NASCAR: Gordon on Michigan pole, teammates struggle

Jeff Gordon took a second straight NASCAR Sprint Cup pole in Friday's qualifying session at Michigan Speedway, while all his Hendrick team-mates struggled for speed.

A week after taking his first 2014 pole at Watkins Glen, Gordon produced a record lap of 34.857 seconds and 206.558mph to top Michigan qualifying.

Gordon, who had also topped round two, was the only Hendrick driver to even reach the pole shootout. While Kasey Kahne was a respectable 15th, the sister cars of Dale Earnhardt Jr. and Jimmie Johnson were knocked out in part one. The duo qualified only 25th and 30th, as Johnson – whose morning practice session had been disrupted by a vibration – continued his recent tough run.

Practice pacesetter Joey Logano was Gordon's nearest rival for Penske, 0.03sec off pole and 0.045sec ahead of third-placed Carl Edwards. The Roush Fenway driver had led the first round of qualifying at a track where the team had floundered in June, and his team-mates Ricky Stenhouse Jr and Greg Biffle also made it to the shootout, taking 10th and 11th.

Brian Vickers put the only Toyota in the pole shootout fourth on the grid, followed by Brad Keselowski and Kevin Harvick.

Leading Toyota squad Joe Gibbs Racing was completely absent from the final segment, as its three cars ended up between 18th and 24th.

A week on from his Watkins Glen win, AJ Allmendinger qualified 22nd, while Tony Stewart's stand-in Jeff Burton was 27th for Stewart-Haas.

Two drivers qualified cars on behalf of absent colleagues. Penske protege Ryan Blaney made an early start to his work with 2015 team Wood Brothers by qualifying Trevor Bayne's car while Bayne was busy on Nationwide Series duty at Mid-Ohio. Blaney took 28th.

Martin Truex Jr.'s absence was for more poignant reasons, as he missed Friday's sessions while his partner Sherry Pollex began cancer treatment.

Truck Series champion Matt Crafton qualified Truex's Furniture Row Chevrolet 39th. Truex will return for Saturday practice and Sunday's race.