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FireKeepers Casino 400

Date

Jun 8

Track

Michigan International Speedway

Distance

200 Laps

RACE RECAP

Denny Hamlin won a thrilling fuel-mileage battle at Michigan International Speedway to capture the FireKeepers Casino 400, his third victory of the 2025 season. The race came down to a chess match in the closing laps after a caution with 53 laps remaining set up a strategic showdown. William Byron led 98 laps and appeared poised for victory, but ran out of fuel coming to the white flag, handing the lead to Hamlin with just two laps remaining. Carson Hocevar, who had led much of the final run, also fell victim to fuel issues and a cut tire with under 20 laps to go.

Hamlin crossed the line 1.099 seconds ahead of Chris Buescher, with Ty Gibbs completing a strong day for Joe Gibbs Racing in third. Bubba Wallace and Kyle Larson rounded out the top five on the fast two-mile oval. The race featured 15 lead changes among 11 drivers and 7 cautions for 33 laps, plus a red flag lasting over 11 minutes. Ross Chastain, Zane Smith, Kyle Busch, Ryan Preece, and Brad Keselowski filled out the top ten.

The fuel-mileage drama underscored how strategy can flip the script at Michigan, where long green flag runs and the wide racing surface create opportunities for aggressive pit calls to pay off -- or backfire spectacularly.

BY THE NUMBERS

Lead Changes

Leaders

7/33

Cautions / Laps

3,026

Green Flag Passes

1.099

Margin of Victory

142.574

Avg MPH

2:48:20

Race Time

16.5%

Under Caution

20.9

Avg Green Run (Laps)

Stage Winners

S1Chris Buescher

S2William Byron

Lap Leaders

#24Byron98laps

#77Hocevar32laps

#9Elliott19laps

#17Buescher13laps

#19Briscoe11laps

#2Cindric10laps

#12Blaney7laps

#11Hamlin5laps

#20Bell2laps

#38Smith2laps

#51Ware1laps

Caution Breakdown

1L47–526LStage 1 ConclusionLD #99

2L61–655L#4, 42 Incident Turn 2

3L68–703L#2, 19, 41, 48, 99 Incident Turn 2 [Red Flag 0:11:32]

4L73–775L#42 Incident Turn 4

5L110–1134L#12 Incident Turn 4LD #20

6L122–1265LStage 2 ConclusionLD #12

7L147–1515L#34 Incident Turn 2LD #12

KEY TAKEAWAYS

01Denny Hamlin's fuel-mileage victory was a masterclass in conservation -- fantasy managers who trust Hamlin's racecraft in strategy-dependent races were handsomely rewarded.

02William Byron led a race-high 98 laps but finished 28th after running out of fuel on the final lap -- a brutal reminder that laps-led points can evaporate when the tank hits empty.

03Chris Buescher's Stage 1 win and P2 finish made him one of the best value plays of the week, delivering premium fantasy points at a mid-tier salary.

04Ty Gibbs continued his impressive 2025 trajectory with a podium finish at P3, establishing himself as a consistent fantasy option beyond the traditional Big Three at JGR.

05Michigan's fuel-mileage tendencies make it one of the most volatile fantasy tracks on the schedule -- conservative roster construction with floor plays is the smart approach here.

VALUE PICKS

9.5

pts/$

Ryan Preece$4

P9S2:P6

4.60

pts/$

Bubba Wallace$10

P4S1:P8S2:P7

4.60

pts/$

Shane van Gisbergen$5

P18

4.44

pts/$

Ty Gibbs$9

4.40

pts/$

Zane Smith$8

P7Led:2

BUSTS

0.5

pts/$

Alex Bowman$10

P36

1.05

pts/$

Ryan Blaney$14

P32S1:P6Led:7

1.58

pts/$

Joey Logano$12

P22

1.80

pts/$

Christopher Bell$14

P16Led:2

2.20

pts/$

Carson Hocevar$11

P29S1:P10S2:P3Led:32

PERFECT LINEUP

Optimal 5-driver roster for this race

Salary

$50/50

Avg Finish

Total Points

340.03

Group	Driver	Salary	Finish	Led	Bonus	Pts
A	Denny Hamlin	$15	1	5	+11 S1:8 S2:3	113.00 2 × 56.50
B	Chris Buescher	$13	2	13	+10 S1:10	91.53 1.75 × 52.30
C	Bubba Wallace	$10	4	0	+7 S1:3 S2:4	69.00 1.5 × 46.00
D	Ryan Preece	$8	9	0	+5 S2:5	47.50 1.25 × 38.00
E	Ty Dillon	$4	24	0	+2 S2:2	19.00 1 × 19.00