2015 Pure Michigan 400

January 2025 NAS Pure Michigan 400 http://www.nascar.com/content/dam/nascar/download-schedule/2015/nscs_2015_printable_schedule3.pdf 2015 NASCAR Schedule NASCAR Media Group, LLC. August 26, 2014 NASCAR.com August 10, 2015 April 4, 2015 https://web.archive.org/web/20150404031856/http://www.nascar.com/content/dam/nascar/download-schedule/2015/nscs_2015_printable_schedule3.pdf deadhttp://www.nascar.com/en_us/nascar-tracks/michigan-international-speedway.html Michigan International Speedway NASCAR Media Group, LLC. January 3, 2013 NASCAR.com August 10, 2015 April 7, 2017 https://web.archive.org/web/20170407042342/http://www.nascar.com/en_us/nascar-tracks/michigan-international-speedway.html deadhttp://www.mrn.com/Race-Series/NASCAR-Sprint-Cup/Statistics/Season-Stats/Statistics.aspx?SubSeriesID=1&YearID=44&RaceID=6803&StatType=Entry+List Entry List Motor Racing Network August 10, 2015 MRN.com August 10, 2015 https://web.archive.org/web/20150814070730/http://www.mrn.com/Race-Series/NASCAR-Sprint-Cup/Statistics/Season-Stats/Statistics.aspx?SubSeriesID=1&YearID=44&RaceID=6803&StatType=Entry+List August 14, 2015 deadhttp://www.mrn.com/Race-Series/NASCAR-Sprint-Cup/Statistics/Season-Stats/Statistics.aspx?SubSeriesID=1&YearID=44&RaceID=6803&StatType=1st+Practice+Speeds First Practice Results Motor Racing Network August 14, 2015 MRN.com August 14, 2015 https://web.archive.org/web/20150817014332/http://www.mrn.com/Race-Series/NASCAR-Sprint-Cup/Statistics/Season-Stats/Statistics.aspx?SubSeriesID=1&YearID=44&RaceID=6803&StatType=1st+Practice+Speeds August 17, 2015 deadhttp://www.mrn.com/Race-Series/NASCAR-Sprint-Cup/Statistics/Season-Stats/Statistics.aspx?SubSeriesID=1&YearID=44&RaceID=6803&StatType=Starting+Lineup Starting Lineup Motor Racing Network August 14, 2015 MRN.com August 14, 2015 https://web.archive.org/web/20150817014341/http://www.mrn.com/Race-Series/NASCAR-Sprint-Cup/Statistics/Season-Stats/Statistics.aspx?SubSeriesID=1&YearID=44&RaceID=6803&StatType=Starting+Lineup August 17, 2015 deadhttp://www.mrn.com/Race-Series/NASCAR-Sprint-Cup/Statistics/Season-Stats/Statistics.aspx?SubSeriesID=1&YearID=44&RaceID=6803&StatType=2nd+Practice+Speeds Second Practice Results Motor Racing Network August 15, 2015 MRN.com August 15, 2015 https://web.archive.org/web/20150817142702/http://www.mrn.com/Race-Series/NASCAR-Sprint-Cup/Statistics/Season-Stats/Statistics.aspx?SubSeriesID=1&YearID=44&RaceID=6803&StatType=2nd+Practice+Speeds August 17, 2015 deadhttp://www.mrn.com/Race-Series/NASCAR-Sprint-Cup/Statistics/Season-Stats/Statistics.aspx?SubSeriesID=1&YearID=44&RaceID=6803&StatType=2nd+Practice+Speeds Final Practice Results Motor Racing Network August 15, 2015 MRN.com August 15, 2015 https://web.archive.org/web/20150817142702/http://www.mrn.com/Race-Series/NASCAR-Sprint-Cup/Statistics/Season-Stats/Statistics.aspx?SubSeriesID=1&YearID=44&RaceID=6803&StatType=2nd+Practice+Speeds August 17, 2015 deadhttp://www.mrn.com/Race-Series/NASCAR-Sprint-Cup/Statistics/Season-Stats/Statistics.aspx?SubSeriesID=1&YearID=44&RaceID=6803&StatType=Race+Results Pure Michigan 400 Results Motor Racing Network August 16, 2015 MRN.com August 16, 2015 https://web.archive.org/web/20150905111508/http://www.mrn.com/Race-Series/NASCAR-Sprint-Cup/Statistics/Season-Stats/Statistics.aspx?SubSeriesID=1&YearID=44&RaceID=6803&StatType=Race+Results September 5, 2015 deadhttp://www.jayski.com/stats/2015/pdfs/23mis2015points.pdf Points standings NASCAR Statistics August 16, 2015 Jayski.com August 16, 2015 https://web.archive.org/web/20150823231204/http://www.jayski.com/stats/2015/pdfs/23mis2015points.pdf August 23, 2015 deadhttp://www.jayski.com/stats/2015/pdfs/23mis2015racereport.pdf Manufacturer standings NASCAR Integrated Marketing Communications August 17, 2015 Jayski.com August 17, 2015 https://web.archive.org/web/20150823232654/http://www.jayski.com/stats/2015/pdfs/23mis2015racereport.pdf August 23, 2015 dead 2015 08 16 2015 23 36 2015_Pure_Michigan_400_program_cover.png 2015 Pure Michigan 400 program cover Michigan International Speedway in Brooklyn, Michigan 2 3.2 200 400 640 Clear blue skies with a temperature of 83 F C; wind out of the southwest at 7 mph km/h on 143.455 mph km/h on Matt Kenseth Joe Gibbs Racing 36.458 Matt Kenseth Joe Gibbs Racing 146 20 Matt Kenseth Joe Gibbs Racing NBCSN Rick Allen, Jeff Burton, and Steve Letarte 2.4/5 (Overnight)http://www.sportsmediawatch.com/2015/08/nascar-ratings-nbcsn-overnights-down-michigan/ Overnights Down For NASCAR From