NASCAR at Michigan results, highlights: Chris Buescher holds off Martin Truex Jr. for second consecutive win
It took a day longer than expected, but Chris Buescher found his way back to victory lane when the checkered flag waved at Michigan International Speedway.
After winning his first NASCAR Cup Series race of the season at Richmond just a week ago, Buescher held off a challenge from Martin Truex Jr. and went back-to-back with a rain-delayed victory at Richmond.
Truex won each of the race’s first two stages — one on Sunday and one on Monday — but he found himself racing from behind for much of the stretch run.
The decisive moment might have come about 10 minutes before the checkered flag waved, when Truex pulled even with Buescher and the two raced side-by-side for about 30 seconds. Truex ultimately dropped behind Buescher, and despite another surge with four laps remaining, Buescher withstood every challenge on his way to a second consecutive victory by a margin of 0.152 seconds.
No driver clinched a spot in the playoffs on Monday, considering Buescher already had a win under his belt this season, but Ty Gibbs’ 11th-place finish was enough to move him into a playoff spot in place of Michael McDowell. Three races remain until the start of the playoffs.
MORE: Watch NASCAR races live with Fubo (free trial)
The Sporting News tracked live updates from the FireKeepers Casino 400 race at Michigan. Below are the results and highlights from the race as it happened.
NASCAR at Michigan results
(Official results)
| Place | Driver | Car No. | Team |
| 1 | Chris Buescher | 17 | RFK Racing |
| 2 | Martin Truex Jr. | 19 | Joe Gibbs Racing |
| 3 | Denny Hamlin | 11 | Joe Gibbs Racing |
| 4 | Brad Keselowski | 6 | RFK Racing |
| 5 | Kyle Larson | 5 | Hendrick Motorsports |
| 6 | Daniel Suarez | 99 | Trackhouse Racing |
| 7 | Ross Chastain | 1 | Trackhouse Racing |
| 8 | Kevin Harvick | 4 | Stewart-Haas Racing |
| 9 | Ryan Blaney | 12 | Team Penske |
| 10 | Erik Jones | 43 | Legacy Motor Club |
NASCAR at Michigan live updates, highlights from 2023 race
(All times Eastern)
2:21 p.m. — Buescher holds off Truex and wins at Michigan International Speedway! He goes back-to-back after winning in Richmond last week.
2:18 p.m. — Truex is surging back toward Buescher now. He’s the fastest car on the track at the moment and has a chance with four laps to go.
2:13 p.m. — Truex and Buescher are side-by-side…and it’s Buescher who sustains the pace and pulls ahead again.
2:11 p.m. — Buescher has jumped into the lead, and he’s really making Truex work to pull back in front with 16 laps remaining.
2:08 p.m. — Chris Buescher is surging ahead and now trying to pass Truex to jump into second. Austin Dillon, meanwhile, has opened up a four-second lead.
1:58 p.m. — Keselowski has the lead with 166 of 200 laps down. Suarez holding steady behind him, but still a pretty distant second.
1:44 p.m. — Bowman remains in pit road…
1:29 p.m. — And now there’s a caution out as Bowman crashes…major blow for Bowman’s hopes.
1:17 p.m. — Truex wins Stage 2! He passes Suarez at the last minute and has swept the first two stages of this race.
1:15 p.m. — Truex has a chance to win Stage 2! He surges ahead of Keselowski and is working to pass Suarez.
1:05 p.m. — The green flag is back out after a caution, and Daniel Suarez pulls in front of Wallace to take the lead. 12 laps remaining in Stage 2.
12:47 p.m. — After 19 hours (81 laps in), we finally have the green flag! Bubba Wallace quickly pulls to the front.
12:30 p.m. — The start your engines command has been given. We’re about to get underway.
12:18 p.m. — Conditions continue to improve in Michigan.
12:01 p.m. — Rick Allen reports there is a “mist” at Michigan International Speedway but confirms that the race is set to resume at 12:30 p.m. ET.
11:56 a.m. — The latest start time update takes us a little past 12 p.m.
11:25 a.m. — The last time NASCAR finished a race on Monday…three weeks ago. It’s been a wild year for weather and delays, but the forecast is positive today.
6:30 p.m.: The race has been suspended. It is scheduled to resume Monday at noon ET.
5:27 p.m.: CAUTION! Rain pouring onto Turns 1 and 2. We’re headed for another hiatus. Cars streaming onto pit road once more.
5:24 p.m.: Back to green! Tyler Reddick leading things off. Expect more chaos as racers attempt to get themselves in decent position before the rain arrives.
5:23 p.m.: Weather could be an issue going forward. Just 32 laps from the race going official.
5:13 p.m.: CAUTION! Bell goes spinning! The No. 20 car spirals into the barrier after absorbing a bit of contact from Alex Bowman! He could be in trouble!
5:05 p.m.: CAUTION! It’s Josh Berry going around! The Legacy Motor Club fill-in sees his race come to a close courtesy of a gnarly spill into Turn 4.
4:55 p.m.: Truex takes Stage 1! Impressive showing by the Joe Gibbs Racing star…stop me if you’ve heard that before.
4:45 p.m.: CAUTION! Chase Elliott rams into the wall! He’s done for the day!
4:24 p.m.: CAUTION! Ryan Blaney gets into Kyle Busch, sending the No. 8 car spiraling into the wall. First caution of the day goes to the Joe Gibbs Racing star. Looks like his goose could be cooked.
4:20 p.m.: Martin Truex Jr. has been a force early. He’s already up to second and looks to be the fastest car in the field early.
