Christopher Bell Wins Las Vegas Pole as JGR Sweeps Top 3

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Christopher Bell celebrates after winning the pole during NASCAR Cup Series qualifying at Las Vegas Motor Speedway.

Christopher Bell will lead the field to green at Las Vegas Motor Speedway.

The Las Vegas NASCAR qualifying results set the starting lineup for Sunday’s Pennzoil 400 at Las Vegas Motor Speedway. Bell won the pole for Sunday’s Pennzoil 400 after turning the fastest lap in qualifying, continuing a strong stretch for Joe Gibbs Racing early in the Cup Series season.

Bell’s lap of 28.853 seconds edged teammate Denny Hamlin for the top starting position, giving JGR the front row. Ty Gibbs completed a sweep of the top three spots for the organization, while Bubba Wallace made it four Toyotas inside the top four.

The result underscored the speed Toyota teams showed during qualifying, setting up what could be a difficult challenge for the rest of the field on Sunday.

Christopher Bell Praises Team After Las Vegas Pole

Bell said the pole reflects the work the No. 20 team has put in as they worked to regain their usual speed.

“It feels really nice,” Bell said on pit road after qualifying. “I’m super, super proud of my team. It feels like we fell a little bit off, but now we’ve got it back.”

Bell added that the group has made steady progress throughout the 2026 season.

“Everybody’s been doing such a good job in 2026,” Bell said. “It’s so fun to drive this No. 20 car. I’m excited about tomorrow.”

Starting from the pole could also give Bell an early advantage at the 1.5-mile track, where clean air often plays a major role during long runs.

Denny Hamlin Confident Heading Into Race Day

Hamlin will start alongside Bell on the front row and said his team feels prepared heading into Sunday’s race.

“We’re built for tomorrow,” Hamlin said after qualifying. “Hopefully we get the same result we got here last time.”

Hamlin won the spring race at Las Vegas last season, giving the No. 11 team confidence entering the weekend.

With three Joe Gibbs Racing cars starting in the top three and Wallace lining up fourth, Toyota teams could be tough to beat when the green flag drops.

Las Vegas NASCAR qualifying results and starting lineup

1. Christopher Bell, No. 20 (Toyota)
2. Denny Hamlin, No. 11 (Toyota)
3. Ty Gibbs, No. 54 (Toyota)
4. Bubba Wallace, No. 23 (Toyota)
5. Kyle Larson, No. 5 (Chevrolet)
6. Ryan Blaney, No. 12 (Ford)
7. Tyler Reddick, No. 45 (Toyota)
8. Ryan Preece, No. 60 (Ford)
9. William Byron, No. 24 (Chevrolet)
10. Chris Buescher, No. 17 (Ford)
11. Austin Dillon, No. 3 (Chevrolet)
12. Zane Smith, No. 38 (Ford)
13. Daniel Suarez, No. 7 (Chevrolet)
14. Erik Jones, No. 43 (Toyota)
15. Chase Elliott, No. 9 (Chevrolet)
16. Shane van Gisbergen, No. 97 (Chevrolet)
17. Ross Chastain, No. 1 (Chevrolet)
18. Chase Briscoe, No. 19 (Toyota)
19. Carson Hocevar, No. 77 (Chevrolet)
20. Riley Herbst, No. 35 (Toyota)
21. Joey Logano, No. 22 (Ford)
22. Justin Allgaier, No. 48 (Chevrolet)
23. Ricky Stenhouse Jr., No. 47 (Chevrolet)
24. Kyle Busch, No. 8 (Chevrolet)
25. Connor Zilisch, No. 88 (Chevrolet)
26. John Hunter Nemechek, No. 42 (Toyota)
27. Todd Gilliland, No. 34 (Ford)
28. Brad Keselowski, No. 6 (Ford)
29. AJ Allmendinger, No. 16 (Chevrolet)
30. Michael McDowell, No. 71 (Chevrolet)
31. Austin Cindric, No. 2 (Ford)
32. Josh Berry, No. 21 (Ford)
33. Cody Ware, No. 51 (Chevrolet)
34. Noah Gragson, No. 4 (Ford)
35. Cole Custer, No. 41 (Ford)
36. Ty Dillon, No. 10 (Chevrolet)