NASCAR: One change in driver lineup from Saturday to Sunday

One driver who competed in Saturday’s NASCAR Cup Series race at Michigan International Speedway will not compete in today’s race at the track.

The first race of the NASCAR Cup Series doubleheader at Michigan International Speedway took place on Saturday afternoon and was won by Stewart-Haas Racing’s Kevin Harvick.

Harvick has now won five of the 21 races that have been contested so far this season, which is tied for the highest win total with Joe Gibbs Racing’s Denny Hamlin.

He has also now won back-to-back races at the four-turn, 2.0-mile (3.219-kilometer) oval in Brooklyn, Michigan, and he has won three of the last four races at the track. He hasn’t gone winless at the venue since 2017.

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As a result of his victory in Saturday’s overtime-extended 161-lap FireKeepers Casino 400, Harvick is set to start this afternoon’s 156-lap Consumers Energy 400 in 20th place, as the top 20 driver are set to start in the top 20, but in reverse order.

The drivers who finished in 21st place or lower are set to start where they finished, with Hendrick Motorsports’ Alex Bowman leading the pack. Any new drivers will go to the rear of the field. Will Sunday’s race see any new drivers?

There is only one change in the driver lineup from Saturday to Sunday, and in terms of the actual starting lineup, this change had no effect.

There are, once again, 39 drivers slated to compete in the race, with 36 driving for chartered teams and three driving for non-chartered teams.

Joey Gase, piloting the non-chartered #7 Chevrolet for Tommy Baldwin Racing, did not finish Saturday’s race and was the first car to retire after breaking a transmission. As a result, he was scored in 39th (last) place.

He is set to be replaced by Josh Bilicki for Sunday’s race. Bilicki is set to start at the rear in 39th place, although Gase would have started in 39th anyway.

Gase has not missed a race this season, so Sunday is set to mark his first absence of 2020. Entering Saturday’s race, he had competed only for Rick Ware Racing behind the wheel of a chartered car this year, but Rick Ware Racing’s three drivers on Saturday were J.J. Yeley (#27 Ford), James Davison (#51 Ford) and Garrett Smithley (#53 Ford).

All three of those drivers are set to be back this afternoon.

Bilicki has competed in 10 races so far this season, including five behind the wheel of the #7 Chevrolet. He has also competed in four races for Rick Ware Racing and one for Spire Motorsports.

Tune in to NBC Sports Network at 4:30 p.m. ET this afternoon for the live broadcast of the Consumers Energy 400 from Michigan International Speedway.