NASCAR Xfinity Series Championship Race Practice Results (Phoenix)

The NASCAR Xfinity Series Playoffs have whittled the field contending for the championship down to four drivers, and led by Connor Zilisch, the remaining four are showing you exactly the reason they made it this far.

Connor Zilisch, driver of the No. 88 WeatherTech Chevrolet for JR Motorsports, paced NASCAR Xfinity Series practice from Phoenix Raceway on Friday, with a lap time of 28.045 seconds, leading the session over Brenden Queen (the 2025 ARCA Menards Series champion) and fellow Championship 4 contender, and best friend, Jesse Love.

Love was not only the third-quickest in the session overall, but also had the best 5-lap, 10-lap, and 15-lap average in the session, which could set the Richard Childress Racing driver up for a chance to play spoiler in Saturday’s NASCAR Xfinity Series Championship Race at Phoenix Raceway.

Corey Day was fourth-quickest in the session, while Austin Hill, one of the four teams involved in the NASCAR Xfinity Series Owner’s Championship battle, rounded out the top-five for Richard Childress Racing.

Sammy Smith was sixth, with Aric Almirola sitting just behind him in seventh. Almirola, just like Hill, isn’t invovled in the Driver’s Championship, but is attempting to bring his team to a NASCAR Xfinity Series Owner’s Championship.

Brandon Jones was eighth quickest in the session, with Jeb Burton in ninth, and Nick Sanchez rounding out the top-10. Two of the three JR Motorsports drivers still in the hunt for the NASCAR Xfinity Series title, Justin Allgaier, and Carson Kvapil, ended up being 14th and 15th in the session.

The only incident in the session came at the very end, when Daniel Dye blew a tire and crashed into the wall. Dye, who will be moving to the NASCAR Craftsman Truck Series next season with Kaulig Racing and RAM, was checked and released from the infield care center.

PRACTICE RESULTS: