back straight is only banked five degrees. The race distance has been extended again to 400 miles and is divided into three stages of 45, 75, and a final 80 laps.

Race report from the last race in Michigan (August 19, 2024)

Victory Lane: The last polesetters, winners & record winners at the Michigan International Speedway

Only seven drivers from the starting lineup have won at Brooklyn so far. Kyle Larson and Joey Logano have each won three races at the track. Denny Hamlin has two wins so far. Last year, Tyler Reddick won for the first time at the superspeedway. Reddick, driving his Toyota, ended Ford's incredible streak of nine wins.

15th race of the season (Regular Season) FireKeepers Casino 400

Michigan International Speedway, Brooklyn, MI

2-mile D-Oval, Superspeedway

200 laps (stages: 45/75/80), 400 miles)

All active winners at Michigan International Speedway

3 wins: Kyle Larson, Joey Logano 2 wins: Denny Hamlin 1 win: Kyle Busch, Ryan Blaney, Chris Buescher, Tyler Reddick

All-time record winner: David Pearson (9 wins)

Brooklyn: The last winners (pole setters)

08.06.2025: ? (Pole Award: ?) August 18, 2024: Tyler Reddick (Pole Award: Denny Hamlin) August 7, 2023: Chris Buescher (Pole Award: Christopher Bell) August 7, 2022: Kevin Harvick (Pole Award: Bubba Wallace) August 22, 2021: Ryan Blaney (Metric-Pole: Kyle Larson) August 9th, 2020: Kevin Harvick (P20-Pole: Chris Buescher) August 8th, 2020: Kevin Harvick (Draw-Pole: Joey Logano) August 11th, 2019: Kevin Harvick (Pole Award: Brad Keselowski) June 10th, 2019: Joey Logano (Pole Award: Joey Logano) August 12, 2018: Kevin Harvick (Pole Award: Denny Hamlin) June 10, 2018: Clint Bowyer (Pole Award: Kurt Busch) August 13, 2017: Kyle Larson (Pole Award: Kyle Larson) June 18, 2017: Kyle Larson (Pole Award: Brad Keselowski) August 28, 2016: Kyle Larson (Pole Award: Joey Logano) June 12, 2016: Joey Logano (Pole Award: Joey Logano) August 16, 2015: Matt Kenseth (Pole Award: Matt Kenseth) June 14, 2015: Kurt Busch (Pole Award: Kasey Kahne)

(US data)

Birthdays and anniversaries in June

June 3, 1995: Josh Bilicki June 9, 1999: Zane Smith

June 11, 1997: John Hunter Nemechek

June 1, 2025: Denny Hamlin (700th race in Nashville) June 28, 2025: Tyler Reddick (200th race in Atlanta)

The next NASCAR race in 2025: Timeline Race 16/36 (CEST)

Regular Season Autodromo Hermanos Rodriguez Friday, June 13: from 7:05 PM: Practice I from 9:05 PM: Final Practice II

Saturday, June 14:

from 18:05: Qualifying

Sunday, June 15: from 8:30 p.m.: Pay-TV LIVE on Sportdigital1+ from 9:25 p.m.: Viva Mexico 250

100 (20/25/55) rounds

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