Michigan, Continuing Downward Trend Paulsen Sports Media Watch August 17, 2015 SportsMediaWatch.com August 17, 20152.4/5 (Final)http://www.sportsmediawatch.com/2015/08/nascar-ratings-down-michigan-least-watched-years-nbcsn/ Yet Again, Multi-Year Low For NASCAR on Cable Paulsen Sports Media Watch August 18, 2015 SportsMediaWatch.com August 20, 20154.3 Million viewers MRN Joe Moore, Jeff Striegle and Rusty Wallace Dave Moody (1 & 2) and Kurt Becker (3 & 4) The 2015 Pure Michigan 400 was a NASCAR Sprint Cup Series race held on August 16, 2015, at Michigan International Speedway in Brooklyn, Michigan. Contested over 200 laps on the 2 mile (3.2 km) D–shaped oval, it was the 23rd race of the 2015 NASCAR Sprint Cup Series season. Matt Kenseth won the race, his third of the season. Kevin Harvick finished second. Martin Truex Jr. finished third. Austin Dillon and Denny Hamlin rounded out the top five. Kenseth won the pole for the race and led 146 laps on his way to victory lane. There were 16 lead changes among eight different drivers as well as eight caution flag periods for 31 laps. This was the 34th career victory for Matt Kenseth, third of the season, third at Michigan International Speedway and eighth at the track for Joe Gibbs Racing. Despite being the winning manufacturer, Toyota left Michigan trailing Chevrolet by 70–points in the manufacturer standings. However, they usurped second in the standings from Ford. The Pure Michigan 400 was carried by NBC Sports on the cable/satellite NBCSN network for the American television audience. The radio broadcast for the race was carried by the Motor Racing Network and Sirius XM NASCAR Radio. Report Background thumb|left|Michigan International Speedway, the track where the race was held. Michigan International Speedway is a 2.000 mi km on D-shaped oval superspeedway in Cambridge Township, Michigan, just south of the village of Brooklyn.2018-08-12 Michigan International Speedway https://www.espn.com/jayski/tracks/story/_/id/18670533/michigan-international-speedway 2025-08-23 ESPN ...Michigan International Speedway in Cambridge Township just south of Brooklyn.Willis Ken 2024-08-16 Playoffs are close and what's Jelly Roll have to do with it? https://www.news-journalonline.com/story/sports/nascar/2024/08/16/nascar-michigan-speedway-history-david-pearson-kevin-harvick-jelly-roll-cup-playoffs-chase-elliott/74675690007/ 2025-08-23 The Daytona Beach News-Journal The track is located 70 miles west of Detroit, in the little hamlet of Cambridge Township. Kevin Harvick entered Michigan with a 42–point lead over Joey Logano. Dale Earnhardt Jr. entered 73 back. Jimmie Johnson entered 76 back. Brad Keselowski entered 104 back. Aero package For the weekend's race, NASCAR used the same high–drag package that was used at the Indianapolis Motor Speedway.http://nascartalk.nbcsports.com/2015/08/11/brad-keselowski-heat-exhaustion-parts-failures-major-concerns-at-michigan-with-return-of-high-drag-package/ Brad Keselowski: Heat exhaustion, parts failures major concerns at Michigan with return of high-drag package Ryan Nate NBC Sports August 11, 2015 nascartalk.nbcsports.com August 12, 2015 One change from the Indy package included an additional air duct mandated on the right–side window of the car.http://www.nascar.com/en_us/news-media/articles/2015/8/12/brad-keselowski-talks-changes-of-new-package-michigan.html NASCAR adds cooling measure for Michigan cars Bruce Kenny NASCAR Media Group, LLC. August 12, 2015 NASCAR.com August 13, 2015 Previously, this was an option left up to the teams. What led NASCAR to mandating this was the excessive heat buildup in the cars caused by the high–downforce package. "I would not be surprised to see a lot of car failures this weekend, specific to heat relation as it pertains to the aero package and its kind of cause and effects," Brad Keselowski said during a teleconference Tuesday. "And inside the car I would not be surprised to see a lot of hot and worn out drivers after the race. We all know we’re in for a handful of the race." Entry list The entry list for the Pure Michigan 400 was released on Monday, August 10 at 10:31 a.m. Eastern time. Forty-four cars were entered for the race. All but the No. 21 Wood Brothers Racing Ford were entered in the previous week's race at Watkins Glen. The four driver changes for this race were Josh Wise returning to the No. 32 Go FAS Racing Ford, Travis Kvapil driving the No. 33 Hillman-Circle Sport LLC Chevrolet, Brett Moffitt returning to the No. 34 Front Row Motorsports