“It doesn’t get much closer than that”: Christopher Bell edges teammate Denny Hamlin for pole at Bristol

Christopher Bell clinched the pole position in the NASCAR Cup Series qualifying session on Friday for Saturday's Bass Pro Shops Night race at the iconic Bristol Motor Speedway.

Bell's impeccable lap of 15.109 seconds at 126.997 mph narrowly bested his teammate, Denny Hamlin, by a mere 0.008 seconds.

This victory marks Christopher Bell's third consecutive pole position in the 2023 Playoff races. Expressing his delight while speaking to NBC Sports following the qualifying session, Bell commented:

"It doesn’t get much closer than that—that’s crazy tight."

Bell expressed his gratitude towards his team members who have helped him put on display a string of impressive performance in the qualifying races in recent weeks.

"Really, really proud of this team. All of the mechanics, all the engineers that work back at Joe Gibbs Racing putting this 20 car together are just doing an amazing job, and we’ve been able to show that through qualifying really all year long," he added.

However, he remained grounded, acknowledging that the true test lies in the 500 laps that await him on race day. He said:

"500 laps (on Saturday) is an awfully long time. If I’ve learned anything, it’s that qualifying means nothing."

At the same time, the JGR driver was exhilarated ahead of the third playoff race of the season. He said:

"But we’ve got a great pit stall again, great starting spot. Man, I’m excited. I love this racetrack.”

Bell's previous pole positions at Darlington and Kansas were followed by mixed outcomes in the races, finishing 23rd and eighth, respectively.

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Christopher Bell on Martin Truex Jr ahead of the Bristol race

Regular season winner Martin Truex Jr has had a tumultuous playoff so far. Sitting on the 13th position in the playoffs standings, the 43-year-old's hopes of qualifying to the round of 12 hang in the balance heading into the last race of the first round of playoffs.

However, the weekend in Bristol has started on a positive note for the JGR driver, who secured the fifth spot on the starting grid.

Christopher Bell expressed confidence in Martin Truex Jr.'s capabilities, saying:

"I think Bristol probably owes him one."

The Joe Gibbs Racing team aims to secure all three spots in the next playoff round, capitalizing on their formidable speed and skill. Bell's optimism is grounded in the belief that they have the potential to make it happen. He continued:

“Hopefully, we can get all three of these JGR Camrys into the next round. I certainly know that we have the speed to do it… Martin put himself in a good spot, so hopefully he can make it happen.”

With Christopher Bell leading the charge from pole position in the Bass Pro Shops Night race at Bristol Motor Speedway, it remains to be seen which drivers will advance to the Round of 12 of the Cup Series playoffs.