NASCAR Xfinity Series driver Cole Custer knows how to get away with things in Las Vegas.
For the third time in his career, Custer avoided all obstacles to earn his third career pole at Las Vegas Motor Speedway. He will start on the inside of the front row during Saturday’s The LiUNA! at Las Vegas Motor Speedway. Custer’s hot lap was clocked at 181.281 mph, edging Chandler Smith (181.178 mph).
Riley Herbst, the event’s defending champion, qualified P11, just ahead of Cup Series regular Aric Almirola, who is making his Xfinity debut this season. Rookie Jesse Love, who captured the poles during the circuit’s opening two events, qualified P15.
Cup veteran Anthony Alfredo struck the outside wall in practice and will drive a backup machine Saturday. Joey Gase had his time disqualified because of his team failing to tape up a NACA duct and will start P38.
In the pre-qualifying practice roune, Brandon Jones (177.497) clocked the fastest last, while Custer (177.486) finished P2.
NASCAR | @ColeCuster got his weekend off to a good start by putting his @FordMustang Dark Horse on the pole for tomorrow’s @NASCAR_Xfinity race @LVMotorSpeedway pic.twitter.com/zEEWJDwOtY
— Ford Performance (@FordPerformance) March 2, 2024
JR Motorsports Boosting Bubba Pollard To Xfinity Series
Long known as a platform to give prospects a chance to prove themselves in upper-tier racing, JR Motorsports announced short-track specialist Andrew “Bubba” Pollard will pilot the No. 88 Chevrolet during the NASCAR Xfinity Series’ March 30 event at Richmond Raceway.
Pollard, 37, has captured nine of 16 CARS Pro Late Model Tour events from 2017-20 circuit races. The 37-year-old former All American 400 champion is slated to make this Xfinity debut for the team co-owned by Dale Earnhardt Jr. It also will be his first event at the .75-mile oval.
“I’m very excited,” Pollard said via press release. “I really don’t know what to expect as it’s all very new to us, but I’m very thankful for the opportunity that Rheem and JR Motorsports have given me. I hope we can make the most of it. I’ve never had any laps at Richmond and I haven’t driven an Xfinity car, so it’s all going to be new.”
Wallace joins a series of drivers, like Josh Berry and Carson Kvapil, who were awarded grassroots opportunities by JR Motorsports.
.@bubbapollard26 will make his @NASCAR_Xfinity debut for @JRMotorsports at @RichmondRaceway! #NASCARRegional pic.twitter.com/b40kTbFf92
— NASCAR Regional (@NASCARRegional) February 29, 2024
Starting Lineup for NASCAR Xfinity Series’ The LiUNA!
Here is a look at the lineup for Saturday’s NASCAR Xfinity Series’ The LiUNA! at Las Vegas Motor Speedway:
Starting Position, Driver, Car No., Team
- 1, Cole Custer, 00, Stewart-Haas Racing
- 2, Chandler Smith, 81, Joe Gibbs Racing
- 3, AJ Allmendinger, 16, Kaulig Racing
- 4, Parker Retzlaff, 31, Jordan Anderson Racing
- 5, Austin Hill, 21, Richard Childress Racing
- 6, Ryan Sieg, 39, RSS Racing
- 7, Parker Kligerman, 48, Big Machine Racing
- 8, Sammy Smith, 8, JR Motorsports
- 9, Sheldon Creed, 18, Joe Gibbs Racing
- 10, AJ Almirola, 19, Joe Gibbs Racing
- 11, Riley Herbst, 98, Stewart-Haas Racing
- 12, John Hunter Nemechek, 20, Joe Gibbs Racing
- 13, Brandon Jones, 9, JR Motorsports
- 14, Sam Mayer, 1, JR Motorsports
- 15, Jesse Love, 2, Richard Childress Racing
- 16, Corey Heim, 26, Sam Hunt Racing
- 17, Jeremy Clements, 51, Jeremy Clements Racing
- 18, Brennan Poole, 44, Alpha Prime Racing
- 19, Leland Honeyman, 42, Young’s Motorsports
- 20, Kyle Weatherman, 91, DGM Racing
- 21, Jeb Burton, 27, Jordan Anderson Racing
- 22, JJ Yeley, 14, SS GreenLight Racing
- 23, Ryan Ellis, 43, Alpha Prime Racing
- 24, BJ McLeod, 78, B.J. McLeod Motorsports
- 25, Shane van Gisbergen, 97, Kaulig Racing
- 26, Dawson Cram, 4, JD Motorsports
- 27, Kyle Sieg, 28, RSS Racing
- 28, Hailie Deegan, 15, AM Racing
- 29, Blaine Perkins, 29, RSS Racing
- 30, Patrick Emerling, 07, SS GreenLight Racing
- 31, Nick Leitz, 92, DGM Racing
- 32, Josh Williams, 11, Kaulig Racing
- 33, Garrett Smithley, 6, JD Motorsports
- 34, CJ McLaughlin, 38, RSS Racing
- 35, Sage Karam, 32, Jordan Anderson Racing
- 36, Justin Allgaier, 7, JR Motorsports
- 37, Anthony Alfredo, 5, Our Motorsports
- 38, Joey Case, 35, Joey Case Motorsports
It’s a Cole world ☝️@ColeCuster | #LiUNARace pic.twitter.com/1dEVcY9mQ7
— Las Vegas Motor Speedway (@LVMotorSpeedway) March 2, 2024
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