Consumers Energy 400

The Consumers Energy 400 was a NASCAR Cup Series race held annually in the month of August at Michigan International Speedway in Brooklyn, Michigan since 1969. The race was not held in 1973 after track owner Roger Penske replaced the race with a Champ Car event.[2] The inaugural event was scheduled to be 600 miles (970 km), but was shortened because of inclement weather. From 1975 to 2019, the race distance was changed to 400 miles (640 km). Since 2020, the race has been at 312 miles (502 km). The event has had numerous companies sponsor the race, including Pepsi and Carfax. It is the second of two NASCAR Cup Series races held annually at Michigan (the first race is held in June). The race was moved up a week in 2020 after two off weeks. Kevin Harvick was the last winner of the event, having won in 2020.

Consumers Energy 400

NASCAR Cup Series
Venue	Michigan International Speedway
Location	Brooklyn, Michigan, United States
Corporate sponsor	Consumers Energy[1]
First race	1969
Last race	2020
Distance	312 miles (502.115 km)
Laps	156 (Stage 1: 40 Stage 2: 45 Final stage: 71)
Previous names	Yankee 600 (1969) Yankee 400 (1970–1972, 1974) Champion Spark Plug 400 (1975–1993) GM Goodwrench Dealer 400 (1994–1996) DeVilbiss 400 (1997) Pepsi 400 Presented by DeVilbiss (1998) Pepsi 400 Presented by Meijer (1999–2001) Pepsi 400 Presented by Farmer Jack (2002) GFS Marketplace 400 (2003–2006) 3M Performance 400 (2007) 3M Performance 400 Presented by Bondo (2008) Carfax 400 (2009–2010) Pure Michigan 400 (2011–2017)
Most wins (driver)	David Pearson (5)
Most wins (team)	Roush Fenway Racing (7)
Most wins (manufacturer)	Ford (21)
Circuit information
Surface	Asphalt
Length	2.0 mi (3.2 km)
Turns	4

Overall

Overall, 26 different drivers have won the race, with David Pearson holding the record for most victories in the race with five. Pearson won the inaugural event, which was shortened from 600 miles (970 km) to 330 miles (530 km) because of rain. Bill Elliott has the record for most consecutive victories, winning three from 1985 to 1987. Ford has the most manufacturers' wins with 16. Kevin Harvick is the defending winner of the race, winning it the last three times in 2018, 2019 and 2020.

