NASCAR Cup Michigan beginning lineup: Denny Hamlin snags pole, however will begin from rear

Even after struggling a flat tire in apply, fought again in qualifying to safe pole place for the NASCAR Cup Collection race at Michigan Worldwide Speedway.

Hamlin was the ultimate driver on the monitor, and he denied dwelling hero by simply 0.018s with a pole lap of 36.901s.

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That is Hamlin’s fiftieth profession pole, and his second of the 2026 season. Solely six drivers in addition to Hamlin have ever scored not less than 50 poles and 50 race wins, and it is an elite group that features Richard Petty, David Pearson, Cale Yarborough, Jeff Gordon, Darrell Waltrip, and Bobby Allison.

Watch: Hamlin explains why pole-winning automotive will begin at rear

“They did a extremely nice job, accounting for the harm on the underside facet,” mentioned Hamlin after his pole run. “They re-balanced it, and it felt like they did a extremely good job. It was a handful, it was all I wished, actually. Hats off to this entire Toyota crew. That was shocking … I simply observed that I used to be chattering all of the tires, it felt like, within the corners. It was the restrict, for positive.”

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Championship chief will begin third, fourth, and . 4 of the quickest 5 qualifiers have been all Toyotas.

will begin sixth, seventh, eighth, ninth, and was spectacular in tenth.

Qualifying recap

Berry spun exiting flip 4, reversed again to pits because of flat tires. Allmendinger had simply began his qualifying run, so that they wanted to return to the pits to re-cool the No. 16 earlier than giving it one other try. Berry will begin final on the grid after the spin, in P37.

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After the primary ten vehicles took a time, set the tempo with a 37.133s lap, over three tenths away from his closest challenger.

The primary driver to knock him off the highest spot was Byron, the fifteenth driver to exit. He held P1 till his teammate dethroned him, with Larson changing into the primary driver to succeed in into the 36-second bracket.

Gibbs then took the battle to the Hendrick duo, eclipsing Larson by simply 0.014s. Nonetheless, he didn’t keep there for lengthy, with dwelling hero Hocevar rocketing to the highest with a 36.919s lap.

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Reddick obtained very shut, simply 0.010s adrift of Hocevar’s pole time. The Michigan native waited anxiously via the ultimate group of vehicles, and was visibly disenchanted when Hamlin knocked him off the highest spot on the finish of qualifying.

“It is a testomony to those guys, they do a extremely good job,” mentioned Hocevar. “They’re constructing quick race vehicles. Yeah, I’d have liked to have gotten pole there, however third within the Truck race, second in Cup qualifying, so hopefully that is only a pattern there. I’d have liked to have that one … I really feel actually good about our race automotive so beginning up entrance goes to be tremendous essential, I do know it is simply qualifying, however rattling, I did not know I wished it this a lot. It might imply quite a bit for thus many causes.”

When requested if he felt unhealthy for denying Hocevar at his dwelling monitor, pole-sitter Hamlin mentioned: “I keep in mind Richmond, method again in ’06 or ’07, and attempting to get a pole at my dwelling monitor. I get it, I really feel like that (a smidge) sorry for him.”

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Some notables that struggled in qualifying embody all of and Trackhouse Racing. The Penske vehicles certified 18th with , nineteenth with , and thirty first with . It was much more dismal for Trackhouse, with main the cost in thirtieth, thirty second, and thirty fourth.

Watch: Hamlin snatches Michigan pole from Hocevar

NASCAR Cup Michigan Beginning Lineup

1

11

 

Toyota

36.901

195.117

2

77

 

Chevrolet

+0.018

36.919

195.022

3

45

 

Toyota

+0.028

36.929

194.969

4

54

 

Toyota

+0.052

36.953

194.842

5

19

 

Toyota

+0.055

36.956

194.826

6

9

 

Chevrolet

+0.057

36.958

194.816

7

5

 

Chevrolet

+0.066

36.967

194.768

8

20

 

Toyota

+0.102

37.003

194.579

9

24

 

Chevrolet

+0.137

37.038

194.395

10

43

 

Toyota

+0.189

37.090

194.122

11

7

 

Chevrolet

+0.220

37.121

193.960

12

35

 

Toyota

+0.226

37.127

193.929

13

23

 

Toyota

+0.232

37.133

193.898

14

17

 

Ford

+0.285

37.186

193.621

15

41

 

Chevrolet

+0.304

37.205

193.522

16

38

 

Ford

+0.312

37.213

193.481

17

42

 

Toyota

+0.339

37.240

193.340

18

22

 

Ford

+0.356

37.257

193.252

19

12

 

Ford

+0.357

37.258

193.247

20

3

 

Chevrolet

+0.376

37.277

193.149

21

71

 

