Pure Michigan 400

Pure Michigan 400

Venue	Michigan International Speedway
Sponsor	Pure Michigan
First race	1969
Distance	400 miles (640 km)
Laps	200
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)

The Pure Michigan 400 is a NASCAR Sprint Cup Series race being held annually at Michigan International Speedway in Brooklyn, Michigan since 1969. However, during the 1973 season it was not held after Roger Penske replaced the race with a Champ car event. The inaugural event was scheduled to be 600 miles, but was shortened because of inclement weather. Afterward, the race distance was changed to 400 miles. The event has had numerous companies sponsor the race, including Pepsi and Carfax.

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 to 330 miles 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. Kyle Busch is the most recent winner of the race, winning the event in 2011.^[1]

History

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• 1970: Restrictor plates made their racing debut in the 1970 Yankee 400 and Charlie Glotzbach drove a Dodge Daytona to the win.

• 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 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 prerace 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 prerace 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 overreved the engine to blow it. It became his final race ever.^[2] 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: Geoff Bodine cleaned house in the Yankee 400 on Hoosier Tires while Indycar veteran John Andretti turned heads qualifying second in Richard Petty's Pontiac after Wally Dallenbach, Jr. was released, but the story of the weekend was a savage crash in practice that left Ernie Irvan fighting to live; Irvan would recover from near-fatal injury over a year later.

• 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.

Winners

By season

By manufacturer

References