CONCORD, N.C. -- Regular-season champion AJ Allmendinger won the pole for Saturday afternoon’s Xfinity Series playoff race at the Charlotte Motor Speedway Roval.
Allmendinger, a road-course ace, ran a lap at 102.235 miles per hour. A close second was Ty Gibbs at 102.144.
MORE: Charlotte Xfinity qualifying results
MORE: Charlotte Xfinity starting lineup
Completing the top five were Daniel Hemric, Sheldon Creed and Justin Allgaier.
Allmendinger and Noah Gragson have locked up spots in the next round of the playoffs. Hemric, Riley Herbst, Brandon Jones and Jeremy Clements are below the cutline entering Saturday’s race.
Danlil Kvyat (24th) and Marco Andretti (30th) will be making their Xfinity debuts.
The race (3 p.m. ET) will be broadcast by NBC.