Keselowski earns fastest '17 Cup pole at home track

Michigan native Brad Keselowski will lead the field to the green flag Sunday afternoon in the Pure Michigan 400.

The No. 2 Ford rocketed to the top of the speed chart in the final round of qualifying with a lap of 203.097 mph to earn the pole, the season's fastest qualifying time. It is Keselowski's second pole of the season, first Cup pole at Michigan International Speedway and the 24th of his career. It's also almost a mile per hour faster than the season's previous fast qualifier – Kyle Larson's 202.156 mph lap – here in June.

• Starting lineup

"It feels really good. It kind of feels like [my first pole]," said Keselowski. "This is a track that's probably not my best track, even though it's my hometown track. I'm not sure how that all works out.

"But the team did a great job, made some adjustments in the rounds and tuned it up and got to where I was really comfortable and laid down a heck of a lap."

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Keselowski will be joined on the front row by Team Penske teammate Joey Logano, who fell just shy of the pole with a lap of 203.063 mph. With four races remaining in the regular season, Logano enters Sunday's race seeking a win to lock into the playoffs.

Fellow Ford driver Kevin Harvick qualified third at 202.788 mph. Matt Kenseth will start fourth after a lap of 202.577 mph. Chase Elliott rounded out the top five at 202.429 mph. The rest of the top 10 were Kyle Busch, Jamie McMurray, Erik Jones, Kyle Larson and Denny Hamlin.

Larson is going for three straight Michigan wins.

Starting 12th will be Ryan Blaney. The No. 21 Ford, which was fastest in Friday's only practice session and in both of the first two rounds, faded in the final round of qualifying.

"About backed it into the fence in Turn 1," Blaney said of his lap. "I just got loose over there. You lose time in one corner and you can't make it up. I'm proud of the first two rounds.

"We didn't tighten up for the last round. We have good speed in our car. Hopefully, we should be able to drive up through everybody in the race."

Points leader Martin Truex Jr. will start 13th. Other notables throughout the field include Dale Earnhardt Jr. starting 19th, Jimmie Johnson 22nd, Kasey Kahne 23rd, Ryan Newman 25th and Paul Menard 30th.

Next up: Second practice at 8:30 a.m. ET Saturday.