NASCAR at Michigan: Consumers Energy 400 highlights, stage results and more

Can Denny Hamlin or another winless driver take the checkered flag at Michigan? We’ve got Consumers Energy 400 highlights and stage results.

Here’s something the rest of the NASCAR Cup Series field probably didn’t want to hear before the Consumers Energy 400 at Michigan International Speedway: The Joe Gibbs Racing drivers think their cars might be better than ever.

Specifically, pole-sitter Denny Hamlin said he felt this might be the best car he’s had all season. That could be huge if true, because Hamlin is one of a number of drivers who entered Sunday’s trip to the Irish Hills seeking his first win of 2018.

Kyle Larson was another. After winning three straight at Michigan between 2016 and 2017, he didn’t win the first 2018 race at the track, and he started the August race about halfway back in the pack at 17th place. He’d love to keep the Chevrolet love flowing after Chase Elliott won at Watkins Glen, but the task could be daunting with all of the Big 3 starting in the top seven spots.

With rain in the area overnight, NASCAR called for a competition caution less than halfway through the opening stage. We’ll have to wait and see if grip is at a premium in the early going.

Joey Logano ended up making a pit stop before the race even went green, as some miscommunication led to a pre-race change that wasn’t supposed to be made. Hopefully not a harbinger for how the afternoon would go for the 22.

Stage 1

Restarts figured to give a big advantage to cars in the outside lane, and Denny Hamlin took full advantage of that by shooting out to lead the opening laps.

Less than 10 laps, in, though, Erik Jones brought out the first caution for a spin and a trip into the grass.

Things barely got going again, with Kyle Busch prevailing in a battle with Kevin Harvick for the lead, when the caution flag came out again. This time, it was trouble between Martin Truex Jr. and William Byron, with both cars going around but Byron getting the worst of it, finding the outside wall.

After the next restart, it was Harvick who found his way to the front. Kyle Busch found himself in a tight battle with Ryan Blaney for P2 for a bit but was able to get in front and start on the task of tracking down the 4.

Larson made an early return to pit road for a reported loose wheel, and Elliott, already plagued by an uncontrolled tire penalty, was also back in his pit way ahead of schedule.

Meanwhile, Harvick was able to pull away from the field enough to comfortably take the green and white checkered flag, racking up his 11th stage win of the season.

Stage 1 results

1. Kevin Harvick: 10 points plus 1 bonus playoff point
2. Kyle Busch: 9 points
3. Ryan Blaney: 8 points
4. Kurt Busch: 7 points
5. Martin Truex Jr.: 6 points
6. Denny Hamlin: 5 points
7. Aric Almirola: 4 points
8. Ryan Newman: 3 points
9. Brad Keselowski: 2 points
10. Alex Bowman: 1 point

Stage 2

The back and forth battle for the lead swung back to Kyle Busch. However, Ryan Newman had trouble, getting into the wall and bringing out another caution flag, and Harvick won the ensuing race off pit road.

Not everyone came back in during the caution, though, which led to something that hadn’t been seen too often in the 2018 season: Jimmie Johnson out in front, leading laps under green.

Though it looked like Truex would be able to run him down, contact between Blaney and Jones sent the latter around again. Fortunately, he was able to slide back across the track without anyone hitting him, though the yellow flag flew again.

Fuel was lurking as a potential issue for some drivers, but you wouldn’t expect Truex to be one of them. Cole Pearn and the 78 team rarely make the wrong call on … well, anything, but the defending NASCAR Cup Series champ ran out of gas near the end of the stage and had to suck it up and take a penalty for coming in while pit road was closed.

Harvick had Kyle Busch pretty close behind him but was able to prevail and win his second straight stage.

Stage 2 results

1. Kevin Harvick: 10 points plus 1 bonus playoff point
2. Kyle Busch: 9 points
3. Ryan Blaney: 8 points
4. Kurt Busch: 7 points
5. Austin Dillon: 6 points
6. Joey Logano: 5 points
7. Clint Bowyer: 4 points
8. Aric Almirola: 3 points
9. Brad Keselowski: 2 points
10. Kyle Larson: 1 point

Final stage

Tight racing between Keselowski, Larson and Logano somehow avoided ending in disaster. While the 42 team tried to decide if it had damage that would affect the right rear, Ty Dillon appeared to run over something on the track.

That ended poorly, with his No. 13 Chevrolet putting down oil and Dillon’s day literally going up in smoke.

After the lengthy cleanup for whatever it was that befell Ty Dillon’s car, Austin Dillon popped up somewhere he hadn’t been seen much since the Daytona 500, running in the top 3. Alas, it was Harvick he was trying to chase down, and that is something few drivers had been able to do all year.

Green flag pit stops temporarily shuffled the lead to Austin Dillon, whose big hope seemed to be to hope a caution happened shortly after Harvick pitted. It did not, so be brought his No. 3 Chevrolet in for two tires. That strategy kept him in front of Harvick, though not for long, and many other drivers had yet to come in for service.

No one figured to be able to catch Harvick, meaning pretty much everyone was hoping for another yellow flag. Trevor Bayne provided some hope for them by stalling out on pit road, but he was able to be pushed back into his stall.

Austin Dillon had some late bad luck, reporting a flat tire, but he still salvaged a great day by coming home eighth. Neither he nor anyone else was any match for Harvick, however, who eased home with his seventh NASCAR Cup Series win of the season.