NASCAR Michigan 2015 qualifying results: Matt Kenseth wins pole, Joe Gibbs Racing takes top 3 spots

In a session defined by high speeds and drivers circling Michigan International Speedway nearly wide-open in excess of 200 mph, it should be no surprise the team that’s been NASCAR’s fastest in recent weeks dominated qualifying Friday.

Led by pole-sitter Matt Kenseth, Joe Gibbs Racing captured the top three starting positions for Sunday’s Pure Michigan 400 with Denny Hamlin and Carl Edwards second and third. The only outlier among the JGR four entries was Kyle Busch, who starts sixth.

“Denny put up such a fast (qualifying) lap, I got into (Turn) 3 bound and determined I was going to make it wide-open,” Kenseth said. “And I had the first half of the corner. It was the second half that was starting to get exciting and I got sliding up the track and bogged down a little bit, so I wasn’t sure I was going to have it (the pole).”

The pole was Kenseth’s third of the season. Austin Dillon and Tony Stewart rounded out the top-five qualifiers, with Kevin Harvick, Jimmie Johnson, Dale Earnhardt Jr. and Joey Logano seventh through 10th, respectively.

Following a slow start to the season, JGR has established itself as the organization to beat during the summer. Beginning with Edwards’ victory Memorial Day weekend at Charlotte Motor Speedway, JGR drivers have won four of five races and six of the past 11.

“It just comes down to an arms race, making sure you have a fast car and a big engine,” Hamlin said. “These guys have done a great job giving us fast cars.”

NASCAR is incorporating a high-drag aerodynamic package at Michigan, the second time such a rules configuration has been utilized this season. Featuring a three-inch raised rear spoiler, the package allowed many drivers to run around the 2-mile track full-throttle.

Designed to create pack racing and additional passing through drafting, the package was first run last month at Indianapolis Motor Speedway where drivers were less enthusiastic about its performance. Kevin Harvick referred to it as a costly “science experiment,” while Kenseth and Kyle Larson each called it terrible.

Because Michigan has more banking and a wider surface, drivers are largely reserving judgement about the style of racing that will unfold Sunday. The lone round of practice Friday featured predominately single-car runs, with drivers and teams focusing on qualifying setups.

“You are going to be able to utilize the draft, especially on the restarts, but when you get to the corner we are still doing 190 plus mph when we get there,” said Jeff Gordon, who qualified 21st. “There is a lot of turbulent air there. We are going to be fanned out and finding clean air and then trying to get that tow down the straightaway.

“It’s going to be a totally different Michigan I feel like than what we have ever had before.”

Reed Sorenson was the driver who failed to qualify.

Pure Michigan 400 starting lineup