NASCAR qualifying results: Christopher Bell takes pole for playoff opener at Darlington; full starting grid

The NASCAR Cup Series playoffs start this weekend with among the conventional gems of the calendar, the Southern 500 in Darlington, South Carolina.

Regular-season champ Martin Truex Jr. gets in the 10- week chase for the champion as the wagering favorite, having actually been the design of consistency throughout the 2023 project, sporting 3 wins and 15 top-10 s and finishing 99.7% of all laps run. Truex begins the Round of 16 connected with William Byron– who won 5 races in the routine season– with 2,036 points, 11 ahead of Denny Hamlin and 15 in front of unexpectedly rising Chris Buescher.

Here’s what else to understand ahead of the Southern 500:

Southern 500 beginning grid

1. Christopher Bell(20), Joe Gibbs Racing Toyota

2. Denny Hamlin(11), Joe Gibbs Racing Toyota

3. Tyler Reddick(45), 23 XI Racing Toyota

4. Ryan Blaney(12), Team Penske Ford

5. Brad Keselowski(6 ), RFK Racing Ford

6. Joey Logano(22), Team Penske Ford

7. Kevin Harvick(4 ), Stewart-Haas Racing Ford

8. Chris Buescher(17), RFK Racing Ford

9. Michael McDowell(34), Front Row Motorsports Ford

10. Aric Almirola(10), Stewart-Haas Racing Ford

11. Kyle Busch(8 ), Richard Childress Racing Chevrolet

12. Chase Briscoe(14), Stewart-Haas Racing Ford

13. Chase Elliott(9 ), Hendrick Motorsports Chevrolet

14. Austin Cindric(2 ), Team Penske Ford

15. Carson Hocevar (42), Legacy Motor Club Chevrolet

16. A.J. Allmendinger(16), Kaulig Racing Chevrolet

17. Ty Gibbs(54), Joe Gibbs Racing Toyota

18. Kyle Larson(5 ), Hendrick Motorsports Chevrolet

19. Bubba Wallace(23), 23 XI Racing Toyota

20. Erik Jones(43), Legacy Motor Club Chevrolet

21. Daniel Suárez(99), Trackhouse Racing Chevrolet

22. Corey LaJoie(7 ), Spire Motorsports Chevrolet

23. William Byron(24), Hendrick Motorsports Chevrolet

24. Alex Bowman(48), Hendrick Motorsports Chevrolet

25. Ricky Stenhouse Jr.(47), JTG Daugherty Racing Chevrolet

26. Ty Dillon(77), Spire Motorsports Chevrolet

27. Ross Chastain(1 ), Trackhouse Racing Chevrolet

28. Austin Dillon(3 ), Richard Childress Racing Chevrolet

29. Justin Haley(31), Kaulig Racing Chevrolet

30. Todd Gilliland(38), Front Row Motorsports Ford

31. Martin Truex Jr.(19), Joe Gibbs Racing Toyota

32. Harrison Burton(21), Wood Brothers Racing Ford

33. J.J. Yeley(15), Rick Ware Racing Ford

34. Ryan Preece(41), Stewart-Haas Racing Ford

35. Ryan Newman (51), Rick Ware Racing Ford

36. BJ McLeod (78), Live Fast Motorsports Ford

Southern 500 TV/streaming schedule

All times Eastern

Saturday
12: 30 -1: 20 p.m.: Practice (USA, NBC Sports app)
1: 20 -2: 30 p.m.: Qualifying (USA, NBC Sports app)

Sunday
5: 30 -6 p.m.: Pre-race program (USA, NBC Sports app)
6-10: 30 p.m.: Southern 500 (USA, NBC Sports app)

Southern 500 race information

Track: Darlington Raceway (1.366- mile egg-shaped oval), Darlington, South Carolina
Length: 367 laps for 501.322 miles
Banking: Front directly– 3 degrees|Turns 1-2– 25 degrees|Back directly– 2 degrees|Turns 3-4– 23 degrees
Stage lengths: Stage 1– 115 laps|Phase 2– 115 laps|Phase 3– 137 laps
2022 winner: Joey Logano

Opened in 1950, the track they’ve called “too hard to tame” is among the earliest on the circuit and among its most well known. The distinct, egg-shaped, 1.366- mile oval functions broad, sweeping Turns 1 and 2 however has tighter 3rd and 4th rely on maintain the pond that the initial owner of the farmland stated need to remain in location when the speedway was constructed. On the track popular for several racing grooves, chauffeurs take pleasure in discovering what works for them on long terms, and in-race modifications are essential.

