While much of the upcoming weekend’s fanfare at Texas Motor Speedway is aimed at the NASCAR Cup Series’ All-Star Race on Sunday, the Xfinity and Camping World Truck Series have support events planned for Saturday. While A.J. Allmendinger starts on the pole for the former’s Alsco Uniforms 250, John Hunter Nemechek will do the same for the latter’s SpeedyCash.com 400.
Xfinity: Kaulig Racing front row
Last Saturday, Allmendinger led a Kaulig Racing 1–2 finish ahead of Justin Haley at Mid-Ohio. As a result, the two will make up the front row for Texas. It is Allmendinger’s second pole of the season after Darlington.
Kyle Busch starts fourteenth for his second Xfinity race of the year after winning at COTA, a fellow Texas track, in May. Other driver changes from Mid-Ohio include Garrett Smithley and Tanner Berryhill gearing up for their second races of 2021, Josh Berry returning to JR Motorsports‘ #8, Brandon Gdovic back with Sam Hunt Racing, Stefan Parsons with B.J. McLeod Motorsports, and MBM Motorsports shuffling the rotation to place Texas native David Starr and Matt Jaskol in the race.
With Berry heading back to JRM after scoring a top ten at Mid-Ohio for Jordan Anderson Racing, the team’s eponymous driver will finally run his first Xfinity race of the year after being locked out of the first ten rounds without qualifying. It will be Anderson’s first Xfinity start since Dover 2017.
Timmy Hill, who is running Sunday’s All-Star Open, and Dillon Bassett failed to qualify.
Start | Number | Driver | Team | Manufacturer |
1 | 16 | A.J. Allmendinger | Kaulig Racing | Chevrolet |
2 | 11 | Justin Haley | Kaulig Racing | Chevrolet |
3 | 19 | Brandon Jones | Joe Gibbs Racing | Toyota |
4 | 22 | Austin Cindric | Team Penske | Ford |
5 | 18 | Daniel Hemric | Joe Gibbs Racing | Toyota |
6 | 1 | Michael Annett | JR Motorsports | Chevrolet |
7 | 68 | Brandon Brown | Brandonbilt Motorsports | Chevrolet |
8 | 10 | Jeb Burton | Kaulig Racing | Chevrolet |
9 | 39 | Ryan Sieg | RSS Racing | Ford |
10 | 36 | Alex Labbé | DGM Racing | Chevrolet |
11 | 92 | Josh Williams | DGM Racing | Chevrolet |
12 | 98 | Riley Herbst | Stewart-Haas Racing | Ford |
13 | 48 | Jade Buford | Big Machine Racing | Chevrolet |
14 | 54 | Kyle Busch* | Joe Gibbs Racing | Toyota |
15 | 4 | Ryan Vargas | JD Motorsports | Chevrolet |
16 | 7 | Justin Allgaier | JR Motorsports | Chevrolet |
17 | 2 | Myatt Snider | Richard Childress Racing | Chevrolet |
18 | 20 | Harrison Burton | Joe Gibbs Racing | Toyota |
19 | 02 | Brett Moffitt | Our Motorsports | Chevrolet |
20 | 51 | Jeremy Clements | Jeremy Clements Racing | Chevrolet |
21 | 23 | Tanner Berryhill | Our Motorsports | Chevrolet |
22 | 6 | Landon Cassill | JD Motorsports | Chevrolet |
23 | 52 | Gray Gaulding | Jimmy Means Racing | Chevrolet |
24 | 5 | Matt Mills | B.J. McLeod Motorsports | Chevrolet |
25 | 78 | Jesse Little | B.J. McLeod Motorsports | Toyota |
26 | 15 | Colby Howard | JD Motorsports | Chevrolet |
27 | 17 | Garrett Smithley | SS-Green Light Racing | Toyota |
28 | 8 | Josh Berry | JR Motorsports | Chevrolet |
29 | 47 | Kyle Weatherman | Mike Harmon Racing | Chevrolet |
30 | 9 | Noah Gragson | JR Motorsports | Chevrolet |
31 | 66 | David Starr | MBM Motorsports | Toyota |
32 | 31 | Jordan Anderson* | Jordan Anderson Racing | Chevrolet |
33 | 0 | Jeffrey Earnhardt | JD Motorsports | Chevrolet |
34 | 26 | Brandon Gdovic | Sam Hunt Racing | Toyota |
35 | 07 | Joe Graf Jr. | SS-Green Light Racing | Chevrolet |
36 | 44 | Tommy Joe Martins | Martins Motorsports | Chevrolet |
37 | 99 | Stefan Parsons | B.J. McLeod Motorsports | Ford |
38 | 90 | Ronnie Bassett Jr. | DGM Racing | Ford |
39 | 74 | Bayley Currey* | Mike Harmon Racing | Chevrolet |
40 | 61 | Matt Jaskol | MBM Motorsports | Toyota |
* – Ineligible for Xfinity points
Truck: Points leader Nemechek on pole
After scoring his third win of the year two weeks ago in Charlotte, Nemechek will once again start on the pole for the fifth time in 2021. Ben Rhodes, who sits second in points and is fresh off making his Cup début on Sunday, starts second.
