Still the fastest track in NASCAR: Qualifying lap at Michigan is quickest in 7 years

BROOKLYN, MI – Chase Briscoe clocked a lap averaging 195.514 mph on Saturday, June 7, at Michigan International Speedway.

It earned him the pole position for Sunday’s FireKeepers Casino 400 Cup Series race – his third consecutive pole.

It was the fastest qualifying time in NASCAR since 2018. The previous record in the NextGen car – which was introduced to the Cup Series in 2022 – was 193.283 mph at MIS in 2023.

Briscoe thought he might hit the fence, but kept his foot in the gas the whole time.

“I was on the verge of lifting a few times,” Briscoe said. “This is the one place that certainly gets your attention, from a speed standpoint.”

The track record is 206.558 mph, set by Jeff Gordon in 2014. The last 200 mph-qualifying lap in NASCAR came at Texas in 2018. That same year, MIS qualifying speeds topped 203 mph.

Here’s a look at the fastest average qualifying speed each year at MIS, dating back to the first race in 1969.

Speeds slowed down at MIS in 2019 when NASCAR changed engines from 750 horsepower to 550 horsepower. NASCAR increased the horsepower back up to 670 in 2022.

So far this year, the next-fastest speed was notched at Texas Motor Speedway at 191.7 mph – which is 4 mph slower than Briscoe’s lap.

Here’s a look at the pole speed for each race in 2025.

Here’s who will start in the top 10 for Sunday’s FireKeepers Casino 400:

1. Chase Briscoe, No. 19 Toyota
2. Kyle Busch, No. 8 Chevrolet
3. Denny Hamlin, No. 11 Toyota
4. William Byron, No. 24 Chevrolet
5. Kyle Larson, No. 5 Chevrolet
6. Chris Buescher, No. 17 Ford
7. Josh Berry, No. 21 Ford
8. Ty Gibbs, No. 54 Toyota
9. Bubba Wallace, No. 23 Toyota
10. Zane Smith, No. 38 Ford

There are three Michigan-born drivers in the field. Carson Hocevar (Portage) starts 14th, Erik Jones (Byron) starts 22nd and Brad Keselowski (Rochester Hills) starts 27th.

The race begins at 2 p.m. on Prime Video.

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