Ford and Reed Sorenson returning to the No. 62 Premium Motorsports Chevrolet. No. Car number Driver Team Manufacturer 1 Jamie McMurray Chip Ganassi Racing Chevrolet 2 Brad Keselowski (PC3) Team Penske Ford 3 Austin Dillon Richard Childress Racing Chevrolet 4 Kevin Harvick (PC1) Stewart–Haas Racing Chevrolet 5 Kasey Kahne Hendrick Motorsports Chevrolet 6 Trevor Bayne Roush Fenway Racing Ford 7 Alex Bowman Tommy Baldwin Racing Chevrolet 9 Sam Hornish Jr. Richard Petty Motorsports Ford 10 Danica Patrick Stewart–Haas Racing Chevrolet 11 Denny Hamlin Joe Gibbs Racing Toyota 13 Casey Mears Germain Racing Chevrolet 14 Tony Stewart (PC4) Stewart–Haas Racing Chevrolet 15 Clint Bowyer Michael Waltrip Racing Toyota 16 Greg Biffle Roush Fenway Racing Ford 17 Ricky Stenhouse Jr. Roush Fenway Racing Ford 18 Kyle Busch Joe Gibbs Racing Toyota 19 Carl Edwards Joe Gibbs Racing Toyota 20 Matt Kenseth (PC6) Joe Gibbs Racing Toyota 21 Ryan Blaney (i) Wood Brothers Racing Ford 22 Joey Logano Team Penske Ford 23 J. J. Yeley (i) BK Racing Toyota 24 Jeff Gordon (PC7) Hendrick Motorsports Chevrolet 26 Jeb Burton (R) BK Racing Toyota 27 Paul Menard Richard Childress Racing Chevrolet 31 Ryan Newman Richard Childress Racing Chevrolet 32 Josh Wise Go FAS Racing Ford 33 Travis Kvapil (i) Hillman-Circle Sport LLC Chevrolet 34 Brett Moffitt (R) Front Row Motorsports Ford 35 Cole Whitt Front Row Motorsports Ford 38 David Gilliland Front Row Motorsports Ford 40 Landon Cassill (i) Hillman-Circle Sport LLC Chevrolet 41 Kurt Busch (PC5) Stewart–Haas Racing Chevrolet 42 Kyle Larson Chip Ganassi Racing Chevrolet 43 Aric Almirola Richard Petty Motorsports Ford 46 Michael Annett HScott Motorsports Chevrolet 47 A. J. Allmendinger JTG Daugherty Racing Chevrolet 48 Jimmie Johnson (PC2) Hendrick Motorsports Chevrolet 51 Justin Allgaier HScott Motorsports Chevrolet 55 David Ragan Michael Waltrip Racing Toyota 62 Reed Sorenson Premium Motorsports Chevrolet 78 Martin Truex Jr. Furniture Row Racing Chevrolet 83 Matt DiBenedetto (R) BK Racing Toyota 88 Dale Earnhardt Jr. Hendrick Motorsports Chevrolet 98 Timmy Hill (i) Premium Motorsports FordOfficial initial entry listOfficial final entry list Key Meaning (R) Rookie (i) Ineligible for points (PC#) Past champions provisional Practice First practice Carl Edwards was the fastest in the first practice session with a time of 36.726 and a speed of 196.046 mph km/h on.http://nascartalk.nbcsports.com/2015/08/14/carl-edwards-fastest-in-friday-sprint-cup-practice-followed-by-harvick-dillon-stewart-and-hamlin/ Carl Edwards fastest in Friday Sprint Cup practice, followed by Harvick, Dillon, Stewart and Hamlin Bonkowski Jerry NBC Sports August 14, 2015 nascartalk.nbcsports.com August 14, 2015 Pos No. Car number Driver Team Manufacturer Time Speed MPH 1 19 Carl Edwards Joe Gibbs Racing Toyota 36.726 196.046 2 4 Kevin Harvick Stewart–Haas Racing Chevrolet 36.950 194.858 3 3 Austin Dillon Richard Childress Racing Chevrolet 36.984 194.679Official first practice results Practice (post-qualifying) Second practice Kevin Harvick was the fastest in the second practice session with a time of 36.964 and a speed of 194.784 mph km/h on.Long Dustin August 15, 2015 Kevin Harvick paces practice as drivers run in groups at Michigan to test package http://nascartalk.nbcsports.com/2015/08/15/kevin-harvick-paces-practice-as-drivers-run-in-groups-at-michigan-to-test-package/ August 15, 2015 nascartalk.nbcsports.com NBC Sports Brooklyn, Michigan PosNo. Car numberDriverTeamManufacturerTimeSpeed MPH14Kevin HarvickStewart–Haas RacingChevrolet36.964194.784220Matt KensethJoe Gibbs RacingToyota37.035194.411342Kyle LarsonChip Ganassi RacingChevrolet37.111194.013Official second practice results Final practice Martin Truex Jr. was the fastest in the final practice session with a time of 37.553 and a speed of 191.729 mph km/h on.Long Dustin August 15, 2015 Martin Truex Jr. leads final Sprint Cup practice at Michigan http://nascartalk.nbcsports.com/2015/08/15/martin-truex-jr-leads-final-sprint-cup-practice-at-michigan/ August 15, 2015 nascartalk.nbcsports.com NBC Sports Brooklyn, Michigan In the first five minutes of the session, Kyle Busch's car got loose exiting turn 4, slid down through the grass and destroyed the splitter.Spencer Lee August 15, 2015 Truex looking to build on speed found in Happy Hour http://www.motorsport.com/nascar-cup/news/truex-looking-to-build-on-speed-found-in-happy-hour August 15, 2015 Motorsport.com Motorsport.com, Inc. This forced the No. 18 team to roll