Allgaier Lands Pole For Xfinity Playoff Opener At Bristol
Justin Allgaier with the NASCAR Xfinity Series pole check at Bristol Motor Speedway. (Declan Wayman/Motorsports Hotspot photo)
BRISTOL, Tenn. – Defending NASCAR Xfinity Series champion Justin Allgaier reminded his sensational rookie teammate Connor Zilisch during qualifying at Bristol Motor Speedway that the old guard still has it.
Allgaier sped to the Kennametal Pole Award ahead of Friday night’s Food City 300, with a lap of 15.843 seconds (121.113 mph) in the No. 7 BRANDT Professional Agriculture Chevrolet for JR Motorsports.
Stunningly, it marked the first pole of the season for Allgaier, but it was his 11th pole overall in his 498th career Xfinity Series start. He’ll lead the field to green for the second time at The Last Great Colosseum.
“It’s not only an advantage for tonight [in terms of track position], it’s also an advantage for next week in terms of pit selection,” said Allgaier after his first top qualifying effort since September of 2023. “I’m so proud of this team; they’ve kept digging for more performance because we’ve had such an up-and-down summer, and I feel like we’re finally rounding into where we need to be.
“We were really good in practice. I ran mostly in traffic to see where the balance would go, and I think we learned a lot for the race later on,” he added. “To fire off with a pole and set the tone like this is big for our team. We’ve had so much speed this year, but no results to show for it. Shoutout to [crew chief] Jim Pohlman as well for all he’s done to keep me comfortable at this place.
“There’s not a place I love coming to more than Bristol, and hopefully we can go get another sword.”
Joining Allgaier on the front row will be Haas Factory Team’s Sam Mayer, who qualified second at 15.937 seconds (120.399 mph) in the No. 41 Audibel Ford Mustang and believes that if he can stay up front, he’ll have a shot to contend for his second win this season.
“Being consistent and staying where we are will the challenge,” said Mayer, a four-time Bristol victor between the ARCA Menards Series and the NASCAR Craftsman Truck Series. “Clean air is awesome at this place, but it doesn’t last long, so you have to be adaptable and get your car to go wherever they aren’t to make moves and maintain.
“I feel really good about our car, and I think it’ll be even better at night,” added the playoff contender, who is seeking his first Xfinity Series title. “Points are all that matters and we’re going to go for it.”
Aric Almirola starts third for Joe Gibbs Racing alongside Zilisch, the top seed entering the postseason and a nine-time winner this season for JR Motorsports.
Taylor Gray filled out the top five, with non-playoff driver William Sawalich rolling off sixth.
Seventh through 10th were Harrison Burton, Ryan Sieg, Jesse Love, and Sheldon Creed.
Playoff drivers starting deeper in the order include Carson Kvapil (11th), Sammy Smith (14th), Nick Sanchez (20th), Austin Hill (21st), and Brandon Jones (22nd).
National ARCA Menards Series point leader Brenden ‘Butterbean’ Queen starts 28th for Kaulig Racing in his Xfinity Series debut and second race of the weekend in Thunder Valley.
Queen finished third in the Bristol ARCA race to extend his championship lead in that category.
With 38 cars entered for 38 starting spots, no drivers missed the field.
Broadcast coverage of the Food City 300 from Bristol airs at 7:30 p.m. ET, live on The CW, the Performance Racing Network, and SiriusXM NASCAR Radio, channel 90.
