Taylor Gray secured the pole position for Saturday’s GOVX 200 at Phoenix Raceway, marking a major milestone in his second full season in the NASCAR O’Reilly Auto Parts Series. After narrowly missing out on a pole last November, Gray posted a lap time of 27.535 seconds (130.743 mph) during Friday’s qualifying session, placing his No. 54 Operation 300 Toyota GR Supra at the top of the speed chart.
Details from the Intense Qualifying Session
Driving for Joe Gibbs Racing, Gray earned his fourth career pole in NASCAR’s second-tier series during a single-car qualifying session. The margin for the top spot was razor-thin, as defending series champion Jesse Love came within a hundredth of a second of overtaking him late in the session. Love will start alongside Gray on the front row, racing the recently revealed No. 2 Distributor Wire & Cable Chevrolet Camaro for Richard Childress Racing.
I honestly felt like our car was really good on the long run, too, so that’s a really good feeling, especially after you’ve had a really good qualifying pace,
said Taylor Gray.
Really proud of Jason Ratcliff and all of the No. 54 boys, we brought a really fast Operation 300 Toyota GR Supra. So, excited to get to the race tomorrow and race for the win.
I know, I was a little nervous because my buddy Jesse [Love] pretty much had me, I think, but, yeah,
Gray added. The pole also marks the 250th achieved by Joe Gibbs Racing in the O’Reilly Auto Parts Series.
Strong Qualifying Efforts from Other Contenders
Anthony Alfredo put in a notably strong performance to claim fourth place, delivering the best-ever qualifying result for Viking Motorsports. Alfredo will also compete in Sunday’s NASCAR Cup Series event at Phoenix, filling in for Alex Bowman. Brent Crews, in just his second O’Reilly Auto Parts Series start and driving the No. 19 Toyota GR Supra for Joe Gibbs Racing, secured a solid top-five position.
The rest of the top 10 in qualifying included William Byron, Sammy Smith, Corey Day, Jeb Burton, and Kyle Sieg, while drivers like Sam Mayer, Austin Hill, Carson Kvapil, William Sawalich, Sheldon Creed, and Justin Allgaier rounded out the competitive midfield. Notably, two drivers, Josh Williams and Blake Lothian, failed to qualify for the race.
Official Starting Lineup for the NASCAR O’Reilly Auto Parts Series GOVX 200
1. #54 – Taylor Gray
2. #2 – Jesse Love
3. #20 – Brandon Jones
4. #96 – Anthony Alfredo
5. #19 – Brent Crews
6. #88 – William Byron
7. #8 – Sammy Smith
8. #17 – Corey Day
9. #27 – Jeb Burton
10. #28 – Kyle Sieg
11. #24 – Harrison Burton
12. #41 – Sam Mayer
13. #21 – Austin Hill
14. #1 – Carson Kvapil
15. #18 – William Sawalich
16. #00 – Sheldon Creed
17. #7 – Justin Allgaier
18. #39 – Ryan Sieg
19. #25 – Nick Sanchez
20. #44 – Brennan Poole
21. #51 – Jeremy Clements
22. #0 – Garrett Smithley
23. #26 – Dean Thompson
24. #5 – Chandler Smith
25. #32 – Rajah Caruth
26. #31 – Blaine Perkins
27. #87 – Austin Green
28. #48 – Patrick Staropoli
29. #52 – Daniel Dye
30. #45 – Lavar Scott
31. #99 – Parker Retzlaff
32. #42 – Nathan Byrd
33. #07 – Josh Bilicki
34. #30 – Austin J. Hill
35. #55 – Joey Gase
36. #74 – Dawson Cram
37. #91 – Mason Maggio
38. #02 – Ryan Ellis
DNQ: #92 – Josh Williams
DNQ: #35 – Blake Lothian
Looking Ahead to the Race
Taylor Gray’s pole-winning lap sets an optimistic tone for the GOVX 200 at Phoenix Raceway, where he aims to convert his qualifying speed into a victory. His strong showing, backed by experienced crew chief Jason Ratcliff and the competitive Joe Gibbs Racing team, highlights Gray’s growth within the NASCAR O’Reilly Auto Parts Series. The close challenge from Jesse Love promises an intense battle in the upcoming race, while other frontrunners like Anthony Alfredo and Brent Crews could further shake up the competition.
With a packed field and fierce rivals pushing hard, Saturday’s race in Avondale, Arizona, is shaping up to be an exciting test of skill and strategy as drivers seek to gain valuable points in the series. Fans will be watching closely to see if Gray’s qualifying momentum carries through to race day and how the drivers who narrowly missed the front row adjust their approach.
It's Taylor's time!@Taylor_Gray wins the pole for Saturday's race in Phoenix. pic.twitter.com/PzuIMfKKzg
— NASCAR O’Reilly Auto Parts (@NASCAROReillyAP) March 7, 2026
