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Sammy Smith wins Las Vegas Xfinity Series pole over JR Motorsports teammates

JHby:Jonathan Howard•03/14/25•

Jondean25

Sammy Smith NASCAR Las Vegas
Mandatory Credit: Gary A. Vasquez-Imagn Images

Those JR Motorsports Chevrolets are looking great this afternoon. Sammy Smith finished ahead of a pair of teammates for the pole. Las Vegas is almost ready for NASCAR Xfinity Series action.

Sammy Smith is the quiet one among the JR Motorsports quartet. Carson Kvapil and Connor Zilisch have grabbed early headlines. All eyes are on reigning champion Justin Allgaier. Then there is Smith, waiting for his moment.

Las Vegas may be that moment for Sammy. He has that classic No. 8 DEI font on the front row. Kvapil will start next to him in P2. Zilisch qualified P3. Allgaier qualified P6. Lots of fast JRM cars in this race. The full qualifying results are still being made official.

There is going to be a lot of fast cars coming up through the field tomorrow. Of course, there are many already in the front of the field as well. Here is the full starting lineup via Bob Pockrass of FOX Sports.

Notice that Jeb Burton is in the top-10. William Sawalich had a good qualifying run. There are five rookies in the top-10 of the starting lineup. That is incredibly impressive, it shows how talented that crop of drivers is.

We have been treated to great performances and races this season. Las Vegas could be the best yet. This intermediate track will let these drivers race around and pick where they want to drive. Finding the fastest line around the track on your tires late in the race will be key during a long green flag run.

A chance of a late restart for the win is also possible. Either way, expect this track to deliver.

Sammy Smith looking for first win of the season

Winning a race early in the season would be a great thing for Sammy Smith. Locking into the playoffs early sets the tone for the rest of the year. However, we have seen him do that in the past and not make much of it.

The main goal for Smith this season should be to finish the season as strong as he starts the season. He has had trouble going through the playoffs. We also have to remember that he is only 20 years old and is still developing.

There is a lot of hype around Smith’s abilities. He is seen as a driver who could become the face of an organization. Starting on the pole in Las Vegas is the first check on the list. Now the No. 8 team has to go into Saturday and get the job done in the race.