Welcome to The Pace Lap, your catchall preview post! Let's get you started on race weekend with a metric truckload of stats, facts, opinion and innuendo.
The race: Sunday, Aug. 16, 2:18 p.m. Eastern
The specs: 200 laps on a 2-mile track
The TV: ESPN. And, of course, the world-famous (literally -- shout out to our servicemen and women who chime in) chat right here on Yahoo! Sports.
Defending champ: Carl Edwards, pourin' one out for his homeys up there. He hasn't won yet this year, but he's saving himself for marriage the Chase. Good luck with that; never did work so well for Shaq.
The standings leaders: Tony Stewart, Jimmie Johnson, Jeff Gordon. You know, like it's been all season.
The history: Michigan was built in 1967 and opened in 1968. (The track, not the state.) Roger Penske bought it in 1972, and ISC bought it in 1999. One of the fastest tracks on the circuit, it boasts qualifying speeds in excess of 190 mph and into-the-corner speeds of up to 215 mph. Ryan Newman and Dale Jarrett hold the qualifying and race records, respectively, with marks of 194.232 and 173.997 mph. So don't be late for this race.
The appropriate video: Tony Stewart and David Gilliland collide at a practice run in Michigan in 2007. Sit back and enjoy for some vintage Tony:
Guy(s) with the most to gain: Brian Vickers and Clint Bowyer. Both guys are only about 100 points out of the Chase, and while they've both got Kyle Busch to leap, they've also got absolutely nothing to lose.
Guy with the most to lose: Kyle Busch. It's now or never, as Elvis would say, and if Kyle Busch doesn't make the Chase, it would have to go down as a colossal embarrassment and a total underachievement. He may be the most talented pound-for-pound driver in NASCAR, but he's got to put all the other pieces in place, starting this weekend.
Our pick to win: Jimmie Johnson. Tony Stewart and Carl Edwards are also solid picks, but Jimbot 3000 is sanding off the last few rough edges before the Chase. Johnson and Chad Knaus have a brilliant partnership, and they know exactly when to start their kick.
Michigan fact: Ernie Irvan has quite the checkered history with Michigan. In 1994, he nearly died in a wreck; in 1997, he won his final race at the track; and in 1999, he crashed once again and retired once and for all.
All right, you're up. Who's your pick for this weekend? Go!
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