Brandon Jones Surges To Another Kansas Xfinity Pole
Brandon Jones earned the NASCAR Xfinity Series pole at Kansas Speedway Saturday. (Matthew Thacker/Nigel Kinrade Photography)
KANSAS CITY, Kan. – Brandon Jones might not have visited victory lane at Kansas Speedway in five years, but his qualifying prowess lately in America’s Heartland is unmatched.
Jones grabbed his third NASCAR Xfinity Series pole at the 1.5-mile oval in the last four years during time trials Saturday morning, with a lap of 31.140 seconds (173.410 mph) in the No. 20 Menards Toyota GR Supra doing the job.
It marked the 13th pole of Jones’ Xfinity Series career, but his first pole all season, and it couldn’t have come at a better time considering the playoffs are in full swing for he and Joe Gibbs Racing.
“Big hats off to these guys at Joe Gibbs Racing,” said Jones, a 10-year Xfinity Series veteran. “We’ve been working so hard on our qualifying effort all year long. That’s felt like, honestly, one of the only weaknesses in this [No.] 20 group … but we backed up the effort today with a pole and it feels really, really good to say that.
“We had to make so many last-minute line decisions. This place is so mentally difficult to qualify at, and I still haven’t totally figured it quite out, because I qualified here last year on the pole and ran the third lane at both ends. But nobody was able to do that today,” Jones continued. “Last minute, like two cars before I went out, we just decided we had to go to the bottom, so I had to make the corrections in my head about where the lift points are and everything in order to do that.
“That was a difficult task on my end, but it paid off. I love being here in Kansas. We’ve got Menards right across the street, so it’s just a big day for us and this is a great start.”
Making an all-JGR front row, Jones’ rookie teammate Taylor Gray starts second after a time of 31.236 seconds (172.877 mph) in the No. 54 Operation 300 Toyota.
Gray will chase his first career Xfinity Series victory in the Kansas Lottery 300 and, like Jones, a guaranteed berth in the Round of 8 of the postseason if he can leave with the trophy.
“We know that the track’s going to completely change by the time we get to the race,” Gray noted. “It’s going to get hotter; it’s going to get slicker, and the rubber’s going to build up on the racetrack, so it is going to be a different feel later this afternoon. But I’m super proud of everyone at Joe Gibbs Racing. The team obviously brought a lot of speed to the racetrack with me and Brandon being on the front row.
“I feel like we’re as fast as [series sponsor] Xfinity Mobile, so now we just have to go execute and leave out of here in a good points position.”
Kansas marks the record-extending 71st front-row lockout by JGR in Xfinity Series competition, far and away the best among all organizations.
The next closest team in that category is Richard Childress Racing with 18 top-two sweeps.
Haas Factory Team’s Sam Mayer was the best Ford driver in qualifying, starting third (31.269/172.695) alongside Kaulig Racing’s Brenden Queen, who lines up fourth (31.424/171.843) fresh off his ARCA Menards Series win at Kansas from Friday night.
Defending series champion Justin Allgaier filled out the top five starters, followed by William Sawalich, Connor Zilisch, Rajah Caruth, Dean Thompson, and Sheldon Creed.
Playoff contenders starting outside the top 10 include Jesse Love (12th), Nick Sanchez (13th), Sammy Smith (14th), Austin Hill (17th), Harrison Burton (18th), and Carson Kvapil (19th).
Four-time NASCAR modified champion Justin Bonsignore, whose No. 19 team won the most recent Xfinity Series race at Bristol (Tenn.) Motor Speedway to advance in the owner’s championship playoffs, rolls off 16th as the lowest of the four JGR entries from qualifying.
With 39 cars entered for 38 starting spots, Joey Gase Motorsports’ Glen Reen was the lone driver who failed to make the starting field.
Broadcast coverage of Saturday afternoon’s Kansas Lottery 300 airs at 4 p.m. ET, live on The CW, the Motor Racing Network, and SiriusXM NASCAR Radio, channel 90.
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