The Firekeepers Casino 400 kicks off the last month of races before we enter the 75th NASCAR Cup Series Playoffs. The 23rd race of the season will take place at the Michigan International Speedway on Sunday, August 6, at 2:30 p.m. ET.
Who will take home the Michigan Heritage Trophy in the Manufacturers’ Backyard? Find out next Sunday on USA Network, Channel 242 on DIRECTV.
FIREKEEPERS CASINO 400 RACE INFO:
- Where: Michigan International Speedway
- When: Sunday, August 6, 2023
- Start Time: 2:30 pm ET
- Network: Watch live on USA (Channel 2442 on DIRECTV)
WHAT TO EXPECT FOR THE FIREKEEPERS CASINO 400?
The Firekeepers Casino 400 is sure to heat up, as drivers get closer to the Playoffs deadline. With only two spots left to grab in the final 16, drivers like Kevin Harvick, Bubba Wallace and Michael McDowell have to be on their top game.
Any of these drivers could clinch a spot by winning the upcoming race, or by claiming enough points to beat out their peers for a spot.
Located in Brooklyn, Michigan, the 2-mile oval track is the closest NASCAR has to the “Motor City,” AKA Detroit.
MICHIGAN INTERNATIONAL SPEEDWAY SPECS
For 200 laps, NASCAR Cup Series drivers will compete on the Michigan International Speedway. Referred to by some as “NASCAR’s most entertaining track,” this track has been wowing fans and drivers alike for the last 50 years.
The “D-shaped” oval track sits among 1,400 acres of beautiful hilly landscapes. The scenery may be serene, but the races taking place on the track are anything but. With 18-degree banking and 73-foot-wide sweeping turns, Michigan International Speedway promises an exciting competition. This is especially true toward the end of a race, when the competition is most heated.
PAST WINNERS AT MICHIGAN INTERNATIONAL
At last year’s Firekeepers Casino 400 Firekeepers Casino 400, it was No. 4 Kevin Harvick who took home the Michigan Heritage Trophy. It happened after 65 races without a win. If he can do it again this year, he will secure himself a spot in the 2023 Cup Series Playoffs.
Considering Kevin Harvick has made the Playoffs every year since they changed the rules in 2014, it’s hard to imagine him sitting this year out. It’s also worth noting that last year’s runner-up at Michigan, Bubba Wallace, is also still looking for a Playoff spot.
Will either of them be able to take home the prize? Both have been racing well the last few weeks, but neither have been able to take home a 2023 win, as of yet.
FIREKEEPERS CASINO 400 ENTRY LIST
The qualifying race will take place on Saturday August 5 at 1:20 p.m. ET. The Entry List for the race is below:
| Entry # | # and Name |
| 1 | No. 1 Ross Chastain |
| 2 | No. 2 Austin Cindric |
| 3 | No. 3 Austin Dillon |
| 4 | No. 4 Kevin Harvick |
| 5 | No. 5 Kyle Larson |
| 6 | No. 6 Brad Keselowski |
| 7 | No. 7 Corey Lajoie |
| 8 | No. 8 Kyle Busch |
| 9 | No. 9 Chase Elliott |
| 10 | No. 10 Aric Almirola |
| 11 | No. 11 Denny Hamlin |
| 12 | No. 12 Ryan Blaney |
| 13 | No. 14 Chase Briscoe |
| 14 | No. 15 JJ Yeley |
| 15 | No. 16 AJ Allmendinger |
| 16 | No. 17 Chris Buscher |
| 17 | No. 19 Martin Truex Jr. |
| 18 | No. 20 Christopher Bell |
| 19 | No. 21 Harrison Burton |
| 20 | No. 22 Joey Logano |
| 21 | No. 23 Bubba Wallace |
| 22 | No. 24 William Byron |
| 23 | No. 31 Justin Haley |
| 24 | No. 34 Michael McDowell |
| 25 | No. 38 Todd Gilliland |
| 26 | No. 41 Ryan Preece |
| 27 | No. 42 Noah Gragson |
| 28 | No. 43 Erik Jones |
| 29 | No. 45 Tyler Reddick |
| 30 | No. 47 Ricky Stenhouse Jr. |
| 31 | No. 48 Alex Bowman |
| 32 | No. 51 Cole Custer |
| 33 | No. 54 Ty Gibbs |
| 34 | No. 62 Austin Hill |
| 35 | No. 77 Ty Dillon |
| 36 | No. 78 Josh Bilicki |
| 37 | No. 99 Daniel Suárez |
CURRENT 2023 STANDINGS AFTER COOK OUT 400
Fans got to experience an exciting race last weekend during the Cook Out 400 at Richmond. After a number of different leaders throughout the 400 laps, Chris Buscher clinched a spot in the Playoffs with a win at Richmond after a final restart with only three laps to go. The day was promising for Team RFK, as member Brad Keselowski also performed well. Combined, the team led 190 laps.
