Overview
- Saturday qualifying saw Denny Hamlin post the fastest lap (36.901 seconds) to win the pole but NASCAR ruled overnight that repairs to his No. 11 Toyota were an unapproved adjustment, so he must start at the rear while keeping the pole award and first pit stall.
- Hendrick Motorsports announced Sunday that William Byron will also start from the rear after a charging-system repair on his No. 24 Chevrolet was judged to require an unapproved adjustment.
- NASCAR issued inspection penalties to the No. 17 and No. 44 teams after they failed initial checks, stripping both teams of pit-stall selection and ejecting car chiefs Joshua Sisco and Lee Leslie for the weekend.
- Carson Hocevar, who qualified second, moves to the front of the grid for the FireKeepers Casino 400 and Toyotas still occupied four of the top five qualifying spots; the race is scheduled to stream on Prime Video at 3 p.m. ET.
- Michigan’s two-mile layout magnifies the impact of starting position and pit-stall choice because clean air and track position drive speed, a dynamic that could affect playoff points and betting markets where Tyler Reddick enters as the points leader and favorite.