For the first time in his short NASCAR Xfinity Series career, Taylor Gray is set to lead the field to the green-flag, winning the pole for Saturday’s Hard Rock Bet 300 at Homestead-Miami Speedway.
The native of Denver, North Carolina posted the quickest time in Saturday’s single-vehicle qualifying session from the 1.5-mile facility, laying down a time of 33.064 seconds (163.320mph) to secure the top spot.
For Gray, it’s not just the first pole position in the NASCAR Xfinity Series, but also the first time the Joe Gibbs Racing rookie has scored a pole position in any of NASCAR’s National Series.
The 19-year-old driver will start alongside fellow Rookie of The Year (ROTY) contender Connor Zilisch, who placed his No. 88 WeatherTech Chevrolet on the outside of the front row for Saturday’s 200-lap contest in Miami, Florida.
STARTING LINEUP: Hard Rock Bet 300 at Homestead
Nick Sanchez completed a rookie sweep of the podium positions, qualifying a career-best third in the No. 48 Chevrolet for Big Machine Racing.
Defending NASCAR Xfinity Series champion Justin Allgaier was the only series veteran to qualify inside the top five, with Christian Eckes slotting into fifth for Kaulig Racing. It’s the first time in NASCAR Xfinity Series history that four rookies have qualified inside the top five.
Sam Mayer was sixth, with Justin Bonsignore qualifying seventh in his first Xfinity Series start on an intermediate racetrack. Ryan Sieg, Sheldon Creed, and Matt DiBenedetto completed the top-10.
Ty Dillon, who was tapped to practice and qualify the No. 11 Kaulig Racing Chevrolet, in place of Josh Williams, posted the 11th-quickest lap time. However, the plan is for Williams to take the green flag with Dillon on standby.
Other notables include William Sawalich (13th), Carson Kvapil (14th), Sammy Smith (15th), Kyle Larson (17th), Jesse Love (20th), Austin Hill (21st), Daniel Dye (30th), and Brandon Jones (38th)
Dawson Cram, driving the No. 74 Chevrolet for Mike Harmon Racing, was the lone driver who failed to qualify for Saturday’s Hard Rock Bet 300 at Homestead-Miami Speedway.
