On-Track Recap: Friday Night Sessions
Practice: Jeb Burton (#27) led the session with a top speed of 129.832 mph, followed by Austin Hill and Dean Thompson. Sam Mayer (#41) missed the first half of practice due to a power steering issue, while Dean Thompson reported a plug-wire concern that was quickly cleared.
Qualifying: Taylor Gray (#54) secured his fourth career pole with a 27.535s lap, narrowly edging out reigning champion Jesse Love by 0.010 seconds. JGR showed significant depth, putting three drivers (Gray, Brandon Jones, Brent Crews) in the top five.
Technical Section: Tire & Package Update
O'Reilly Series teams are debuting a new left-side tire (D-6142) featuring a revised tread rubber compound. This change is designed to promote more fall-off and better racing between cars, mirroring the refinements made to the Cup package.
The short-track aero package (3-inch spoiler, reduced diffuser strakes) was tested in practice with teams focusing on the 1-2 sec/lap degradation expected over long runs. Throttle control through the dogleg remains the primary passing tactic.
Official Starting Grid (Top 10)
| Row | Pos | No. | Driver | Team |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | 1 | 54 | Taylor Gray | Joe Gibbs Racing |
| 1 | 2 | 2 | Jesse Love | Richard Childress Racing |
| 2 | 3 | 20 | Brandon Jones | Joe Gibbs Racing |
| 2 | 4 | 96 | Anthony Alfredo | Viking Motorsports |
| 3 | 5 | 19 | Brent Crews * | Joe Gibbs Racing |
| 3 | 6 | 88 | William Byron (i) | JR Motorsports |
| 4 | 7 | 8 | Sammy Smith | JR Motorsports |
| 4 | 8 | 17 | Corey Day | Hendrick Motorsports |
| 5 | 9 | 27 | Jeb Burton | Jordan Anderson Racing |
| 5 | 10 | 28 | Kyle Sieg | RSS Racing |
* Brent Crews was the fastest qualifying rookie. Justin Allgaier starts 17th.