NASCAR Xfinity Series driver A.J. Allmendinger will start from the pole during Saturday’s Pit Boss 250 presented by USA Today at Circuit of the Americas (COTA) in Austin, Texas.
In Friday night’s qualifying session, his best lap time was 133.184 seconds (92.173 mph) around the 3.41-mile road course in the No. 10 Kaulig Racing entry. Along with starting from pole position, Allmendinger also enters this weekend as the defending COTA winner.
Joe Gibbs Racing drivers Sammy Smith and Ty Gibbs placed second and third, with Smith securing a spot outside the front row in his No. 8 Toyota. Gibbs, who is now a full-time Cup Series wheelman, will start from the second row in his No. 19 entry.
Richard Childress Racing’s Sheldon Creed and Big Machine Racing’s Parker Kligerman completed the top five in qualifying.
John Hunter Nemechek, Riley Herbst, Justin Allgaier, William Byron and Cole Custer filed in behind Kligerman.
However, due to a brake rotor issue, Custer will start from the rear when the Xfinity Series field returns to the track for the 48-lap, 157-mile Pit Boss 250 at 5 p.m. (ET) on Saturday.