Coverage of Qualifying for the Pure Michigan 400 Sprint Cup Series race at Michigan International Speedway is scheduled for Friday, August 17, 2012 at 4:10pm/et.
TV: SPEED - 4:00pm/et
Scheduled qualifying re-air: 10:00pm/et & 2:30am/et

June 2012 Pole Sitter: #9-Marcos Ambrose, 203.241mph, finished 9th

August 2011 Pole Sitter: #16-Greg Biffle, 190.345mph, finished 20th

New Track Qualifying Record: #9-Marcos Ambrose, June 20125, 203.241mph (after repave 2012)

Old Track Qualifying Record: #12-Ryan Newman, June 2005, 194.232mph (before repave 2012)

Oldest Pole Winner: Dale Jarrett, 45 years, 6 months, 21 days, 6/16/2002

Young Pole Winner: Jeff Gordon, 23 years, 10 months, 14 days, 6/18/1995

Fastest First Practice Speed: #48-Johnson, 197.450mph, scheduled to qualify 45th out of 45 drivers

NOTE: no longer doing semi-live qualifying on Jayski.com.
NASCAR.com and FoxSports have live realtime qualifying and hits for my qualifying pages were way down in 2011 due to the availabilty of the real-time qualifying found at those sites.
Will continue to post Jayski.com's unique qualifying results below, to help explain how drivers made the race.
For Realtime qualifying, check out:
NASCAR.com and FoxSports

Martin wins pole at Michigan: #55-Mark Martin won the pole for the Pure Michigan 400 Sprint Cup Series race at Michigan International Speedway with a speed of 199.706mph for his 4th pole of 2012, his first Michigan pole and 55th career pole. He is now tied with Bill Elliott for 7th for career poles.
Martin breaks the track record for oldest pole winner at 53 years, 7 months, 8 days. The old record at MIS was held by Dale Jarrett at 45 years, 6 months, 21 days old, set in June 2002. Harry Gant hold the all-time record for oldest pole winner at 54 years, 7 months, 15 days at Bristol in August 1994.
#99-Edwards will start 2nd followed by #48-Johnson, #17-Kenseth, #5-Kahne, #21- Bayne, #56-Truex, Jr., #9-Ambrose, #83-Cassill and #27-Menard.
The go-or-go homers who made the race (8): #21-Bayne, #91-Sorenson, #30-Stremme, #19-Leffler, #26-Wise, #87-Nemechek, #23-Riggs and #98-Skinner.
The go-or-go homers who failed to qualify for the race (2): #33-Leicht, #37-Yeley.
See qualifying results & starting lineup below or on the Starting Lineup page (pdf).(8-17-2012)

Qualifying Fast Facts - Michigan:
Mark Martin won the Coors Light Pole Award for the 43rd Annual Pure Michigan 400 with a lap of 36.053 seconds, 199.706 mph.
This is his 55th pole in 845 NASCAR Sprint Cup Series races. With the pole, he moves into a tie for seventh with Bill Elliott on the all-time series poles list.
This is his fourth pole and ninth top-10 start in 2012.
This is his first pole in 54 races at Michigan International Speedway. Martin started first in June of 1990 when qualifying was canceled due to inclement weather.
Carl Edwards (second) posted his eighth top-10 start of 2012 and his second in 17 races at Michigan International Speedway.
Jimmie Johnson (third) posted his 15th top-10 start at Michigan International Speedway. It is his 16th in 23 races this season.
(NASCAR Statistics)(8-17-2012)

Pole Progression: (who had the pole first, who got it next and who ended up with it)
#36-Blaney, 1st out to qualify, DNF, starts 42nd
#32-Bell, 2nd out to qualify, 185.119mph, starts 40th
#37-Yeley, 3rd out to qualify, 188.157mph, DNQ
#33-Leicht, 4th out to qualify, 189.444mph, DNQ
#47-Labonte, 5th out to qualify, 192.596mph, starts 28th
#51-Busch, 11th out to qualify, 192.988mph, starts 26th
#42-Montoya, 13th out to qualify, 193.138mph, starts 25th
#1-McMurray, 16th out to qualify, 193.268mph, starts 24th
#18-Busch, 21st out to qualify, 193.299mph, starts 23rd
#88-Earnhardt, Jr., 24th out to qualify, 195.822mph, starts 22nd
#17-Kenseth, 25th out to qualify, 198.183mph, starts 4th
#99-Edwards, 40th out to qualify, 198.626mph, starts 2nd
#55-Martin, 43rd out to qualify, 199.706mph, starts 1st

How did the non Top-35 teams do in qualifying?
Fastest 7 get in, 8th [43rd] spot goes to most recent past champ not in the race already or 8th fastest
[45 entered for 43 spots]:
have qualified for the race:
#21-Trevor Bayne, 197.780
#91-Reed Sorenson, 192.709
#30-David Stremme, 192.359
#19-Jason Leffler, 192.205
#26-Josh Wise#, 192.179
#87-Joe Nemechek, 192.118
#23-Scott Riggs, 189.944
#98-Mike Skinner, 189.939
will miss the race:
#33-Stephen Leicht#, 189.444
#37-J.J. Yeley, 188.157

Race info at: Race Info Page

Event Entry List

Past Champions Provisional page

All Time Sprint Cup Pole Winners

2012 NASCAR Sprint Cup qualifying procedures:
1) qualifying order will be determined by the driver's fastest lap in first practice.
2) times on the speed sheet will be inverted with the slowest cars attempting their qualifying runs first
3) go-or-go-home cars will now qualify among the 35 teams locked in on owner points and not be separated by the field. 4) the NASCAR Sprint Cup director does reserve the right to change a driver's qualifying order or allow "adjustments or repairs" to cars after the car has taken the green flag at the start/finish line.
5) all cars must qualify with a full fuel cell.
6) qualifying consists of two consecutive timed laps (except at road courses, 1 lap)
7) the fastest lap determines qualifying position
8) in case of a rain-out of practice, a random drawing will be held for cars set up in the garage area to determine qualifying order
9) if qualifying is rained out, the order of the field will be set according to Section 9-5 of the 2012 NASCAR Sprint Cup rule book.

