On Sunday, the stars of the NASCAR Cup Series will take on the two-mile Michigan International Speedway in the 15th race of the 2025 season.
Here’s what to know ahead of Sunday’s FireKeepers Casino 400 (2 p.m. ET, Amazon Prime Video).
Favorite: Kyle Larson (+550, per DraftKings)
Larson won three straight races at Michigan from 2016 to 2017, but he hasn’t returned to victory lane in the Irish Hills over the past nine races at the track. However, he has four top-seven finishes at the venue over the past five races, and he’ll undoubtedly be hungry for a win after an uninspiring eighth-place performance at the Cracker Barrel 400 at the Nashville Superspeedway.
Underdog: Bubba Wallace (+2800, per DraftKings)
Michigan is one of Wallace’s better tracks since he joined 23XI Racing in 2021. His standout performance at the facility came in 2022, when he won the pole and led 22 laps en route to a runner-up finish. He has led 48 laps at the track over the past three races, and while the finishing results haven’t always been there — a trend that has started to turn the right way for Wallace this season with new crew chief Charles Denike — the speed has.
Reddick in need of a repeat
Wallace’s 23XI Racing teammate, Tyler Reddick, would like nothing more than to win at Michigan for the second year in a row. A ninth-place finish at the Nashville Superspeedway was Reddick’s first top-10 since Darlington on April 6, and whether it be for a lack of speed or horrendous luck, the No. 45 team hasn’t been a contender over the past two months. A win at Michigan would lock Reddick into the playoffs and spur confidence that he and his team are capable of making another deep playoff run.
Can Toyota start a new streak?
With the speedway being located only a 90 minutes from the American automotive mecca of Detroit, this race means more for manufacturers. Ford won nine consecutive races at Michigan from 2017 to 2023, but Reddick in a Toyota broke that streak a year ago. It’s Toyota that will look to start a new streak on Sunday, while Chevrolet — which hasn’t won at the track since Larson won for Chip Ganassi in 2017 — is looking to get off the schneid at MIS.
Will the floodgates open for Blaney?
Ryan Blaney finally broke through and won at Nashville. The No. 12 car has had speed all season, but with a trip to victory lane in the rearview mirror, fans are wondering if that win could be the start of a magical second half of the regular season. Blaney is a past Michigan winner, and with all pressure of making the playoffs gone, the No. 12 team is free to do whatever its needs to get Blaney in victory lane for the second week in a row.
