Michigan NASCAR: Kenseth leads all-Joe Gibbs Racing top three
Matt Kenseth will start Sunday's 400-mile NASCAR Sprint Cup race at Michigan from pole position, after leading a Joe Gibbs Racing sweep of the top three in qualifying
Kenseth ran last in the 12-car second phase and recorded a 36.458 second lap in his Toyota, securing his first pole since the Charlotte event in May.
It was 0.092s clear of team-mate Denny Hamlin, and Carl Edwards completed the team's maiden all-top three qualifying result.
In a rich vein of form, having won five of the last seven Sprint Cup races, JGR also dominated the first phase of qualifying.
Kenseth led the way, with practice pacesetter Edwards, Kyle Busch and Hamlin all covered by 0.085s.
Any hopes the team could become just the fourth in NASCAR history to sweep the top four on the grid ended when Busch lost time through Turns 3 and 4 on his shootout lap.
He dropped more than three tenths compared to Kenseth in the process and will start sixth, behind Austin Dillon and Tony Stewart.
Kevin Harvick was seventh-fastest, ahead of Jimmie Johnson, Dale Earnhardt Jr, Watkins Glen winner Joey Logano, Kasey Kahne and Clint Bowyer.
Having run relatively early in the first phase, based on being 27th in practice, Bowyer's effort to snatch the 12th and final spot in second phase was notable.
He sat atop the timesheets before Johnson and then Kenseth took control as times improved.
Of the drivers currently in The Chase title shootout, Brad Keselowski was the best of those to miss out on a spot inside the top 12 and will start 14th.
The victor at Michigan in June, Kurt Busch will line up 16th ahead of Ryan Newman and Jamie McMurray, while Jeff Gordon will start 21st, Martin Truex Jr 22nd and Paul Menard 24th.
QUALIFYING RESULTS:
| Pos | Driver | Team | Car | Time | Gap |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Matt Kenseth | Joe Gibbs Racing | Toyota | 36.458s | - |
| 2 | Denny Hamlin | Joe Gibbs Racing | Toyota | 36.550s | 0.092s |
| 3 | Carl Edwards | Joe Gibbs Racing | Toyota | 36.683s | 0.225s |
| 4 | Austin Dillon | Richard Childress Racing | Chevrolet | 36.750s | 0.292s |
| 5 | Tony Stewart | Stewart-Haas Racing | Chevrolet | 36.833s | 0.375s |
| 6 | Kyle Busch | Joe Gibbs Racing | Toyota | 36.838s | 0.380s |
| 7 | Kevin Harvick | Stewart-Haas Racing | Chevrolet | 36.876s | 0.418s |
| 8 | Jimmie Johnson | Hendrick Motorsports | Chevrolet | 36.880s | 0.422s |
| 9 | Dale Earnhardt Jr. | Hendrick Motorsports | Chevrolet | 36.945s | 0.487s |
| 10 | Joey Logano | Team Penske | Ford | 37.036s | 0.578s |
| 11 | Kasey Kahne | Hendrick Motorsports | Chevrolet | 37.088s | 0.630s |
| 12 | Clint Bowyer | Michael Waltrip Racing | Toyota | 37.189s | 0.731s |
| 13 | David Ragan | Michael Waltrip Racing | Toyota | 37.184s | 0.726s |
| 14 | Brad Keselowski | Team Penske | Ford | 37.199s | 0.741s |
| 15 | Sam Hornish Jr. | Richard Petty Motorsports | Ford | 37.214s | 0.756s |
| 16 | Kurt Busch | Stewart-Haas Racing | Chevrolet | 37.246s | 0.788s |
| 17 | Ryan Newman | Richard Childress Racing | Chevrolet | 37.246s | 0.788s |
| 18 | Jamie McMurray | Chip Ganassi Racing | Chevrolet | 37.277s | 0.819s |
| 19 | Ryan Blaney | Wood Brothers Racing | Ford | 37.281s | 0.823s |
| 20 | Greg Biffle | Roush Fenway Racing | Ford | 37.300s | 0.842s |
| 21 | Jeff Gordon | Hendrick Motorsports | Chevrolet | 37.304s | 0.846s |
| 22 | Martin Truex Jr. | Furniture Row Racing | Chevrolet | 37.321s | 0.863s |
| 23 | Danica Patrick | Stewart-Haas Racing | Chevrolet | 37.350s | 0.892s |
| 24 | Paul Menard | Richard Childress Racing | Chevrolet | 37.379s | 0.921s |
| 25 | Trevor Bayne | Roush Fenway Racing | Ford | 37.499s | 1.041s |
| 26 | A.J. Allmendinger | JTG Daugherty Racing | Chevrolet | 37.534s | 1.076s |
| 27 | Ricky Stenhouse Jr. | Roush Fenway Racing | Ford | 37.581s | 1.123s |
| 28 | Justin Allgaier | HScott Motorsports | Chevrolet | 37.624s | 1.166s |
| 29 | Jeb Burton | BK Racing | Toyota | 37.753s | 1.295s |
| 30 | Aric Almirola | Richard Petty Motorsports | Ford | 37.790s | 1.332s |
| 31 | Landon Cassill | Hillman Smith Motorsports | Chevrolet | 37.885s | 1.427s |
| 32 | Matt DiBenedetto | BK Racing | Toyota | 37.885s | 1.427s |
| 33 | Alex Bowman | Tommy Baldwin Racing | Chevrolet | 38.018s | 1.560s |
| 34 | Kyle Larson | Chip Ganassi Racing | Chevrolet | 38.049s | 1.591s |
| 35 | Cole Whitt | Front Row Motorsports | Ford | 38.077s | 1.619s |
| 36 | David Gilliland | Front Row Motorsports | Ford | 38.110s | 1.652s |
| 37 | J.J. Yeley | BK Racing | Toyota | 38.145s | 1.687s |
| 38 | Brett Moffitt | Front Row Motorsports | Ford | 38.193s | 1.735s |
| 39 | Michael Annett | HScott Motorsports | Chevrolet | 38.302s | 1.844s |
| 40 | Casey Mears | Germain Racing | Chevrolet | 38.599s | 2.141s |
| 41 | Josh Wise | Go FAS Racing | Ford | 38.705s | 2.247s |
| 42 | Travis Kvapil | Circle Sport | Chevrolet | 39.200s | 2.742s |
| 43 | Timmy Hill | Phil Parsons Racing | Chevrolet | 39.335s | 2.877s |
| 44 | Reed Sorenson | Premium Motorsports | Ford | 38.631s | 2.173s |
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