The 2021 FireKeepers Casino 400 was a NASCAR Cup Series race held on August 22, 2021, at Michigan International Speedway in Brooklyn, Michigan. Contested over 200 laps on the D-shaped oval, it was the 25th race of the 2021 NASCAR Cup Series season.
Report
Background
The race was held at Michigan International Speedway, a moderate-banked D-shaped speedway located in Brooklyn, Michigan. The track is used primarily for NASCAR events. It is known as a "sister track" to Texas World Speedway as MIS's oval design was a direct basis of TWS, with moderate modifications to the banking in the corners, and was used as the basis of Auto Club Speedway. The track is owned by International Speedway Corporation. Michigan International Speedway is recognized as one of motorsports' premier facilities because of its wide racing surface and high banking (by open-wheel standards; the 18-degree banking is modest by stock car standards).
Josh Berry replaced Corey LaJoie for the race due to COVID-19 protocols; LaJoie, then unvaccinated, had been close to a person testing positive for the COVID-19 from his Stacking Pennies podcast a week prior.
Entry list (R) denotes rookie driver. (i) denotes driver who are ineligible for series driver points.
Driver Team Manufacturer 00 Quin Houff StarCom Racing Chevrolet 1 Kurt Busch Chip Ganassi Racing Chevrolet 2 Brad Keselowski Team Penske Ford 3 Austin Dillon Richard Childress Racing Chevrolet 4 Kevin Harvick Stewart-Haas Racing Ford 5 Kyle Larson Hendrick Motorsports Chevrolet 6 Ryan Newman Roush Fenway Racing Ford 7 Josh Berry (i) Spire Motorsports Chevrolet 8 Tyler Reddick Richard Childress Racing Chevrolet 9 Chase Elliott Hendrick Motorsports Chevrolet 10 Aric Almirola Stewart-Haas Racing Ford 11 Denny Hamlin Joe Gibbs Racing Toyota 12 Ryan Blaney Team Penske Ford 14 Chase Briscoe (R) Stewart-Haas Racing Ford 15 Joey Gase (i) Rick Ware Racing Chevrolet 17 Chris Buescher Roush Fenway Racing Ford 18 Kyle Busch Joe Gibbs Racing Toyota 19 Martin Truex Jr. Joe Gibbs Racing Toyota 20 Christopher Bell Joe Gibbs Racing Toyota 21 Matt DiBenedetto Wood Brothers Racing Ford 22 Joey Logano Team Penske Ford 23 Bubba Wallace 23XI Racing Toyota 24 William Byron Hendrick Motorsports Chevrolet 34 Michael McDowell Front Row Motorsports Ford 37 Ryan Preece JTG Daugherty Racing Chevrolet 38 Anthony Alfredo (R) Front Row Motorsports Ford 41 Cole Custer Stewart-Haas Racing Ford 42 Ross Chastain Chip Ganassi Racing Chevrolet 43 Erik Jones Richard Petty Motorsports Chevrolet 47 Ricky Stenhouse Jr. JTG Daugherty Racing Chevrolet 48 Alex Bowman Hendrick Motorsports Chevrolet 51 Cody Ware (i) Petty Ware Racing Chevrolet 52 Josh Bilicki Rick Ware Racing Ford 53 Garrett Smithley (i) Rick Ware Racing Ford 77 Justin Haley (i) Spire Motorsports Chevrolet 78 B. J. McLeod (i) Live Fast Motorsports Ford 99 Daniel Suárez Trackhouse Racing Team ChevroletOfficial entry list
Qualifying Kyle Larson was awarded the pole for the race as determined by competition-based formula.
