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JR Motorsports driver Bubba Pollard has garnered praise from Noah Gragson and Connor Zilisch for his remarkable debut NASCAR Xfinity Series run.
The ToyotaCare 250 witnessed Chandler Smith sealing his second win of the 2024 season after dethroning Joe Gibbs Racing teammate Aric Almirola from the feat. Despite etching Stages 1 and 2 under his name, Almirola fell short of 4.495 seconds against the winner, settling his 250-lap run at P2.
Super Late Model star Bubba Pollard debuted at the Richmond Raceway, fielding the #88 Chevrolet for JR Motorsports. Pollard's time testing stint ended on a dismal note as the 37-year-old veteran took 23.947 seconds to complete a lap on the 0.75-mile track, starting his run from the rear of the pack. Nevertheless, the debutant rallied through the pack, coming home with an impressive P6 finish on his maiden Xfinity Series run.
Post the satisfactory outing, Bubba Pollard, his family, and the whole group, celebrated the debut feat. Among the people who congratulated the JR Motorsports driver were Noah Gragson and Connor Zilisch, who chimed in to wish him luck and joined the party on the pit road as the racer savored his weekend.
Here is the video of the celebration (via Matt Weaver on X):
Noah Gragson and Bubba Pollard's relationship dates back to 2019, when Pollard's cousin Phillip Bell was the car chief for Gragson when he used to drive for JRM. From that time, he and Bubba have become close friends.
Bubba Pollard reflects on his remarkable maiden achievement at Richmond
The sixth Xfinity Series weekend got done and dusted for the Georgian native, who came home with a top-10 finish on his first-ever NASCAR run.
Having the All-American 400, Rattler 250, World Crown 300, and the 2014 Southern Super Series championship in his arsenal has made Pollard a force to be reckoned with at the Super Late Model races. Regardless, having no experience in the NASCAR stock cars gave him a tough time.
The 37-year-old struggled with the brake package of his #88 Chevrolet Camaro for nearly the first half of the race. However, as he gained confidence in the working of the high-octane machine, Pollard showcased his driving prowess, swerving past his rivals for a noteworthy outing at the Richmond Raceway.
Post his enthralling run, Bubba Pollard outlined how one needs to be "disciplined" to successfully tame a stock car, saying:
"It was a lot of fun, I had to be patient...you can drive those Super cars, I'm so used to, you can drive them so hard each and every lap. You gotta really be disciplined to drive these things [Xfinity Series cars]. I've got a lot of respect for the guys that drive them each and every week. This is a pretty technical place. Gotta be smart."
