NASCAR NEXTEL Cup Series at Michigan

Michigan International Speedway — August 19, 2007

Kurt Busch
Winner
203
Laps
43
Entries
10
Leaders

Kurt Busch won the 2007 NASCAR NEXTEL Cup Series at Michigan at Michigan International Speedway on August 19, 2007, leading 92 of 203 laps. Martin Truex, Jr. finished second; Jimmie Johnson rounded out the podium. The race featured 10 different leaders.

Race Details
Date
Sunday, August 19, 2007
Season
2007
Winner
Leaders
10 drivers
Pos Start +/- Driver
1 15 +14 Kurt Busch
2 14 +12 Martin Truex, Jr.
3 7 +4 Jimmie Johnson
4 21 +17 Matt Kenseth
5 8 +3 Denny Hamlin
6 17 +11 Dave Blaney
7 13 +6 Carl Edwards
8 18 +10 Brian Vickers
9 4 -5 Bobby Labonte
10 35 +25 Tony Stewart
11 29 +18 Casey Mears
12 39 +27 Dale Earnhardt, Jr.
13 6 -7 Kyle Busch
14 19 +5 Jeff Burton
15 28 +13 Kevin Harvick
16 34 +18 Ryan Newman
17 9 -8 Clint Bowyer
18 25 +7 David Ragan
19 2 -17 Greg Biffle
20 27 +7 Ward Burton
21 20 -1 David Stremme
22 40 +18 Jeff Green
23 12 -11 David Reutimann
24 30 +6 Robby Gordon
25 31 +6 J.J. Yeley
26 26 Juan Pablo Montoya
27 1 -26 Jeff Gordon
28 24 -4 David Gilliland
29 41 +12 Johnny Sauter
30 36 +6 Jamie McMurray
31 3 -28 Kasey Kahne
32 5 -27 Elliott Sadler
33 22 -11 Ricky Rudd
34 37 +3 Tony Raines
35 23 -12 Bill Elliott
36 43 +7 Scott Riggs
37 16 -21 John Andretti
38 33 -5 Reed Sorenson
39 38 -1 Paul Menard
40 11 -29 Michael Waltrip
41 42 +1 Chad McCumbee
42 10 -32 Mark Martin
43 32 -11 Joe Nemechek
Model Performance

How well did the NR-Rating model predict this race? Across 6 matched drivers, the model averaged 7.9 positions off — better than the season average of 8.5. Average

Pos Driver Predicted Actual Delta
2 Martin Truex, Jr. 15.4 2 +13.4
3 Jimmie Johnson 19.9 3 +16.9
5 Denny Hamlin 8.2 5 +3.2
11 Casey Mears 16.9 11 +5.9
13 Kyle Busch 17.0 13 +4.0
25 J.J. Yeley 28.8 25 +3.8

Predicted finish from NR-Rating model. Delta = predicted − actual (positive = driver beat prediction). Confidence: High Confidence = low variance (stdDev ≤ 9), Moderate = medium variance, Coinflip = high variance.

Historical Context

  • Kurt Busch: has 46 career starts at Michigan International Speedway with a 16.4 avg finish (3 wins) — the model may have underweighted this track history.
  • Denny Hamlin: was the model’s top pick based on 41 career starts at Michigan International Speedway with a 10.9 avg finish (5 wins), finishing P5 on the day.
  • Jimmie Johnson: was the biggest surprise, finishing P3 vs predicted P20. Track history: 42 starts, 17.1 avg finish.

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Frequently Asked Questions

Who won the 2007 NASCAR NEXTEL Cup Series at Michigan?
Kurt Busch won the 2007 NASCAR NEXTEL Cup Series at Michigan at Michigan International Speedway.
Where was the 2007 NASCAR NEXTEL Cup Series at Michigan held?
The 2007 NASCAR NEXTEL Cup Series at Michigan was held at Michigan International Speedway on August 19, 2007.