Michigan 400 Qualifying Update

Michigan International Speedway -- 06/15/08

Author: Becca Gladden

Published: Sunday Jun 15 2008 3:21am

Kyle Busch (+845) is starting on the pole in Sunday's LifeLock 400 at Michigan Speedway, but that may prove to be one of the few bright spots for him this weekend.

For the second week in a row, Busch has struggled on the track while attempting to run all three of NASCAR's top series - Craftsman Truck, Nationwide, and Sprint Cup races.

Although Busch finished 7th in the truck race, he wrecked Ron Hornaday - CTS points leader heading into the race - provoking a lengthy post-race altercation between the two, along with the Hornday's truck owner, Kevin Harvick. Hornaday fell to 3rd in truck series points.

Busch then flew to Kentucky for the Nationwide Race, where he spun out unassisted on lap 163, finishing in 30th place.

Busch has Friday's rainstorm to thank for his pole position at Michigan, which halted qualifying partway through. Teams will line up in order of current points, putting Jeff Burton (+3350) in P2, followed by Dale Earnhardt Jr. (+985), Carl Edwards (+585), and Denny Hamlin (+1625).

Jason Leffler and Tony Raines are the two go-or-go-home drivers who will miss Sunday's race.

Among the drivers who looked strong in practice and are currently favored in the nascar odds are Jimmie Johnson (+545) and Greg Biffle (+455), the only two to run in the top 10 in all three practices.

Johnson, who has never won at Michigan, led both Friday's practice and Happy Hour, and ran 2nd in Saturday morning's practice, which Biffle led.

The Biff has two previous Cup wins here and ran 5th Friday morning and 2nd in Happy Hour. He was also leading qualifying before the rain came. Johnson and Biffle line up 6th and 7th on Sunday.

Carl Edwards, who won this race last year and is also among the favorites for Sunday's race, was in the top 10 in both Saturday sessions after practicing 13th on Friday.

Edwards, who also ran the Nationwide race Saturday in Kentucky, had a bizarre incident in that race in which he hit Steven Wallace, and wrecked himself, while running caution laps before a restart.

"I feel like the biggest idiot,” Edwards said after the race.

Kasey Kahne (+1115), certainly the momentum driver in the series right now, ran in the top 10 in both Saturday practices. Kahne will line up 9th on Sunday.
80% of the Cup races at Michigan have been won from a top-10 starting spot, so we will likely see a current Chase contender in Victory Lane on Sunday.