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Records are made to be challenged, and history often finds itself on the brink of being rewritten. The latest challenger to a formidable record that belongs to Kyle Busch is his former Joe Gibbs Racing teammate—a driver who’s making waves in the qualifying department. Joe Gibbs’ young gun’s quest to become a pole position expert has brought him shoulder to shoulder with the departing legend, Kevin Harvick.

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Christopher Bell’s qualifying prowess is gaining recognition, and for good reason. At the Las Vegas Motor Speedway, the 28-year-old secured his sixth pole position of the season. A remarkable feat that ties him with Kevin Harvick. Bell has equaled Harvick’s record of six pole positions from the 2019 season. And it is a testament to his skill and speed.

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Christopher Bell is 2 poles away from equaling his former teammate Kyle Busch

In 2017, Kyle Busch set an unassailable record with eight pole positions in a single season. A mark that seemed untouchable. Now, Christopher Bell‘s relentless pursuit of pole positions has him standing as one of the few drivers who could level with this monumental achievement. Bell’s exceptional lap in the final round of qualifying, clocking in at 28.980 seconds (186.335mph), earned him his tenth career pole position in the NASCAR Cup Series. What’s even more impressive is that all of his poles have come in the last two seasons, solidifying his reputation as a force to be reckoned with in qualifying.

This latest pole position places Bell at the front of the field for the South Point 400 at Las Vegas, with fellow Hendrick Motorsports drivers Kyle Larson and William Byron right behind him. Jeff Gluck highlighted the record after Bell secured his 6th pole of the year with the following tweet. “Christopher Bell’s sixth pole position of the season ties Kevin Harvick (2019) for the most since Kyle Busch had eight poles in 2017. #NASCAR.

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Watch This Story | Kyle Busch’s Rollercoaster Ride at Talladega

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It’s a good thing that Bell has put himself in the best possible position after what went down between him and Daniel Suarez at the Roval.

Christopher Bell might be in trouble if Daniel Suarez comes back to settle the score

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While Christopher Bell’s success in qualifying is noteworthy, there’s a cloud of uncertainty hanging over him as he heads into the upcoming races. A recent incident at the Charlotte Roval involving fellow driver Daniel Suarez has raised concerns about potential retaliation.

In an interview, Bell addressed the incident, expressing his hope that he hadn’t created an enemy in Suarez. He acknowledged that the contact with Suarez wasn’t intentional and mentioned that reaching out to clear the air was important. However, the unpredictability of retaliation in NASCAR remains a concern.

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In a one-to-one conversation with Bob Pockrass after the race at Charlotte Roval, Christopher Bell stated, “Certainly, I didn’t mean to get into him. Him and I have had run-ins in the past. That’s the last guy I wanted to get into and have a problem with moving forward. I reached out to him and told him that it wasn’t intentional. But I’m sure he’s going to be coming after me, which is not ideal going into the next four races. It’s a mistake, and I’ll have to keep that in the back of my head moving forward.”

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READ MORE: Unable To Break Out Front, Christopher Bell May Fall Behind at Vegas as 2022 Misery Overshadows Joe Gibbs’ Star

Do you think Christopher Bell can finally get a clean race from the start and make his way into the Championship 4 at Phoenix? Share your thoughts with us in the comments below.

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Veerendra Vikram Singh

919 Articles

Veerendra Singh is an F1 writer at EssentiallySports. A follower of the sport for over 12 years, Veerendra excels in covering trend-setting articles and has covered Max Verstappen, Lewis Hamilton, Toto Wolff, and Charles Leclerc extensively during the 2023 F1 season. Veerendra's Dale Earnhardt Jr. post regarding the North Wilkesboro Speedway was shared by ‘Save The Speedway’ Twitter account. He covers each Grand Prix with precision and flair. He loves to write about Formula 1 because he thinks it's the purest form of racing there is.

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Shivali Nathta

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