The Michigan International Speedway got a rain delay. Sadly, the FireKeepers Casino 400 has been postponed to Monday at 11 a.m. ET. Ryan Blaney was on P1 when NASCAR decided to call it a day at lap 51. However sad, this gives us time to talk about one of the most important sections of the race.

The pit lane! More important than that is where your team’s pit stall is located. This plays a big part in strategy and can sometimes be the difference between winning and losing. Have you ever wondered how teams get assigned to the pit stalls? No need to scratch your heads, as we have Joe Gibbs Racing to the rescue. JGR, like always, took to Instagram to show how the process works.

This is why Joe Gibbs Racing had the best pit stall in Michigan

The process is pretty straightforward. To get the best pit stall on the track, your racer has to get the fastest lap in qualifying. In the Instagram video by Joe Gibbs Racing, they talk about how, after the qualifying is done, NASCAR holds a pit selection meeting with all the crew chiefs. The team that has attained P1 gets the first pick, a chance to pick the best stall on track.

So if we take the recent Michigan race, Chris Gabeheart, Denny Hamlin‘s crew chief, got the first pick. Who chose stall number 1, which has been the trend, as it gives the most clear exit to the racers without any traffic in front?

Stall 1 is deemed to be the best one on any race track. In a past video, Hendrick Motorsports also talked about the factors considered while choosing a pit stall. The video said, “Ideally, you want to be pitting ahead of the cars that are slotted in front or behind you to give you the cleanest entry into your box as you can.”

After the polesitter, the P2 racer’s crew chief gets the second pick, and so on. You would think qualifying in P2 Tyler Reddick’s crew chief would select stall 2, as they’ll have only one car in front. But they went with stall 6, according to whatever strategy their team had made.

It’s interesting to see where the other racers in the top 5 have selected the pit stalls. Behind Reddick, Christopher Bell took stall number 11, Kyle Larson took stall number 2, and Bubba Wallace took stall number 23. Crew chiefs are strategic masterminds of the teams and carefully select these stalls.

Further, the JGR video talks about entry/exit and where other teams are pitting as important factors to consider. Picking the right stall offers a competitive edge that can aid the team to victory. Whether the pit stall positions aid in victory? We will have to be seen, as currently the Michigan race has been halted. Let’s take a look at what happened in the race before Mother Nature’s wrath. Stage 1 has set an interesting tone for the race.

The FireKeepers Casino 400 race so far

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NASCAR postponed the race after just 51 laps. Stage one was won by Ryan Blaney. However disappointing for Denny Hamlin, who started from the pole but ended in P22 at the end of stage 1. The Joe Gibbs Racing No. 11 team’s fortunes took a drastic turn shortly after. Hamlin battled Larson for the second position but lost control, spinning out on the front stretch.

This relegated him to the back of the pack. However, Hamlin’s racer in the #23 car showed dominance. Continuing his past race high, Bubba leads the race for some time. With plenty of racing left, Bubba can get a good finish in Michigan, solidifying his playoff chances.

As of now, the race standings are Chase Elliott in the No. 9 holds the race lead, followed by Martin Truex Jr., Bubba Wallace, Alex Bowman, and Tyler Reddick in the top 5. Rounding out the top 10 are Kyle Busch, Kyle Larson, Ross Chastain, Chase Briscoe, and Joey Logano. Kyle Busch is in P6 starting from P12. Busch desperately needs a good finish to keep his playoff dreams alive. He’s got a good start and needs to capitalize on it.

If you look at the top 10, there is tough competition between the bubble drivers. For now, MTJ holds the lead among them. For the ones in the bubble, getting the maximum points and a win is paramount. Who do you think will win the race when it resumes? Let us know in the comments below.