Harvick sets another qualifying record at Michigan

Kevin Harvick made Michigan International Speedway’s latest track record look routine.

In what is becoming an annual occurrence at MIS in Brooklyn, Michigan, Harvick pushed the track’s qualifying mark a little bit higher Friday, winning the pole for this weekend’s Sprint Cup race at 204.557 mph.

Harvick’s pole-winning speed was the fastest since Bill Elliott set the record of 212.809 mph at Talladega Superspeedway in April 1987.

“This is one of those racetracks where you’re running fast, but you really can’t put it all in perspective, I guess, until you hit something,” Harvick said. “It’s so wide, it’s so fast and so smooth, but you don’t really get that huge sensation of speed.”

Drivers have broken 200 mph with regularity at Michigan since the track was repaved before the 2012 season.

Montoya ready to return

Juan Pablo Montoya is ready for his abbreviated return to Sprint Cup racing.

Montoya will be in the No. 12 Ford for Sunday’s 400-mile race at Michigan International Speedway, his first Cup race since moving back to IndyCar after last season. Montoya’s last win in NASCAR was in 2010, a year after he made the Chase for the Sprint Cup championship and finished a career-best eighth in the standings.

Montoya was 28th in qualifying.

Dempsey part of Le Mans

Patrick Dempsey has long proved his love of racing was no act.

The American star of television’s “Grey’s Anatomy” hopes his next boffo weekend smash comes with a podium finish in the 24 Hours of Le Mans.

Dempsey is set on contending in the most prestigious road race on the sports car circuit.

The 48-year-old Dempsey gets a shot at a top-three finish when the 82nd race starts today. He’ll share the No. 77 Dempsey Racing-Proton Porsche 911 RSR with long-time motorsports business partner Joe Foster and Porsche factory driver Patrick Long. They are competing in the GTE Am class.

They are the only all-American driver lineup in this year’s race.