20-year-old Parker Retzlaff bags Xfinity Series pole a week after 17-year-old Connor Zillisch bagged Truck Series Pole in debut

NASCAR Xfinity Series ToyotaCare 250 - Qualifying
Parker Retzlaff in the NASCAR Xfinity Series ToyotaCare 250 - Qualifying (Photo by Jonathan Bachman/Getty Images)

Jordan Anderson Racing driver Parker Retzlaff claimed his first NASCAR pole position for the ToyotaCare 250 Xfinity race at Richmond Raceway, scheduled this Saturday, March 30.

The 20-year-old Rhinelander, Wisconsin native's first Xfinity pole position also marked a significant milestone for Jordan Anderson Racing, as it recorded its best qualifying position to date. His stellar qualifying result came a week after 17-year-old Trackhouse Racing prodigy Connor Zillisch, stormed to pole position in the Truck race at COTA.

Parker Retzlaff topped the timing sheets with a speed of 120.428 mph around the 0.75-mile oval. He will lead the pack to the green flag for the ToyotaCare 250, with #9 JR Motorsports driver Brandon Jones sharing the front row with him.

Parker Retzlaff, in his #31 Jordan Anderson Racing Chevy, beat heavy hitters like Jones, Cole Custer, Chandler Smith and Justin Allgaier. Reigning Xfinity champion Custer and Smith share the second row, with Allgaier and Corey Heim, in the #26 Sam Hunt Racing Toyota, sharing the third.

Richard Childress Racing sensation Jesse Love starts eighth, beside veteran driver AJ Allmendinger. Sam Mayer and Joe Gibbs Racing driver Aric Almirola, returning for his third Xfinity outing, round off the top 10 qualifiers.

Notable drivers include Shane van Gisbergen in the 12th, Austin Hill in the 16th, and Hailie Deegan in the 24th position. Pole sitter Retzlaff's teammate Jeb Burton lines up in the 21st position.

Short track veteran Bubba Pollard is set to make his Xfinity debut in the #88 Chevy for JR Motorsports. He will take the green flag from the last row.

Watch Parker Retzlaff leading the field to the green flag in the ToyotaCare 250, at 1:45 PM ET. You can catch the action live on FS1, MRN and SiriusXM Radio.


Parker Retzlaff reflects on his maiden pole position

The 20-year-old NASCAR Xfinity driver scored a top-10 finish in his second start at Richmond Raceway in 2022.

Reflecting on his pole position at the same track two years later, Parker Retzlaff expressed that it felt like coming full circle. He said in the post-session interview:

"It feels great. This was a place that I’ve had circled since we started the year. Last year, we didn’t practice or qualify, so I felt like we struggled a little bit more. This is where it all basically started for me two years ago. So, it’s all kind of come full circle for us to get our first pole here."

Retzlaff kicked off his season with two top-five results, scoring a career-best third-place finish at the season opener in Daytona. A top-two result this weekend in Richmond would mark a new best result for the 20-year-old.

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