out his backup car. As a result, he started the race from the rear of the field. “I was just running along, everything was fine and I was actually feeling pretty good about it,” Busch said. “Just started to get a little free up off of (turn) four. It started stepping out like it did here in the spring. I over-corrected and hit the wall so this time around I just kind of made it keep rotating and head down towards the infield. I think we need more grass at these race tracks, I think the apron should be full of grass.” In the final few minutes of the session, Austin Dillon reported that his engine had "No RPM's" and was forced to change engines. As a result, he too started the race from the rear of the field. PosNo. Car numberDriverTeamManufacturerTimeSpeed MPH178Martin Truex Jr.Furniture Row RacingChevrolet37.553191.729222Joey LoganoTeam PenskeFord37.654191.215319Carl EdwardsJoe Gibbs RacingToyota37.659191.189Official final practice results Qualifying Matt Kenseth won the pole with a time of 36.458 and a speed of 197.488 mph km/h on.http://www.mrn.com/Race-Series/NASCAR-Sprint-Cup/News/Articles/2015/08/Matt-Kenseth-Claims-Michigan-International-Speedway-Pole.aspx Kenseth Claims Michigan Pole Pistone Pete Motor Racing Network August 14, 2015 MRN.com August 14, 2015 Brooklyn, Michigan https://web.archive.org/web/20150817124030/http://www.mrn.com/Race-Series/NASCAR-Sprint-Cup/News/Articles/2015/08/Matt-Kenseth-Claims-Michigan-International-Speedway-Pole.aspx August 17, 2015 dead "We’ve had a fast racecar here this weekend," said Kenseth. "Hopefully, we can work on it in practice and get it ready to race. Having the No. 1 starting spot is great." "We aren’t first so we aren’t satisfied," said Joey Logano. "Qualifying here is very interesting. I had my hands full, I can tell you that much. I was sawing away at it but we'll be close enough to the front to get a good pit stall, so the guys have that going for them. We'll go to work on dialing it in some more during practice." "Tomorrow (Saturday), we'll run more around other cars and learn more about what the (aero) package is going to be like for the race," Jeff Gordon said of the new rules package. "We won’t truly know until they drop the green and there are 43 cars going into Turn 1." Qualifying results Pos No. Car number Driver Team Manufacturer R1 Best time in Round 1 R2 Best time in Round 2 1 20 Matt Kenseth Joe Gibbs Racing Toyota 36.737 36.458 2 11 Denny Hamlin Joe Gibbs Racing Toyota 36.822 36.550 3 19 Carl Edwards Joe Gibbs Racing Toyota 36.757 36.683 4 3 Austin DillonAustin Dillon started from the rear of the field for changing engines. "N" Richard Childress Racing Chevrolet 36.995 36.750 5 14 Tony Stewart Stewart–Haas Racing Chevrolet 36.900 36.833 6 18 Kyle BuschKyle Busch started from the rear of the field for switching to a backup car post-qualifying. "N" Joe Gibbs Racing Toyota 36.804 36.838 7 4 Kevin Harvick Stewart–Haas Racing Chevrolet 36.976 36.876 8 48 Jimmie Johnson Hendrick Motorsports Chevrolet 37.083 36.880 9 88 Dale Earnhardt Jr. Hendrick Motorsports Chevrolet 37.159 36.945 10 22 Joey Logano Team Penske Ford 37.011 37.036 11 5 Kasey Kahne Hendrick Motorsports Chevrolet 37.159 37.088 12 15 Clint Bowyer Michael Waltrip Racing Toyota 37.176 37.189 13 55 David Ragan Michael Waltrip Racing Toyota 37.184 — 14 2 Brad Keselowski Team Penske Ford 37.199 — 15 9 Sam Hornish Jr. Richard Petty Motorsports Ford 37.214 — 16 41 Kurt Busch Stewart–Haas Racing Chevrolet 37.246 — 17 31 Ryan Newman Richard Childress Racing Chevrolet 37.246 — 18 1 Jamie McMurray Chip Ganassi Racing Chevrolet 37.277 — 19 21 Ryan Blaney (i) Wood Brothers Racing Ford 37.281 — 20 16 Greg Biffle Roush Fenway Racing Ford 37.300 — 21 24 Jeff Gordon Hendrick Motorsports Chevrolet 37.304 — 22 78 Martin Truex Jr. Furniture Row Racing Chevrolet 37.321 — 23 10 Danica Patrick Stewart–Haas Racing Chevrolet 37.350 — 24 27 Paul Menard Richard Childress Racing Chevrolet 37.379 — 25 6 Trevor Bayne Roush Fenway Racing Ford 37.499 — 26 47 A. J. Allmendinger JTG Daugherty Racing Chevrolet 37.534 — 27 17 Ricky Stenhouse Jr. Roush Fenway Racing Ford 37.581 — 28 51 Justin Allgaier HScott Motorsports Chevrolet 37.624 — 29 26 Jeb Burton (R) BK Racing Toyota 37.753 — 30 43 Aric Almirola Richard Petty Motorsports Ford 37.790 — 31 40 Landon Cassill (i) Hillman-Circle Sport LLC Chevrolet 37.885 — 32 83 Matt DiBenedetto (R) BK Racing Toyota 37.885 — 33 7 Alex Bowman Tommy Baldwin Racing Chevrolet 38.018 — 34 42 Kyle Larson Chip Ganassi Racing