After missing out on pole position at Daytona two weeks ago, Jesse Love and Richard Childress Racing are back to form in NASCAR Xfinity Series superspeedway qualifying.
Love topped the charts once again in time trials from the 1.5-mile superspeedway-like racetrack, posting a lap of 31.927 seconds (173.646mph) to earn his fourth career pole in the second-tier series.
After winning the pole in his second-ever Xfinity Series event in February, Love has now won both pole positions from Atlanta this season, and three of the five possible superspeedway poles in the second-tier series this season.
Taylor Gray, driving the No. 19 Toyota GR Supra for Joe Gibbs Racing, will start on the outside of the front row for Saturday’s event, working with crew chief Tyler Allen, who was part of the winning team in the series’ last superspeedway at Daytona, where Ryan Truex got to Victory Lane.
Cole Custer, defending NASCAR Xfinity Series champion will start third, with Austin Hill, Love’s teammate at Richard Childress Racing, and Sheldon Creed completing the top-five. AJ Allmendinger, Ryan Truex, Chandler Smith, Riley Herbst, and Justin Allgaier were all fast enough to advance to the final round, and will start in the top-10.
STARTING LINEUP: NXS Focused Health 250 at Atlanta
Other notables include Sam Mayer (11th), Shane Van Gisbergen (12th), Ryan Sieg (14th), Parker Kligerman (16th), Brandon Jones (18th), and Sammy Smith (19th).
Kyle Weatherman will start shotgun on the field in his No. 91 Chevrolet Camaro, after suffering a flat tire during his time trials run, which forced the DGM Racing driver to abort his lap, instead of risking a wrecked racecar.
