Crayon 301: Bell Back on Top with Pole Position
Defending New Hampshire Motor Speedway champion puts No. 20 Toyota in front for Sunday’s race.
LOUDON, N.H. – Defending champion Christopher Bell earned the pole position during qualifying for Sunday’s Crayon 301 NASCAR Cup Series (NCS) race at New Hampshire Motor Speedway (NHMS) on Saturday.
Bell, driving the No. 20 Toyota for Joe Gibbs Racing, posted a lap of 124.781 mph (30.524 seconds).
“It’s crazy how much difference the temperature can change the cars,” Bell said. “These things are really sliding around. You’re on the edge here for sure.”
Bell and Kyle Busch are the only two drivers to have won in every NASCAR national series at the track. Bell can become just the fifth driver (Kevin Harvick, Jimmie Johnson, Kurt Busch, and Matt Kenseth) to win consecutive NCS races at “The Magic Mile” with a victory on Sunday.
Bell’s Joe Gibbs Racing teammate Martin Truex Jr. was second with a speed of 124.752 mph. 2021 New Hampshire champion Aric Almirola (124.707 mph) was third fastest, with Joey Logano fourth and Ryan Blaney fifth.
“It’s really difficult to get the balance the way you want it,” Truex said. “Overall, we were fast. We’re excited to be here in New Hampshire. We’ve been after a win here for a while.”
Michael McDowell, driving the No. 34 Ford for Front Row Motorsports, posted the quickest practice speed with a lap of 126.416 mph (30.129 seconds).
The Crayon 301 is the 52nd NCS race at NHMS.
New Hampshire’s NCS qualifying record was set by Brad Keselowski in September 2014 with a lap of 140.598 mph (27.090 seconds).
NHMS’s NASCAR weekend events include:
- Ambetter Health 200 NASCAR Xfinity Series, Saturday, 3 p.m. (USA, PRN, SiriusXM NASCAR Radio)
- Mohegan Sun 100 NASCAR Whelen Modified Tour, Saturday, 6 p.m. (Flo Racing)
- Crayon 301 NASCAR Cup Series, Sunday, 2:30 p.m. (USA, PRN, SiriusXM NASCAR Radio)
Tickets:
Log on to NHMS.com for tickets and more information on the weekend’s lineup of action-packed racing. Doubleheader Saturday tickets start at just $45 for adults while kids 12 and under are free. Sunday’s Crayon 301 tickets start at just $59 for adults and $10 for kids 12 and under.
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Sources: Shannon Stephens, NHMS PR
Defending New Hampshire Motor Speedway winner Christopher Bell won the Busch Light Pole Award for Sunday’s Crayon 301 NASCAR Cup Series race. Photo Courtesy: NHMS/Adam Glanzman