Top motorists and best choices for the Southern 500

In addition to being the wagering preferred to declare the champion, Truex goes into the Southern 500 weekend with the very best chances to win the race (+500), according to BetMGM Byron (+750) and Hendrick Motorsports colleague Kyle Larson (+525) are sandwiched in between Truex and his Joe Gibbs Racing colleague, Denny Hamlin (+800).

In all, the leading 8 chauffeurs with the very best chances are all playoff motorists, and 14 of the top 15 remain in the postseason.

Best chances to win
Martin Truex Jr. +500
Kyle Larson +525
William Byron +750
Denny Hamlin +800
Christopher Bell +1100
Kyle Busch +1100
Ross Chastain +1100

Yahoo Sports’ Nick Bromberg composed previously in the week on the wagering landscape for the race and recommends discovering great midtier worth in protecting series champ Joey Logano (+1800) and Buescher (+2200), who has actually won 3 of the previous 5 races. Bromberg likewise advises taking a flier on Erik Jones, who goes into at 40- to-1 chances, regardless of 2 wins in this extremely occasion, consisting of in 2015.

Playoff standings going into Southern 500

1. Martin Truex Jr.– 2,036
2. William Byron– 2,036
3. Denny Hamlin– 2,025
4. Chris Buescher– 2,021
5. Kyle Busch– 2,019
6. Kyle Larson– 2,017
7. Christopher Bell– 2,104
8. Ross Chastain– 2,011
9. Brad Keselowski– 2,010
10 Tyler Reddick– 2,009
11 Joey Logano– 2,008
12 Ryan Blaney– 2,008
____________________ Cut line
13 Michael McDowell– 2,007
14 Ricky Stenhouse Jr.– 2,005
15 Kevin Harvick– 2,004
16 Bubba Wallace– 2,000

Southern 500 entry list

Ross Chastain(1 ), Trackhouse Racing Chevrolet
Austin Cindric(2 ), Team Penske Ford
Austin Dillon(3 ), Richard Childress Racing Chevrolet
Kevin Harvick(4 ), Stewart-Haas Racing Ford
Kyle Larson(5 ), Hendrick Motorsports Chevrolet
Brad Keselowski(6 ), RFK Racing Ford
Corey LaJoie(7 ), Spire Motorsports Chevrolet
Kyle Busch(8 ), Richard Childress Racing Chevrolet
Chase Elliott(9 ), Hendrick Motorsports Chevrolet
Aric Almirola(10), Stewart-Haas Racing Ford
Denny Hamlin(11), Joe Gibbs Racing Toyota
Ryan Blaney(12), Team Penske Ford
Chase Briscoe(14), Stewart-Haas Racing Ford
J.J. Yeley(15), Rick Ware Racing Ford
A.J. Allmendinger(16), Kaulig Racing Chevrolet
Chris Buescher(17), RFK Racing Ford
Martin Truex Jr.(19), Joe Gibbs Racing Toyota
Christopher Bell(20), Joe Gibbs Racing Toyota
Harrison Burton(21), Wood Brothers Racing Ford
Joey Logano(22), Team Penske Ford
Bubba Wallace(23), 23 XI Racing Toyota
William Byron(24), Hendrick Motorsports Chevrolet
Justin Haley(31), Kaulig Racing Chevrolet
Michael McDowell(34), Front Row Motorsports Ford
Todd Gilliland(38), Front Row Motorsports Ford
Ryan Preece(41), Stewart-Haas Racing Ford
Carson Hocevar (42), Legacy Motor Club Chevrolet
Erik Jones(43), Legacy Motor Club Chevrolet
Tyler Reddick(45), 23 XI Racing Toyota
Ricky Stenhouse Jr.(47), JTG Daugherty Racing Chevrolet
Alex Bowman(48), Hendrick Motorsports Chevrolet
Ryan Newman (51), Rick Ware Racing Ford
Ty Gibbs(54), Joe Gibbs Racing Toyota
Ty Dillon(77), Spire Motorsports Chevrolet
BJ McLeod (78), Live Fast Motorsports Ford
Daniel Suárez(99), Trackhouse Racing Chevrolet

Southern 500 weather condition

The projection requires warm temperature levels in the lower 80 s for Saturday’s practice and certifying, while race day will be hot, with a high of 89 degrees. With the race running in golden and nighttime conditions, that anticipated high should not have as huge an effect on tire destruction as the race endures, however the load that goes through right-side tires– especially in the long, sweeping Turns 1-2– produces some intriguing pit techniques.