For the first half of the race, 23XI Racing was out in front, with Tyler Reddick leading the entire first Stage. Reddick’s teammate, Bubba Wallace, also had a strong showing throughout the entire race, leading 80 laps and coming in the top 5 of both stages.
Wallace ended up in 12th place after a pit stop malfunction, but the race gave him some seriously needed points if he wants his score to keep him in the Playoffs. Reddick lost his momentum during Stage 2, leaving him with a 16th place finish.
The regular season Standings for the 2023 Cup Series season is as follows. Racers who have won a Cup Series race in 2023 will be bolded.
| Number | Driver | Regular Season Rank |
| No. 19 | Martin Truex Jr. | 1 |
| No. 11 | Denny Hamlin | 2 |
| No. 24 | William Byron | 3 |
| No. 20 | Christopher Bell | 4 |
| No. 8 | Kyle Busch | 5 |
| No. 4 | Kevin Harvick | 6 |
| No. 1 | Ross Chastain | 7 |
| No. 5 | Kyle Larson | 8 |
| No. 12 | Ryan Blaney | 9 |
| No. 22 | Joey Logano | 10 |
| No. 6 | Brad Keselowski | 11 |
| No. 45 | Tyler Reddick | 12 |
| No. 17 | Chris Buescher | 13 |
| No. 47 | Ricky Stenhouse Jr. | 14 |
| No. 23 | Bubba Wallace | 15 |
| No. 34 | Michael McDowell | 16 |
| No. 54 | Ty Gibbs | 17 |
| No. 16 | AJ Allmendinger | 18 |
| No. 99 | Daniel Suárez | 19 |
| No. 9 | Chase Elliot | 20 |
| No. 48 | Alex Bowman | 21 |
| No. 2 | Austin Cindric | 22 |
| No. 31 | Justin Haley | 23 |
| No. 10 | Aric Almirola | 24 |
| No. 41 | Ryan Preece | 25 |
| No. 38 | Todd Gilliland | 26 |
| No. 7 | Corey LaJoie | 27 |
| No. 43 | Erik Jones | 28 |
| No. 3 | Austin Dillon | 29 |
| No. 21 | Harrison Burton | 30 |
| No. 14 | Chase Briscoe | 31 |
| No. 77 | Ty Dillon | 32 |
| No. 42 | Noah Gragson | 33 |
| No. 78 | BJ McLeod | 34 |
HOW TO WATCH FIREKEEPERS CASINO 400 AT HOME
You can catch the race on USA network, channel 242 on DIRECTV. If you can’t watch the race live on August 6, make sure to record it with your DIRECTV DVR so you don’t miss a second of the action.
And if you want to turn NASCAR Sunday into a NASCAR weekend, tune in to the Xfinity Series race, the Cabo Wabo® 250, taking place on Saturday at 3:30 p.m. ET.
WATCH NASCAR ON DIRECTV
DIRECTV’s best-in-class sports coverage doesn’t stop when the races do. With a DIRECTV subscription, you can watch every single NASCAR race of the season on NBC or USA. But that’s not all – DIRECTV also airs pre- and post-race analyses; plus, original studio shows like NASCAR Race Hub and NASCAR RaceDay.
If you love watching live sports but you aren’t a DIRECTV customer yet, now’s the time to change that. With the NASCAR Playoffs and college sports season coming up, you want to be confident you’re getting the best coverage. And DIRECTV can give you that.
Check out the CHOICE™ Package, made especially for sports-lovers, today, and find out if you’re eligible to receive a $200 Visa gift card by switching.
The content is featured on https://www.directv.com/insider/ is editorial content brought to you by DIRECTV. While some of the programming discussed may now or in the future be available affiliates distribution services, the companies and persons discussed and depicted, and the authors and publishers of licensed content, are not necessarily associated with and do not necessarily endorse DIRECTV. When you click on ads on this site you may be taken to DIRECTV marketing pages that display advertising content. Content sponsored or co-created by programmers is identified as "Sponsored Content" or "Promoted Content."