Denny Hamlin wins XFINITY Series pole at Richmond

The Joe Gibbs Racing driver led all three qualifying rounds

RELATED: Full qualifying results

After propelling his No. 20 car around Richmond International Raceway at 124.069 mph, Denny Hamlin earned his first XFINITY Series Coors Light Pole Award of the season. The Joe Gibbs Racing driver had seen plenty of speed all day at Richmond, leading all three qualifying rounds and posting the fastest speed in practice earlier today. This marks Hamlin’s 17th XFINITY career pole, with his last pole in the series coming in 2012 at Phoenix International Raceway.

On Hamlin’s heels was fellow Sprint Cup regular Joey Logano, who piloted the No. 22 Team Penske Ford around the short track at 124.018 mph.

Erik Jones, Hamlin’s Joe Gibbs Racing teammate and his replacement in the No. 11 Sprint Cup car last week at Bristol, posted the third-fastest speed (122.984 mph), while Richard Petty Motorsports‘ Aric Almirola qualified fourth. Rounding out the top five was Richard Childress Racing‘s Brian Scott at 122.783 mph.

Reigning Sprint Cup champion Kevin Harvick, who is piloting the No. 88 Chevrolet for JR Motorsports tonight, will roll off the grid sixth, while his teammate and 2014 XFINITY champion Chase Elliott will start behind him in seventh.

Johanna Long and Morgan Shepherd did not qualify for the race.

The ToyotaCare 250 is scheduled for 7:30 p.m. ET tonight and will be televised on FOX Sports 1.

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