Shane van Gisbergen‘s first NASCAR Xfinity Series race on the Chicago street course will start from the pole.
The New Zealander turned the fastest lap overall in two-round qualifying with a speed of 88.543 mph. Van Gisbergen, a two-time winner on road courses in 2024, won his second pole of the season in the No. 97 Chevrolet for Kaulig Racing.
NASCAR Cup Series points leader Kyle Larson drove his No. 17 Hendrick Motorsports Chevrolet to second, sharing the front row with van Gisbergen in his second start of the Xfinity Series season. Larson’s clocked in at 88.53 mph on his fastest lap.
JR Motorsport’s Connor Mosack will make his first start of the 2024 Xfinity Series season in third, and Ty Gibbs, the fastest Toyota in the field, will start fourth. Sam Mayer rounded out the top five.
John Hunter Nemechek and Parker Kligerman finished qualifying sixth and seventh respectively, but both drivers will start at the rear due to engine-related issues prior to practice that forced both teams to make changes.
Jesse Love, Chandler Smith and Cole Custer, the fastest Ford and defending winner at Chicago, completed the top 10.
Justin Allgaier was involved in a turn four crash during practice. Allgaier hit the tire barrier in his No. 7 JR Motorsports Chevrolet, and the Alpha Prime Racing No. 45 of Alon Day barreled into him moments later just as the red flag was displayed, opening the driver-side door of Day. Allgaier will use his backup car, and Day did not qualify for the race.
“Getting into turn four, there’s actually a spot where you leave the ground, and I started sliding,” Allgaier said. “Unfortunately, once I was sliding, there’s kind of nothing you can do for it.
“Once we got into the tire barrier, my guys were giving me good communication on who was coming, how things were going. You’re not gonna reverse out of the traffic and unfortunately just got clobbered.”
Sam Hunt Racing’s Sage Karam was another driver who found misfortune in practice. Karam’s No. 26 Toyota Supra spun, hitting the turn six tire barrier, causing the team to use their backup car and not make a lap in qualifying.
Another Toyota driver, Sheldon Creed, had engine problems during practice, barring him from setting a qualifying lap in his No. 18 Joe Gibbs Racing Toyota. Creed was ninth-fastest in practice prior to qualifying.
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