Chase Briscoe arrived at Michigan International Speedway on June 7 feeling surprisingly cautious—but he ended up powering his No. 19 Joe Gibbs Racing Toyota around the fast two-mile oval in just 36.826 seconds, averaging a blistering 195.514 mph to secure his third consecutive NASCAR Cup pole position. This feat marks his fourth of the season, and he becomes the first driver since Kyle Larson in April 2024 to capture poles in three straight races (Richmond, Martinsville, and Texas) .
Despite the speed, Briscoe admitted he was uneasy during the lap. With all cars running full tilt thanks to new tires, he gambled on hugging the low line to shorten his path around the track. Although that plan nearly backfired—he had to tighten up his exit off the corner—his time held up against 14 cars that ran after him . His relief was obvious afterwards, noting he “was surprised truthfully that it held on,” and explained that while the Toyotas looked strong in race trim earlier, executing a flawless wide‑open lap under pressure was no small challenge .
Going into this weekend, Briscoe confessed he “definitely” felt less confident than usual. He said the last two weeks, including this one, didn’t start strongly—he drew a late qualifying slot and expected a challenge once the cars hit the track full throttle. Still, he felt good about the No. 19 car’s race-day setup and believed they had a shot at a fast lap . Now with three straight poles but still no race win this year, Briscoe hopes Michigan is the place to seal the deal: “third time’s a charm,” he said .
Kyle Busch will start alongside him in second place after a strong lap at 195.317 mph—his best starting position of the season . Meanwhile, Briscoe’s teammates Denny Hamlin and point leader William Byron will begin the race from third and fourth spots . Notably, neither Joe Gibbs Racing nor Hendrick Motorsports has won at Michigan since the mid-2010s—Gibbs’ last win came in 2015, while Hendrick hasn’t prevailed since 2014 .
The front row is rounded out by Kyle Larson in fifth, while other strong qualifiers include Chris Buescher (sixth), Josh Berry, Ty Gibbs, Bubba Wallace, and Zane Smith, completing the top ten .
Beyond qualifying, off-track storylines are also in motion at Michigan. Denny Hamlin is balancing on “baby watch” as his fiancée is due to give birth to their third child; he may fly home after qualifying and return for the race . Additionally, Carson Hocevar and Ricky Stenhouse Jr. cleared the air following their dust-up at Nashville Superspeedway, with both describing their reconciliation as productive and respectful . Ryan Blaney, fresh off his win at Nashville, reaffirmed that nothing will change within his team’s approach—they’ll still prepare each race week as though it’s a must-win .
Looking ahead, Briscoe now faces the FireKeepers Casino 400 on Sunday, June 8. Starting from the pole three weeks in a row hasn’t yet translated into victory—but with confidence mounting and momentum building, the No. 19 team is hoping to break that streak and finally cross the finish line firs
