Denny Hamlin Claims Pole Position for Michigan NASCAR Cup Race

Denny Hamlin took home the Busch Light Pole Award for Sunday’s FireKeepers Casino 400 at Michigan International Speedway with a lap of 195.117 mph in his No. 11 Joe Gibbs Racing Toyota. Although it was a close call with Carson Hocevar’s run in the No. 77 Spire Motorsports Chevrolet, Hamlin came out on top by a mere .018 seconds.

After facing some tire issues during practice, Hamlin’s team made quick repairs to his car, making his pole win even more impressive. Despite his win, Hamlin will have to start from the rear in Sunday’s race due to additional repairs needed.

Hocevar, who led the most laps in the NASCAR Craftsman Truck Series race earlier in the day, expressed his disappointment with the qualifying outcome but remains optimistic about his chances for Sunday. He had a strong showing in the truck race and believes his race car is one of the best he’s had at Michigan.

Tyler Reddick, the current Cup Series leader, finished third in qualifying, followed by Ty Gibbs and Chase Briscoe, making it a strong showing for Toyota with four of the top-five starting positions. The top Chevrolet was Chase Elliott in sixth, while Chris Buescher was the highest qualifying Ford in 14th place.

Logano, who won at Michigan in 2019, was the last polesitter to win from pole position at the track. He’ll start in 18th place on Sunday. Ford holds the record for the most wins at Michigan, but Toyota has won the last two races at the track.

Despite the disappointment of missing out on the pole, both Hamlin and Hocevar showed sportsmanship and respect for each other, setting the stage for an exciting race on Sunday.