Christopher Bell scored his first Cup pole of the season Saturday at Kansas Speedway.
Bell will start first after qualifying at 183.107 mph. It is his 11th career Cup pole.
Bell will be joined on the front row by Ross Chastain (182.704 mph).
MORE: Kansas starting lineup
Bell hopes this will end his rough stretch lately. He’s finished 30th or worse in three of the last four races.
“We’ve all just been in the dumps, man,” Bell said. “Martinsville (35th-place finish) we had the tire issue that lost us multiple laps. Then we go to Texas (17th) and I spin out. Then at Talladega (38th) get caught up in a crash. Then Dover (34th), I spin out qualifying and get caught up in a crash. It’s just been one thing after another.”
Noah Gragson qualified a career-best third after a lap of 182.451 mph. Kyle Larson (182.383 mph) will start fourth. Kyle Busch (182.070) completes the top five.
William Byron scrubbed the wall on his qualifying run and will start a season-worst 36th after a lap of 173.952 mph. He had not qualified worse than 18th this season.
Jimmie Johnson will start a season-best 19th. He’ll have Legacy Motor Club teammate Corey Heim next to him in the starting lineup. Heim is running the No. 43 for Erik Jones, who is sitting out this race after suffering a compression fracture in a lower vertebra last month at Talladega.
