Phoenix NXS Pole To Sawalich; Custer Best Of Title Quartet

William Sawalich celebrates the NASCAR Xfinity Series pole Saturday at Phoenix Raceway. (Ben Earp/NKP for Toyota Racing photo)

AVONDALE, Ariz. – In a qualifying session with varying strategies for the NASCAR Xfinity Series Championship 4, a teenager making just his third career start was the talk of the town.

Eighteen-year-old William Sawalich roared to the pole for the Xfinity Series championship race at Phoenix Raceway, touring the one-mile desert oval in 26.832 seconds (134.168 mph) with the No. 19 Starkey/Soundgear Toyota GR Supra for Joe Gibbs Racing.

It was just the latest standout moment for Sawalich at Phoenix, as he has two ARCA wins – one national and one ARCA West – at the track known as the Diamond in the Desert.

“For sure, this is a big deal, and I think we have a shot to win the race,” said Sawalich after his first Xfinity Series pole. “Our car was as fast as Xfinity internet for one lap already, and I can’t thank Seth (Chavka, crew chief) and all my guys enough for the work they’ve put in to get us in a good position to go racing.

“Really good lap there, but now we have to finish it off in the race and I know this team is capable.”

Sawalich will go full time in the Xfinity Series next year with JGR, driving the flagship No. 18 entry.

Joining Sawalich on the front row will be his teammate Sheldon Creed, who qualified second at 26.980 seconds (133.432 mph) in his final race for JGR before moving to Haas Factory Team for 2025.

Riley Herbst placed Stewart-Haas Racing third on the grid (27.070/132.989) in the team’s final race under its current guise, with Chandler Smith timing fourth best (27.085/132.915) to give JGR three of the top four starting positions.

Richard Childress Racing’s Austin Hill qualified fifth, best among the Championship 4 drivers, followed by rookie-of-the-year Jesse Love, Cole Custer, Sam Mayer, A.J. Allmendinger, and Parker Retzlaff.

Hill, Custer, and Allmendinger will have solid track position to start the championship decider, while the fourth member of the title-eligible quartet – Justin Allgaier – will not after being swept up in a practice crash on Friday afternoon.

Allgaier and Aric Almirola, who is racing for the owner’s championship for Joe Gibbs Racing, both elected to take pedestrian qualifying laps to save on tire wear knowing they’ll start at the tail of the field due to utilizing backup cars.

Allgaier timed in 37th and Almirola 38th at Phoenix, both drivers’ worst qualifying efforts of the season.

Broadcast coverage of the 200-mile Xfinity Series championship race at Phoenix is slated for 7:30 p.m. ET, live on The CW, the Motor Racing Network, and SiriusXM NASCAR Radio, channel 90.