FireKeepers Casino 400 Preview Article

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FireKeepers Casino 400 Race Preview and Pick

NASCAR Cup Series: FireKeepers Casino 400
Sunday, August 7, 2022 at Michigan International Speedway in Brooklyn, Michigan

Last Week's Race

The Verizon 200 took place last week at the Indianapolis Motor Speedway Road Course.

Tyler Reddick earned his second win of the season.

His first win this season came at Road America.

Given his performances in Road America and Indianapolis' road course, he has emerged as a force worth considering on road courses.

Normally, one thinks of Chase Elliott as the road course champ, and he's also having a terrific season.

He ended up finishing 16th, though.

Reddick's win was literally start to finish.

He had earned pole position and won.

But there were also nine lead changes in this race, and Reddick did not win Stage 1 or Stage 2.

Ross Chastain initially finished second place, but he was penalized and officially forced to finish 28th after the race.

Officially, second place was Austin Cindric.

Reddick's win positions him at fifth in the standings, while Elliott and then eventually Chastain remain one-two in the standings.

Race Info

The Michigan International Speedway near Brooklyn, Michigan hosts this week's upcoming race, the FireKeepers Casino 400.

It is basically right to list Brooklyn as the location for this race, but it actually takes place off the highway in Brooklyn's close vicinity.

For this race, drivers must complete a total of 200 laps.

As has almost always been the case this season, there will be three stages for this race.

Stage 1 consists in the first 45 laps.

Stage 2 terminates upon completion of the 120th lap.

Stage 3 requires drivers to accrue 80 more laps.

Entry List

By the middle of the week, the entry list for the upcoming race gets published.

For this week's entry list, 37 teams/drivers out of 40 possible spots are posted.

So, barring any unforeseen circumstances, we already know which drivers will participate in this race.

We may expect all the usual suspects.

Starting Lineup

The starting lineup gets determined via qualifying.

Qualifying takes place in the afternoon on the day before the race.

It starts on Saturday at 1:20 p.m. ET and ends at 2:30 p.m. ET.

The format for qualifying is two groups, single-vehicle, one lap, and two rounds.

A two-group practice session will directly precede qualifying.

Practice is at 12:35 p.m. ET to 1:20 p.m. ET.

Track Info

Based on qualifying speeds, for example, Michigan International Speedway may rightly boast to be the fastest track on the NASCAR Cup Series circuit.

This track is large, allowing drivers plenty of time to collect speed especially on its long straightaways.

Moreover, one can pass drivers while maintaining high speeds because this course is wide.

The start and finish enjoys a superb level of banking, which further helps drivers corral more momentum and speed for their vehicles.

The start/finish is banked at 12 degrees, the backstretch at five degrees, and the turns at a very respectable 18 degrees.

Michigan's track is a d-shaped oval that is two miles long per lap.

So, in completing 200 laps, drivers will have accumulated 400 miles.

Guys I Dislike

I recommend going against Tyler Reddick.

He already merits minimal optimism this week because it is so hard and rare to win back-to-back races in NASCAR.

But also, his history at this track is abysmal.

In his career, he has finished 18th, 24th, and 29th in three races at the Michigan International Speedway.

While Brad Keselowski's history at this track is stronger than Reddick's, he has been very hit-or-miss here.

I also dislike Keselowski because of the high frequency with which he fails to break the top 10.

Keselowski finished 14th and 20th, respectively, in his last two races.

My Guy

I am resisting the temptation to invest in Kevin Harvick, who has collected many wins at this track in recent years.

He is having a terrible season right now, and his elite performances in Michigan have come in his better years.

My guy is Denny Hamlin,

Hamlin has been superb in his best courses, winning in Richmond, which is his second-best course, finishing sixth in New Hampshire, which is his third-best course.

Moreover, Hamlin crossed the line first at Pocono, which is his eighth-best course.

Michigan is Hamlin's fourth-best course.

