Bell wins Pennzoil 400 pole at Las Vegas Motor Speedway

Christopher Bell looks for first NASCAR Cup Series win at LVMS after qualifying first

Mar. 15, 2026 at 2:29am

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Christopher Bell won the pole for Sunday's Pennzoil 400 NASCAR Cup Series race at Las Vegas Motor Speedway, posting a qualifying time of 28.853 seconds (187.156 mph). Bell is seeking his first Cup Series win at Las Vegas, where he has four top-five finishes in his last six starts, including two second-place results.

Why it matters

Bell's pole-winning run broke the record for most poles at LVMS, previously held by Joey Logano. The 31-year-old driver has been knocking on the door of his first win at the 1.5-mile oval, and starting up front gives him a prime opportunity to finally break through.

The details

Bell's fast lap during qualifying on Saturday made him the record holder for most pole positions (four) at Las Vegas Motor Speedway. His Joe Gibbs Racing teammates Denny Hamlin and Ty Gibbs will start second and third, respectively, giving Toyota a sweep of the top four starting positions. Bubba Wallace qualified fourth, with Kyle Larson the highest-qualifying non-Toyota driver in fifth.

  • Christopher Bell won the pole for the NASCAR Pennzoil 400 on Saturday, March 14, 2026.
  • The Pennzoil 400 is scheduled for Sunday, March 15, 2026 with a green flag time just after 1 p.m.

The players

Christopher Bell

A 31-year-old driver for Joe Gibbs Racing who is seeking his first NASCAR Cup Series win at Las Vegas Motor Speedway, where he has four top-five finishes in his last six starts.

Denny Hamlin

Christopher Bell's Joe Gibbs Racing teammate who qualified second and won the last Cup Series race at Las Vegas in October 2025.

Ty Gibbs

Another Joe Gibbs Racing driver who qualified third for the Pennzoil 400.

Bubba Wallace

The driver who qualified fourth, the highest-starting non-Toyota entry.

Kyle Larson

The Hendrick Motorsports driver who qualified fifth, the highest-starting Chevrolet.

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What they’re saying

“It's pretty simple, really takes a lot of commitment here at Las Vegas Motor Speedway to qualify. My team got their p's and s's right and we had a lot of grit and I held my foot down, then we won the pole.”

— Christopher Bell (Las Vegas Review-Journal)

“All the Toyotas looked really strong. I got a good feel that I'm looking for in the car. A great lap by Bell, an awesome (Turns) 3 and 4. We just barely missed the balance there in qualifying. I'm not sure if we would have enough to run that kind of speed. We're built for (Sunday) and hopefully we get on the same role we did last time.”

— Denny Hamlin (Las Vegas Review-Journal)

“(Hamlin) beat me in practice. I won the one-lap race, but he was consistently faster than me over the course of the entire practice session. It's a good thing we're not racing (Saturday).”

— Christopher Bell (Las Vegas Review-Journal)

What’s next

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The takeaway

This case highlights growing concerns in the community about repeat offenders released on bail, raising questions about bail reform, public safety on SF streets, and if any special laws to govern autonomous vehicles in residential and commercial areas.