During the 19th century, the Irish Hills area of Michigan – located near U.S. 12, approximately halfway between Detroit and Chicago – was a well-known stopping point during the five-day stagecoach trip between the two large Midwest cities.
At the turn of the century, the Irish Hills turned into an enjoyable tourist destination with its plush, green landscape and more than 30 lakes for vacationers and residents to enjoy in peace and quiet.
For the last several decades, the Irish Hills come to life two weekends per year and become anything but peaceful and quiet when the NASCAR Sprint Cup Series visits Michigan International Speedway in Brooklyn for the state’s largest sporting events.
Kyle Busch, driver of the No. 18 M&M’s Toyota Camry for Joe Gibbs Racing (JGR), hopes his upcoming stopover in the Irish Hills brings a little bit of good fortune his way during the Quicken Loans 400 on Sunday.
Busch sits seventh in the Sprint Cup standings after consecutive top-10 finishes where strong performances turned into solid finishes. He has gained three spots in the point standings with finishes of fourth and sixth at Dover (Del.) International Speedway and Pocono (Pa.) Raceway, respectively, the last two weekends.
Busch hopes he can turn yet another solid run into yet another strong finish and continue his climb in the standings. With just two top-10 finishes at Michigan over his first 14 starts there, Busch broke through with his first Sprint Cup win there in August 2011, edging five-time champion Jimmie Johnson in a late-race shootout.
So as Busch and the M&M’s team head to the Midwest this weekend, they’ll hope to luck of the Irish is on their side on their road for a second Sprint Cup victory of the season Sunday afternoon in the Irish Hills of Michigan.
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