Denny Hamlin Wins 50th NASCAR Pole at 195.117 mph, Faces Rear Start After Repairs
Updated
Updated · ESPN · Jun 7
Denny Hamlin Wins 50th NASCAR Pole at 195.117 mph, Faces Rear Start After Repairs
3 articles · Updated · ESPN · Jun 7
Summary
Denny Hamlin grabbed his 50th career NASCAR Cup pole at Michigan with a 195.117-mph lap, edging Carson Hocevar’s 195.022 after running last in qualifying.
Quick fixes after a practice flat tire damaged the underside of Hamlin’s No. 11 Toyota, and he said the car was still a handful despite the pole-winning speed.
Further repairs are expected to be unapproved by NASCAR, which would send Hamlin to the rear of the 37-car field for Sunday’s 400-mile race.
The pole moved Hamlin past Bobby Isaac into 10th on the career list and extended Toyota’s streak of every Michigan pole since the Next Gen car arrived in 2022.
Hamlin comes in off a Nashville win after being sent to the back on the opening lap, while Hocevar lost a home-track pole but still starts near the front.