Last time out, Denny Hamlin claimed his 62nd career Cup win in a thrilling finish at Nashville Superspeedway. This week, NASCAR heads to Michigan International Speedway for the 2026 FireKeepers Casino 400.
The race to qualify for the 2026 NASCAR Chase continues to heat up as drivers hope to finish the regular season above the cut line and secure a postseason opportunity. Who will come out on top at the 2-mile circuit in the Irish Hills of Michigan?
Let’s dive in.
2026 FireKeepers Casino 400 Entry List
JJ Yeley in the #44 entry for NY Racing Team represents the lone non-charter entry for this weekend’s events in the Cup Series. Austin Hill is once again behind the wheel of the #33 for Richard Childress Racing.
He's already got five wins this season.
— NASCAR (@NASCAR) June 4, 2026
A sixth could come Sunday for @TylerReddick. pic.twitter.com/pzZJGZUmED
For Sunday’s race, expect a heavy dose of high speeds and aero-blocking around the wide, sweeping corners at Michigan International Speedway. Fuel strategy played a slight role last week before a late race caution, but expect it to be at the forefront of the minds of all the crew chiefs in the garage this weekend.
2026 FireKeepers Casino 400 Race Predictions
The potential for fuel strategy plays makes this race a bit tougher to predict, but given the sheer dominance of the Toyotas over the past few weeks, it’s hard to believe that a race winner will come from outside of the Toyota camp.
Denny Hamlin claimed victory in this race in 2025 and appears to be the championship frontrunner as we hit the summer stretch. His JGR teammates, Christopher Bell and Chase Briscoe, were right behind him at Nashville, however, and I expect both to be in the mix this weekend at Michigan right alongside Hamlin.
The 23XI cars also have a history of success at Michigan, so don’t be surprised if Tyler Reddick and Bubba Wallace are in contention for the win come Sunday either. Reddick has won here in the past, and Wallace finished 4th here in 2026.
You can take your pick of the top Toyota drivers for this weekend, but ultimately, I’m going to go with Chase Briscoe in the #19 as my predicted race winner for Sunday.
Check out the schedule below so you don’t miss any on-track action this weekend!
Friday 06/05
Henry Ford Health 200 (ARCA Menards Series) – 4:00 p.m. CT on FS2
Saturday 06/06
NASCAR Craftsman Truck Series Practice – 8:30 a.m. CT on FOX ONE
NASCAR Craftsman Truck Series Qualifying – 9:35 a.m. CT on FOX ONE
DQS Solutions & Staffing 250 powered by Precision Vehicle Logistics (NASCAR Craftsman Truck Series) – 12:30 p.m. CT on FS1
NASCAR Cup Series Practice – 4:00 p.m. CT on Prime
NASCAR Cup Series Qualifying – 5:10 p.m. CT on Prime
Sunday 06/07
2026 FireKeepers Casino 400 (NASCAR Cup Series) – 2:00 p.m. CT on Prime and HBO Max
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