If first practice is run, but qualifying is unable to take place, the starting lineup will be based on speeds from the car's fastest lap from the first practice, with top-35 cars in owner points no longer segregated from the non-top 35 cars. Previously, the top 35 cars lined up in front of all other eligible car owners.(NASCAR)(7-7-2011)

Past Champions Provisional Berths in Sprint Cup: A past champion's provisional may be used by an eligible driver a maximum of six times over the course of the NASCAR Sprint Cup Series season. A team with a past champion eligible driver may only use this provisional a maximum of six times during a season. The provisional gives the eligible driver the 43rd and final starting position in the race field. This is only for a team/driver OUTSIDE the top-35 in owners points, drivers whose team is in the top-35 in owners points, would already be guaranteed in the field and not need the Past Champions Provisional
See my Past Champions Provisional Page for more.

What happens if all qualifying gets cancelled [rain/weather/other]?
If bad weather cancels qualifying, the final starting lineup will be determined by practice speeds. The same rule book procedures will be used to determine eligibility to start a race. If weather cancels practice sessions, then the starting lineup will be set by points, per the rule book.

If qualifying AND all practices are cancled, then:
If it is during the first 5 races of the season, the previous season OWNERS points are used:
#1) - Previous season Owner Points [position 1-35][team does not have to attempt all the races]
#2) - Race winners from the previous and current season not already in the field
#3) - Past Sprint Cup Champions not in by 1 or 2
#4) - Current season Owner Position [Top 35][not in by rules 1-3]
#5) - Current season race attempts ties broken by current owners position [not in by rules 1-4]
#6) - For 2nd race of season, teams that missed Daytona 500, are seeded in owners points by thier finish in the Duels
#7) - Randon Draw if more then one team with no attempts

If qualifying is cancled by at least one practice gets run, then:
If it is the first 5 races of the season, the previous season OWNERS points are used:
#1) - Previous season Owner Points [position 1-35][team does not have to attempt all the races]
#2) - Race winners from the previous and current season not already in the field
#3) - Past Sprint Cup Champions not in by 1 or 2
#4) - Current season Owner Position [Top 35][not in by rules 1-3]
#5) - Current season race attempts ties broken by current owners position [not in by rules 1-4]
#6) - For 2nd race of season, teams that missed Daytona 500, are seeded in owners points by thier finish in the Duels
#7) - Randon Draw if more then one team with no attempts
#8) - One it is determined which teams/driver made the race, then the field is set by 1st practice speeds.

What happens if just qualifying is cancelled?
If it is during the first 5 races of the season, the previous season OWNERS points are used:
#1) - Previous season Owner Points [position 1-35][team does not have to attempt all the races]
#2) - Race winners from the previous and current season not already in the field
#3) - Past Sprint Cup Champions not in by 1 or 2
#4) - Current season Owner Position [Top 35][not in by rules 1-3]
#5) - Current season race attempts ties broken by current owners position [not in by rules 1-4]
#6) - For 2nd race of season, teams that missed Daytona 500, are seeded in owners points by thier finish in the Duels
#7) - Randon Draw if more then one team with no attempts
#8) - One it is determined which teams/driver made the race, then the field is set by 1st practice speeds.

What happens if just qualifying is cancelled?
AFTER the 5th race of the season, the current season OWNERS points are used:
#1) - First 35 by current Owner Points [team does not have to attempt all the races]
#2) - Last Years Sprint Cup Champ or the Event Champion if not already in the field
#3) - Car Owners whose team has won in the previous and current season not already in the field
#4) - Drivers who have won in the previous and current season not already in the field
#5) - Past Sprint Cup Champions not in by 1 thru 4
#6) - Qualifying Attempts with current Owners points as the tie breaker
#7) - NASCAR will hold a draw for teams with no owners points / attempts
#8) - One it is determined which teams/driver made the race, then the field is set by 1st practice speeds.

NOTE: all above apply as long as the team was entered by the entry deadline - usually 7-13 days before the race

2012 NASCAR Sprint Cup qualifying procedures:
1) qualifying order will be determined by the driver's fastest lap in first practice.
2) times on the speed sheet will be inverted with the slowest cars attempting their qualifying runs first
3) go-or-go-home cars will now qualify among the 35 teams locked in on owner points and not be separated by the field. 4) the NASCAR Sprint Cup director does reserve the right to change a driver's qualifying order or allow "adjustments or repairs" to cars after the car has taken the green flag at the start/finish line.
5) all cars must qualify with a full fuel cell.
6) qualifying consists of two consecutive timed laps (except at road courses, 1 lap)
7) the fastest lap determines qualifying position
8) in case of a rain-out of practice, a random drawing will be held for cars set up in the garage area to determine qualifying order
9) if qualifying is rained out, the order of the field will be set according to Section 9-5 of the 2012 NASCAR Sprint Cup rule book.