Chase Briscoe Secures Third Consecutive Pole at Michigan International Speedway
Chase Briscoe claimed the pole position for the FireKeepers Casino 400 at Michigan International Speedway, achieving a blistering lap of 195.514 mph (36.826 seconds). This marks Briscoe’s third consecutive pole in the NASCAR Cup Series, a feat unmatched in the current broadcast slate by Prime Video.
Briscoe, driving for Joe Gibbs Racing, highlighted the unexpected nature of his qualifying performance. “I felt like the guys that kind of opened up their entry would maybe beat me to the line. I was surprised, truthfully, that it held on,” he remarked, indicating that he initially believed his lap would not be fast enough for the top spot.
Kyle Busch, representing Richard Childress Racing, secured second place with a lap speed of 195.371 mph. Denny Hamlin rounded out the top three at 195.328 mph, but he will leave Michigan temporarily to support his partner, Jordan Fish, who is about to give birth to their third child. Hamlin intends to return in time for Sunday’s race.
The top five was completed by William Byron and Kyle Larson, while Chris Buescher, Josh Berry, Ty Gibbs, Bubba Wallace, and Zane Smith filled out the top ten. Tyler Reddick and Ryan Blaney qualified 12th and 13th, respectively, after encountering flat tires during practice.
Christopher Bell, who was second in practice and a strong contender for the pole, encountered a mishap in turn 3, dropping to 25th. He has struggled at Michigan in the past, never finishing better than 13th.
Notably, Daniel Suarez faced a particularly tough session, finishing 35th with a lap speed of 193.392 mph. Trackhouse Racing’s other entries, Ross Chastain and Shane van Gisbergen, qualified 20th and 26th, respectively.
Briscoe, now focused on converting his pole position into a race win, expressed optimism: “Hopefully third time’s the charm and we can finally get one on Sunday.” With his continued strong qualifying performances, the stage is set for a competitive race ahead.
