CHICAGO — Cole Custer took pole for Saturday’s Xfinity Series race at Chicago’s urban course.
“It’s huge. We’re in Chicago. Buildings right there. When we got here, it was the coolest thing in NASCAR since I don’t even know since when,” an excited Custer told Kim Coon from NBC Sports after earning his fourth pole of the season and second in a row.
“Our guys are firing on all cylinders. … This program is working really well right now. We just have to keep it rolling through to the playoffs.”
Custer said he only went one lap in the final qualifying round because he felt like he might be wrecked in the second round.
Custer took pole with a 90.421-second (87.590 mph) lap around the 12-turn, 2.2-mile urban course.
Sheldon Creed (87.573 mph) qualified second but bounced off the wall in Turn 8 and damaged his car. He will need to start at the back to get to a backup car or to make repairs to his main car.
John Hunter Nemechek (87.308) qualified third and was followed by Connor Mosack (87.016) and Austin Hill (86.597).
Today’s race is set to go green at 5:21 p.m. ET on USA Network.
Jeffrey Earnhardt, Dexter Bean, Joey Gase, Dexter Stacey and Dawson Cram did not qualify.