Christopher Bell will start on the pole for today’s Xfinity race at Kansas Speedway, the first race to kick off of the playoffs’ Round of 8. The race will be carried live on NBC at 3 p.m. ET.
Bell covered the 1.5-mile track at a speed of 181.165 mph. It was his fifth pole of the season and 11th of his Xfinity career.
Today’s race will be the 19th Xfinity race held at Kansas Speedway and Bell becomes the 15th different driver to earn an Xfinity pole there. Kansas Speedway is the closest NASCAR track to Bell’s Norman, Oklahoma home.
Brandon Jones will sit alongside Bell on the front row with a speed of 180.481 mph. Third through 10th were Austin Cindric (180.216 mph), Tyler Reddick (179.313), Cole Custer (179.307), Jeremy Clements (178.843), Justin Allgaier (178.802), Ryan Truex (178.625), Ross Chastain (178.601) and Noah Gragson (178.424).
Gray Gaulding was back in the car and qualified 19th (174.503 mph). Gaulding suffered a medical emergency on the airplane en route to Kansas on Friday. He was cleared by NASCAR physicians to take part both in qualifying as well as this afternoon’s race.
A total of 38 drivers will take the green flag for today’s race. Timmy Hill was the slowest qualifier and will not compete in the race.