Continuing the Northern stretch of mid-summer schedule, this week the stars of the NASCAR Sprint Cup Series are off to Brooklyn, Michigan for the LifeLock 400. Following last week's race in Pocono, the race to make the race has been shaken up a bit, with some new faces on the outside looking in.

Coming off a 22nd-place finish, Haas CNC Racing's Scott Riggs moved up two spots in the owner standings to 34th. After receiving a 150-point penalty for infractions found prior to practice for the Coca-Cola 600 in May, Riggs dropped out of the top-35 and was forced to make the show on time at Dover and Pocono.

A disappointing 39th at the Monster Mile did little to recover the ground lost, but others' misfortune and a mediocre run at Pocono began to help this team climb out of the hole they currently find themselves in.

"We accomplished our goal for the race, and that was to work our way back into the Top 35," Riggs said after the race. "We don't have much of a cushion though, so we can't get comfortable."

Riggs currently enjoys a ten-point lead over Sam Hornish Jr. who occupies the final spot locked into the show. A rough outing at Pocono - where he finished 42nd - dropped the Raybestos Rookie of the Year contender two spots in the owners standings.

Hornish, who is from Defiance, OH - about 70 miles from the Michigan International Speedway (MIS), is hoping for a good weekend at what he considers his home track. Not only is Sunday's race special because it is close to home for the former open-wheel star, but it will also mark his first Father's Day. Hornish and his wife Crystal had their first child, Addison Faith, on February 4th of this year.

"I'm really looking forward to this weekend in Michigan," Hornish explained. "To spend Father's Day close to home with my family and my dad is very special to me. I remember going to Michigan International Speedway as a child with my dad and some of my fondest memories are from there."

Also hoping for a good weekend, although for much different reasons, is Michael Waltrip. The owner/driver that spent the majority of Friday qualifying sessions in 2007 worrying about making the show is back in the same boat for the first time since using 2008's owner points. Waltrip finished 10th in this race last year and another run like that would help make up the twelve point deficit to Hornish in 35th.

A.J. Allmendinger continued his march towards the top-35 after a career-best 12th-place finish at Pocono last week. That finish moved the Red Bull Racing Team up two spots in the standings to 37th, 140-points out of 35th. This team seems to be hitting its stride here in the last few weeks and more runs like last weeks will only help close that gap

Don't expect to hear much about Bill Davis Racing's Dave Blaney anymore in our weekly "On The Bubble" feature. The No. 22 Caterpillar Toyota team has steadily climbed up the standings since missing the race at Talladega. Blaney currently sits 29th in owner points and has been improving almost each and every week.

One name that may come up more often is that of Reed Sorenson. The driver of the No. 41 Chip Ganassi Racing Dodge continues to struggle to find the right combination to save a more than disappointing season. After starting out with such promise at Daytona, this team has done little but disappoint and frustrate team owner Chip Ganassi. Following a 33rd-place finish at Pocono last week, Sorenson fell another spot - to 32nd - just 42 marks ahead of Hornish in 35th.

Qualifying for Sunday's LifeLock 400 at MIS begins at 3 p.m. ET and can be seen on your local Speed Channel. Be sure to check into HardcoreRaceFans.com all weekend long for further updates and to see who makes the show, who heads home and who will breathe a bit easier heading into Infineon next week.