Bell, who was fastest in Saturday’s practice, capped the day by winning the pole for Saturday night’s playoff opener at Darlington (S.C.) Raceway.
Bell led a Toyota rebound from a poor qualifying performance in the Darlington spring race, topping the final round with an average speed of 169.193 mph, just edging his Joe Gibbs Racing teammate Denny Hamlin (169.042 mph).
The pole is Bell’s third this season, with all coming in the last eight races. It’s also the seventh of his career for the driver of the No. 20 Toyota.
“It’s been a lot of fun,” Bell said. “My guys have done an amazing job giving me the balance I need to go out here and do it. We definitely got a gift being in Group A, we’ve seen that since this car came out and this format came out.
“I wasn’t sure it enough but being in Group 1 and getting the tires a little bit cooler this (car) on the front row.”
Asked during Playoff Media Day earlier this week if he felt underrated entering the playoffs, Bell said, “I hope so, because I don’t feel like I’m rated very highly.
“That’s fine. It doesn’t really matter to me.”
Hamlin said being in the second group doesn’t give competitors to get their tires cooled down, but Saturday’s qualifying effort was a “a big gain over where we were in the spring.”
Fellow Toyota driver Tyler Reddick was third fastest (168.972 mph) while Ford drivers Ryan Blaney and Brad Keselowski rounded out the top five.
Completing the top-10 starting lineup are Joey Logano, Kevin Harvick, Chris Buescher, Michael McDowell and Aric Almirola, the only non-playoff driver in the top-10.
This is the first time since 1982 that a Chevrolet won’t start inside the top 10 in a Cup race at Darlington.
The rest of the playoff field will line up as follows: Kyle Busch (11th), Kyle Larson (18th), Bubba Wallace (19th), William Byron (23rd), Ricky Stenhouse Jr. (25th), Ross Chastain (27th) and top seed Martin Truex Jr. will start 31st.
Truex got extremely loose in Turns 3 and 4 during his final round qualifying lap and nearly hit the wall.
How did @MartinTruex_Jr save that??#BuschLightPole | @TooToughToTame pic.twitter.com/27ESKuFFKS
— NASCAR (@NASCAR) September 2, 2023
Round 1 / Group A
Bell, who was fastest in Saturday’s practice, kept up the pace and led the way in Group A with an average lap speed of 169.660 mph.
Keselowski – the last car to go out – was second quick (169.118 mph) and Harvick was third (168.118 mph).
Also advancing to the final round were Almirola and McDowell.
Among those who failed to advance were Larson, Byron, Stenhouse and Chastain.
| Cla | Driver | # | Manufacturer | Laps | Time | Interval | Mph | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 |  CHRISTOPHER BELLJoe Gibbs Racing |
20 | Toyota | 1 | 28.985 | 169.660 | ||
| 2 | BRAD KESELOWSKIRFK Racing |
6 | Ford | 1 | +0.093 | 0.093 | 169.118 | |
| 3 | KEVIN HARVICKStewart-Haas Racing |
4 | Ford | 1 | +0.170 | 0.077 | 168.671 | |
| 4 | ARIC ALMIROLAStewart-Haas Racing |
10 | Ford | 1 | +0.176 | 0.006 | 168.636 | |
| 5 | MICHAEL MCDOWELLFront Row Motorsports |
34 | Ford | 1 | +0.192 | 0.016 | 168.544 | |
| 6 |
TY GIBBSJoe Gibbs Racing
|
54 | Toyota | 1 | +0.207 | 0.015 | 168.457 | |
| 7 | KYLE LARSONHendrick Motorsports |
5 | Chevrolet | 1 | +0.215 | 0.008 | 168.411 | |
| 8 | ERIK JONESLegacy Motor Club |
43 | Chevrolet | 1 | +0.230 | 0.015 | 168.324 | |
| 9 | COREY LAJOIESpire Motorsports |
7 | Chevrolet | 1 | +0.267 | 0.037 | 168.112 | |
| 10 | WILLIAM BYRONHendrick Motorsports |
24 | Chevrolet | 1 | +0.271 | 0.004 | 168.089 | |
| 11 | RICKY STENHOUSE JRJTG Daugherty Racing |
47 | Chevrolet | 1 | +0.314 | 0.043 | 167.842 | |
| 12 | TY DILLONSpire Motorsports |
77 | Chevrolet | 1 | +0.321 | 0.007 | 167.802 | |
| 13 | ROSS CHASTAINTrackHouse Racing |
1 | Chevrolet | 1 | +0.352 | 0.031 | 167.625 | |
| 14 | HARRISON BURTONWood Brothers Racing |
21 | Ford | 1 | +0.492 | 0.140 | 166.828 | |
| 15 | JJ YELEYRick Ware Racing |
15 | Ford | 1 | +0.493 | 0.001 | 166.823 | |
| 16 | RYAN PREECEStewart-Haas Racing |
41 | Ford | 1 | +0.589 | 0.096 | 166.281 | |
| 17 | RYAN NEWMANRick Ware Racing |
51 | Ford | 1 | +0.726 | 0.137 | 165.514 | |
| 18 | BJ MCLEODLive Fast Motorsports |
78 | Chevrolet | 1 | +1.004 | 0.278 | 163.980 |
Round 1 / Group B
Reddick set a blistering pace in the second group, leading the way with an average speed of 170.750 mph.