History

• 1970: Restrictor plates made their racing debut in the 1970 Yankee 400 and Charlie Glotzbach drove a Dodge Daytona to the win.
• 1971: Bobby Allison dueled Allison edged Petty at the stripe for a season sweep at Michigan in the Holman-Moody Mercury.
• 1973: Although the Yankee 400 was on the NASCAR Winston Cup schedule at the beginning of the 1973 season, set for August 5, Roger Penske announced on June 8 that the 1973 Yankee 400 would not be held, citing the tight schedule that Michigan International Speedway had to accommodate in the summer of 1973.[2]
• 1974: Promoter Roger Penske reinserted the Yankee 400 to Michigan's schedule after 1973 after the Michigan 400 that June turned a strong profit. David Pearson and Cale Yarborough fought hard before Cale was stopped by a mismatched set of tires late in the race. The lead changed 45 times among eight drivers.
• 1975: A late yellow-flag set up a five-lap finish; Pearson and Richard Petty went at it and the lead changed on every lap down to the finish as Petty edged Pearson by a nose.
• 1977: Rain postponed the race to Monday and Darrell Waltrip edged Pearson to the stripe.
• 1978: Pearson's final win for the Wood Brothers came on a one-lap shootout as he passed Waltrip. Richard Petty crashed in the final laps, setting up the finish; he was making his debut in a second-hand 1974 bodied Chevrolet after abandoning his 1978 Dodge Magnum.
• 1979: Pearson was hired to drive Rod Osterlund's Chevrolet after Dale Earnhardt was injured at Pocono and he won the Michigan pole, ultimately finishing fourth. Buddy Baker led late but Richard Petty took tires on a late stop and gunned him down on the final lap; the win began a rally from a 229-point deficit to the season championship.
• 1981: The most competitive Michigan race ever erupted as Ron Bouchard won his first pole fresh off his electrifying Talladega win. There were 65 lead changes among 14 drivers and Richard Petty, who led 65 laps, roared from fifth to the lead with five to go and held off six other challengers. "This wasn't the toughest race, but it sure was the most aggravating," Petty said afterward.
• 1987: Fellow drivers revolted against Tim Richmond at Watkins Glen the week before when he reported to the pre race drivers meeting looking sickly and acting belligerently. Before Michigan qualifying Richmond had to be rousted out of his motorhome and when he arrived at the qualifying line asked aloud, "Where are we?" When NASCAR officials Les Richter and Dick Beaty asked Hendrick officials what was wrong with Tim, Richmond appeared from nowhere and confronted both of them, then showed up late for the pre race drivers meeting. During the 400 he had an anxiety attack and the engine blew; he drove to the garage and when the crew checked the tachometer they found it had been pegged, because Richmond had deliberately over revved the engine to blow it. It became his final race ever.[3] Richard Petty rallied to the lead in the final 40 laps but had to pit on a late caution and crashed after colliding with Davey Allison on the final lap as Bill Elliott took the win, his sixth Michigan win in an eight-race span.
• 1991: Dale Jarrett stayed out on a late caution, and in the final laps Davey Allison ran him down, but became locked in a side-by-side battle won by Jarrett by inches for his first win and the first for the Wood Brothers since 1987 at Charlotte.
• 1994: Just after Wally Dallenbach, Jr. was released from his seat in Richard Petty's Pontiac, Indycar veteran John Andretti took over the seat and turned heads by qualifying second. However, the story of the weekend was a savage crash in practice that left Ernie Irvan critically injured with head injuries. Irvan would recover from near-fatal injury over a year later. The race itself began with a six-car melee where Bobby Hillin, Jr. nearly flew over the second turn wall. Geoff Bodine won on Hoosier Tires.
• 1998: Irvan dominated the race, but Jeff Gordon ran down the leaders and won handily. Mark Martin was denied the win, the race coming days after the death of his father in a plane crash.
• 1999: Goodyear brought tires to Michigan designed for Fontana for Winston West racing, where Hoosier Tire was still a presence in competition against Goodyear; the new tire featured greater stagger and handled more like bias-ply tires than radials. Dale Earnhardt grabbed the lead late and got into a spirited battle with Bobby Labonte before Labonte cleared for the win.
• 2007. This was the first modern-day NASCAR race to be run on a Tuesday. Kurt Busch dominated all day, leading 96 laps out of the 203. Busch held off Martin Truex Jr and Jimmie Johnson in a Green White Checkered finish for his second win of the season.
• 2012: Greg Biffle won his second race of 2012 after Jimmie Johnson's engine blew up with five laps to go. The race was also marked by a scary crash on lap 64. Mark Martin was leading Kasey Kahne into turn 4 and was about to lap Bobby Labonte and Juan Pablo Montoya when Labonte got loose and spun. Montoya got away, but Labonte collected Martin and Kahne. While Labonte and Kahne spun into the trioval grass, Martin's car spun down pit road and was impaled on the left rear side by an opening in the pit wall at Kahne's pit stall. Martin climbed out, unharmed. The day was also a sour day for Hendrick supplied engines as three of the six cars with this engine package - Jeff Gordon, Jimmie Johnson and Tony Stewart - all had engine part failures (Johnson had two failed engines, as he blew another one in practice). The other three, Kasey Kahne, Dale Earnhardt, Jr. and Ryan Newman, survived for top ten finishes.
• 2016: This race is memorable for it being the first NASCAR Cup Series victory for Kyle Larson. Chase Elliott would end up finishing second as he did in the prior June race earlier in the year.

