AUSTIN, Texas — Eighteen-year-old rookie Connor Zilisch won the pole for Saturday’s Focused Health 250 NASCAR Xfinity Series race at Circuit of the Americas.
Driving the JR Motorsports No. 88 Chevrolet, Zilisch ran a lap of 97.262 seconds at 88.832 mph to nip teammate Ross Chastain, who turned in a lap at 97.446 seconds.
It was Zilisch’s second Xfinity Series pole in what will be his seventh race in the series. He also won the pole in NASCAR Craftsman Truck Series action at COTA last year.
Chevrolet drivers swept the top five qualifying spots with William Byron third for Hendrick Motorsports and JR Motorsports drivers Justin Allgaier and Carson Kvapil completing the top five.
Toyota rookie Corey Heim was sixth, ahead of Joe Gibbs Racing Toyota driver Taylor Gray and the fastest Ford of Sam Mayer, who was eighth.
