Joey Logano poses with the Coors Light Pole Award after score the pole for Sunday’s NASCAR Sprint Cup Series race at Michigan International Speedway. Photo by Sean Gardner/NASCAR via Getty Images
After two frustrating weeks of NASCAR Sprint Cup Series qualifying, Joey Logano learned the drill.
Posting the fastest speeds in both the second and final rounds of Friday’s knockout time trials at Michigan International Speedway, Logano won the pole for Sunday’s FireKeepers 400 at the two-mile track.
In the previous two weekends, at Charlotte and Pocono, Logano led the first two rounds of qualifying but failed to close the deal in the decisive third round. On Friday, his No. 22 Team Penske Ford was on top when it counted, giving Logano his second Coors Light Pole Award of the season, his second at Michigan and the 16th of his career.
“It’s about time,” said Logano, who toured the speedway in 36.080 seconds (199.557 mph) in the final round to beat second-place qualifier Martin Truex, Jr. (199.016 mph) by .098 seconds. “The last couple ones have stung a lot. We won the first two rounds and came in second in the last one.
“So we figured it out. We won the same amount of rounds, but the right one, the one that counts.”
Tony Stewart (198.950 mph) took the third starting spot, his best effort of the season after returning from injury. Denny Hamlin (198.774 mph), who edged Logano for the fastest lap in the first round, qualified fourth, followed by Sunoco Rookie of the Year candidate Ryan Blaney (198.588 mph).
With a new lower-downforce aerodynamic package in use for the Sprint Cup cars this weekend, NASCAR delayed the start of qualifying for 15 minutes because roughly two-thirds of the field had difficulty getting through inspection.
Truex’s No. 78 Toyota was the last to clear inspection, but the recent Coca-Cola 600 winner didn’t let that snafu affect his performance.
“We had to work hard on it today and had trouble getting through tech,” Truex said. “Our first run was pretty bad, our second run was better, and our third run was pretty good… We came out with a good result, so it was good.
“We just keep digging and never give up—front-row starting spot is pretty decent.”
Kevin Harvick was the victim of two untimely cautions in the 20-minute first round, the first for debris and the second for David Ragan’s wreck in turn 3. Both yellows interrupted hot laps for the 2014 series champion, who failed to advance to the second round and will start Sunday‘s race in 29th.
Dale Earnhardt, Jr., last week’s Pocono runner-up, likewise failed to make the second round and will start 27th.
Stewart had the strongest Chevrolet in the field and the only one in the top five.
“I’m glad that was the last time I had to do that today,” Stewart said. “It felt really good. We were really loose in practice, and (crew chief) Mike (Bugarewicz) did a great job in the break thereof making some big changes to get us caught up.
“It got my confidence back there and made me feel like I finally had the right rear (tire) in the track there. Now we can hustle a little bit.”
NASCAR Sprint Cup Series
Michigan International Speedway – Brooklyn, MI
FireKeepers Casino 400 – June 10, 2016
Friday’s Qualifying Results
1. (22) Joey Logano, Ford, 199.557 mph.
2. (78) Martin Truex, Jr., Toyota, 199.016 mph.
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4. (11) Denny Hamlin, Toyota, 198.774 mph.
5. (21) Ryan Blaney #, Ford, 198.588 mph.
6. (31) Ryan Newman, Chevrolet, 198.369 mph.
7. (42) Kyle Larson, Chevrolet, 198.194 mph.
8. (3) Austin Dillon, Chevrolet, 198.014 mph.
9. (18) Kyle Busch, Toyota, 197.819 mph.
10. (24) Chase Elliott #, Chevrolet, 197.352 mph.
11. (19) Carl Edwards, Toyota, 196.549 mph.
12. (17) Ricky Stenhouse, Jr., Ford, 195.111 mph.
13. (6) Trevor Bayne, Ford, 197.873 mph.
14. (1) Jamie McMurray, Chevrolet, 197.753 mph.
15. (2) Brad Keselowski, Ford, 197.569 mph.
16. (48) Jimmie Johnson, Chevrolet, 197.498 mph.
17. (41) Kurt Busch, Chevrolet, 197.179 mph.
18. (16) Greg Biffle, Ford, 196.856 mph.
19. (20) Matt Kenseth, Toyota, 196.533 mph.
20. (47) A.J. Allmendinger, Chevrolet, 196.490 mph.
21. (95) Ty Dillon(i), Chevrolet, 196.207 mph.
22. (34) Chris Buescher #, Ford, 196.137 mph.
23. (5) Kasey Kahne, Chevrolet, 196.127 mph.
24. (13) Casey Mears, Chevrolet, 195.759 mph.
25. (10) Danica Patrick, Chevrolet, 196.185 mph.
26. (44) Brian Scott #, Ford, 196.132 mph.
27. (88) Dale Earnhardt, Jr., Chevrolet, 196.078 mph.
28. (38) Landon Cassill, Ford, 195.961 mph.
29. (4) Kevin Harvick, Chevrolet, 195.934 mph.
30. (43) Aric Almirola, Ford, 195.785 mph.
31. (83) Matt DiBenedetto, Toyota, 195.408 mph.
32. (27) Paul Menard, Chevrolet, 194.805 mph.
33. (7) Regan Smith, Chevrolet, 193.668 mph.
34. (15) Clint Bowyer, Chevrolet, 192.725 mph.
35. (23) David Ragan, Toyota, 192.704 mph.
36. (55) Cole Whitt, Chevrolet, 191.225 mph.
37. (30) Josh Wise, Chevrolet, 189.823 mph.
38. (32) Jeffrey Earnhardt #, Ford, 189.120 mph.
39. (46) Michael Annett, Chevrolet, 187.705 mph.
40. (98) Reed Sorenson, Chevrolet, 185.620 mph.
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