Starting Lineup Pos Driver Team Manufacturer 1 5 Kyle Larson Hendrick Motorsports Chevrolet 2 9 Chase Elliott Hendrick Motorsports Chevrolet 3 12 Ryan Blaney Team Penske Ford 4 21 Matt DiBenedetto Wood Brothers Racing Ford 5 19 Martin Truex Jr. Joe Gibbs Racing Toyota 6 1 Kurt Busch Chip Ganassi Racing Chevrolet 7 18 Kyle Busch Joe Gibbs Racing Toyota 8 4 Kevin Harvick Stewart-Haas Racing Ford 9 11 Denny Hamlin Joe Gibbs Racing Toyota 10 48 Alex Bowman Hendrick Motorsports Chevrolet 11 17 Chris Buescher Roush Fenway Racing Ford 12 47 Ricky Stenhouse Jr. JTG Daugherty Racing Chevrolet 13 43 Erik Jones Richard Petty Motorsports Chevrolet 14 8 Tyler Reddick Richard Childress Racing Chevrolet 15 23 Bubba Wallace 23XI Racing Toyota 16 6 Ryan Newman Roush Fenway Racing Ford 17 77 Justin Haley (i) Spire Motorsports Chevrolet 18 24 William Byron Hendrick Motorsports Chevrolet 19 22 Joey Logano Team Penske Ford 20 2 Brad Keselowski Team Penske Ford 21 14 Chase Briscoe (R) Stewart-Haas Racing Ford 22 42 Ross Chastain Chip Ganassi Racing Chevrolet 23 10 Aric Almirola Stewart-Haas Racing Ford 24 7 Josh Berry (i) Spire Motorsports Chevrolet 25 34 Michael McDowell Front Row Motorsports Ford 26 3 Austin Dillon Richard Childress Racing Chevrolet 27 41 Cole Custer Stewart-Haas Racing Ford 28 20 Christopher Bell Joe Gibbs Racing Toyota 29 52 Josh Bilicki Rick Ware Racing Ford 30 99 Daniel Suárez Trackhouse Racing Team Chevrolet 31 00 Quin Houff StarCom Racing Chevrolet 32 37 Ryan Preece JTG Daugherty Racing Chevrolet 33 53 Garrett Smithley (i) Rick Ware Racing Chevrolet 34 15 Joey Gase (i) Rick Ware Racing Chevrolet 35 38 Anthony Alfredo (R) Front Row Motorsports Ford 36 78 B. J. McLeod Live Fast Motorsports Ford 37 51 Cody Ware (i) Petty Ware Racing ChevroletOfficial starting lineup
Race
Stage Results
Stage One Laps: 60
Pos Driver Team Manufacturer Points1 9 Chase Elliott Hendrick Motorsports Chevrolet 102 5 Kyle Larson Hendrick Motorsports Chevrolet 93 3 Austin Dillon Richard Childress Racing Chevrolet 84 11 Denny Hamlin Joe Gibbs Racing Toyota 75 24 William Byron Hendrick Motorsports Chevrolet 66 22 Joey Logano Team Penske Ford 57 21 Matt DiBenedetto Wood Brothers Racing Ford 48 1 Kurt Busch Chip Ganassi Racing Chevrolet 39 18 Kyle Busch Joe Gibbs Racing Toyota 210 2 Brad Keselowski Team Penske Ford 1Official stage one results
Stage Two Laps: 60
Pos Driver Team Manufacturer Points1 18 Kyle Busch Joe Gibbs Racing Toyota 102 20 Christopher Bell Joe Gibbs Racing Toyota 93 5 Kyle Larson Hendrick Motorsports Chevrolet 84 9 Chase Elliott Hendrick Motorsports Chevrolet 75 11 Denny Hamlin Joe Gibbs Racing Toyota 66 3 Austin Dillon Richard Childress Racing Chevrolet 57 2 Brad Keselowski Team Penske Ford 48 8 Tyler Reddick Richard Childress Racing Chevrolet 39 24 William Byron Hendrick Motorsports Chevrolet 210 21 Matt DiBenedetto Wood Brothers Racing Ford 1Official stage two results
Final Stage Results
Stage Three Laps: 80
Pos Grid Driver Team Manufacturer Laps Points1 3 12 Ryan Blaney Team Penske Ford 200 402 18 24 William Byron Hendrick Motorsports Chevrolet 200 433 1 5 Kyle Larson Hendrick Motorsports Chevrolet 200 514 6 1 Kurt Busch Chip Ganassi Racing Chevrolet 200 365 9 11 Denny Hamlin Joe Gibbs Racing Toyota 200 456 4 21 Matt DiBenedetto Wood Brothers Racing Ford 200 367 7 18 Kyle Busch Joe Gibbs Racing Toyota 200 428 2 9 Chase Elliott Hendrick Motorsports Chevrolet 200 469 20 2 Brad Keselowski Team Penske Ford 200 3310 5 19 Martin Truex Jr. Joe Gibbs Racing Toyota 200 2711 21 14 Chase Briscoe (R) Stewart-Haas Racing Ford 200 2612 12 47 Ricky Stenhouse Jr. JTG Daugherty Racing Chevrolet 200 2513 28 20 Christopher Bell Joe Gibbs Racing Toyota 200 3314 8 4 Kevin Harvick Stewart-Haas Racing Ford 200 2315 11 17 Chris Buescher Roush Fenway Racing Ford 200 2216 10 48 Alex Bowman Hendrick Motorsports Chevrolet 200 2117 23 10 Aric Almirola Stewart-Haas Racing Ford 200 2018 13 43 Erik Jones Richard Petty Motorsports Chevrolet 200 1919 15 23 Bubba Wallace 23XI Racing Toyota 200 1820 25 34 Michael McDowell Front Row Motorsports Ford 200 1721 32 37 Ryan Preece JTG Daugherty Racing Chevrolet 200 1622 30 99 Daniel Suárez Trackhouse Racing Team Chevrolet 200 1523 27 41 Cole Custer Stewart-Haas Racing Ford 200 1424 16 6 Ryan Newman Roush Fenway Racing Ford 200 1325 17 77 Justin Haley (i) Spire Motorsports Chevrolet 200 026 24 7 Josh Berry (i) Spire Motorsports Chevrolet 200 027 37 51 Cody Ware (i) Petty Ware Racing Chevrolet 199 028 36 78 B. J. McLeod (i) Live Fast Motorsports Ford 198 029 14 8 Tyler Reddick Richard Childress Racing Chevrolet 198 1130 31 00 Quin Houff StarCom Racing Chevrolet 196 731 29 52 Josh Bilicki Rick Ware Racing Ford 195 632 33 53 Garrett Smithley (i) Rick Ware Racing Ford 194 033 19 22 Joey Logano Team Penske Ford 188 934 35 38 Anthony Alfredo (R) Front Row Motorsports Ford 178 335 22 42 Ross Chastain Chip Ganassi Racing Chevrolet 152 236 26 3 Austin Dillon Richard Childress Racing Chevrolet 120 1437 34 15 Joey Gase (i) Rick Ware Racing Chevrolet 32 0Official race results
Race statistics Lead changes: 20 among 11 different drivers Cautions/Laps: 6 for 29 Red flags: 0 Time of race: 2 hours, 48 minutes and 27 seconds Average speed:
Media
Television NBC Sports covered the race on the television side. Rick Allen, Jeff Burton, Steve Letarte and two-time Michigan winner, Dale Earnhardt Jr. called the race from the broadcast booth. Dave Burns, Parker Kligerman and Marty Snider handled the pit road duties from pit lane.
NBCSNBooth announcersPit reporters Lap-by-lap: Rick AllenColor-commentator: Jeff BurtonColor-commentator: Steve LetarteColor-commentator: Dale Earnhardt Jr. Dave BurnsParker KligermanMarty Snider
Radio Radio coverage of the race was broadcast by Motor Racing Network (MRN) and simulcast on Sirius XM NASCAR Radio. Alex Hayden and Jeff Striegle called the race in the booth while the field was racing on the front stretch. Dave Moody called the race from a billboard outside of turn 2 when the field is racing through turns 1 and 2. Kyle Rickey called the race from a platform outside of turn 3 when the field races through turns 3 and 4. Steve Post and Kim Coon worked pit road for the radio side.
MRNBooth announcersTurn announcersPit reporters Lead announcer: Alex HaydenAnnouncer: Jeff Striegle Turns 1 & 2: Dave MoodyTurns 3 & 4: Mike Bagley Steve PostKim Coon
Standings after the race
Drivers' Championship standings Pos Driver Points 1 Kyle Larson 1,004 2 Denny Hamlin 976 (–28) 3 Kyle Busch 838 (–166) 4 William Byron 833 (–171) 5 Chase Elliott 820 (–184) 1 6 Martin Truex Jr. 789 (–215) 1 7 Ryan Blaney 787 (–217) 2 8 Joey Logano 772 (–232) 9 Kevin Harvick 756 (–248) 10 Brad Keselowski 729 (–275) 11 Tyler Reddick 677 (–327) 12 Alex Bowman 674 (–330) 13 Austin Dillon 652 (–352) 14 Kurt Busch 643 (–361) 15 Christopher Bell 595 (–409) 16 Matt DiBenedetto 557 (–447)Official driver's standings
Manufacturers' Championship standings Pos Manufacturer Points 1 Chevrolet 927 2 Ford 862 (–65) 3 Toyota 845 (–82)
Note: Only the first 16 positions are included for the driver standings. . – Driver has clinched a position in the NASCAR Cup Series playoffs.
References