Chevrolet 38.049 — 35 35 Cole Whitt Front Row Motorsports Ford 38.077 — 36 38 David Gilliland Front Row Motorsports Ford 38.110 — 37 23 J. J. Yeley (i) BK Racing Toyota 38.145 — 38 34 Brett Moffitt (R) Front Row Motorsports Ford 38.193 — 39 46 Michael Annett HScott Motorsports Chevrolet 38.302 — 40 13 Casey Mears Germain Racing Chevrolet 38.599 — 41 32 Josh Wise Go FAS Racing Ford 38.705 — 42 33 Travis Kvapil (i)Travis Kvapil started from the rear of the field for changing engines. "N" Hillman-Circle Sport LLC Chevrolet 39.200 — 43 98 Timmy Hill (i) Premium Motorsports Ford 39.335 —Failed to qualify 44 62 Reed Sorenson Premium Motorsports Chevrolet 38.631 —Official qualifying results Race First half Start Just as the field began rolling off pit road, Timmy Hill blew his engine and went to the garage before the green flag flew.2015 Pure Michigan 400 https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=YE-jDm0AuHY September 2, 2015 Sprint Cup Series Sprint Cup Series NBC Sports NBCSN Watkins Glen, New York August 16, 2015 67 2:55 p.m. en The race was scheduled to start at 2:46 p.m.,http://nascartalk.nbcsports.com/2015/08/16/todays-nascar-sprint-cup-race-at-michigan-start-time-tv-info-and-more/ Today’s NASCAR Sprint Cup race at Michigan: Start time, TV info and more Long Dustin NBC Sports August 16, 2015 nascartalk.nbcsports.com August 16, 2015 but started nine minutes later when Matt Kenseth led the field to the green flag. The first caution of the race flew the same lap when David Ragan got sideways and spun through the infield grass while heading into turn 1. The race restarted on lap 6. The second caution of the race flew on lap 10 for debris in turn 3. The debris was an oil pan that came off Hill's car, which recently returned to the race. The race restarted on lap 14. The third caution of the race flew on lap 21 as a scheduled competition caution. Austin Dillon opted not to pit and assumed the lead. Kasey Kahne was tagged for speeding on pit road and restarted from the tail-end of the field. The race restarted on lap 25. Dillon surrendered the lead to pit on lap 41 and handed it back to Kenseth. Jimmie Johnson made an unscheduled stop on lap 49 for a flat right-rear tire. He rejoined the race in 42nd two laps down. Casey Mears hit pit road on lap 54 after his engine gave way. Kenseth ducked onto pit road on lap 59 and handed the lead to Kyle Larson, who pitted the next lap and handed the lead to Jeff Gordon. He hit pit road the next time by and gave the lead to Kyle Busch. Busch pitted the next lap and gave the lead back to Kenseth. Michael Annett was tagged for having his pit crew over the wall too soon and was forced to serve a drive-through penalty. Second quarter The fourth caution of the race came out on lap 72 for debris in turn 2. The race restarted on lap 77. Matt Kenseth hit pit road on lap 99 and handed the lead to Kevin Harvick.http://nascartalk.nbcsports.com/2015/08/16/matt-kenseth-dominates-first-half-of-pure-michigan-400-but-kevin-harvick-in-lead-at-midpoint/ Matt Kenseth dominates first half of Pure Michigan 400, but Kevin Harvick in lead at midpoint Bonkowski Jerry NBC Sports August 16, 2015 nascartalk.nbcsports.com August 16, 2015 Second half Halfway Harvick ran out of gas on lap 114 on his way to pit road. Carl Edwards assumed the lead. He pitted on lap 116 and handed the lead to Kenseth. Debris in turn 1 brought out the fifth caution of the race on lap 121. Edwards opted not to pit and assumed the lead. The race restarted on lap 126. Edwards botched the restart and teammate Kenseth shot past Austin Dillon to retake the lead. The sixth caution of the race flew when Clint Bowyer got turned into the wall while exiting turn 2, came down across the nose of Ryan Newman, slid down the track and rear-ended the inside wall on the backstretch.http://www.foxsports.com/nascar/story/clint-bowyer-michael-waltrip-racing-michigan-wreck-chase-for-sprint-cup-hopes-take-hit-081615 Clint Bowyer's Chase hopes take a hit in Pure Michigan 400 wreck Pennell Jay Fox Sports Interactive Media, LLC. August 16, 2015 FoxSports.com August 16, 2015 "Man, I'm sorry guys," Bowyer radioed to his team. "I couldn't save it. Good track for us."http://www.nascar.com/en_us/news-media/articles/2015/8/16/clint-bowyer-michigan-wreck-chase-standings.html Wreck ruins Bowyer's race, impacts Chase standings Sheldon Kathy NASCAR Media Group, LLC. August 16, 2015 NASCAR.com August 17, 2015 Brooklyn, Michigan The race restarted on lap 131. The seventh caution of the race