I'm looking forward to this week’s race. It is a good track, they are using the usual cup cars, and we should see some good old-fashioned bumping and running. I am hoping Kyle Petty will be in the booth again. He was a pleasant surprise last weekend, and I really enjoyed his addition to the broadcast team.

Michigan International Speedway is set on over 1,400 acres in the hills of Michigan. It has two road courses in the infield, neither of which has been used in over twenty years. The track itself is two miles long and has eighteen degree banking on both ends.

It is not unusual for drivers to find more than one groove that can work for them here. They’ll have four lanes of racing to choose from. Side-by-side racing will probably be the order for the day, and we may even see three wide on occasion. Speeds can reach up to 200 miles per hour, so drafting could play a small part in the way drivers run this weekend.

With all of these options available to a driver, it will be interesting to see just who works it out best to their advantage.

Roush-Fenway racing has had a hard time securing wins this year, but it’s hard to pass them up here. Roush drivers always run well here at Michigan, so I am going to be picking two out of his stable this week.

Matt Kenseth has two wins here at Michigan, and he can never be counted out for a strong run, even at his starting position of twenty-sixth. He’s only had one win so far this year and I’d be surprised if he didn’t end up with at least one more before Richmond in September.

Greg Biffle has a good track record here, but his year has been far from stellar. and I cannot make myself pick him, especially not when his teammate Carl Edwards has been steadily getting better and better this season. He’s been getting plenty of practice back-flipping off of his Busch series car and his points lead in that series should have him relaxed. I’m sure his coach driver would love to get that beard shaved off before summer heat really sets in. He vowed not to shave until Carl won a Cup race. I’m sure he didn’t expect to end up wooly-chinned in June.

Any of the top three Hendrick drivers could end up in the winner’s circle. Jimmie Johnson missed the pole by one one-thousandth of a second, and Jeff Gordon starts sixth. If you watch anything NASCAR-related then you know Dale Earnhardt Jr. will be driving for Hendrick next year. This also means Kyle Bush will be looking for a new car to drive. I think this weekend could be his chance to show he’s not only a talented driver, but a mature one as well. He also has a point to make, so I think he’s going to want it more. Kyle will be hard to beat as long as he keeps his head and his fenders.

Denny Hamlin for the win.

Martin Truex Jr. could have posted his second win last weekend, but rain thwarted him. He starts eighth, ran fastest in practice, and DEI is probably giving him all the best that they have.

With so many drivers driving so well and names you aren’t used to seeing being in the top ten, it makes it hard to pick a dark horse. Clint Boyer may end up being my Denny Hamlin of the dark horse feature. He qualified eleventh and ran well in the first practice, and even though J.J. Yeley got the pole, I have a feeling Clint will be the next first-time winner.

Have a question or comment for Jen? Email her at jenniferpatterson@sportsgrumblings.com.