LOUDON, N.H. – Christopher Bell’s impressive resume from three Cup Series races at New Hampshire Motor Speedway received another upgrade.
Bell will defend his title from the pole position for Sunday’s (2:30 p.m.) running of the Crayon 301 in a field of 26 racers at the Magic Mile.
Bell, the operator of the No. 20 Rheem-WATTS Toyota Camry for Joe Gibbs Racing, captured his first pole at NHMS and fifth overall during Saturday’s qualifying runs on a track that was hard to handle and unforgiving.
“I was very surprised how hard the cars were to drive in practice and in qualifying,” said Bell. “Everyone was slipping and sliding around and I think it is going to be a different race than what we saw last year.”
Bell topped the field with a top lap speed of 124.781 mph. and a time of 30.524. Bell will begin the race alongside Joe Gibbs’ teammate Martin Truex Jr., who came through at 1:24.752. Lane two will be occupied by 2021 champion Aric Almirola (124.707) and two-time champion Joey Logano (124.589).
“Qualifying today was certainly a matter of not screwing up,” said Bell. “It was a very different qualifying session because most of the time you are able to maximize your car but today was a matter of not taking yourself out of it.”
Bell secured the second Cup Series victory of his career at New Hampshire last year and qualified for the NASCAR playoffs. He finished runner up to Almirola in 2021. Bell won his three Xfinity races here and one of his two Truck Series races. Bell and Kyle Busch are the only drivers to win a Cup, Xfinity, and Truck Series race at NHMS.
Bell is fourth in the driver rankings with 591 points in 19 starts with one win, five finishes in the top five and 10 in the top 10. The lone win was at Bristol Motor Speedway on April 9 and it secured a slot in the upcoming Cup Series playoffs. With the playoff berth in place, Bell’s immediate ambition is to finish the regular season in first place.
“Here we are a year later and you are focused on those three or four cars that are racing for points,” said Bell. “One mistake or bad stage and you can lose a lot of points very quickly.
“There are a lot of cars we are trying to keep up with and trying to out run and we have to stay on top of it.”
Homecoming hero
Reigning two-time Cup Series champion Joey Logano of Middletown, Conn., began his climb to the top of the NASCAR hierarchy as an apprentice driver on the small backwater tracks of New England.
Logano will make his 25th Cup Series start at NHMS when he climbs inside the No. 22 Shell/Pennzoil Ford for Team Penske. Logano has enjoyed a phenomenal run at NHMS with two wins, eight top 5 finishes and 13 in the top 10.
“This place has more memories for me than any other track I go to,” said Logano. “Coming here as a kid watching the races and I saw my first Cup Series race here.
“I started my first cup race here, got my first cup win here and have a couple of wins here. So, it’s been a really special place for me and so many family members and friends are here.”
Logano became the youngest driver to win a Sprint Cup series race when he took the checkered flag in the Lenox 301 at NHMS on June 28, 2009 for Joe Gibbs racing. Logano clinched his second win on the Magic Mile on Sept. 21, 2014, his first season with team Penske.
Logano is 10th in the driver standings with 518 points, one win, five top 5 finishes and nine in the top 10 with an average finish of 15.265.
Harvick’s farewell
Kevin Harvick has been the dominant driver at NHMS in this century and will make his 40th and final start on the Magic Mike inside the No. 4 Busch Lite Ford for Stewart-Haas Racing.
Harvick and Jeff Burton share the record with four Cup Series wins at NHMS. He has 14 top 5 finishes, 23 top 10 with one pole and a staggering 11,377 laps led. He has been the most consistent driver with a 12.7 average start and 12.2 average finish. He has accrued $3,966,023 in earnings in a tax friendly state.
“It has been a great place for us to race throughout the years,” said Harvick. “I feel like four wins should be 10, but I feel that about a lot of places.
“I have seen (NHMS) go though some different transitions as far as the layout of the track. It’s been fun to come here and we have a great following here.”
Victory Lane
JH Nemechek bolted to the lead off a restart with two overtime laps remaining to capture the Xfinity Series Ambetter Health 200. Nemechek is the operator of the No. 20 Persil Toyota Camry for Joe Gibbs Racing.
The race was a fractured affair that went under caution 10 times and included a pile up behind the leaders on the final lap. Nemechek led for 137 laps to secure his fourth Xfinity victory of the season and the 199th all-time for Joe Gibbs Racing. Pole winner Chandler Smith was second and Austin Hill placed third.
“I got good launches on the restarts,” said Nemechek. “I tried everything I knew how to do on the restarts the best I could. The bottom lane was playing games for sure.”