Carson Hocevar, after finishing a career-best second at Charlotte, ties his best starting spot to date of third; he first started in such a position at the Daytona Road Course in February.
Eleven trucks have different drivers from Charlotte including the presence of Cup drivers Chase Elliott and Ross Chastain. Berry will make his Rackley WAR début while Ray Ciccarelli prepares for his first start of the year. Although Anderson is listed in the #3 JAR truck, Howie DiSavino III will race while the owner/driver focuses on Xfinity.
For the third time in 2021, thirty-six drivers are entered, the lowest number so far.
Start | Number | Driver | Team | Manufacturer |
1 | 4 | John Hunter Nemechek | Kyle Busch Motorsports | Toyota |
2 | 99 | Ben Rhodes | ThorSport Racing | Toyota |
3 | 42 | Carson Hocevar | Niece Motorsports | Chevrolet |
4 | 38 | Todd Gilliland | Front Row Motorsports | Ford |
5 | 16 | Austin Hill | Hattori Racing Enterprises | Toyota |
6 | 52 | Stewart Friesen | Halmar Friesen Racing | Toyota |
7 | 21 | Zane Smith | GMS Racing | Chevrolet |
8 | 18 | Chandler Smith | Kyle Busch Motorsports | Toyota |
9 | 19 | Derek Kraus | McAnally-Hilgemann Racing | Toyota |
10 | 51 | Drew Dollar | Kyle Busch Motorsports | Toyota |
11 | 26 | Tyler Ankrum | GMS Racing | Chevrolet |
12 | 1 | Hailie Deegan | David Gilliland Racing | Ford |
13 | 22 | Austin Wayne Self | AM Racing | Chevrolet |
14 | 40 | Ryan Truex | Niece Motorsports | Chevrolet |
15 | 88 | Matt Crafton | ThorSport Racing | Toyota |
16 | 2 | Sheldon Creed | GMS Racing | Chevrolet |
17 | 13 | Johnny Sauter | ThorSport Racing | Toyota |
18 | 98 | Grant Enfinger | ThorSport Racing | Toyota |
19 | 02 | Kris Wright | Young’s Motorsports | Chevrolet |
20 | 15 | Tanner Gray | David Gilliland Racing | Ford |
21 | 04 | Cory Roper | Roper Racing | Ford |
22 | 24 | Chase Elliott* | GMS Racing | Chevrolet |
23 | 41 | Dawson Cram | Cram Racing Enterprises | Chevrolet |
24 | 45 | Ross Chastain* | Niece Motorsports | Chevrolet |
25 | 56 | Tyler Hill | Hill Motorsports | Chevrolet |
26 | 20 | Spencer Boyd | Young’s Motorsports | Chevrolet |
27 | 30 | Brennan Poole | On Point Motorsports | Toyota |
28 | 23 | Chase Purdy | GMS Racing | Chevrolet |
29 | 34 | Jesse Iwuji | Reaume Brothers Racing | Toyota |
30 | 3 | Howie DiSavino III | Jordan Anderson Racing | Chevrolet |
31 | 12 | Tate Fogleman | Young’s Motorsports | Chevrolet |
32 | 10 | Jennifer Jo Cobb | Jennifer Jo Cobb Racing | Ford |
33 | 25 | Josh Berry* | Rackley WAR | Chevrolet |
34 | 33 | Keith McGee | Reaume Brothers Racing | Chevrolet |
35 | 6 | Norm Benning | Norm Benning Racing | Chevrolet |
36 | 49 | Ray Ciccarelli | CMI Motorsports | Ford |
* – Ineligible for Truck points