KAHNE SEEKS WIN WHILE IN FAMILIAR CHASE BUBBLE SPOT

BROOKLYN, Mich. -- It's an unfortunate yet familiar position for Kasey Kahne, driver of the No. 5 Chevrolet for Hendrick Motorsports.

Unfortunate because with only three races remaining before the 16-team field is set for this year's NASCAR Chase for the Sprint Cup, Kahne finds himself winless on the season and 17th in points.

Familiar because the 36-year-old has been here before.

Kahne slid into the Chase field in 2014, the inaugural season of the format awarding positions to full-time competitors that managed at least one victory through the season's first 26 races, with a late victory at Atlanta, just one stop from the cutoff event.

Three races remain before this year's field is set, beginning with Sunday's Pure Michigan 400 here at Michigan International Speedway (2 p.m. ET, NBCSN, MRN, SiriusXM NASCAR Radio). Then it's on to Darlington and Richmond to determine the remainder of this year's Chase field before the playoff opener at Chicagoland Speedway.

Two years ago, the final three-race run consisted of stops at Bristol, Atlanta and Richmond.

"I don't think that was anything like this year; I think this is a lot different," Kahne said Saturday at Michigan. "That was a great night for us and we were right there all night, got in the right position on restarts … we were fast all night. I think restarts were big for us. I could run really fast for 15 laps. It's been a while since we've been like that."

Indeed. The Atlanta win was Kahne's 17th but it was also his last. He enters Sunday's race shadowed by a 70-race winless streak. In the meantime, Kahne's Hendrick teammates have won 14 times since his Atlanta victory.

"For us, I think it's been so many areas, so many little things that add up to being four-tenths (of a second) off per lap often," he said. "I don't think it's from a lack of effort because the effort is there. But it's maybe working in the right areas or trying to understand things that will make it easier for me to drive for my driving style. That's been a huge part of the last couple of years.

"It doesn't matter what other guys are doing, (it's) 'what will help Kasey? What will help him with his car because he drives a little different?' I feel like this weekend we've kind of done our thing and it seems to be working pretty well so car."

Ten Sprint Cup drivers have one or more wins this season and sit inside the top 16, virtually assuring themselves of a slot in the Chase. Tony Stewart and Chris Buescher also have one win each, and while further back in points, their status likely leaves only four Chase positions up for grabs.

Seventeen others are still mathematically alive, should they earn a win in one of the next three races. If no different winners emerge, points will be used to determine the remaining spots.

Kahne trails the holder of the last spot in the Chase Grid, Ryan Newman by 39 points, with Trevor Bayne and Kyle Larson sandwiched between the two and chasing one of the final playoff spots as well. Austin Dillon, Chase Elliott and Jamie McMurray and Newman are just on the right side of the Chase bubble as of now.

Hendrick drivers qualified second (Johnson), fifth (Elliott), sixth (Alex Bowman driving in place of Dale Earnhardt Jr.) and 11th (Kahne) at Michigan. It is the seventh time this season Kahne will start from the No. 11 spot on the 40-car grid.

"We run 13th to 18th every week; we qualify there and we race there," Kahne said. "That's just the speed we have. And then we do the same thing the next week. It's nice to do something a little different this week and to have speed to show it's helping."

Kahne, 10th in Saturday's morning practice and fourth in the weather-shortened final session, has qualified for the Chase five times, the last coming in '14.

FUN WITH FITNESS: CASSILL CIRCLES MICHIGAN ON FOOT

BROOKLYN, Mich. -- Swapping his Front Row Motorsports fire suit for a Snap Fitness T-shirt, a pair of athletic shorts and sneakers, Landon Cassill stood at Michigan International Speedway's start/finish line ready to take his daily workout to the 2-mile track and turn some laps Friday morning -- on foot.

Donning sunglasses and handling his 1-year-old son Beckham via stroller, the No. 38 wheelman wore his signature smile, eager for some cardio before driver duties called.

"I feel like I get out more than most of the other race car drivers," Cassill told NASCAR.com, admitting that he even tries to get in a "bike ride Saturday afternoons."

All of this is to help the 27-year-old train for his various competitions, which include triathlons and other races. Cassill recently spent a rare off weekend in Ireland to compete in a half Ironman (a 1.2-mile swim, 56-mile bike ride and a 13.1-mile run) on Aug. 14.

His answer was simple when asked why he traveled to Europe for the 70.3-mile race instead of enjoying some hard-earned downtime.

"It's just my hobby. I really look forward to it. … (We) made a vacation of it."

His "hobby" correlates nicely with his primary sponsor, Snap Fitness, and helps the six-year NASCAR Sprint Cup Series driver as he balances his racing career on top of his off-track interests.

"Snap really supports what I do," he furthered while jogging toward Turn 1. "They give me the resources to train on the road because their fitness centers are open 24 hours."

When Cassill isn't racing by foot and bike or behind the wheel, he is connecting with his fans on social media, making sure his personality comes across on his time line -- from his token "38, nice" slogan to adorable shots of his young family.

And with no upcoming Ironman races planned, Cassill can now focus solely on his driving responsibilities as he gears up for Sunday's Pure Michigan 400 (2 p.m. ET, NBCSN, MRN, SiriusXM NASCAR Radio).

Race day, however, presumably will commence with a workout before he gets behind the wheel.

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.