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NASCAR Nextel Cup drivers head to Michigan International Speedway in Brooklyn Michigan this weekend for the running of the Citizens Bank 400. 200 laps are scheduled on this two-mile superspeedway. With its wide sweeping 18-degree corners, long straightaways, and 12-degree tri-oval front stretch, there?s plenty of room to pass and plenty of speed.

Chevrolet has won 13 of the 14 races this season. Only the Ford of Matt Kenseth has won a race this year, at California Speedway. But that dominance could come to end this weekend ? if past history is any indication. A Chevy has not won a race at Michigan since 2001, a span of 11 races. It has mostly been the Roush Fenway racing show. Kenseth won the second Michigan race last season and Greg Biffle won once each in 2005 and 2006. And though Carl Edwards has yet to win at Michigan, he does have three top-five finishes, including a runner-up finish at this race last year.

As I see it, the following drivers have the best chance of pulling out a top finish this Sunday. Not only have they run great at this track in recent years, but they?ve also performed well at similar tracks such as California Speedway and Las Vegas Motor Speedway. Add in their recent success over the last month of racing and you?ve got the key ingredients for victory.

Top Ten
#17 Matt Kenseth
#24 Jeff Gordon
#11 Denny Hamlin
#99 Carl Edwards
#12 Ryan Newman
#01 Mark Martin
#16 Greg Biffle
#20 Tony Stewart
#48 Jimmie Johnson
#1 Martin Truex Jr.

Since entering the series full time in 2000, no one has completed more laps on two mile ovals (Michigan & Fontana) than Kenseth, and no one has collected more top-five finishes (10) or top-10 finishes (17) on these same tracks two than Kenseth. Kenseth: ?I always look forward to racing at Michigan, mainly because of the track. It?s in the Midwest, pretty close to where I grew up. It has three or four grooves, and really, anywhere we go that there?s plenty of room to pass. It obviously helps that we?ve ran good there in the past, but I like how you can move around and find a groove that works best for you. There?s a lot of passing and it?s always a good show.? Crew Chief Robbie Reiser: ?We?re going to take the car that won there last fall. It was our workhorse last year, and has only ran at Charlotte this year. We think it?s going to be good, but we really won?t know until we unload. It was one of the better cars on the track in Charlotte, but we didn?t really get a great finish because of the fuel mileage deal at the end of the race. Hopefully, that?s not a factor this weekend, but it seems like at Michigan it usually is. Michigan?s been good to us over the years and it?d be a nice to go up there and win this thing. Roush has always been strong at Michigan and hopefully we?ll continue that this weekend.?

Carl Edwards on racing at Michigan: “I’m really looking forward to Michigan. It?s a great track with some really awesome racing. You can pass and I think the fans always see a good show there. I?m just really
looking forward to going to Michigan and doing everything I can to win there. Michigan is a kind of bragging rights track. It?s in Roush?s back yard, Ford?s back yard ? so a win there would be huge. Bob and the team have worked so hard this year and I can’t thank them enough for really making tons of improvements. This weekend will also be my 100th NEXTEL Cup Series stat and I?m really excited
about that. It is truly amazing how fast time flies. It seems like just yesterday I got the call from Jack Roush letting me know I?d be taking over the No. 99. I remember being so excited and really nervous. Now 100 races later, I am just as excited about the opportunity he gave me.?

Greg Biffle on racing at Michigan: ?Michigan is definitely one of my favorite racetracks. There?s a lot of room for passing and good racing. We?ve had a lot of success there in both the Cup and Busch series, so barring anything out of the ordinary, I feel confident about this weekend. The team is working well together and we?re gaining positions on pit road every week, so if we can just get the setup where it needs to be this weekend, it should be a good one for us.?

MICHIGAN HIGHLIGHTS

Matt Kenseth (No. 17 DEWALT Ford)
? Two wins, six top fives, 10 top 10?s
? 7.9 average finish
? Average running position of 10.2, third-best
? Driver rating of 111.3, second-best
? 35 fastest laps run, eighth-most
? Third-fastest green flag speed
? 607 laps in the top 15, third-most

Jeff Gordon (No. 24 DuPont Chevrolet)
? Two wins, 15 top fives, 19 top 10?s; four poles
? 10.0 average finish
? Average running position of 13.454, 10th-best
? Driver rating of 94.2, 10th-best
? 44 fastest laps run, sixth-most
? 445 laps in the top 15, 10th-most

Carl Edwards (No. 99 Office Depot Ford)
? Three top fives, four top 10?s
? 8.6 average finish
? Average running position of 10.2, second-best
? Driver rating of 109.8, third-best
? 55 fastest laps run, tied for second-most
? Second-fastest green flag speed
? 626 laps in the top 15, second-most
? Series-high 210 quality passes
? Second-fastest speed in traffic

Greg Biffle (No. 16 Ameriquest Ford)
? Two wins, four top fives, six top 10?s
? 9.625 average finish
? Series-best average running position of 6.527,
? Series-best driver rating of 118.1
? Series-high 65 fastest laps run
? Fastest green flag speed
? Series-high 680 laps in the top 15
? 188 quality passes (passes of cars in the top 15 under green), second-most
? Fastest speed in traffic

Tony Stewart (No. 20 Home Depot Chevrolet)
? One win, seven top fives, 10 top 10?s
? 13.688 average finish
? Driver rating of 96.4, eighth-best
? 37 fastest laps run, seventh-most
? Ninth-fastest green flag speed
? 511 laps in the top 15, seventh-most

Jimmie Johnson (No. 48 Lowe?s Chevrolet)
? One top five, four top 10?s
? 15.6 average finish
? Average running position of 11.256, fifth-most
? Driver rating of 95.3, ninth-best
? 280 green flag passes, eighth-most
? Sixth-fastest green flag speed
? 546 laps in the top 15, fifth-most
? 163 quality passes, fifth-most

Michigan Active Streaks
? Jeff Gordon has started in the top 10 in five of the last six races.
? Kasey Kahne has started in the top five in three of the last four races.
? Ryan Newman has started in the top five in three of the last four races.
? Greg Biffle has five consecutive top-10 finishes.
? Carl Edwards has finished in the top 10 in four of the last five races.
? Matt Kenseth has finished in the top 10 in seven of the last eight races.
? Tony Stewart has finished in the top 10 in four of the last five races.

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