Allgaier Claims Pole as Playoff Field Sets Stage for Food City 300 at Bristol – Speedway Digest

BRISTOL, Tenn. — The NASCAR Xfinity Series playoff opener is set for a dramatic launch tonight at Bristol Motor Speedway, where Justin Allgaier will lead the field to green in the Food City 300 after clocking the fastest lap in qualifying.

Allgaier, driving the No. 7 JR Motorsports Chevrolet, posted a blistering 15.843-second lap around the high-banked half-mile, securing his 11th career pole and placing him in prime position for his 498th series start. He’ll be joined on the front row by Sam Mayer, who narrowly missed the top spot with a 15.937-second effort.

Veteran Aric Almirola, competing in the owner’s playoffs for Joe Gibbs Racing, will roll off third, followed by rookie Connor Zilisch and Taylor Gray to round out the top five. The top ten also includes William Sawalich, Harrison Burton, Ryan Sieg, Jesse Love, and Sheldon Creed, all of whom showed competitive pace in Friday’s qualifying session.

The 300-lap contest marks the first race in the Round of 12 for the Xfinity Series playoffs. Several playoff contenders landed mid-pack, including Carson Kvapil (P11), Sammy Smith (P14), Nick Sanchez (P20), Austin Hill (P21), and Brandon Jones (P22), setting up a potentially chaotic night as they battle through traffic on one of NASCAR’s tightest circuits.

With 38 drivers set to take the green flag, the Food City 300 promises high-intensity racing under the lights. The event begins at 7:30 PM ET and will be broadcast on The CW, PRN Radio, and SiriusXM NASCAR Radio.