Chevrolet

+0.376

37.277

193.149

22

4

 

Ford

+0.440

37.341

192.818

23

47

 

Chevrolet

+0.441

37.342

192.812

24

10

 

Chevrolet

+0.507

37.408

192.472

25

16

 

Chevrolet

+0.556

37.457

192.220

26

6

 

Ford

+0.575

37.476

192.123

27

60

 

Ford

+0.650

37.551

191.739

28

33

 

Chevrolet

+0.652

37.553

191.729

29

48

 

Chevrolet

+0.660

37.561

191.688

30

97

 

Chevrolet

+0.661

37.562

191.683

31

2

 

Ford

+0.766

37.667

191.149

32

1

 

Chevrolet

+0.789

37.690

191.032

33

51

 

Chevrolet

+0.814

37.715

190.905

34

TrackHouse Racing

88

 

Chevrolet

+0.819

37.720

190.880

35

34

 

Ford

+0.829

37.730

190.830

36

44

 

Chevrolet

+1.669

38.570

186.674

37

21

 

Ford

 

 

Photographs from Michigan – SaturdayKyle Larson, Hendrick Motorsports

Kyle Larson, Hendrick Motorsports

Brett Farmer / Getty Photographs

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Erik Jones, Legacy Motor Membership

Erik Jones, Legacy Motor Membership

Brett Farmer / Getty Photographs

Bubba Wallace, 23XI Racing

Bubba Wallace, 23XI Racing

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Kyle Larson, Hendrick Motorsports

Kyle Larson, Hendrick Motorsports

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Josh Berry, Wooden Brothers Racing

Josh Berry, Wooden Brothers Racing

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Shane van Gisbergen, Trackhouse Racing

Shane van Gisbergen, Trackhouse Racing

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Joey Logano, Workforce Penske

Joey Logano, Workforce Penske

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Ryan Blaney, Workforce Penske

Ryan Blaney, Workforce Penske

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Noah Gragson, Entrance Row Motorsports

Noah Gragson, Entrance Row Motorsports

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Joey Logano, Workforce Penske

Joey Logano, Workforce Penske

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William Byron, Hendrick Motorsports

William Byron, Hendrick Motorsports

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Michael McDowell, Spire Motorsports

Michael McDowell, Spire Motorsports

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Denny Hamlin, Joe Gibbs Racing

Denny Hamlin, Joe Gibbs Racing

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Tyler Reddick, 23XI Racing

Tyler Reddick, 23XI Racing

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Tyler Reddick, 23XI Racing

Tyler Reddick, 23XI Racing

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Chase Briscoe, Joe Gibbs Racing

Chase Briscoe, Joe Gibbs Racing

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Daniel Suárez, Spire Motorsports

Daniel Suárez, Spire Motorsports

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Bubba Wallace, 23XI Racing

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Joey Logano, Workforce Penske

Joey Logano, Workforce Penske

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William Byron, Hendrick Motorsports

William Byron, Hendrick Motorsports

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Tyler Reddick, 23XI Racing

Tyler Reddick, 23XI Racing

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Alex Bowman, Hendrick Motorsports

Alex Bowman, Hendrick Motorsports

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Denny Hamlin, Joe Gibbs Racing

Denny Hamlin, Joe Gibbs Racing

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Ryan Blaney, Workforce Penske

Ryan Blaney, Workforce Penske

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Ricky Stenhouse Jr., HYAK Motorsports

Ricky Stenhouse Jr., HYAK Motorsports

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Brad Keselowski, RFK Racing

Brad Keselowski, RFK Racing

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Shane van Gisbergen, Trackhouse Racing

Shane van Gisbergen, Trackhouse Racing

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Austin Cindric, Workforce Penske

Austin Cindric, Workforce Penske

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Ricky Stenhouse Jr., HYAK Motorsports

Ricky Stenhouse Jr., HYAK Motorsports

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Kyle Larson, Hendrick Motorsports

Kyle Larson, Hendrick Motorsports

Sean Gardner / Getty Photographs

Joey Logano, Workforce Penske

Joey Logano, Workforce Penske

Brett Farmer / Getty Photographs

Alex Bowman, Hendrick Motorsports

Alex Bowman, Hendrick Motorsports

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Brad Keselowski, RFK Racing

Brad Keselowski, RFK Racing

Sean Gardner / Getty Photographs

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Denny Hamlin, Joe Gibbs Racing

Denny Hamlin, Joe Gibbs Racing

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Zane Smith, Entrance Row Motorsports

Zane Smith, Entrance Row Motorsports

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Carson Hocevar, Spire Motorsports

Carson Hocevar, Spire Motorsports

Brett Farmer / Getty Photographs

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