flew on lap 136 when Tony Stewart got loose and spun down onto pit road and Ryan Blaney, trying to avoid hitting him, made contact with the wall. Edwards had an engine misfire under the caution and fell from second to 12th. Fourth quarter thumb|right|Matt Kenseth, seen here at the 2015 Daytona 500, scored the 34th victory of his career at Michigan. The race restarted with 59 laps to go. A number of cars began hitting pit road to make their final stop with 38 laps to go. Kenseth gave up the lead to pit with 36 laps to go and handed it to Busch. He pitted with 28 laps to go and handed the lead to Aric Almirola. He pitted with 25 laps to go and the lead cycled back to Kenseth. The eighth caution of the race flew with 17 laps to go when Johnson got loose in turn 3 and damaged his car's splitter. The race restarted with 13 laps to go and Matt Kenseth drove off to score his 34th career victory.Trister Noah Kenseth in control at Michigan, wins 3rd Cup race of season http://racing.ap.org/article/kenseth-control-michigan-wins-3rd-cup-race-season August 16, 2015 AP Sports Associated Press Associated Press August 16, 2015 https://web.archive.org/web/20150818122453/http://racing.ap.org/article/kenseth-control-michigan-wins-3rd-cup-race-season August 18, 2015 Brooklyn, Michigan Post-race Driver comments "We've had a great couple months," said Kenseth. "We definitely have momentum. The guys gave us a rocket today. We're going to work hard to keep it rolling."http://www.mrn.com/Race-Series/NASCAR-Sprint-Cup/News/Articles/2015/08/Matt-Kenseth-Masters-Michigan-International-Speedway-for-Third-Win.aspx Kenseth Masters Michigan for Third Win Pistone Pete Motor Racing Network August 16, 2015 MRN.com August 16, 2015 Brooklyn, Michigan https://web.archive.org/web/20150820010600/http://www.mrn.com/Race-Series/NASCAR-Sprint-Cup/News/Articles/2015/08/Matt-Kenseth-Masters-Michigan-International-Speedway-for-Third-Win.aspx August 20, 2015 dead “We just fought a lot of things today,” Harvick said. “Just really proud of everybody on our Jimmy John’s/Budweiser Chevrolet for working hard today. We had some handling issues at the beginning of the race and then they were able to really make the car handle a lot better and then we overcame the running out of gas there and we were able to put ourselves back in position up in the front. The No. 20 (Kenseth) was the class of the field today, but everybody on our Jimmy John’s team did a great job.”http://www.motorsport.com/nascar-cup/news/matt-kenseth-conquers-michigan Matt Kenseth conquers Michigan Spencer Lee Motorsport.com, Inc. August 16, 2015 Motorsport.com August 16, 2015 “Yeah, we had some circumstances where we had to start at the back and had to figure out a way to get our track position back, and just got to thank my guys,” said Austin Dillon after scoring his best career finish of fourth. "(Crew chief) Slugger Labbe and the engineers did a good job coming up with a plan. That first 20 laps was no fun for us because we had to ride around and try and stay in front of the leader, but we saved gas and decided to not come down on that first competition caution for fuel, and it worked out. It showed that our car was fast enough to stay up there, pitted, drove back up to where we needed to be, and man, it was a fun day for us, the Dow car was fast, and I felt like I passed a lot of cars, also, getting into fourth.”http://www.mrn.com/Race-Series/NASCAR-Sprint-Cup/News/Articles/2015/08/Career-Best-Finish-For-Dillon.aspx Career Best Finish For Dillon Pistone Pete Motor Racing Network August 16, 2015 MRN.com August 16, 2015 Brooklyn, Michigan https://web.archive.org/web/20150820023038/http://www.mrn.com/Race-Series/NASCAR-Sprint-Cup/News/Articles/2015/08/Career-Best-Finish-For-Dillon.aspx August 20, 2015 dead “We passed a lot of cars, we just couldn’t ever get that track position to fight for the win,” Martin Truex Jr. told NBCSN after the race. “We felt like we were maybe as good as the No. 20 (winner, Matt Kenseth), close at least, and it would have been nice to see if we could have fought it out with him.”http://nascartalk.nbcsports.com/2015/08/16/return-to-michigan-gets-truex-back-on-track-with-3rd-place-finish/ Return to Michigan gets Truex back on track with 3rd-place finish Bonkowski Jerry NBC Sports August 16, 2015 nascartalk.nbcsports.com August 17, 2015 Media comments “I continue to applaud NASCAR for trying rule packages in an effort to improve the competition. But after two tries it’s apparent the high drag package used at Indianapolis and Michigan is not the right direction. Drivers were skeptical all weekend about being able to pass thanks to the impact of the higher spoiler and other aero changes made to how cars handled. It played out in Sunday’s race with passes for the lead minimal and most of the day spent calculating strategies on pit road. While the lower downforce package received rave reviews and will be used again at Darlington on Labor Day weekend, it’s safe to say the days of the high drag aero rules are endangered to say the least.’’ Motor Racing Network lead writer and co-host of The Morning Drive on Sirius XM NASCAR Radio Pete Pistone giving his thoughts on the new aero package.http://www.mrn.com/Race-Series/NASCAR-Sprint-Cup/News/Articles/2015/08/Michigan-Rear-View-Mirror.aspx Michigan Rear-View Mirror Pistone Pete Motor Racing Network August 16, 2015 MRN.com August 16, 2015 Brooklyn, Michigan https://web.archive.org/web/20150820024848/http://www.mrn.com/Race-Series/NASCAR-Sprint-Cup/News/Articles/2015/08/Michigan-Rear-View-Mirror.aspx August 20, 2015 dead 40% right Members of the NASCAR media gave their thoughts on the high-downforce package used for this race. Pete Pistone, lead writer for MRN.com and co-host of The Morning Drive on Sirius XM NASCAR Radio, said that he continued "to applaud NASCAR for trying rule packages in an effort to improve the competition" but that "it’s apparent the high drag package used at Indianapolis and Michigan is not the right direction." Jerry Jordan of Frontstretch.com said that "it didn’t seem to produce the desired results at Michigan International Speedway" but that he did "applaud NASCAR for trying something new and wanting to make the racing better – and safer – on the track."http://frontstretch.com/2015/08/17/nascars-decisions-made-in-best-interest-of-the-sport/ NASCAR's Decision Made in Best Interest of the Sport Jordan Jerry Frontstretch August 17, 2015 Frontstretch.com August 17, 2015 Jim Utter of Motorsport.com was less kind in his opinion of the rules package in saying that it "was a complete failure at its debut at Indianapolis Motor Speedway last month and again in Sunday’s Pure Michigan 400 at Michigan International Speedway" and that "restarts were the only thing that created any drama in either race."http://www.motorsport.com/nascar-cup/news/own-your-rules-package-nascar Own your rules package, NASCAR Utter Jim Motorsport.com, Inc. August 16, 2015 Motorsport.com August 16, 2015 Monte Dutton of Bleacher Report stated that "NASCAR’s rules geniuses botched the package used in the Pure Michigan 400."https://bleacherreport.com/articles/2549123-disastrous-nascar-rules-package-makes-matt-kenseths-michigan-win-day-of-infamy Disastrous NASCAR Rules Package Makes Matt Kenseth's Michigan Win Day of Infamy Dutton Monte Bleacher Report, Inc. August 16, 2015 BleacherReport.com August 17, 2015 Race results Pos No. Car number Driver Team Manufacturer Laps Laps completed Points 1 20 Matt Kenseth Joe Gibbs Racing Toyota 200 48 2 4 Kevin Harvick Stewart–Haas Racing Chevrolet 200 43 3 78 Martin Truex Jr. Furniture Row Racing Chevrolet 200 41 4 3 Austin Dillon Richard Childress Racing Chevrolet 200 41 5 11 Denny Hamlin Joe Gibbs Racing Toyota 200 39 6 19 Carl Edwards Joe Gibbs Racing Toyota 200 39 7 22 Joey Logano Team Penske Ford 200 37 8 31 Ryan Newman Richard Childress Racing Chevrolet 200 36 9 2 Brad Keselowski Team Penske Ford 200 35 10 88 Dale Earnhardt Jr. Hendrick Motorsports Chevrolet 200 34 11 18 Kyle Busch Joe Gibbs Racing Toyota 200 34 12 27 Paul Menard Richard Childress Racing Chevrolet 200 32 13 42 Kyle Larson Chip Ganassi Racing Chevrolet 200 31 14 43 Aric Almirola Richard Petty Motorsports Ford 200 31 15 5 Kasey Kahne Hendrick Motorsports Chevrolet 200 29 16 1 Jamie McMurray Chip Ganassi Racing Chevrolet 200 28 17 24 Jeff Gordon Hendrick Motorsports Chevrolet 200 28 18 55 David Ragan Michael Waltrip Racing Toyota 200 26 19 9 Sam Hornish Jr. Richard Petty Motorsports Ford 200 25 20 41 Kurt Busch Stewart–Haas Racing Chevrolet 199 24 21 14 Tony Stewart Stewart–Haas Racing Chevrolet 199 23 22 6 Trevor Bayne Roush Fenway Racing Ford 198 22 23 16 Greg Biffle Roush Fenway Racing Ford 198 21 24 21 Ryan Blaney (i) Wood Brothers Racing Ford 198 0 25 10 Danica Patrick Stewart–Haas Racing Chevrolet 198 19 26 17 Ricky Stenhouse Jr. Roush Fenway Racing Ford 198 18 27 35 Cole Whitt Front Row Motorsports Ford 198 17 28 47 A. J. Allmendinger JTG Daugherty Racing Chevrolet 198 16 29 51 Justin Allgaier HScott Motorsports