Joey Logano earns Sprint Cup Series pole at Michigan

Joey Logano won the pole by posting the fastest time in the third round of Sprint Cup Series qualifying on Friday at Michigan International Speedway with a lap of 201.698 mph. It was Logano’s third pole at Michigan and his third of the season, which ties him for the second in the series this season.

The Team Penske driver enters the Pure Michigan 400 as the most recent winner at Michigan, having won from the pole in June. He will lead the field to the green flag alongside Jimmie Johnson, who posted a lap of 201.523 mph.

“I hope so, track position is a big deal here,” Logano told NBCSN of following up his June performance. “That pit stall number one is a big deal as well, so being able to give our pit crew the advantage of trying to keep the track position throughout the race is going to be key. Obviously, this race turns into a strategy fest but awesome for our Shell/Pennzoil team to get another pole here.”

The top five were Logano, Johnson, Denny Hamlin (201.416 mph), Kevin Harvick (201.382 mph), and Chase Elliott (201.303 mph).

With his third-place qualifying effort, Hamlin will have started in the top 10 in the last 22 races. That is the longest streak by a driver since Mark Martin went 22 straight between 1988-1989.

With Johnson second, Elliott fifth, Alex Bowman (in for Dale Earnhardt Jr.) sixth and Kasey Kahne 11th, it marks only the second time this season that all four Hendrick Motorsports cars have started in the top 12. The only other time that happened was at Talladega in May.

Here is how qualifying played out:

Sprint Cup starting lineup at Michigan International Speedway

Joey Logano will attempt to complete the season sweep of Michigan International Speedway on Sunday. Just as he did in June, Logano will start on the pole in the Pure Michigan 400. The No. 22 was the only Ford to qualifying in the top five.

Kevin Harvick, seeking his second consecutive win, will start fourth. Alex Bowman, driving for Dale Earnhardt Jr. in the No. 88, starts sixth.

The 200-lap race can be seen on NBCSN, beginning with Countdown to Green at 1:30 p.m. ET.

Alex Tagliani wins Xfinity Series pole at Road America

Alex Tagliani will start from the pole at Road America after a lap of 109.866 mph in Xfinity Series qualifying on Friday night. It was Tagliani’s fourth career pole in his eighth start.

Tagliani enters the Road America 180 looking for his first career NASCAR win. He will lead the field to the green flag alongside Michael McDowell, who qualified second at 109.591 mph. McDowell is driving the No. 2 for Richard Childress Racing.

Tagliani credited crew chief Greg Erwin with helping him achieve the pole lap.

“Greg did some fine-tuning changes just to make the car a little bit less tight, it was the right call,” Tagliani told NBCSN. “It’s a good day for the No. 22 Discount Tire team and a good day for the No. 22 as Joey (Logano) is on the pole in Michigan. It’s a good day for Team Penske.”

The top five were Tagliani, McDowell, Justin Marks (109.196 mph), Owen Kelly (109.129 mph), and Daniel Suarez (108.644 mph). Marks is the most recent road course winner, having captured his first career win two weeks ago at Mid-Ohio.

There were two incidents during qualifying, both in the first round, which brought out red flags.

Alon Day, making his second Xfinity Series start, went off track and was stuck in the gravel in Turn 12. Day did not complete a lap and will start 40th on Saturday afternoon.

The second red flag was for rookie Josh Bilicki. He spun and crashed into the tire barriers in Turn 1, resulting in heavy damage to the right side of the No. 77. Bilicki had clocked in 23rd fastest at 107.092 mph at the time of the accident.

Here is how qualifying played out:

LOGANO LEAPS TO COORS LIGHT POLE AWARD AT MICHIGAN

Joey Logano drove to the Coors Light Pole Award in Friday's NASCAR Sprint Cup Series qualifying at Michigan International Speedway.

Logano powered the Team Penske No. 22 Ford to a best lap of 201.698 mph around the 2-mile track, securing the first starting position for Sunday's Pure Michigan 400 (2 p.m. ET, NBCSN, MRN, SiriusXM).

Logano's third pole of the season is the 17th of his Sprint Cup career. He also won from the pole position in the series' most recent trip to Michigan in June.

Jimmie Johnson will start second after posting a lap of 201.523 mph in the Hendrick Motorsports No. 48 Chevrolet. Denny Hamlin (201.416 mph) was third-fastest in the Joe Gibbs Racing No. 11 Toyota.

Kevin Harvick, last week's winner at Bristol Motor Speedway, grabbed the fourth starting spot at 201.382 mph in the Stewart-Haas Racing No. 4 Chevy. Rookie Chase Elliott (201.303 mph) completed the top five in the Hendrick No. 24 Chevrolet.

Alex Bowman, making his second substitute start for the sidelined Dale Earnhardt Jr., landed the sixth starting spot in the Hendrick Motorsports No. 88 Chevrolet.

Defending race winner Matt Kenseth just missed the cutline for the final 12-driver round, running Round 2's 13th-fastest lap (200.390 mph) in the Joe Gibbs Racing No. 20 Toyota. Defending Sprint Cup champ Kyle Busch qualified 16th in JGR's No. 18 Toyota.

The three-round session was a prelude to Sunday's 400-miler, which is expected to be the last live-race deployment this season of a reduced downforce aerodynamic package. The rules setup, which also decreases the stabilizing effect of sideforce, is likely the fore-runner to the base rules that will be used in NASCAR's premier series next season.

