2020 Consumers Energy 400

NASCAR Cup Series raceTemplate:SHORTDESC:NASCAR Cup Series race

The **2020 Consumers Energy 400** was a NASCAR Cup Series race held on August 9, 2020, and was held over 500 kilometers (312 miles), shortened by 44 laps from the original distance because of modified NASCAR rules for doubleheader races, one of three Cup Series events to be run under the doubleheader format; however, the race retained the original 400-mile name. It was the 22nd race of the 2020 NASCAR Cup Series season.

## Report

### Background

The race was held at Michigan International Speedway, a 2-mile (3.2 km)\* moderate-banked D-shaped speedway located in Brooklyn, Michigan. The track is used primarily for NASCAR events. It is sometimes known as a "sister track" to Texas World Speedway, and was used as the basis of Auto Club Speedway. The track is owned by International Speedway Corporation. Michigan International Speedway is recognized as one of motorsports' premier facilities because of its wide racing surface and high banking (by open-wheel standards; the 18-degree banking is modest by stock car standards).

#### Entry list

* **(R)** denotes rookie driver.
* **(i)** denotes driver who are ineligible for series driver points.

## Qualifying

Chris Buescher was awarded the pole for the race as determined by the top 20 from Saturday's finishing order inverted.

## Race

### Stage 1

Bowyer and Byron raced side-by-side through the first lap with Bowyer gaining the advantage at the start-finish line. Bowyer pulled away as the Top 10 settled into position. Behind the leaders, the scramble for positions went two, three, and even four-wide.

On Lap 10 Kevin Harvick passed Bubba Wallace to move into the Top 10. Bowyer built a two and a half-second lead over Christopher Bell in 2nd. With Matt DiBenedetto, Byron, and Erik Jones making up the Top 5.

Bowyer easily won the Stage and the much needed 10 bonus points that will help his battle to make the playoffs on points alone. Harvick worked his way to 8th and was the fastest car on the track in the latter laps of the Stage.

### Stage 2

Kyle Busch wins the race off pit road, followed by Harvick, Bowyer, Byron, and Jones. Again, the choose cone is in use for this race and it played a significant factor in Saturday’s Cup race. The first three drivers took the top lane allowing Byron to move up to the front row in the lower lane.

Harvick pushed Kyle Busch to the lead in Turn 1, then jumped to the high side and drove past him for the lead. Wasting no time, Harvick began to drive away from the pack. It looks like Deja vu as Harvick once again has the superior car in comparison to the rest of the field.

### The Final Stage

It was at this point in the race Saturday that things got dicey, multiple cautions over the closing laps caused Harvick to fight off challengers on multiple restarts.

Harvick wins the race off pit road. Kyle Busch, Keselowski, Bowyer, and Denny Hamlin follow. It will take one more pitstop for the cars to complete the remaining 71 laps. When that happens depends on if the caution flag waves inside of 50 laps to go.

At the choose cone, the first 4 leaders take the high line, Hamlin moves to the front row on the inside. With a push from Ryan Blaney, Hamlin takes the lead. Blaney moves around Hamlin and he takes over the top spot, Harvick moves to 2nd.

Hamlin is able to get around Harvick for 2nd and Keselowski makes a run. Brad and his Penske teammate Blaney get together on the backstretch and both slam the wall hard sending them each to the garage and out of the race.

With Hamlin in the lead, Harvick, Chase Elliott, Kyle Busch, and Aric Almirola is the new group of leaders. As the choose cone again becomes a big factor in the outcome of the race.

This time Hamlin, Harvick, and Elliott take the outside, the Busch brothers line up on the bottom side. Harvick pushes Hamlin to the lead and in Turn 2 Harvick goes high to recapture the lead. Bowyer wrinkled a fender in a tangle with Alex Bowman during the scramble for positions, he had to come to pit road for repairs and lost a lap to the field.

As Bowyer was merging into the rear of the field, Christopher Bell spun off Turn 2 bringing out the caution again. Good timing for Bowyer as he gets his lap back as the lucky dog.

With 50 laps to go the entire field comes to pit road for fuel, believing they can save enough gas to stretch a full tank to the end of the race.

