Ryan Blaney edges out Byron to win at Michigan

The NASCAR Cup Series had two races remaining in the regular season, this race being one of them. NASCAR makes its lone trip in 2021 to the Michigan International Speedway for the Firekeepers Casino 400. Chase Elliott and Kyle Larson led the field to the green flag as they went three-wide on the backstretch. Larson grabbed the lead coming back around to start. After the competition caution, the race restarted on lap 26 with Denny Hamlin leading and Chase Elliott in second. Joey Gase wrecked on lap 32 to bring out the caution. Elliott and Kurt Busch led at the next restart on lap 36. Chase Elliott would hold off everyone to win stage one. 

1. Chase Elliott 
2. Kyle Larson 
3. Austin Dillon 
4. Denny Hamlin
5. William Byron
6. Joey Logano
7. Matt DiBenedetto
8. Kurt Busch
9. Kyle Busch
10. Brad Keselowski

The race restarted on lap 67. Kyle Larson had the lead as Austin Dillon battled for the lead, trying to secure a playoff spot. Dillon and Reddick were tied for the final playoff spot after stage one. Kurt Busch nearly crashed into the wall and loses spots after making contact with Matt Dibenedetto. On lap 74, Austin Dillon had a chance for the lead but wasn’t able to clear Larson, he slid back into second. Dillon kept battling but this then allowed Chase Elliott to take the lead on lap 81. Elliott would end up gaining the lead back not too long after. Kyle Busch began to enter the picture as Dillon began to drop back with 12 laps left in Stage Two. Kyle Busch had a two-tire change during green flag pit stops and Tyler Reddick went fuel only to get stage points. Kyle Busch went on to take stage two. Drama took place at the end of stage two, Austin Dillon battled Brad Keselowski to get sixth when he got into Keselowski and went straight to the wall, nearly flipping. Now putting him in a situation where he has to win Daytona. 

1. Kyle Busch 
2. Christopher Bell 
3. Kyle Larson 
4. Chase Elliott 
5. Denny Hamlin 
6. Austin Dillon 
7. Brad Keselowski 
8. Tyler Reddick
9. William Byron
10. Matt DiBenedetto

Kyle Larson was able to take the lead at the beginning of the final stage. Matt Dibenedetto looked to be on the move as he tries to enter the top five. After green-flag pit stops, William Byron had the lead over Larson and Hamlin with 25 laps to go. The caution came out with 21 to go with perception in the area. They went on to finish the race with a restart at 14 laps to go. Byron and Kurt Busch were side by side going into turn one as Denny Hamlin made the move to second. Tyler Reddick went four-wide into turn three and slid up the track, causing several to spin like Joey Logano, Ryan Newman, Josh Berry, and Christopher Bell. They then try again with eight laps to go, Blaney took the lead from Byron after he went up the track a bit. Harvick almost smacked the wall coming to seven to go. Tyler Reddick went spinning and that could certainly hurt his playoff chances. Everyone was fighting for position as Kurt Busch checked up, nearly wrecking Chase Briscoe. Kurt gets back to fourth with Dibenedetto fifth. Byron went around his teammate, Larson, with two to go. It was an intense fight to the checkered but Ryan Blaney was able to hold off William Byron by 77 one-thousandths of a second. Kevin Harvick would also lock himself into the Playoffs, leaving one spot left for the regular-season finale at Daytona.

2021 Firekeepers Casino 400 Top 10:

1. Ryan Blaney
2. William Byron
3. Kyle Larson
4. Kurt Busch
5. Denny Hamlin
6. Matt DiBenedetto
7. Kyle Busch
8. Chase Elliott
9. Brad Keselowski
10. Martin Truex Jr