During qualifying for the Michigan NASCAR Cup Series, Kyle Busch secured second place behind Chase Briscoe, who took his third consecutive pole position at the two-mile track. The high-speed session set the front row for Sunday’s race, keeping the focus on the ongoing qualifying battles and introducing renewed hope for both Briscoe and Busch heading into race day.
Chase Briscoe Claims Another Pole with Impressive Speed
Qualifying sessions at Michigan saw drivers reaching speeds of 200 mph, maintaining full throttle around the expansive circuit. Chase Briscoe, piloting the No. 19 Joe Gibbs Racing Toyota, once again demonstrated exceptional speed, clinching the pole position with a fast lap of 195.514 mph for the third consecutive weekend and marking his fourth pole this season.
Briscoe described his pole-winning lap, emphasizing his attempt to minimize track distance and noting the challenges of maintaining an ideal line through the turns.
“I felt like with all of us running wide open fairly easily, if you could just cut a lot of distance, it would be better. I ran low, but then I ended up way high on exit, and I felt like the guys that kind of opened up their entry would maybe beat me back to the line.”
—Chase Briscoe, Driver, Joe Gibbs Racing Toyota
Despite being surprised by his lap’s result, Briscoe is optimistic that consecutive strong qualifying efforts might soon lead to his first win with Joe Gibbs Racing.
“We’ve been able to do that three weeks in a row and we haven’t really been able to execute with it so hopefully you know, third time’s the charm and hopefully we can finally get one on Sunday.”
—Chase Briscoe, Driver, Joe Gibbs Racing Toyota
Kyle Busch Earns Second-Place Start in Challenging Session
Kyle Busch will start next to Briscoe on Sunday in the No. 8 Richard Childress Racing Chevrolet. This marks Busch’s second time starting on the front row this year, echoing his earlier performance at Talladega. Notably, Busch is enduring the longest winless period of his career, with over seventy races since his last victory.
Busch faced difficulties in practice and expressed surprise at his qualifying result.
“said Busch when asked about the lap, as he appeared to struggle in practice.”
—Kyle Busch, Driver, Richard Childress Racing Chevrolet
He elaborated further on the session, explaining the car’s handling and adjustments the team made.
“It felt a little sketch coming to the checkered off of Turn 4, using up a little more race track than I wanted to in our Chevrolet. But posted a good lap. So, happy with that. Start up front, we can see the front, get a good pit stall selection and track position is everything these days so let’s go hold that.”
—Kyle Busch, Driver, Richard Childress Racing Chevrolet
Other Standout Qualifiers and On-Track Developments
Denny Hamlin qualified third, closely followed by William Byron in fourth. Kyle Larson, fresh off a wild incident in a World of Outlaws sprint car event, took fifth, demonstrating his resilience and versatility across different racing disciplines. The remaining spots in the top ten were filled by Chris Buescher, Josh Berry, Ty Gibbs, Bubba Wallace, and Zane Smith, showcasing the depth of competition ahead of the Michigan event.
Defending race winner Tyler Reddick posted the twelfth-fastest qualifying time, while Ryan Blaney, last week’s victor at Nashville, settled for thirteenth after experiencing a cut tire in practice—a fate also shared by Reddick, though neither driver suffered significant damage.
What to Watch for in Sunday’s Race
With high speeds dominating the qualifying discussion and both seasoned drivers and new contenders mixing in the top positions, Sunday’s race at Michigan promises suspense and unpredictability. Briscoe seeks to translate his recent string of poles into a long-awaited win for Joe Gibbs Racing, while Kyle Busch aims to break his prolonged victory drought for Richard Childress Racing. The performances of front-runners such as Denny Hamlin, William Byron, and Kyle Larson will also be under close observation as the NASCAR Cup Series continues its intense season.
