Christopher Bell looks for his first “Grandfather Clock” trophy at Martinsville Speedway on Sunday. (Photo Credit: Chloe Gunn | The Podium Finish)
RIDGEWAY, Va. — After winning three consecutive races in the first six rounds of the 2025 NASCAR Cup Series season, 30-year-old Christopher Bell looks to claim his fourth, starting from the pole position for Sunday’s Cook Out 400 at Martinsville Speedway.
Bell’s championship hopes were dashed at the 0.5-mile oval facility back in October of 2024 when he attempted a last-ditch wall ride maneuver to gain enough positions to advance to the Championship 4. This effort led to a penalty, preventing him from racing for his first NASCAR Cup Series title.
Bell has now become the sixth different winner of the Busch Light Pole Award in the first six races of the season, with no driver repeating as pole winner so far.
Norman, Oklahoma’s home-grown driver clocked a lap time of 19.718 seconds at a speed of 96.034 mph. Bell was the only driver to complete a lap recorded above 96 mph.
Christopher Bell is looking for an early fourth NASCAR Cup Series victory in 2025 at Martinsville Speedway on Sunday. (Photo Credit: Chloe Gunn | The Podium Finish)
Chase Elliott looks for redemption this weekend in the No. 9 Chevrolet for Hendrick Motorsports as he starts to Bell’s outside for the 400-lap event on Sunday afternoon.
Directly behind Elliott lie the Hendrick Motorsports teammates of Alex Bowman and Kyle Larson, qualifying third and fourth, respectively. Denny Hamlin of Joe Gibbs Racing secured the final top 5 starting spot in his No. 11 Progressive Insurance Toyota Camry XSE.
Chris Buescher, Joey Logano, Bubba Wallace, Tyler Reddick, and two-time DAYTONA 500 winner William Byron occupy the top 10 starting positions at Martinsville Speedway for Sunday afternoon.
Defending race winner of this event, Ryan Blaney struggled to put it all together in Saturday’s qualifying session, in which he looks to defend the coveted grandfather clock trophy from the 32nd starting spot.
Casey Mears, the 2007 Coca-Cola 600 winner, is making his NASCAR Cup Series return for the first time since the 2019 DAYTONA 500, driving the No. 66 Ford for Garage 66 and will roll off in the 37th starting spot for Sunday’s race.
The 11-time Bowman Gray Stadium track champion, Burt Myers, is making his first points-paying NASCAR Cup Series start from the 38th and final starting spot for Team Amerivet. Myers attempted to qualify for the Cook Out Clash at Bowman Gray Stadium in February, but failed to qualify after suffering a crash in his heat race.
“I was down in the dumps after practice.” Said Bell in a post-qualifying interview after feeling down about his practice speeds.
“It was the best qualifying session that I’ve ever felt out of my car at Martinsville. It was just easy, and I went out there and had so much grip, and cut a really good lap.”
Bell was also asked in a press conference following his 14th-career Cup Series pole about how big it means to not just the driver of the No. 20 DeWalt Toyota, but also the strategy in place on long runs for his crew.
“Well, I’ve never done it, so I can’t give you a great answer on that. I will say it is just a war when you get into those teens and twenties. Martinsville is a place where the runs are extremely long, and maybe not by the clock, because the laps go by quickly. So it is an extremely long run, so what that does is it really rewards the ability to save your tires and not push your car as hard.”
Bell commented as well about how the team has performed at its highest level to begin the season, but also looks to fellow competitors who have brought the same pace as the No. 20 team within the first six contests of 2025.
“I think it just goes to show that whenever we do it right, we are certainly as capable as anyone. I think there is upwards of five teams that can say the same thing. You look at Ryan Blaney, he’s been incredible, really every race this year he has been incredible, and has nothing to show for it. At some point, they are going to start getting a little bit of luck fall their way, and they are going to be winning races too.”
Bell aims to secure his first victory at Martinsville Speedway and seeks his 13th career win in the NASCAR Cup Series during the Cook Out 400 on Sunday.
