Sawalich Tops ARCA Practice Charts At Talladega

William Sawalich (18) leads a group of cars Friday at Talladega Superspeedway. (Jacob Seelman/Race Face Digital photo)

TALLADEGA, Ala. – Joe Gibbs Racing’s William Sawalich led a brief ARCA Menards Series practice session Friday at Talladega Superspeedway in advance of the General Tire 200.

Driving the No. 18 Starkey Toyota, Sawalich topped the speed charts with a lap of 53.142 seconds (180.196 mph). He was one of five drivers to top the 180-mph threshold at the 2.66-mile oval.

After coming up one spot short to teammate Brent Crews in last week’s ARCA Menards Series East stop at Rockingham (N.C.) Speedway, Sawalich hopes to land in victory lane this weekend and gain valuable track time ahead of the NASCAR Xfinity Series Ag-Pro 300.

Both the ARCA and Xfinity Series races at Talladega are being run Saturday as a doubleheader program.

The No. 18 JGR squad won the most recent race on the national ARCA Menards Series schedule with Crews back in March at Arizona’s Phoenix Raceway. Talladega is race three of 20 for the national tour.

Rev Racing’s Lavar Scott was second overall in Friday practice at 53.155 seconds (180.152 mph) in the No. 6 Chevrolet, followed by modified standout Andy Jankowiak in third at 53.168 seconds (180.108 mph).

Series point leader Brenden ‘Butterbean’ Queen (53.175/180.084) and Jason Kitzmiller (53.193/180.023) were fourth and fifth fastest, respectively.

Defending Talladega winner Jake Finch, who started from pole and led every lap a year ago, was sixth in practice and starts sixth for Saturday’s race in one of four Venturini Motorsports entries.

Isabella Robusto, Amber Balcaen, Garrett Mitchell – known by his online persona Cleetus McFarland – and Steve Lewis Jr. closed the top 10 in the practice rankings.

Thirty-five of the 38 drivers entered for Saturday’s race turned at least one timed lap Friday. The format for practice was a maximum of six laps, with drivers separated into groups of six to seven cars each.

As has been the case in recent years for the ARCA Menards Series at Talladega, there will not be a formal General Tire Pole Qualifying session held, as a cost-saving and logistical measure for teams.

The starting lineup will be set by car owner points from the 2024 season, putting Sawalich on the pole alongside Lawless Alan, who was 23rd in practice in Venturini Motorsports’ No. 20 Toyota, which was second in the final owner’s standings last year behind the JGR No. 18.

Broadcast coverage of Saturday’s General Tire 200 at Talladega is slated for 12:30 p.m. ET, live on FS1, select affiliates of the Motor Racing Network, and SiriusXM NASCAR Radio, channel 90.