Best Bet: Denny Hamlin Outright (Odds TBA)
 
Prequalifying and pre-practice, I kinda like Suarez and Erik Jones for tomorrow's race. Maybe Austin Dillon if he shows some speed in practice and qualifying. I don't understand the Ty Gibbs lines. He is a favorite over Briscoe and Cindric. I did make these two bets before qualifying:

1 unit:
Erik Jones -130 over Ty Gibbs (BAS)

0.5 unit
Suarez Top 10 +120 (Bovada)
 
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Prequalifying and pre-practice, I kinda like Suarez and Erik Jones for tomorrow's race. Maybe Austin Dillon if he shows some speed in practice and qualifying. I don't understand the Ty Gibbs lines. He is a favorite over Briscoe and Cindric. I did make these two bets before qualifying:

1 unit:
Erik Jones -130 over Ty Gibbs (BAS)

0.5 unit
Suarez Top 10 +120 (Bovada)

You like Jones -110 vs Wallace?
 
You like Jones -110 vs Wallace?
I do, but Bubba has been running a lot better over the last 3 races. 3 Top 10s. He has qualified well in those races too, so I am gonna wait until qualifying to see how strong of a car he has. It is a bet I am considering.
 
Bubba qualified on the pole so I doubt I will bet against him. All 6 of the Toyota cars qualified in the Top 11, included Ty Gibbs in 11th. I doubt that I will fade any Toyotas except Gibbs.

Keselowski and Chastain we're not good in practice and qualifying, do they may be fades for me pending their matchups.
 
I played these:

1 unit:
Kyle Busch -115 over Chastain (BAS) This must be an error.
Austin Dillon -115 over Keselowski (BAS)
Buescher -120 over Keselowski (BAS)
Custer +110 over Austin Hill (BAS)

I never thought that I would bet on Custer but he is decent at these track types and this is Hill's first Cup race.
Erik Jones is now +125 against Ty Gibbs. I still do not understand the Gibbs lines and I may bet more on Jones.
 
I played these:

1 unit:
Kyle Busch -115 over Chastain (BAS) This must be an error.
Austin Dillon -115 over Keselowski (BAS)
Buescher -120 over Keselowski (BAS)
Custer +110 over Austin Hill (BAS)

I never thought that I would bet on Custer but he is decent at these track types and this is Hill's first Cup race.
Erik Jones is now +125 against Ty Gibbs. I still do not understand the Gibbs lines and I may bet more on Jones.

He went from -130 to +125?

I got +100 right now
 
You still like it? Good grab on Kyle was definitely a mistake
I don't understand all of the love for Gibbs. He is a crazy good driver for his age, but this is his second Cup race. I would comp him as a driver to Kyle Busch, that is his potential.

I assume that the odds for Gibbs are high because the Toyotas were strong in practice and at Kansas, the track most like Michigan earlier this year all of the Toyotas finished in the Top 10, with Kurt Busch (the car that Gibbs is driving) winning.

I will let my Jones -130 bet ride but I probably will not add any more to it.
 
More Toyota bets:

1 unit:
Bell -130 over Logano (BAS)
Bell -105 over Reddick (BAS)
Truex -115 over Reddick (BAS)
 
Here is what I have:

2 units:
Austin Dillon -115&-125 over Keselowski (BAS)

1 unit:
Toyota bets
Kyle Busch -115 over Chastain (BAS)
Hamlin -110 over Chase Elliott (BAS)
Truex -130 over Blaney (BAS)
Truex -115 over Reddick (BAS)
Bell -130 over Logano (BAS)
Bell -105 over Reddick (BAS)
Others
Buescher -120 over Keselowski (BAS)
Custer +110 over Austin Hill (BAS)
Erik Jones -130 over Ty Gibbs (BAS) I may add to this since Jones is now +money

0.5 unit:
Suarez Top 10 +120 (Bovada)
 
Mich:
Cup -0.45 units

Nascar Total (2022):
Xfinity +10.87 units
Cup +45.39 units
Both +56.26 units
 
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