William Sawalich earned the pole position for Saturday’s Tennessee Lottery 250 at Nashville Superspeedway, signaling a potential shift in momentum for his NASCAR Xfinity Series season. The Joe Gibbs Racing driver from Eden Prairie, Minnesota, captured the top starting spot with a lap time of 30.860 seconds, reaching speeds of 155.152 mph, ahead of the race set for July 1.
A Closer Look at Sawalich’s Performance and Starting Grid
Despite a challenging start to his rookie NASCAR Xfinity Series campaign, with Sawalich currently ranked 24th in the points standings, this pole marks a notable milestone. It is his second career pole, following his first at last year’s Phoenix Raceway finale. Driving the Starkey-sponsored No. 18 Toyota GR Supra, Sawalich outpaced experienced competitor Austin Hill, who qualified second in the No. 21 Chevrolet for Richard Childress Racing.
Top Contenders Lining Up Behind Sawalich
The rest of the front row is led by Austin Hill, while Sam Mayer will start third. Justin Allgaier and Sheldon Creed round out the top five starters. Filling out the top 10 are Carson Kvapil, Nick Sanchez, Aric Almirola, Ross Chastain, and Connor Zilisch. Other notable drivers such as Ryan Sieg, Christian Eckes, Brandon Jones, Sammy Smith, and Jesse Love are positioned just outside the top 10.
Additional Race Details and Starting Positions
Kyle Sieg, who led practice sessions earlier in the day, will begin the race in 28th place. From the initial entry list of 40 drivers, two—Katherine Legge from Jordan Anderson Racing and Glen Reen of Joey Gase Motorsports—did not make the starting field. The Tennessee Lottery 250 will commence at 7:00 PM ET and will be broadcast on The CW, PRN, and SiriusXM NASCAR Radio Channel 90.
The Road Ahead for Sawalich and the NASCAR Xfinity Series Drivers
Sawalich’s pole-winning lap provides a confident note as he seeks to improve his standing in the NASCAR Xfinity Series this season. With the field tightly packed and several experienced drivers among his competitors, the race at Nashville promises to be pivotal in shaping the remainder of the campaign. The spotlight will stay on Sawalich to see if this strong qualifying performance can translate into a significant race result and signal a career turnaround.
