Of the trio from Joe Gibbs Racing—Martin Truex Jr., Denny Hamlin, and Christopher Bell—two are sitting pretty in the top 12. However, Truex Jr. is still skating on thin ice, lingering 7 points below the cutoff. Given that Bristol hasn’t always rolled out the red carpet for Truex Jr., history might be on the verge of being rewritten. It’d be an unprecedented twist if the regular-season champion, in this case, Truex Jr., fails to rev up his engines enough for the playoffs.

But it’s not all doom and gloom for Joe Gibbs Racing. A silver lining has emerged from the Bristol race track clouds: A JGR driver has broken new ground, becoming the first to clinch the top spot in all three qualifying sessions in the Round of 16.

Joe Gibbs Racing’s ace in the hole bags a third straight pole in the playoffs

As the ‘Last Great Colosseum’ gears up to roll out the red carpet for the NASCAR Cup Series playoff decider this Saturday at Bristol Motor Speedway, the stakes are sky-high. Riding high on their recent victories at Darlington and Kansas, Kyle Larson and Tyler Reddick have punched their tickets to the Round of 12.

Meanwhile, regular-season bigwig Martin Truex Jr. finds himself on the ropes, occupying the 13th spot. He’s a mere seven below in the rearview mirror of the soon-to-retire Kevin Harvick, struggling to find his footing after a pair of playoff missteps.

However, on the brighter side for the Joe Gibbs Racing team, Christopher Bell, another feather in the JGR cap, blazed a trail by securing pole position for the third consecutive time—a true record-smasher. With a lap that turned heads at 126.997 mph, Bell will spearhead the Cup Series lineup at Bristol. While Denny Hamlin was hot on his heels, clocking in at 126.930 mph, Bell’s record-setting pace made him the man of the hour.

As per NASCAR.com, when thrown into the media spotlight about his hat trick in qualifying, Bell said, “It doesn’t get much closer than that—that’s crazy tight,” while talking about his margin over Hamlin. “But 500 laps (at Bristol) is an awfully long time. If I’ve learned anything, it’s that qualifying means nothing for the race.”

However, the tables turned for Darlington’s champ, Kyle Larson, who will be bringing up the rear this time around. A hiccup in Turn 4 saw him teetering on the edge, and even with his No. 5, he hit a speed bump and lost his momentum. But all eyes are on Martin Truex Jr., the regular season’s top dog. Where will he kick off, and just how pivotal will his Bristol starting spot be?

Martin Truex Jr., the season’s crown jewel, has snagged a coveted spot in the pole position’s top five

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Racing into third is William Byron, clocking in at a zippy 126.345 mph, trailed closely by Hamlin in the second position. Rounding out the fab five are Michael McDowell, zipping by at 126.220 mph, and Martin Truex Jr., nipping at his heels with 126.154 mph.

Read More: Joe Gibbs Joins NASCAR Community to Congratulate Xfinity Star as They Welcome “Bristol Baby”

Both McDowell and Truex’s starting blocks are more than just a matter of prestige. With the elimination round on the horizon, they’re both skating on thin ice, lingering below the playoff cutline. These prime spots will give them a golden ticket to jostle for stage points.

With the curtain about to fall on the first playoff round, fans are buckled up for a roller-coaster ride, expecting sparks to fly. Especially keeping an eye on the fierce battle royale likely to ensue among the four last contenders gunning for the top 12: Martin Truex Jr., Bubba Wallace, Ricky Stenhouse Jr., and Michael McDowell.

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