Past winners

Year	Date	No.	Driver	Team	Manufacturer	Race Distance		Race Time	Average Speed (mph)	Report
						Laps	Miles (km)
1969	August 17	17	David Pearson	Holman-Moody	Ford	165*	330 (531.083)	2:51:25	115.508	Report
1970	August 16	99	Charlie Glotzbach	Ray Nichels	Dodge	197	401.8 (646.737)	2:48:32	147.571	Report
1971	August 16	12	Bobby Allison	Holman-Moody	Mercury	197	401.88 (646.763)	2:40:54	149.862	Report
1972	August 20	21	David Pearson	Wood Brothers Racing	Mercury	200	400 (643.737)	2:58:31	134.416	Report
1973	Not held
1974	August 25	21	David Pearson	Wood Brothers Racing	Mercury	200	400 (643.737)	3:00:23	133.045	Report
1975	August 24	43	Richard Petty	Petty Enterprises	Dodge	200	400 (643.737)	3:43:05	107.583	Report
1976	August 22	21	David Pearson	Wood Brothers Racing	Mercury	200	400 (643.737)	2:51:20	140.078	Report
1977	August 22*	88	Darrell Waltrip	DiGard Motorsports	Chevrolet	200	400 (643.737)	2:53:59	137.944	Report
1978	August 20	21	David Pearson	Wood Brothers Racing	Mercury	200	400 (643.737)	3:05:14	129.566	Report
1979	August 19	43	Richard Petty	Petty Enterprises	Chevrolet	200	400 (643.737)	3:04:05	130.376	Report
1980	August 17	11	Cale Yarborough	Junior Johnson & Associates	Chevrolet	200	400 (643.737)	2:45:07	145.352	Report
1981	August 16	43	Richard Petty	Petty Enterprises	Buick	200	400 (643.737)	3:14:24	123.457	Report
1982	August 22	88	Bobby Allison	DiGard Motorsports	Buick	200	400 (643.737)	2:45:53	136.454	Report
1983	August 21	28	Cale Yarborough	Ranier-Lundy	Chevrolet	200	400 (643.737)	2:42:42	147.511	Report
1984	August 12	11	Darrell Waltrip	Junior Johnson & Associates	Chevrolet	200	400 (643.737)	2:35:59	153.863	Report
1985	August 11	9	Bill Elliott	Melling Racing	Ford	200	400 (643.737)	2:54:38	137.43	Report
1986	August 17	9	Bill Elliott	Melling Racing	Ford	200	400 (643.737)	2:57:28	135.376	Report
1987	August 16	9	Bill Elliott	Melling Racing	Ford	200	400 (643.737)	2:53:06	138.648	Report
1988	August 21	28	Davey Allison	Ranier-Lundy	Ford	200	400 (643.737)	2:33:00	156.863	Report
1989	August 20	27	Rusty Wallace	Blue Max Racing	Pontiac	200	400 (643.737)	2:32:11	157.704	Report
1990	August 19	6	Mark Martin	Roush Racing	Ford	200	400 (643.737)	2:52:53	138.822	Report
1991	August 18	21	Dale Jarrett	Wood Brothers Racing	Ford	200	400 (643.737)	2:51:34	142.972	Report
1992	August 16	33	Harry Gant	Leo Jackson Motorsports	Oldsmobile	200	400 (643.737)	2:47:46	146.056	Report
1993	August 15	6	Mark Martin	Roush Racing	Ford	200	400 (643.737)	2:46:01	144.564	Report
1994	August 21	7	Geoffrey Bodine	Geoff Bodine Racing	Ford	200	400 (643.737)	2:51:32	139.914	Report
1995	August 20	18	Bobby Labonte	Joe Gibbs Racing	Chevrolet	200	400 (643.737)	2:32:09	157.739	Report
1996	August 18	88	Dale Jarrett	Robert Yates Racing	Ford	200	400 (643.737)	2:51:41	139.792	Report
1997	August 17	6	Mark Martin	Roush Racing	Ford	200	400 (643.737)	3:09:09	126.883	Report
1998	August 16	24	Jeff Gordon	Hendrick Motorsports	Chevrolet	200	400 (643.737)	2:37:54	151.995	Report
1999	August 22	18	Bobby Labonte	Joe Gibbs Racing	Pontiac	200	400 (643.737)	2:46:17	144.332	Report
2000	August 20	2	Rusty Wallace	Penske Racing	Ford	200	400 (643.737)	3:01:00	132.597	Report
2001	August 19	40	Sterling Marlin	Chip Ganassi Racing	Dodge	162*	324 (521.427)	2:18:21	140.513	Report
2002	August 18	88	Dale Jarrett	Robert Yates Racing	Ford	200	400 (643.737)	2:50:45	140.556	Report
2003	August 17	12	Ryan Newman	Penske Racing	Dodge	200	400 (643.737)	3:08:31	127.31	Report
2004	August 22	16	Greg Biffle	Roush Racing	Ford	200	400 (643.737)	2:52:35	139.063	Report
2005	August 21	19	Jeremy Mayfield	Evernham Motorsports	Dodge	200	400 (643.737)	2:49:33	141.551	Report
2006	August 20	17	Matt Kenseth	Roush Racing	Ford	200	400 (643.737)	2:57:39	135.097	Report
2007	August 21*	2	Kurt Busch	Penske Racing	Dodge	203*	406 (653.393)	2:55:55	117.012	Report
2008	August 17	99	Carl Edwards	Roush Fenway Racing	Ford	200	400 (643.737)	2:51:00	140.351	Report
2009	August 16	83	Brian Vickers	Red Bull Racing Team	Toyota	200	400 (643.737)	3:02:28	131.531	Report
2010	August 15	29	Kevin Harvick	Richard Childress Racing	Chevrolet	200	400 (643.737)	2:46:38	144.029	Report
2011	August 21	18	Kyle Busch	Joe Gibbs Racing	Toyota	203*	406 (653.393)	2:41:26	150.898	Report
2012	August 19	16	Greg Biffle	Roush Fenway Racing	Ford	201*	402 (646.956)	2:46:44	144.662	Report
2013	August 18	22	Joey Logano	Penske Racing	Ford	200	400 (643.737)	2:45:59	144.593	Report
2014	August 17	24	Jeff Gordon	Hendrick Motorsports	Chevrolet	200	400 (643.737)	2:49:16	141.788	Report
2015	August 16	20	Matt Kenseth	Joe Gibbs Racing	Toyota	200	400 (643.737)	2:47:18	143.455	Report
2016	August 28	42	Kyle Larson	Chip Ganassi Racing	Chevrolet	200	400 (643.737)	2:27:29	162.73	Report
2017	August 13	42	Kyle Larson	Chip Ganassi Racing	Chevrolet	202*	404 (650.174)	2:40:38	150.903	Report
2018	August 12	4	Kevin Harvick	Stewart-Haas Racing	Ford	200	400 (643.737)	2:50:51	140.474	Report
2019	August 11	4	Kevin Harvick	Stewart-Haas Racing	Ford	200	400 (643.737)	2:40:59	149.084	Report
2020	August 9	4	Kevin Harvick	Stewart-Haas Racing	Ford	156	312 (502.008)	2:09:35	144.463	Report

