Larson runs 202 mph to win pole at Michigan

Kyle Larson

A blistering lap of 202.156 mph in the waning seconds of Friday’s Coors Light Pole three-round session at Michigan International Speedway put Kyle Larson’s No. 42 Chip Ganassi Racing Chevrolet atop the qualifying leaderboard. Larson also led Monster Energy NASCAR Cup Series opening practice this morning in the Irish Hills.

This marks Larson’s third career pole position, his last coming at Auto Club Speedway in March where he secured his second premier series win. Larson notched his first Monster Energy NASCAR Cup Series win in the Irish Hills of Michigan in last year’s August race.

Furniture Row Racing’s Martin Truex Jr. will start second alongside Larson in Sunday’s FireKeepers Casino 400, after his No. 78 Toyota clocked in a lap of 202.117 mph in the final round.

Stewart-Haas Racing’s Clint Bowyer (201.664 mph) will roll off the grid third, while Joe Gibbs Racing’s Kyle Busch (201.523 mph) and Denny Hamlin (201.337 mph) round out the top five qualifiers, respectively.

Kevin Harvick led the first and second rounds in his No. 4 Stewart-Haas Racing Ford, but ended up 11th-fastest in the final round.

[adinserter name="GOOGLE AD"]The Monster Energy NASCAR Cup Series is back on track at Michigan for practice on Saturday morning at 9 a.m. ET (FS2).

KYLE LARSON, NO. 42 CARS 3 TARGET CHEVROLET SS – Pole Winner

“We made some good adjustments there for that final round. I was pretty good in the first round and a little bit tight in the second round. They went a step further on freeing it up for the final round and the Cars 3 Chevy drove good. I could tell by the rpm and the engine it was going to be a pretty good lap so I was happy about that to get the pole after winning here last year. So, hopefully we can keep it going. So far it’s been a really good weekend leading in practice and then getting the quick time here. So, yeah; it’s an exciting weekend and hopefully we can keep it going."

HOW IMPORTANT IS PIT SELECTION HERE AT MICHIGAN?

“Well, it’s definitely not as important as it is at like a Martinsville or other short tracks. But, pit selection is always important. So anytime you can get down there at the end of pit road in the number one stall, it helps. I’m excited about that. I’m not the best at qualifying in my career, but this year it’s been pretty good. We’ve been having better pit stalls and races from that."

THE LAST TIME OWEN (LARSON) JOINED US ON THIS STAGE YOU WON THE RACE HERE. SO, YOU’VE GOT TO FEEL PRETTY GOOD ABOUT THAT:
“Yeah, that was after the race. Yeah, hopefully we can get him back up here again for Father’s Day, that would be a special thing for me. Yeah, we’ve got a fast car, we’ve just got to take control of the race and be mistake free."

DO YOU HAVE ADDED CONFIDENCE GIVEN THE FACT THAT YOU WON THE POLE AT CALIFORNIA, A TRACK THAT IS SO SIMILAR TO THIS ONE AND YOU WERE ABLE TO PRETTY MUCH DOMINATE THAT RACE?
“It’s a similar size, same shape and size, but drives way different. Fontana has got worn out pavement and here it’s been repaved not too long ago so it’s got a lot of grip and smooth. But, yeah, this is the same car we ran at Fontana, so some added confidence there and then getting the pole definitely adds some confidence. Yeah, I’ve had this race circled since last year when I won."

IT SOUNDS LIKE YOU ARE GOING ABOUT 215 TOP SPEED HERE DOES IT FEEL LIKE YOU ARE GOING THAT FAST?
“No, I guess. To me here you know you are going fast, but I get more of a sensation at say like Dover or Bristol on going fast just because it’s bumpy. The straightaways are narrow. Here the straightaways are smooth, wide, and you are not bouncing around a lot. You don’t get like the sensation that you are hauling the mail here, but when you get out of shape in the corners, when your car is loose, that is when it becomes scary. Hopefully, we will try and keep a good balance on our car this weekend and not have any pucker moments."

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