Xfinity Series: IAA and Ritchie Bros. 250 at Martinsville Speedway, Starting Lineup

The paperwork clutter at Martinsville Speedway tells a story that every NASCAR fan needs to hear. Harrison Burton grabbed the pole for Saturday’s IAA and Ritchie Bros. 250, but that’s just the beginning of what promises to be an absolutely heart-stopping afternoon of championship racing.

Let’s face it, our hands are all still shaking from watching Burton lay down that blistering 19.843-second lap in qualifying. Burton beat Carson Kvapil by less than a hundredth of a second. We’re talking about margins so thin they’d make a razor blade jealous. That kind of precision under pressure? That’s what championship moments are made of.

Starting Lineup Drama That’ll Keep You on Edge

This isn’t your typical Saturday afternoon NASCAR race, folks. This is elimination territory, where dreams get crushed and legends get born. Looking at this starting lineup, you can practically feel the tension radiating through your television screen. Harrison Burton starting from the pole position in that No. 25 AM Racing Ford is exciting. The Burton name carries weight in NASCAR, and Harrison’s been proving all season that he belongs in the conversation with the sport’s elite.

Watching him work through traffic from the front row is going to be pure poetry in motion. Carson Kvapil rolling off second in that JR Motorsports Chevrolet brings a different kind of energy to this starting lineup. JR Motorsports knows how to win championships. They’ve got that championship DNA flowing through every bolt and gasket in their operation. When you see that No. 1 car lined up near the front, you know something special is about to happen.

But here’s where things get really interesting: Aric Almirola is starting third. This veteran has been through championship battles that would break lesser drivers, and he’s bringing all that experience to Joe Gibbs Racing. The man knows how to handle pressure better than anyone in the field, and starting that close to the front puts him in a prime position to make moves when it matters most.

IAA and Ritchie Bros. 250 at Martinsville Speedway

Xfinity Series: Starting Lineup

• 1  Harrison Burton, No. 25 (AM Racing, Ford)
• 2. Carson Kvapil, No. 1  (JR Motorsports, Chevrolet)
• 3. Aric Almirola, No.19 (Joe Gibbs Racing, Toyota)
• 4. Justin Allgaier, No. 7 (JR Motorsports, Chevrolet)
• 5. Sheldon Creed, No. 00 (Haas Factory Team, Ford)
• 6. Austin Hill, No. 21 (Richard Childress Racing, Chevrolet)
• 7. Ryan Sieg, No. 39 (RSS Racing, Ford)
• 8. Brenden Queen, No. 11 (Kaulig Racing, Chevrolet)
• 9. Christian Eckes, NO. 16 (Kaulig Racing, Chevrolet)
• 10. Parker Retzlaff, No. 4 (Alpha Prime Racing, Chevrolet)
• 11. Brandon Jones, No. 20 (Joe Gibbs Racing, Toyota)
• 12. Jeb Burton, No. 27 (Jordan Anderson Racing, Chevrolet)
• 13. Taylor Gray, No. 54 (Joe Gibbs Racing, Toyota)
• 14. Justin Bonsignore, No. 18 (Joe Gibbs Racing, Toyota)
• 15. Sammy Smith, No. 8 (JR Motorsports, Chevrolet)
• 16. Brennan Poole, No. 44 (Alpha Prime Racing, Chevrolet)
• 17. Blaine Perkins, No. 31 (Jordan Anderson Racing, Chevrolet)
• 18. Myatt Snider, No. 91 (DGM X JIM Racing, Chevrolet)
• 19. Nick Sanchez, No. 48 (Big Machine Racing, Chevrolet)
• 20. Thomas Annunziata, No. 70 (Cope Family Racing, Chevrolet)
• 21. Jesse Love, No. 2 (Richard Childress Racing, Chevrolet)
• 22. Daniel Dye, No. 10 (Kaulig Racing, Chevrolet)
• 23. Corey Day, No. 17 (Hendrick Motorsports, Chevrolet)
• 24. Sam Mayer, No. 41 (Haas Factory Team, Ford)
• 25. Ryan Ellis, No. 71 (DGM X JIM Racing, Chevrolet)
• 26. Connor Mosack, No. 88 (Viking Motorsports, Chevrolet)
• 27. Kyle Sieg, No. 28 (RSS Racing, Ford)
• 28. Brad Perez, No. 07 (SS GreenLight Racing, Chevrolet)
• 29. Anthony Alfredo, No. 42 (Young’s Motorsports, Chevrolet)
• 30. Dean Thompson, No. 26 (Sam Hunt Racing, Toyota)
• 31. Garrett Smithley, No. 14 (SS GreenLight Racing, Chevrolet)
• 32. Josh Williams, No. 45 (Alpha Prime Racing, Chevrolet)
• 33. Patrick Staropoli, No. 24 (Sam Hunt Racing, Toyota)
• 34. Mason Maggio, No. 43 (Joey Gase Motorsports, Ford)
• 35. Jeremy Clements, No. 51 (Jeremy Clements Racing, Chevrolet)
• 36. Takuma Koga, No. 35 (Joey Gase Motorsports, Toyota)
• 37. Austin Green, No. 32 (Jordan Anderson Racing, Chevrolet)
• 38. Connor Zilisch, No. 88 (JR Motorsports, Chevrolet)
  

Championship Contenders Ready to Battle

Justin Allgaier, sitting fourth in the No. 7 JR Motorsports machine, has my heart racing already. This is a driver who’s been knocking on the championship door for years, and you can sense the hunger in every interview, every practice session, every qualifying lap. The way he’s been wheeling that Chevrolet this season tells me he’s not settling for second place anymore.

The real storyline that has me completely captivated? Connor Zilisch started way back in 38th position after that practice incident. Here’s a kid who’s already locked into the Championship 4, but now he’s got to drive through the entire field at Martinsville, one of the most challenging tracks in NASCAR, to pass on. The pure determination it’s going to take to work his way forward is the kind of stuff that gives you goosebumps.

Track That Separates Champions from Pretenders

Martinsville Speedway doesn’t lie to you. This .526-mile paperclip exposes every weakness, every moment of doubt, every ounce of fear in a driver’s heart. The way these cars get bunched up, the way tempers flare, the way championship dreams can disappear in a cloud of tire smoke and twisted metal.

It’s NASCAR at its most raw and emotional. Starting positions 5 through 10 read like a who’s who of championship-caliber drivers: Sheldon Creed, Austin Hill, Ryan Sieg, Brenden Queen, Christian Eckes, and Parker Retzlaff. Each one of these competitors has something to prove, something to fight for, and the driving skill to back up their ambitions.

The depth of talent in this starting lineup is absolutely staggering. Brandon Jones in P11, Jeb Burton in 12th, and Taylor Gray in P13. These aren’t just names on a sheet of paper. These are drivers who’ve spent their entire lives preparing for moments exactly like these, and with one goal in mind to clinch a championship title.

Championship Stakes That Matter

What makes this starting lineup so compelling isn’t just the order.  It’s what’s at stake for every single driver. Some are fighting for their championship lives, others are positioning themselves for next season, and a few are just trying to prove they belong at this level. Watching Sammy Smith line up 15th in that No. 8 JR Motorsports Chevrolet reminds fans of how exciting yet unpredictable this sport is.

Here’s a young driver with raw talent and unlimited potential, ready to show the world what he’s made of on one of NASCAR’s biggest stages. The emotion, the pressure, the pure adrenaline rush of championship racing. It’s all right there in this starting lineup. Every position tells a story, every driver carries dreams, and every lap on Saturday is going to matter more than most people can imagine.