Christopher Bell, a Championship 4 qualifier the past two seasons, was looking to shake his recent slump, placing 34th or worse in three of the past four outings. He was 17th three weeks ago at Texas Motor Speedway. Last weekend at Dover Motor Speedway, Bell started P33 and finished P34.
Bell, who earned the win at Phoenix Raceway during Week 4, appears to have snapped his skid.
During Saturday’s qualifying session for Sunday’s AdventHealth 400, the No. 20 Toyota team found some of its missing tempo as Bell captured his 11th career pole. He turned a hot lap of 183.107 mph, edging Ross Chastain (182.704).
Tyler Reddick registered the best practice lap at 181.002 mph.
The NASCAR Cup Series garage is open in Kansas!#NASCARonFS1 | @bobpockrass pic.twitter.com/bRXPCBEidy
— FOX: NASCAR (@NASCARONFOX) May 4, 2024
Injured Erik Jones Medically Cleared, Will Still Sit
After sitting out last week at Dover Motor Speedway, injured Legacy Motor Club driver Erik Jones on Thursday was cleared by medical personnel to return to Cup action. Jones endured a spinal fracture during a crash at Talladega Superspeedway on April 21.
Even with the medical staff’s approval, Jones will not drive the No. 43 Toyota at Kansas. Team officials are being precautionary and sidelining Jones for at least another week.
Rookie Cory Heim, who made his Cup debut while subbing for Jones last Sunday, will get another shot during the AdventHealth 400. Heim placed 25th at Dover.
Jones, 27, is slated to attend the Cup events at Kansas to aid Heim, a Truck Series regular who had never piloted a Next Gen machine before last weekend.
Corey Heim is out on the track right now getting a feel for the #NextGen car.
He’s currently P15 out of the 18 cars who’ve posted a time.
The team tells Corey “very solid work right there.” #NASCAR pic.twitter.com/znTcr1fxIj
— Noah Lewis (@Noah_Lewis1) April 27, 2024
Starting Lineup for NASCAR Cup Series’ AdventHealth 400
Here is a look at the lineup for Sunday’s NASCAR Cup Series’ AdventHealth 400 at Kansas Speedway:
Starting Position, Driver, Car No., Team
- 1, Christopher Bell, 20, Joe Gibbs Racing
- 2, Ross Chastain, 1, Trackhouse Racing
- 3, Noah Gragson, 42, Stewart-Haas Racing
- 4, Kyle Larson, 5, Hendrick Motorsports
- 5, Kyle Busch, 8, Richard Childress Racing
- 6, Ty Gibbs, 54, Joe Gibbs Racing
- 7, Austin Cindric, 2, Team Penske
- 8, Michael McDowell, 34, Front Row Motorsports
- 9, Chase Elliott, 9, Hendrick Motorsports
- 10, Chase Briscoe, 14, Stewart-Haas Racing
- 11, Joey Logano, 22, Team Penske
- 12, Chris Buescher, 17, RFK Racing
- 13, Martin Truex Jr., 19, Joe Gibbs Racing
- 14, Denny Hamlin, 11, Joe Gibbs Racing
- 15, Tyler Reddick, 45, 23XI Racing
- 16, Austin Dillon, 3, Richard Childress Racing
- 17, Josh Berry, 4, Stewart-Haas Racing
- 18, Alex Bowman, 48, Hendrick Motorsports
- 19, Jimmie Johnson, 84, Legacy Motor Club
- 20, Corey Heim, 43, Legacy Motor Club
- 21, Ricky Stenhouse Jr., 47, JTG Daugherty Racing
- 22, Carson Hocevar, 77, Spire Motorsports
- 23, Bubba Wallace, 23, 23XI Racing
- 24, Zane Smith, 71, Spire Motorsports
- 25, Todd Gilliland, 38, Front Row Motorsports
- 26, Ryan Blaney, 12, Team Penske
- 27, Daniel Suarez, 99, Trackhouse Racing
- 28, Corey LaJoie, 7, Spire Motorsports
- 29, John H. Nemechek, 42, Legacy Motor Club
- 30, Brad Keselowski, 6, RFK Racing
- 31, Harrison Burton, 21, Wood Brothers Racing
- 32, Ryan Preece, 41, Stewart-Haas Racing
- 33, Daniel Hemric, 31, Kaulig Racing
- 34, Austin Hill, 33, Richard Childress Racing
- 35, Justin Haley, 51, Rick Ware Racing
- 36, William Byron, 24, Hendrick Motorsports
- 37, Riley Herbst, 15, Rick Ware Racing
- 38, Derek Kraus, 16, Kaulig Racing
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— Kansas Speedway (@kansasspeedway) April 29, 2024
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