2011 Pure Michigan 400

File:Infield and front stretch grandstand.jpg, the race track where the race was held.]]

Michigan International Speedway is one of six superspeedways to hold NASCAR races; the others are Daytona International Speedway, Auto Club Speedway, Indianapolis Motor Speedway, Pocono Raceway and Talladega Superspeedway.{{cite web|title=NASCAR Race Tracks |url=http://www.nascar.com/races/tracks/ |access-date=August 18, 2011 |location=NASCAR |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20110628180503/http://www.nascar.com/races/tracks/ |archive-date=June 28, 2011 }} The standard track at Michigan International Speedway is a four-turn superspeedway that is {{convert|2|mi|km}} long.{{cite web|title=NASCAR Tracks — The Michigan International Speedway|url=http://www.speedway-guide.com/Michigan-International-Speedway.html|publisher=speedway-guide.com|access-date=August 18, 2011|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20110716115422/http://www.speedway-guide.com/Michigan-International-Speedway.html|archive-date=2011-07-16|url-status=dead}} The track's turns are banked at eighteen degrees, while the front stretch, the location of the finish line, is banked at twelve degrees. The back stretch, has a five degree banking. Michigan International Speedway can seat up to 119,500 people.{{cite web|title=Michigan International Speedway is NASCAR's Great Escape |url=http://www.mispeedway.com/About-MIS/About-MIS.aspx|access-date=August 18, 2011|location=Michigan International Speedway| archive-url= https://web.archive.org/web/20110717142602/http://www.mispeedway.com/About-MIS/About-MIS.aspx| archive-date= 17 July 2011 | url-status= live}}

Before the race, Kyle Busch and Carl Edwards were first and second in the Drivers' Championship with 752 points. Jimmie Johnson was third in the Drivers' Championship with 746 points, Kevin Harvick was fourth with 738 points, and Matt Kenseth was in fifth with 724 points.{{cite web|title=Driver's Championship Classification|url=http://www.nascar.com/races/cup/2011/22/data/standings_official.html|location=NASCAR|access-date=August 18, 2011}} In the Manufacturers' Championship, Chevrolet was leading with 143 points, 15 points ahead of Ford. Toyota, with 118 points, was 23 points ahead of Dodge in the battle for third.{{cite web|title=Manufactures' Championship Classification|url=http://www.jayski.com/stats/2011/manu2011.htm|location=Jayski.com|access-date=August 18, 2011|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20110713092519/http://www.jayski.com/stats/2011/manu2011.htm|archive-date=13 July 2011|url-status=dead}} Kevin Harvick was the race's defending champion.{{cite web|title=2010 Carfax 400|url=http://www.racing-reference.info/race/2010_Carfax_400/W|publisher=racing-reference.com|access-date=August 18, 2011}}

File:Greg Biffle.jpg won the pole position for Roush Fenway Racing]]Two practice sessions are scheduled to be held in preparation for the race; one on August 19, 2011 and the other on the following day. The first session was 90 minutes long, while the second will be 110 minutes long.{{cite web|url=http://www.jayski.com/news/races/2011/story?id=6457464#prac |title=Jayski'sŽ NASCAR Silly Season Site – Sprint Cup Race Info / Rundown Page |publisher=Jayski.com |access-date=August 18, 2011}} During the first practice session, Matt Kenseth, for the Roush Fenway Racing team, was quickest ahead of Ryan Newman in second and Greg Biffle in the third position.{{cite web|title=Practice One Timing and Scoring|url=http://www.nascar.com/races/cup/2011/23/data/practice1_speeds.html|publisher=NASCAR|access-date=August 29, 2011}} Mark Martin was scored fourth and David Ragan managed fifth. Paul Menard, Jeff Gordon, Jamie McMurray, Brad Keselowski, and Marcos Ambrose rounded out the top ten quickest drivers in the session.

Forty-six cars were entered for qualifying, but only forty-three could qualify for the race because of NASCAR's qualifying procedure. Biffle clinched the sixth pole position of his career, with a time of 37.826 seconds.{{cite news | url=https://www.usatoday.com/sports/motor/nascar/2011-08-19-michigan-qualifying_n.htm | title=Greg Biffle captures NASCAR Sprint Cup pole at Michigan — USATODAY.com | work=USA Today | date=August 19, 2011 | access-date=August 20, 2011 | author=Ryan, Nate | location=Brooklyn, Michigan}}{{cite web|url=http://www.nascar.com/races/cup/2011/23/data/lineup.html |title=Race Official Lineup: Pure Michigan 400 |publisher=NASCAR |date=August 19, 2011 |access-date=August 19, 2011}} He was joined on the front row of the grid by Kenseth. Newman qualified third, Denny Hamlin took fourth, and Martin started fifth. Keselowski, Ragan, Dale Earnhardt Jr., Gordon and McMurray rounded out the top ten. The drivers that failed to qualify for the race were Johnny Sauter, Erik Darnell and T. J. Bell. Following the qualifying session, Biffle commented, "We didn't know whether we were going to come here in race or qualifying trim. But we worked on a great qualifying set-up and obviously had good speed today. We'll work on things tomorrow on practice and hopefully have a great car on Sunday."

In the second and final practice, Martin was quickest with a time of 38.371 seconds. Kyle Busch followed in second, ahead of Johnson and Biffle. Gordon was fifth quickest, with a time of 38.452 seconds. Kurt Busch, Kenseth, Newman, Ragan, and Menard rounded out the first ten positions.{{cite web|url=http://www.nascar.com/races/cup/2011/23/data/practice2_speeds.html |title=Practice Three Timing and Scoring |publisher=NASCAR |access-date=August 20, 2011}} Afterward, Martin discussed his feelings about the track, "I really, really like running at Michigan, not just because it's so fast, but it's so wide. We can race all over the track. I've been lucky at Michigan, and I've been just plain good. I've gotten a lot of wins there. Last time we raced there, we were pretty good. ... We've got to build on what we learned in that race and try to do even better this time around."{{cite web | url=http://nascar.speedtv.com/article/cup-mark-martin-leaves-mark-on-final-nascar-practice-at-mis/ | title=NASCAR — CUP:Martin Leaves Mark on Final Practice at MIS | publisher=Speedtv.com | work=Brooklyn, Michigan | date=August 20, 2011 | access-date=August 20, 2011 | author=Turner, Jared}}

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;Drivers' Championship standings{{cite web | url=http://www.nascar.com/races/cup/2011/23/data/standings_official.html | title=Official Drivers' Standings: Pure Michigan 400 | publisher=NASCAR | access-date=August 25, 2011}}

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;Manufacturers' Championship standings

• Note: Only the top five positions are included for the driver standings.

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Pure Michigan 400

Pure Michigan 400

Category:NASCAR races at Michigan International Speedway

Pure Michigan 400