Michigan sets 2013 NASCAR schedule

Michigan International Speedway will again host a pair of NASCAR weekends June 14-16 and Aug. 16-18.

MIS will be just one of 23 racetracks across the United States to host the NASCAR Sprint Cup Series in 2013, with dates set for June 16 and Aug. 18. The NASCAR Nationwide Series will appear with NASCAR's top series on June 15 and the NASCAR Camping World Truck Series on Aug. 17. The ARCA Racing Series presented by Menards will also make its 32nd appearance at MIS when the Temperance, Mich.-based group races on June 14.

“We are already preparing for 2013 at MIS. We truly cannot wait to be racing again at NASCAR's fastest racetrack. It's going to be a long off-season for all of us,” MIS President Roger Curtis said. “The 2012 season featured high speeds, exciting racing and lots of happy fans and partners during both weekends in 2012.”

In 2012, Dale Earnhardt Jr. won the Quicken Loans 400. His last two victories in the NASCAR Sprint Cup victory have come at MIS. Greg Biffle won the Pure Michigan 400 in August to give Roush Fenway Racing its 12th victory in the Irish Hills, the most of any organization at MIS. Both drivers are in contention to win the NASCAR Sprint Cup championship.

All four racing series at MIS established new track qualifying records in 2012 as Marcos Ambrose won the pole for the June Sprint Cup race with a top speed of 203.241 mph, the 11th-fastest pole speed in NASCAR history.

The track's opening NASCAR Sprint Cup Series weekend in 2013 will be on Father's Day, Sunday, June 16. Nationwide Series racing will be at MIS on Saturday, June 15. The ARCA Racing Series will race on Friday, June 14.

Sprint Cup will wind up its summertime stint only eight weeks later at MIS on Sunday, Aug. 18, with the Camping World Truck Series on Saturday, Aug. 17.

NASCAR Sprint Cup qualifying returns to Fridays in 2013 at MIS.

The complete Sprint Cup Series schedule is still expected to be announced this week. Here are the confirmed dates:

Saturday, Feb. 16

Daytona Shootout

Sunday, Feb. 24

Daytona 500

Sunday, March 3

Phoenix

Sunday, March 10

Las Vegas

Sunday, April 7

Martinsville

Saturday, April 13

Texas

Saturday, May 11

Darlington

Saturday, May 18

All-Star Race (Charlotte)

Sunday, May 26

Charlotte

Sunday, June 2

Dover

Sunday, June 9

Pocono

Sunday, June 16

Michigan

Sunday, July 28

Indianapolis

Sunday, August 4

Pocono

Sunday, Aug. 18

Michigan

Sunday, Sept. 29

Dover

Sunday, Oct. 27

Martinsville

Sunday, Nov. 3

Texas

Sunday, Nov. 10

Phoenix