Two practice sessions are scheduled Saturday ahead of the 24th of 36 points-paying Sprint Cup races this year.

DALE JR. SIDELINED FOR NEXT TWO SPRINT CUP RACES

Dale Earnhardt Jr. will not be behind the wheel of the No. 88 Hendrick Motorsports Chevrolet for the next two NASCAR Sprint Cup Series races, including this weekend's event at Michigan International Speedway, according to a Wednesday news release from Hendrick Motorsports.

Earnhardt did not receive medical clearance to return to NASCAR Sprint Cup Series competition, according to the team. He will be replaced this weekend in the No. 88 driver's seat by Alex Bowman, who drives part time for the Earnhardt-owned JR Motorsports team in the NASCAR XFINITY Series, and next weekend at Darlington Raceway by four-time series champ Jeff Gordon.

"We know how hard Dale is working to get back," team owner Rick Hendrick said in a press release. "He's following what the doctors are saying, to the letter, and doing exactly what he needs to do. Everyone wants to see him in a race car, but his health is first and foremost. We're behind him."

Earnhardt has been sidelined by concussion-related symptoms for the last five NASCAR Sprint Cup Series races. The two-time Daytona 500 winner has been keeping fans updated on his progress in recent weeks via social media and "The Dale Jr. Download" on Dirty Mo Radio.

The Sprint Cup Series makes its second visit of the season to Michigan International Speedway this weekend, which culminates with Sunday's Pure Michigan 400 (2 p.m. ET, NBCSN, MRN, SiriusXM NASCAR Radio). Earnhardt said that the effects of a crash June 12 in the most recent Michigan race played a factor in his current concussion-related ailment.

Gordon, interim driver of the No. 88 for the last four races, indicated last weekend that should an Earnhardt replacement be needed this weekend, a previous engagement would keep him out of the driver's seat. Bowman, 23, subbed in at New Hampshire Motor Speedway last month for the first race of Earnhardt's absence, finishing 26th after a late-race crash knocked him from the fringes of the top 10.

Gordon is a seven-time winner at Darlington and will pilot the retro No. 88 Chevrolet, which honors the "Gray Ghost" paint scheme of Buddy Baker.

Dakoda Armstrong to drive Davey Allison rookie paint scheme at Darlington

The No. 28 of Dakoda Armstrong will look like the first No. 28 that Davey Allison drove for the Sept. 3 Xfinity Series race at Darlington Raceway.

JGL Racing announced Wednesday its No. 28 WinField Toyota would have a paint scheme based on the one Allison drove in his rookie Sprint Cup season of 1987, which ended with the son of Bobby Allison winning Rookie of the Year honors.

Davey allison

Source: Talladega Superspeedway
That year Allison five won poles – including for the Southern 500 – and won two races, the first coming at his home track of Talladega Superspeedway.

“It is with great pleasure that we pay tribute to one of the legends of our sport,” said James Whitener, owner of JGL Racing in a press release. “We had so much success with our throwback scheme last year and we are looking for this year’s to be even better. I am a fan of this sport as well as a team owner and being able to run the 1987 Rookie of the Year paint scheme of Davey Allison is super special for all of us at JGL Racing. We look forward to representing Davey and his legacy in a first class and professional manner.”

Allison would win 19 Sprint Cup races in his career before dying from injuries sustained in a helicopter accident at Talladega on July 13, 1993. He finished third in the Sprint Cup standings in 1991 and 1992.

“Robbie, Krista and I are honored that Davey’s 1987 Rookie Paint Scheme will be a part of such a special weekend of throwbacks at Darlington,” stated Liz Allison, Davey Allison’s widow in a press release. “Having the No. 28 on the track in the Xfinity Series with JGL Racing and Dakoda behind the wheel means so much to our family. This paint scheme is what fans remember most of all of Davey’s cars. We are truly grateful to have Davey remembered in this way.”

The VFW Sport Clips Help A Hero 200 will air on Sept. 3 on NBC.

Kasey Kahne takes after Terry Labonte for Southern 500 paint scheme

Kasey Kahne‘s Southern 500 paint scheme will be based on a car driven by former Hendrick Motorsports driver Terry Labonte early in his Hall of Fame career.

Kahne’s No. 5 LiftMaster Chevrolet will be patterned after the No. 44 car Labonte drove in 1982 when he drove for Billy Hagan and was one of five cars sponsored by J.D. Stacy. Labonte helped Kahne unveil the paint scheme at the NASCAR Hall of Fame in Charlotte, North Carolina.

Kahne’s sponsor, LiftMaster, was founded in 1982.

Labonte won twice at Darlington in his Sprint Cup career, claiming both is first (1980) and last career wins (2003) at the “Track Too Tough To Tame.” Kahne has started from the pole four times and earned three top fives in his 13 Darlington starts.

“Darlington’s throwback weekend is one of the coolest programs any track does all year,” said Kahne in a press release. “I’m glad that LiftMaster is participating in the program to celebrate their start of the garage door opener business. I appreciate the opportunity to honor Terry Labonte with our throwback paint scheme at one of my favorite tracks.”

Kahne is the last Hendrick Motorsports driver to have their Southern 500 paint scheme announced following Dale Earnhardt Jr.’s, Chase Elliott’s and Jimmie Johnson’s.

The rest of the Southern 500 paint schemes will be on track on Sept. 4 on NBC.