Starting lineup at Michigan: Joey Logano tops 201 mph to take pole position

Joey Logano topped the NASCAR Sprint Cup field in qualifying at Michigan International Speedway on Friday and will start from the pole position in Sunday’s Pure Michigan 400. His speed? 201.698 mph.

Green flag at Michigan: 2:21 p.m. ET, with TV coverage on NBC Sports Network. There will be a competition caution on Lap 20.

Jimmie Johnson will join him on the front row after posting a speed of 201.523 in the final round of qualifying.

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“I was surprised after the first couple of rounds when we weren’t as fast as the last time we were here," Logano said. "We were eighth going into the final round, but great adjustments to find a little bit more speed out of this thing. I was down there waiting and (crew chief) Todd (Gordon) said, ‘Take it!’ So I said, ‘Yeah, I am going to take it.’ So I got pumped up and I had the attitude that we were going to grab it or we were going to crash. It worked out well.”

All the drivers in the top nine in that round topped 201 mph. Denny Hamlin, Kevin Harvick and Chase Elliott round out the top five.

Six drivers went over 200 mph and failed to even advance to the final round of the session.

AJ Allmendinger, desperately seeking a win as he tries to break into the Chase for the Sprint Cup, didn’t get that close as he was the first car out of the field after the opening round in the session.

Elliott, who finished second at this race in June, will start fifth while Alex Bowman, filling in for Dale Earnhardt Jr. as he continues to battle concussion-like symptoms, will start sixth. 

Logano won this race in June in the first race with the rules package that will also be used this weekend. He has three pole positions this season, as well as three in his career at Michigan.

Starting lineup

Sunday’s race begins about 2 p.m. ET.