“Track position is critical the first pit stall is a big advantage,” Reddick said. “We need to close this one out.’
Blaney ended up second fastest (170.336 mph) and Hamlin was third (170.118 mph).
Also advancing to the final round were Logano and Buescher.
Among those who failed to advance Busch, Wallace and Truex.
| Cla | Driver | # | Manufacturer | Laps | Time | Interval | Mph | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | TYLER REDDICK23XI Racing |
45 | Toyota | 1 | 28.800 | 170.750 | ||
| 2 | RYAN BLANEYTeam Penske |
12 | Ford | 1 | +0.070 | 0.070 | 170.336 | |
| 3 | DENNY HAMLINJoe Gibbs Racing |
11 | Toyota | 1 | +0.107 | 0.037 | 170.118 | |
| 4 | JOEY LOGANOTeam Penske |
22 | Ford | 1 | +0.124 | 0.017 | 170.018 | |
| 5 | CHRIS BUESCHERRFK Racing |
17 | Ford | 1 | +0.144 | 0.020 | 169.900 | |
| 6 | KYLE BUSCHRichard Childress Racing |
8 | Chevrolet | 1 | +0.230 | 0.086 | 169.397 | |
| 7 | CHASE BRISCOEStewart-Haas Racing |
14 | Ford | 1 | +0.234 | 0.004 | 169.374 | |
| 8 | CHASE ELLIOTTHendrick Motorsports |
9 | Chevrolet | 1 | +0.295 | 0.061 | 169.019 | |
| 9 | AUSTIN CINDRICTeam Penske |
2 | Ford | 1 | +0.308 | 0.013 | 168.943 | |
| 10 |
CARSON HOCEVARLegacy Motor Club
|
42 | Chevrolet | 1 | +0.354 | 0.046 | 168.677 | |
| 11 | AJ ALLMENDINGERKaulig Racing |
16 | Chevrolet | 1 | +0.368 | 0.014 | 168.596 | |
| 12 | BUBBA WALLACE23XI Racing |
23 | Toyota | 1 | +0.406 | 0.038 | 168.376 | |
| 13 |  DANIEL SUAREZTrackHouse Racing |
99 | Chevrolet | 1 | +0.436 | 0.030 | 168.204 | |
| 14 | ALEX BOWMANHendrick Motorsports |
48 | Chevrolet | 1 | +0.484 | 0.048 | 167.928 | |
| 15 | AUSTIN DILLONRichard Childress Racing |
3 | Chevrolet | 1 | +0.610 | 0.126 | 167.208 | |
| 16 | JUSTIN HALEYKaulig Racing |
31 | Chevrolet | 1 | +0.647 | 0.037 | 166.998 | |
| 17 | TODD GILLILANDFront Row Motorsports |
38 | Ford | 1 | +0.652 | 0.005 | 166.970 | |
| 18 | MARTIN TRUEX JRJoe Gibbs Racing |
19 | Toyota | 1 | +0.662 | 0.010 | 166.913 |
