News

Track:  Michigan International Speedway
Race:   Pure Michigan 400
Date:   August 15, 2015                   
 
No. 2 Miller Genuine Draft Ford Fusion – Brad Keselowski

Start:  14th
Finish: 9th
Status: Running
Laps Completed: 200/200
Laps Led: 0
Points Position (behind first):  5th (- 112)
 
Recap: Brad Keselowski and the No. 2 Miller Genuine Draft Ford Fusion team started the Pure Michigan 400 from the 14th spot, ran top-10 most of the day and brought home a ninth-place finish on Sunday afternoon at Michigan International Speedway. Keselowski began the 400-mile event at his home track in 14th.  Over the opening laps, the Michigan native made his way up to eighth, but then slipped back outside the top-10. Keselowski reported that his Ford Fusion lacked turn through the center and was loose on exit. The Miller Genuine Draft team worked on the machine throughout the day and by the last quarter of the race, Keselowski reported that the car was handling well but lacked the straight-line speed he needed to advance. When the checkers flew, the 2012 Cup champion brought home a ninth-place finish. The top-10 finish, his 15th of the season, keeps the driver of the No. 2 Team Penske Ford fifth in the championship standings, trailing the leader by 112 points, and just one point out of fourth place.

Quote: "It was an okay day. Nothing spectacular. We just never had the speed like the 20 car had. We made the most of our day in every way we could though. We just needed to be faster, for sure, especially down the straightaways. It doesn't matter what my thoughts and observations are, it is what NASCAR wants. Whatever they want to do. It wasn’t fun. It wasn't the worst I have ever seen but this package increasingly rewards the car over the driver and I am not a fan of that."
 
No. 22 Shell-Pennzoil Ford Fusion – Joey Logano

Start:  10th
Finish: 7th
Status: Running
Laps Completed:  200/200
Laps Led:  0
Points Position (behind first): 2nd (-48)
 
Recap:  Joey Logano and the No. 22 Shell-Pennzoil Ford Fusion ran solidly inside the top-10 all afternoon at Michigan International Speedway, coming home with a seventh-place finish in the Pure Michigan 400.   Logano started from the 10th position, but moved up after a couple of cars in front of him had to drop to the back before the start of the event.  Logano raced into fourth early, then used another strong restart to get as high as second.  As the race progressed, Logano proved to have a strong Shell-Pennzoil Ford Fusion, but needed a little more to be a race-winning car.  Crew chief Todd Gordon called Logano in and made changes all afternoon long and Logano continued to be a top-10 mainstay.  However, the new “high downforce” rules package ended up seeing drivers struggle to pass cars in front of them and Logano held steady between fifth and 10th.  Late in the race, Logano found himself ninth and Gordon called him to pit road for two tires.  After restarting in the 11th position, Logano was able to improve four spots in the final 15 laps for a seventh-place finish.  It was Logano’s 17th top-10 finish of the season.  He remains second in the NASCAR Sprint Cup Series point standings, 48 points behind Kevin Harvick.
 
Quote:  "My team did a good job and we executed fairly well. We had a couple bad restarts but a good one there at the end to make up for it. I would say we finished about where we deserved. I feel like we were anywhere from a fourth to 10th place car, somewhere in that area and it depended on the adjustments.  It was hard to pass out there today. Really, really, really hard."