Rain‑delayed qualifying reshapes Michigan NASCAR lineup
Rain delayed the scheduled qualifying sessions for the FireKeepers Casino 400 at Michigan International Speedway, forcing officials to determine the starting order using a combination of metric‑based calculations and prior performance data.
Denny Hamlin emerged as the pole sitter, securing the top spot ahead of Carson Hocevar, Tyler Reddick, Ty Gibbs and Chase Briscoe, who round out the top five positions on the grid.
The full starting grid features a deep field of competitors, including Chase Elliott, Kyle Larson, Christopher Bell, William Byron, Erik Jones, Daniel Suarez, Riley Herbst, Bubba Wallace, Chris Buescher, Cole Custer, Zane Smith, John H. Nemechek, Joey Logano, Ryan Blaney, Michael McDowell, Austin Dillon, Noah Gragson, Ricky Stenhouse Jr, Ty Dillon, AJ Allmendinger, Brad Keselowski, Ryan Preece, Austin Hill, Alex Bowman, Shane van Gisbergen, Austin Cindric, Ross Chastain, Cody Ware, Connor Zilisch, Todd Gilliland, JJ Yeley and Josh Berry.
The lineup sets the stage for Sunday’s Cup Series race, where drivers will battle on the 2‑mile oval in pursuit of valuable playoff points, while fans anticipate a competitive showdown under the Michigan sky.