Notes

• 1969 & 2001: Race shortened due to rain.
• 1977: Race postponed from Sunday to Monday due to rain.
• 2007: Race postponed twice from Sunday to Tuesday morning due to rain[4][5]
• 2007, 2011–12, 2017: Race extended due to an overtime finish.
• 2020: Race shortened by 22% to 500 km (312 mi) due to the COVID-19 pandemic. However, the race retained the "Consumers Energy 400" name.[6]

Multiple winners (drivers)

# Wins	Driver	Years Won
5	David Pearson	1969, 1972, 1974, 1976, 1978
4	Kevin Harvick	2010, 2018, 2019, 2020
3	Richard Petty	1975, 1979, 1981
	Bill Elliott	1985, 1986, 1987
	Mark Martin	1990, 1993, 1997
	Dale Jarrett	1991, 1996, 2002
2	Bobby Allison	1971, 1982
	Cale Yarborough	1980, 1983
	Darrell Waltrip	1977, 1984
	Bobby Labonte	1995, 1999
	Rusty Wallace	1989, 2000
	Greg Biffle	2004, 2012
	Jeff Gordon	1998, 2014
	Matt Kenseth	2006, 2015
	Kyle Larson	2016, 2017

Multiple winners (teams)

# Wins	Team	Years Won
7	Roush Fenway Racing	1990, 1993, 1997, 2004, 2006, 2008, 2012
5	Wood Brothers Racing	1972, 1974, 1976, 1978, 1991
4	Penske Racing	2000, 2003, 2007, 2013
	Joe Gibbs Racing	1995, 1999, 2011, 2015
3	Petty Enterprises	1975, 1979, 1981
	Melling Racing	1985, 1986, 1987
	Chip Ganassi Racing	2001, 2016, 2017
	Stewart-Haas Racing	2018, 2019, 2020
2	Holman-Moody	1969, 1971
	DiGard Motorsports	1977, 1982
	Junior Johnson & Associates	1980, 1984
	Ranier-Lundy	1983, 1988
	Robert Yates Racing	1996, 2002
	Hendrick Motorsports	1998, 2014

Manufacturer wins

# Wins	Manufacturer	Years Won
21	Ford	1969, 1985, 1986, 1987, 1988, 1990, 1991, 1993, 1994, 1996, 1997, 2000, 2002, 2004, 2006, 2008, 2012, 2013, 2018, 2019, 2020
11	Chevrolet	1977, 1979, 1980, 1983, 1984, 1995, 1998, 2010, 2014, 2016, 2017
6	Dodge	1970, 1975, 2001, 2003, 2005, 2007
5	Mercury	1971, 1972, 1974, 1976, 1978
3	Toyota	2009, 2011, 2015
2	Buick	1981, 1982
	Pontiac	1989, 1999
1	Oldsmobile	1992

References

1. "AUGUST MONSTER ENERGY NASCAR CUP SERIES RACE NAMED CONSUMERS ENERGY 400". Michigan International Speedway. April 19, 2018. Retrieved April 19, 2018.
2. "8 Jun 1973, Page 27 - at Newspapers.com". Newspapers.com. Retrieved March 24, 2016.
3. Poole, David (2005): TIM RICHMOND: The Fast Life And Remarkable Times Of NASCAR's Top Gun (Sports Publishing LLC, Champaign, IL), pp. 155–8
4. "Race Results at Michigan International Speedway". Racing-reference.info. Retrieved August 20, 2011.
5. "Race Winners of the Pure Michigan 400 1972 - 2011". NASCAR. Retrieved August 20, 2011.
6. "NASCAR OEMs to battle this weekend for coveted Michigan Heritage Trophy". Michigan International Speedway. August 4, 2020. Retrieved August 4, 2020. The NASCAR Cup Series FireKeepers Casino 400 will be held on Saturday, August 8 at 4:00 pm (NBCSN), while the Consumers Energy 400 will take place the following day at 4:30 pm (NBCSN). [...] The distance for each race will be 312 miles.