NASCAR's trip to Michigan just means more for manufacturers

Daytona, Charlotte and Darlington may be among the most prestigious races in NASCAR, but for the companies that produce the cars themselves, the annual visit to the Michigan International Speedway holds the most weight.

The automakers in NASCAR may no longer subscribe to the "Win on Sunday, Sell on Monday" formula of business, but that doesn't mean bragging rights aren't at stake between Ford, Chevrolet and Toyota.

It may not be Henry Ford and Louis Chevrolet in the cockpits of the cars on Friday, Saturday and Sunday, but you can bet that representatives from all three manufacturers — yes, maybe even a few from the foreign nameplate of Toyota, which entered NASCAR in 2007 — will be in attendance to watch the stars of NASCAR tackle the two-mile oval.

The Cup Series has raced at the track since 1969, with the Xfinity Series holding its first race at the facility in 1992. The ARCA Menards Series, which will open the weekend with a 200-mile race on Friday, has raced at the track consistently since the 1990s.

Michigan may not host a crown jewel race or pay out a ludicrous amount of money to the race winner, but for executives, it holds just as much meaning as if it did. In a time in NASCAR where the cars actually look like their street counterparts again, manufacturer identity is extremely important, and whichever manufacturer walks away the victory on Sunday will be on top of the world.

Chevrolet and Toyota will be out to break Ford's nine-race winning streak at the track in the Cup Series, while Toyota will look to score their third consecutive win in Xfinity Series action at the track. In the ARCA Menards Series, it will be Toyota vying for a second straight win, as Ford looks for their first ARCA victory at the track since 2009.

The Michigan International Speedway is located approximately one hour and 20 minutes from Detroit.