What to note in today’s NASCAR CUP race on Michigan International Speedway

Brooklyn, Mich.-high speeds, hard restarts and high-pressure decisions will be featured in the contemporary cup race on Michigan International Speedway.

The contemporary race is the 15th of the season. Eleven races will remain in the ordinary season after today. The green flag is scheduled for 14:19 ET on Prime.

Here’s a look at what you should note in today’s race:

Restart, restart, restart

The contemporary race will be the third for Christopher Bell with new mocker Matt Philpott, who took over after Stevie Reeves left the team after Bell’s all-Star victory last month in North Wildeboro.

Let Bell, who starts 25th today, explain what Philpott will see in the hands of today’s race:

“He’s in a rude awakening on this racetrack, let me tell you, because here’s probably the most intense restart we get all year,” Bell told NBC Sports. ‘Massive concept runs. Many jobs to choose where to go.

“He studied a lot. He also did a good job. I think he was thrown in the middle of the season, he did everything you could ask for.

“For my part, there was some very clear cleaning. I had my incident with a teammate Ty (Gibbs) with Charlotte who hampered his breed, so it was a bummer, but we worked it through. It’s just me to understand his language and know his tone, so well.

“I think Adam (Stevens, head of crew) had a little direction for him, but he does a very good job every week and really cares for our car and brings us at the end of the race. He is doing a very good job. ‘

As Bell noted, restart is an important part of the racing in Michigan due to how wide the track is, whereby drivers can use different jobs to get cars.

Of course, it can also create disaster and multi-car accidents. Seven cars were involved in an accident shortly after a restart in last year’s race that Bell, Kyle Larson and Joey Logano eliminated.

A new winner today?

Six of the top ten standouts for today’s race have not yet won a race this season.

This is Chase Briscoe (first start), Kyle Busch (second), Chris Buescher (sixth), Ty Gibbs (eighth), Bubba Wallace (ninth) and Zane Smith (10th).

Briscoe starts for the third consecutive race on the pole. Busch is winless in his last 71 cup racing and finishing fourth in this race a year ago. Buescher won here two years ago and finished sixth last year, despite being involved in an incident. Gibbs finished third in last year’s race.

Four of the last five races have a driver their first win of the season. The drivers were Ryan Blaney (Nashville), Ross Chastain (Coca-Cola 600), Joey Logano (Texas) and Austin Cindric (Talladega).

Wait now or wait later

With the pit staff that can change four tires faster than a fuel can fill a car with gas, the crew heads will be left behind with the decision to wait for their driver to wait or leave as the tires change and with less gas.

Fuel often plays a key role on this 2-mile lane.

While the restart will be decisive, it may also be the key to getting a track position with a faster pit stop. Look when teams are waiting for fuel and when they are not in today’s race.