Denny Hamlin set to start NASCAR race at Michigan from the rear despite taking pole

NASCAR Cup Series star Denny Hamlin is set to start Sunday's Firekeepers Casino 400 from the rear of the field despite taking pole in qualifying on Saturday.

Hamlin topped the timesheets in qualifying with a 39.901-second effort on the very final lap, just enough to edge Carson Hocevar and deny the Portage native a home pole.

However, after the session, Hamlin admitted he was surprised to have come out on top, and he confirmed he would start Sunday's race from the back having sustained damage to his car in practice that will require work ahead of the race.

This work would be classed as unapproved adjustments by NASCAR and see Hamlin hit with a tail end penalty as a result.

Denny Hamlin on starting from the rear at Michigan

Hamlin was on pole at last weekend's race at Nashville but was sent to the rear after a jump start, but worked his way back through to the front and won the race.

So, can he do the same this time around, and does he feel like he can work his way through the field as the race progresses?

“I mean, yes and no," Hamlin told the media when that question was posed to him. "I mean, if the cautions can fall at the right times, yes, as long as I get decent restarts, yes, but again, we're going to have to get lucky in a few spots, I think.

"The race is long and you can certainly do it. It's not unachievable, but also sometimes when you're in the back, it gives you an opportunity to do, if there's an early caution, to do a different strategy to get up there later on.

"If anything, I was just trying to get a decent pit stall for tomorrow, and I was very surprised when it was good enough, especially with as much lifting as I felt like I had during that qualifying session.

"It ain't going to be easy. I know, if you look at last week, that all seemed easy, but things really fell our way, and they're going to have to again this weekend.”

Denny Hamlin on patience versus aggression

Continuing further, Hamlin offered an insight into his approach for the race and how he balances being patient and aggressive when needing to make up so much ground.

“Depends on the situation, and it also depends on how the race is playing out," he explained. "So I think I go into it being patient because I don't know what future cautions might fall that might help us, and then I didn't need to be aggressive and put myself in bad spots to start.

"So, I'll definitely start on the patient side, and then depending on how the race falls, where I'm at, at a certain time, then I might ramp up the aggression from there on, but I think patience is the right way to start this thing.”