Almirola leads off pit road followed by Hamlin, Matt DiBenedetto, Harvick and Kurt Busch. Harvick chose the bottom lane to pull to the front row beside his Stewart-Haas teammate with Kyle Busch on his rear bumper.

Kyle Busch pushes Harvick to keep him even with Almirola. By the time they race back to the line Harvick is ahead. But, Almirola drives back by on the high side into Turn 1. Harvick followed for a few laps until the field sorted out and then down the backstretch he slid past Almirola to resume the lead.

Once out front, Harvick drove his usual flawless line and slowly pulled away from the field. Almirola continued to run 2nd and Martin Truex Jr. moved into the 3rd spot with Denny Hamlin just behind. Kyle Busch faded to 9th.

Almirola running in the tire tracks of Harvick was able to close the gap as the cars worked through lapped traffic. He got beside Harvick in Turn 2 but could not complete the pass. The effort cost Almirola the 2nd spot as Truex and Hamlin drove by to try their luck with Harvick. Once back in clean air Harvick began to build the lead again. With 20 laps to go, the interval from 1-2 was back over a second.

Alex Bowman had a tire go down and the outer casing came off in the middle of the track. The caution flag means, just like yesterday, Harvick will have to fight off another challenge on the restart.

Almirola pitted as he was calculated to run short on fuel. The leaders stayed on the track with Harvick in front followed by three Joe Gibbs Racing cars, Truex, Hamlin, Kyle Busch.

At the choose cone, Harvick and Truex Kyle Busch go high, Hamlin chooses the low line and he is followed by Joey Logano. Harvick pulls away easily as Hamlin and Truex race for 2nd, and the Busch brothers battle for 4th. Hamlin prevails but is quickly a second down to Harvick who is stretching the lead.

With 10 laps to go, it’s Harvick, Hamlin, Truex, Kyle Busch, and Logano, the Top 5. Freeing himself from Truex, Hamlin closes the gap by a half-second. Still, catching and then passing are two separate activities.

#### The Finish

Hamlin closes to two car lengths with 5 laps to go. In Turns 3 & 4 Hamlin closes, In Turns 1 & 2 Harvick pulls away. With the white flag in the air, Harvick pulls out to four car lengths and his weekend sweep is assured. Hamlin can not get a bumper to him, as Harvick crosses under the checkered flag for his 6th win of the season.

Harvick led 90 of the 156 laps run and the result was hardly in doubt despite Hamlin’s late run.

##### Playoff Point Standings

Aric Almirola and the Busch brothers improved their positions building on their point spread over bubble position. So did Clint Bowyer and Matt DiBenedetto, who now sit +60 and +57 respectively.

William Byron added 10 points to his bubble margin over Erik Jones. Jimmie Johnson moved into a tie with Jones, keeping his slim playoff hopes alive.

### Stage Results

**Stage One**
*Laps:* 40

**Stage Two**
*Laps:* 45

### Final Stage Results

**Stage Three**
*Laps:* 71

### Race statistics

* Lead changes: 10 among 6 different drivers
* Cautions/Laps: 5 for 24
* Red flags: 0
* Time of race: 2 hours, 9 minutes and 35 seconds
* Average speed: 144.463 miles per hour (232.491 km/h)

## Media

### Television

NBC Sports covered the race on the television side. Rick Allen, Jeff Burton, Steve Letarte and two-time Michigan winner, Dale Earnhardt Jr. covered the race from the booth at Charlotte Motor Speedway. Marty Snider and Kelli Stavast handled the pit road duties on site, and Rutledge Wood handled the features during the race.

### Radio

Radio coverage of the race was broadcast by Motor Racing Network (MRN) and simulcast on Sirius XM NASCAR Radio. Alex Hayden and Jeff Striegle called the race in the booth while the field is racing on the front stretch. Dave Moody called the race from a billboard outside of turn 2 when the field is racing through turns 1 and 2. Kyle Rickey called the race from a platform outside of turn 3 when the field races through turns 3 and 4. Winston Kelley and Kim Coon worked pit road for the radio side.

 **Lead announcer:** Alex Hayden**Announcer:** Jeff Striegle | **Turns 1 & 2:** Dave Moody**Turns 3 & 4:** Kyle Rickey | Winston KelleyKim Coon

## References

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