Michigan International Speedway is a four-turn superspeedway that is 2 miles (3.2 km) long.[3] Opened in 1960, the track's turns are banked at eighteen degrees, while the 3,600-foot-long front stretch, the location of the finish line, is banked at twelve degrees.[3] The back stretch, has a five degree banking and is 2,242 feet long.[3] Michigan International Speedway has a grandstand seating capacity of 84,000 people.[3]Greg Biffle was the defending race winner after winning the race in 2012.[4]
Three practice sessions were held before the race. The first session, scheduled on August 16, 2013, was 90 minutes long. The second and third, held a day later on August 17, 2013, were each 55 minutes long.[7]
The qualifying for the event was the final ever broadcast for Speed, when Fox NASCAR play-by-play announcer Mike Joy said the final moments of Speed Channel and Fox NFL Sunday host Curt Menefee introduced Fox Sports 1 the following day.