4:15 p.m.: Chastain rolling in Lap 4. Very strong start for the No. 1 car, who sits comfortably at the top of the field thus far.
4:13 p.m.: And we’re off! Mercifully, the action has started at Michigan! Bell and Chastain spearheading the ride thus far.
4:07 p.m.: Engines just got fired! We’re back in business at Michigan!!
2:55 p.m.: Cars staying in pit road with the rain picking up a bit. Mother Nature continuing to shine her freckled face on the Cup Series.
2:45 p.m.: Christopher Bell and Ross Chastain leading the line in Row 1. Bell posted the fastest qualifying time since 2020 yesterday. The JGR starlet will be more than optimistic about his chances today.
2:35 p.m.: Race commands delivered. Here we go from Michigan.
2:30 p.m.: Wallace and Michael McDowell set to enjoy a titillating tango. McDowell is a noted road course star. Wallace is anything but. With back-to-back race courses looming, Wallace’s display here at Michigan could prove vital as he attempts to distance himself from the pack.
2:20 p.m.: Slight delay as the rain intensifies around the course.
2:10 p.m.: A little drizzle descending onto the track. Weather could make things a little interesting.
1:50 p.m.: Reminder that Noah Gragson — Legacy Motor Club’s “boy wonder” — was suspended indefinitely after liking a tweet mocking George Floyd’s death. Such a massive loss for Richard Petty and Jimmie Johnson’s team, how will they ever recover from dropping a driver who sits in *checks notes* 33rd-place in the Cup Series standings??? The horror…
As for the No. 42 car, that will be manned by Josh Berry, a man who has proved himself a demonstrably better driver than Gragson this season. Talk about an upgrade…
1:40 p.m.: Pre-race forecast looking alright, all things considered. Still, the threat of storms looms — namely from a front billowing through the south.
What channel is the NASCAR race on today?
- TV channel: USA (U.S.) | TSN5 (Canada)
- Live stream: Peacock, Fubo
The FireKeepers Casino 400 will be broadcast on USA Network in the United States. Canadian viewers can follow the action on TSN5.
MORE: Why NASCAR is on NBC instead of Fox
Veteran broadcaster Rick Allen will lead NBC’s coverage, serving as the race’s lap-by-lap announcer. He’ll be joined in the booth by Jeff Burton, Dale Earnhardt Jr. and Steve Letarte.
Fans can watch online via Peacock or Fubo, which offers a free trial.
NASCAR start time today
- Date: Monday, Aug. 7
- Start time: 12 p.m. ET
Monday’s race will restart at 12 p.m. ET.
The race was initially scheduled for a 2:30 p.m. ET green flag on Sunday, Aug 6. However, slick conditions brought a red flag 30 laps into Stage 2.
NASCAR at Michigan starting lineup
| Starting pos. | Driver | Car No. | Team |
| 1 | Christopher Bell | 20 | Joe Gibbs Racing |
| 2 | Ross Chastain | 1 | Trackhouse Racing |
| 3 | Ty Gibbs | 54 | Joe Gibbs Racing |
| 4 | Chris Buescher | 17 | RFK Racing |
| 5 | Martin Truex Jr. | 19 | Joe Gibbs Racing |
| 6 | Joey Logano | 22 | Team Penske |
| 7 | William Byron | 24 | Hendrick Motorsports |
| 8 | Kyle Busch | 8 | Richard Childress Racing |
| 9 | Ryan Blaney | 12 | Team Penske |
| 10 | Chase Elliott | 9 | Hendrick Motorsports |
| 11 | Bubba Wallace | 23 | 23XI Racing |
| 12 | Brad Keselowski | 6 | RFK Racing |
| 13 | Denny Hamlin | 11 | Joe Gibbs Racing |
| 14 | Daniel Suarez | 99 | Trackhouse Racing |
| 15 | Tyler Reddick | 45 | 23XI Racing |
| 16 | Austin Dillon | 3 | Richard Childress Racing |
| 17 | Kyle Larson | 5 | Hendrick Motorsports |
| 18 | Aric Almirola | 10 | Stewart-Haas Racing |
| 19 | Chase Briscoe | 14 | Stewart-Haas Racing |
| 20 | Alex Bowman | 48 | Hendrick Motorsports |
| 21 | Austin Cindric | 2 | Team Penske |
| 22 | Kevin Harvick | 4 | Stewart-Haas Racing |
| 23 | Michael McDowell | 34 | Front Row Motorsports |
| 24 | AJ Allmendinger | 16 | Kaulig Racing |
| 25 | Erik Jones | 43 | Legacy Motor Club |
| 26 | Justin Haley | 31 | Kaulig Racing |
| 27 | Ricky Stenhouse Jr. | 47 | JTG Daugherty Racing |
| 28 | Ryan Preece | 41 | Stewart-Haas Racing |
| 29 | Harrison Burton | 21 | Wood Brothers Racing |
| 30 | Austin Hill | 62 | Beard Motorsports |
| 31 | Corey LaJoie | 7 | Spire Motorsports |
| 32 | Todd Gilliland | 38 | Front Row Motorsports |
| 33 | Cole Custer | 51 | Rick Ware Racing |
| 34 | Ty Dillon | 77 | Spire Motorsports |
| 35 | Josh Berry | 42 | Legacy Motor Club |
| 36 | JJ Yeley | 15 | Rick Ware Racing |
| 37 | Josh Bilicki | 78 | Live Fast Motorsports |