Here’s what we learned in the first three NASCAR Michigan races.
Only a third of the race was completed before rain pushed the remaining rounds to Monday.
Denny Hamlin made a mistake, Ryan Blaney won the first stage and Bubba Wallace looked like he had the car to beat after Sunday’s first NASCAR Cup Series race at Michigan International Speedway.
The decision on all of this information will have to wait until Monday morning, however, due to heavy rain the start of the FireKeepers Casino 400 has been delayed.
But a lot happened in the first 50 places.
Bubba looks fast
More importantly, Wallace looks like the class of the field, or someone who has been as strong as he has been for the past two months. 23XI Racing’s No. 23 has led the way for six straight races and will return to Nashville Superspeedway in June.
He raced the Chicago Street Course, won a leg at the Brickyard 400, and had three straight top-10 finishes, including two top-5 finishes.
He finished third in the first stint, but was forced to stay when Hamlin spun behind him on lap 38.
Six drivers decided to get out just before the break, and Wallace passed all but two. Wallace doesn’t need a win to make the playoffs, but having a good scoring day and trying to win seems like an obvious option for Wallace.
He was first on lap 35, while Hamlin and leader Kyle Larson ran alongside, and Wallace had the upper hand. “Honestly, I’m not working,” Wallace said. I just ran, but those guys, 20 miles an hour at the line, that’s when you run and hope no one comes down and throws a crazy block.
“Our McDonald’s Camry is fast, but I’m not very good at clean air right now, so we have to fix it. Every car that passed us got more clearance, and we’ve struggled with that for the last couple of years.
But overall a good day so far, I got some stage points today and I’m ready for the race tomorrow.
Hamlin turned
Hamlin led the field to the green on Sunday but did not lead the lap when Larson passed the pole and Martin Theroux Jr. three wide to lead and hold the top spot for the first 32 laps.
Meanwhile, Hamlin chased Larson the entire season, spending most of the first place behind the No. 5 Hendrick Motorsports. Again, Wallace could only lead Hamlin’s pursuit of Larson.
With Wallace in the lead, Hamlin backed into Wallace’s rear fender and got himself behind Larson. But his car got too loose after that and spun harmlessly back into the 14th field. He ran 17th in the wet break, wishing he could have given a second result in the first break to the car driven by Wallace.
“The car felt good,” Hamlin said. I just got into a very bad wind situation and lost all capture at one point. It’s a shame I just try to run into it. “I kept working on Larson, then I tried to work on 23 and I went up.”
Hamlin said he was driving well until he put the car in the lane behind Wallace.
He ran 17th in the wet break, wishing he could have given a second result in the first break to the car driven by Wallace.
“The car felt good,” Hamlin said. I just got into a very bad wind situation and lost all capture at one point. It’s sad I just tried to run into it. “I kept working on Larson, then I tried to work on 23 and I went up.”
Hamlin said he was driving well until he put the car in the lane behind Wallace.
These cars are very focused on aerodynamics and how they stack up against the other cars puts me in a very bad place in Turn 4.
How did he get the opportunity to work in the field?
He said: I just need time. More than 50 rounds to recover what was lost. “I hope we have enough time to change everything.”
The timing of Hamlin’s turnaround decision made a strategic choice and the answer depends on what the team really needs at this point in the season, with only three races of the season remaining.
The following drivers stayed out and did not reach the dual carriageway. Their driving status during the warning is in parentheses.
