Note: This is the first in a series of stories that will be published during the weekend of the Pure Michigan 400 as part of The SuperSpeedway’s coverage of the events from the track.

BROOKLYN, MI — If Kyle Larson can get to the checkered flag first Sunday, it will be his third win in a row at Michigan International Speedway. So how likely is it that Larson will earn his fourth win in his career at MIS and keep the streak alive?

Well, the truth is, not very likely. In fact, if he managed to pull it off, Larson would become only the third driver in history to win three in a row at the 2-mile Irish Hills speedway.

Many drivers have won two in a row at Michigan, but only two have won more consecutively.

The first time it happened was 1972 and 1973. David Pearson won the Motor State 400 in 1972, and followed it up later in the year with a win in the Yankee 400. He then won the Motor State 400 again the following year — the only Cup race at MIS, to end his streak at three races. Richard petty ended the streak in the 1974 Motor State 400.

The second time it happened, and the last time, started in 1984 when Bill Elliott won the Miller 400. People who have attended races at MIS for many years will tell you Elliott was one of the best there. And he proved it over those four races, winning the 1985 Champion Spark Plug 400, and doubling down the following season, winning both races again. Elliott holds the record for the most MIS races won in a row with four.

That’s it. No one else has done it.

Kyle Larson currently is among the ranks of drivers like Greg Biffle (he won two in a row twice), Ryan Newman, Mark Martin, Bobby Labonte, Cale Yarborough, and Bobby Allison as drivers who have won two races in a row at the track.

Speaking of Yarborough, he won two in a row just once, but he won a lot more races than that at MIS. He won eight times, including the first time in 1969. But the record for most wins at MIS is held by Pearson, who did it nine times over his career.

So if Larson is able to pull out a win this weekend at MIS, he will join some very elite company. It could happen, but the deck is certainly stacked against him.

Show notes:

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William Byron leads the Xfinity field into the first turn at Indianapolis Motor Speedway.
Nascar.com/Courtesy

SPEEDWAY, Ind. — There has been a lot of experimenting the past several years at Indianapolis Motor Speedway when it comes to NASCAR.

It turns out the racing just isn’t that great for a stock car on a track that was built more than a hundred years ago for open-wheel cars. But NASCAR has raced at Indianapolis since 1994, and it’s too important of a place to leave the schedule any time soon. And you’re not changing the track — the only one where Indycar doesn’t just beat NASCAR attendance, but blows it away.

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CONCORD, N.C. — One of the biggest dominoes in the 2017 NASCAR Silly Season fell Thursday morning as Alex Bowman was named the driver of the 88 Hendrick Motorsports Chevrolet for 2018.

Bowman will take over for Dale Earnhardt Jr., who is retiring at the end of the 2017 season.

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ROSSBURG, Ohio — Matt Crafton isn’t a dirt racer, but he was able to hold off some tough challengers to take the win in the fifth-annual Eldora Dirt Derby Wednesday night.

Crafton passed Stewart Friesen late in the race to take the win.

Crafton started the race winning the first stage when the caution came out immediately after he passed Friesen to take the lead. Crafton said the truck was good at the beginning of the race, but he asked for some adjustments at the first stage break.

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ROSSBURG, Ohio — The heats are in the books at Eldora Speedway. Now all that remains is the last chance race to set the rest of the field for the fifth-annual Eldora Dirt Derby.

Stewart Friesen kept his perfect night alive by earning the pole position in the main event with a win in the first heat.

Matt Crafton made a late pass after Chase Briscoe had problems to take the outside starting position with a win in heat race number two.

Kaz Grala earned the win in the third heat to take the third starting position. Christopher Bell will start fourth with a win in the fourth heat and Ty Dillon will start fifth with a win in the fifth heat.

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