23XI Racing’s Tyler Reddick took the win after a chaotic and rain-delayed NASCAR Cup Series race at Michigan International Speedway.

But the young racing team’s masterpiece is not our only memory of the FireKeepers Casino 400.

Conclusions from the NASCAR Cup Series FireKeepers Casino 400 in Michigan

A masterpiece from a young 23XI Racing team

23XI Racing took the NASCAR scene by storm with its debut at the 2021 Daytona 500. Since then, the team, co-founded by racing driver Denny Hamlin and basketball legend Michael Jordan, has proven time and again that it is a force to be reckoned with.

Jordan’s investment in the NASCAR Cup Series alone is an incredible boon to the sport and has helped further legitimize the sport in the larger racing environment.

That initial investment has paid off through sponsorship from big-name brands like McDonald’s, as well as signing drivers like Michigan race winner Tyler Reddick. 23XI provides a template for a new form of team ownership – and it’s paying off in a big way.

The fact that Reddick was able to hold out in two overtimes shows the dominance of the car, the skill of the driver and the impeccable preparation of the team.

The tire pressure strategy becomes too aggressive

Just past the halfway point of the FireKeepers Casino 400, three cars suffered shocking tire failures within moments of each other: Joey Logano, Todd Gilliland and Christopher Bell. Goodyear reported that the tires were not cut, so what does that mean?

We’ve seen similar problems in the NASCAR Cup Series before, and they’re largely due to teams trying to under-inflate their tires compared to the ideal pressure specified by Goodyear.

NASCAR does not regulate tire pressure, meaning each team is responsible for inflating its tires to a level that gives it a competitive advantage without damaging the car.

For Logano, Gilliland and Bell, it seemed as if those calculations had not worked – and for these drivers, that spelled disaster.

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The picture of the Cup Series Playoffs is constantly evolving

As August draws to a close, the Cup Series regular season is coming to a close – and that means every race is becoming more and more crucial for the drivers on the playoff bubble.

Essentially, the playoffs are a series of elimination-style races that ultimately determine the NASCAR Cup Series champion. Sixteen drivers can make it to the playoffs, either by winning a race and securing a spot or by earning enough playoff points to prevail.

But the situation in the playoffs changed quickly in Michigan.

Trackhouse Racing’s Ross Chastain seemed to have his playoff spot comfortably secured due to his track position – but a spin at the end of the race dropped him a lap back. He is still above the playoff cut line, but only by one point.

Bubba Wallace also seemed to be on course for a comfortable playoff point win, but then fell below the cut-off line after an accident.

What’s going on with flying cars at MIS?

During Monday’s race, No. 7 driver Corey LaJoie rolled over while attempting to pass Noah Gragson. The two drivers only touched for a brief moment, but it lifted LaJoie’s car into the air just enough for the draft to lift it even higher into the sky.

LaJoie was uninjured in the accident, but complained in his post-race interview that his entire season had simply been plagued by bad luck.

But LaJoie wasn’t the only driver to roll over in Michigan. Saturday’s Xfinity Series race also saw driver Kyle Sieg spin out on the final lap.

In Sieg’s case, Chandler Smith’s No. 81 pushed Sieg’s car toward the infield after a multi-car accident further up the track. That was enough to send Sieg’s nose flying, forcing him into a major rollover.

Sieg also escaped unharmed – but why do so many cars take off at the Michigan International Speedway?

Bring the Plate Racing Package to Michigan in 2025

NASCAR uses several different aerodynamic packages, and while the racing was decent this weekend in Michigan, the Cup Series’ plate racing package could be just the right choice for Michigan International Speedway in 2025.

Plate racing packages are reserved for larger race tracks and are generally characterized by a reduction in horsepower to keep the field closer together and thus allow for more overtaking maneuvers.

These packages also provide more drag and downforce and are used on ovals with higher banked turns. But the race could have gone even better in Michigan if we could have caught the leaders as they pulled away from the rest of the field.

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