Chevrolet 197 15 30 83 Matt DiBenedetto (R) BK Racing Toyota 197 14 31 7 Alex Bowman Tommy Baldwin Racing Chevrolet 197 13 32 38 David Gilliland Front Row Motorsports Ford 197 12 33 26 Jeb Burton (R) BK Racing Toyota 197 11 34 34 Brett Moffitt (R) Front Row Motorsports Ford 197 10 35 46 Michael Annett HScott Motorsports Chevrolet 197 9 36 40 Landon Cassill (i) Hillman-Circle Sport LLC Chevrolet 196 0 37 32 Josh Wise Go FAS Racing Ford 196 7 38 23 J. J. Yeley (i) BK Racing Toyota 194 0 39 48 Jimmie Johnson Hendrick Motorsports Chevrolet 190 5 40 33 Travis Kvapil (i) Hillman-Circle Sport LLC Chevrolet 190 0 41 15 Clint Bowyer Michael Waltrip Racing Toyota 164 4 42 13 Casey Mears Germain Racing Chevrolet 51 2 43 98 Timmy Hill (i) Premium Motorsports Ford 9 0Official Pure Michigan 400 results Race statistics 16 lead changes among 8 different drivers 8 cautions for 31 laps Time of race: 2 hours, 47 minute, 18 seconds Average speed: 143.455 mph km/h on Matt Kenseth took home $226.586 in winnings Lap Leaders Laps Leader 1-22 Matt Kenseth 23-40 Austin Dillon 41-59 Matt Kenseth 60 Jeff Gordon 61-62 Kyle Busch 63-75 Matt Kenseth 76 Clint Bowyer 77-98 Matt Kenseth 99-113 Kevin Harvick 114-116 Carl Edwards 117-122 Matt Kenseth 123-124 Carl Edwards 125 Austin Dillon 126-164 Matt Kenseth 165-172 Kyle Busch 173-175 Aric Almirola 176-200 Matt KensethTotal laps led Leader Laps Matt Kenseth 146 Austin Dillon 19 Kevin Harvick 15 Kyle Busch 10 Carl Edwards 5 Aric Almirola 3 Jeff Gordon 1 Clint Bowyer 1 Race awards Coors Light Pole Award: Matt Kenseth (36.458, 197.488 mph km/h on) 3M Lap Leader: Matt Kenseth (146 laps) American Ethanol Green Flag Restart Award: Matt Kenseth Duralast Brakes "Bake In The Race" Award: Matt Kenseth Freescale "Wide Open": Kevin Harvick Ingersoll Rand Power Move: Ryan Newman (5 positions) MAHLE Clevite Engine Builder of the Race: Toyota Racing Development #20 Mobil 1 Driver of the Race: Matt Kenseth (148.8 driver rating) Moog Steering and Suspension Problem Solver of The Race: Kevin Harvick (crew chief Rodney Childers (0.300 seconds)) NASCAR Sprint Cup Leader Bonus: No winner: rolls over to $200,000 at next event Sherwin-Williams Fastest Lap: Austin Dillon (Lap 26, 37.985, 189.549 mph km/h on) Sunoco Rookie of The Race: Matt DiBenedetto Media Television NBC Sports covered the race on the television side. Rick Allen, Jeff Burton and Steve Letarte had the call in the booth for the race. Dave Burns, Mike Massaro, Marty Snider and Kelli Stavast handled pit road on the television side. NBCSNBooth announcersPit reporters Lap-by-lap: Rick AllenColor-commentator: Jeff BurtonColor-commentator: Steve Letarte Dave BurnsMike MassaroMarty SniderKelli Stavast Radio MRN had the radio call for the race, which was simulcast on Sirius XM NASCAR Radio. Joe Moore, Jeff Striegle and five–time Michigan winner Rusty Wallace called the race from the booth when the field was racing down the front stretch. Dave Moody called the race from a billboard outside of turn 2 when the field was racing through turns 1 and 2. Kurt Becker called the race from a platform outside of turn 3 when the field was racing through turns 3 and 4. Alex Hayden, Winston Kelley and Pete Pistone worked pit road for MRN. MRN Booth announcersTurn announcersPit reporters Lead announcer: Joe MooreAnnouncer: Jeff StriegleAnnouncer: Rusty Wallace Turns 1 & 2: Dave MoodyTurns 3 & 4: Kurt Becker Alex HaydenWinston KelleyPete Pistone Standings after the race Drivers' Championship standings Pos Driver Points 10px 1 Kevin Harvick 866 10px 2 Joey Logano 818 (–48) 10px 3 Dale Earnhardt Jr. 784 (–82) 10px 2 4 Martin Truex Jr. 755 (–111) 10px 5 Brad Keselowski 754 (–112) 10px 2 6 Jimmie Johnson 752 (–114) 10px 7 Matt Kenseth 751 (–115) 10px 8 Kurt Busch 683 (–183) 10px 1 9 Denny Hamlin 670 (–196) 10px 1 10 Jamie McMurray 663 (–203) 10px 11 Paul Menard 654 (–212) 10px 1 12 Ryan Newman 649 (–217) 10px 1 13 Jeff Gordon 648 (–218) 10px 1 14 Carl Edwards 628 (–238) 10px 1 15 Clint Bowyer 616 (–250) 10px 16 Aric Almirola 593 (–273) thumb|right|Kevin Harvick left Michigan with a 48–point lead over Joey Logano. Manufacturers' Championship standings Pos Manufacturer Points 10px 1 Chevrolet 1,024 10px 1 2 Toyota 954 (–70) 10px 1 3 Ford 948 (–76) Note: Only the first sixteen positions are included for the driver standings. Notes "N" References 2 Sprint Cup Series 2015 2015 Cheez-It 355 at The Glen 2015 Irwin Tools Night Race Pure Michigan 400 Pure Michigan 400 Category:NASCAR races at Michigan International Speedway