Search
Close this search box.

Partner

Sammy Smith Leads Joe Gibbs Racing-Dominated Practice from Phoenix Raceway

share it
Facebook
Twitter
LinkedIn
Reddit
Sammy Smith led the way in Friday’s NASCAR Xfinity Series practice from Phoenix Raceway, leading a Joe Gibbs Racing sweep of the top-three sports. PC: Lesley Ann Miller | LAT Images | Courtesy of Toyota Racing

It’s been a strong weekend for Sammy Smith thus far at Phoenix Raceway, leading NASCAR Xfinity Series practice on Friday, just hours after capturing the victory in the ARCA Menards Series West event at the one-mile facility.

The Joe Gibbs Racing driver, despite not being eligible for the Xfinity Series driver’s or owner’s championship, is seeking out his first victory in the second-tier series, after multiple close calls, including last week where he was spun while leading at Martinsville.

Smith led a sweep of the top-three positions for Joe Gibbs Racing, posting a time of 27.454 seconds (131.128) to lead the session over Brandon Jones, whose chances at a championship were derailed because of a last-lap move by Ty Gibbs at Martinsville.

Gibbs rounded out the podium positions in third place, the highest of the fourth drivers still eligible to capture the NASCAR Xfinity Series championship in Sunday’s event at Phoenix Raceway.

Daniel Hemric and Riley Herbst completed the top five on the time sheets from the 50-minute session, with AJ Allmendinger, Alex Labbe, Ryan Sieg, Nick Sanchez, and Kyle Weatherman completing the top-10.

Justin Allgaier, Noah Gragson, and Josh Berry – the three JR Motorsports teammates also in the fight for the championship alongside Ty Gibbs – clocked in 12th through 14th, with the fastest lap nearly a quarter-second slower than the No. 54.

The 50-minute practice session featured a pair of stoppages for incidents on track, one by Matt Mills, who spun his No. 5 on-track near the front end of the session, and the other by Joe Graf Jr, who made significant contact with the wall in the closing minutes of the practice.

Practice Results:

Practice Results: 2022 NASCAR Xfinity Series Championship Race

Leave a Reply

Your email address will not be published. Required fields are marked *

Latest Post

Gio Ruggiero TRICON Garage NASCAR Craftsman Truck Series
Gio Ruggiero Earns Second Career Truck Pole at Talladega
DB_Dega_Cup_Race_Suarez-2
Five Non-Playoff Drivers Who Could Sneak into Victory Lane at Talladega
69c-Casey-Mears-XAC-980x980
Casey Mears Making 600th NASCAR Start with Truck Debut at Martinsville
kyle busch richard childress racing crew chief jim pohlman
Jim Pohlman Named 2026 Crew Chief for Kyle Busch, RCR
brenden queen nascar xfinity series kaulig racing nascar craftsman truck series ram
Brenden Queen Named First RAM 1500 Driver for Kaulig Racing
After a rough weekend at Las Vegas, Ryan Blaney is channeling 'Macho Man' Randy Savage as he hopes the cream rises at Talladega.
The Cream Will Rise: Blaney Leans on "Macho Man" Mindset Ahead of Talladega

Join Our Newsletter

Ready to have NASCAR news hand-delivered to your email daily?

Related Article