DARLINGTON, S.C. Driving a Toyota sponsored by Sport Clips for Joe Gibbs Racing Toyota, Christopher Bell won the pole for Saturdays Sport Clips Haircuts VFW Help a Hero 200 NASCAR Xfinity Series race at Darlington Raceway.

Bell turned a lap of 29.911 seconds at 164.408 mph to claim his first pole of the season and his second in five races at the 1.366-mile track.

I felt pretty good about it through one and two and in three and four I felt completely out of control down there, Bell said of his lap. Looking at the guys that were qualifying after me they were able to maintain through one and two and I guess I had a pretty good three and four. Out of control is fast.

Brandon Jones qualified second in another JGR Toyota, while a third JGR driver, Taylor Gray, was fourth.

Justin Allgaier was one of three JR Motorsports Chevrolet drivers in the top six, grabbing the third spot. His teammates, Sam Mayer and Carson Kvapil, will start fifth and sixth, respectively.

DARLINGTON, S.C. Theres something special about going to Darlington Raceway for Chase Briscoe.

The Joe Gibbs Racing driver, who won last Septembers Southern 500 at the unique 1.336-mile track, has a fondness for the Track Too Tough To Tame.

Briscoe believes its a drivers track.

I feel like of all the race tracks we go to, this (Darlington Raceway) is definitely one as the driver, you feel like you make a little bit more of a difference, he explained. You know, its still very car-dependent for sure, but as a driver, I feel like this is one of those tracks thats kind of similar to Homestead (Homestead-Miami Speedway) where you can carry it multiple positions, because the (pause) what you do inside the race car is constantly changing.

Nobodys car is driving good, theres just things you can do in the car to find more than a tenth sometimes even two tenths, whereas at another tracks, youre just very hand-tied by what youre doing inside the race car. So, this track is definitely one of those tracks where you can do different things in the race car and I feel like this is also track where you see guys that typically run well here their entire career just because theres little things about this race track.

Briscoe says the balance of the race car is important at Darlington.

I would say for me the hardest thing is just been trying to understand the balance of the short run versus long run, and how hard to go at the beginning to not burn yourself up at the end, Briscoe said. Still definitely dont have that figured out but I feel like its always kind of been my biggest challenge here and felt like that especially in the Xfinity Series, I would be extremely fast on the short run, but I would pay for it in the long run. Just trying to do as much as I can to study you know the guys like Denny Hamlin and other guys that are so good, always here on the long run. So thats kind of I feel like my biggest challenge at this place, but you know theres a lot of challenges about this place as well.

Briscoe said returning to Darlington also brought back memories of his Southern 500 triumph last year during his final season with Stewart-Haas Racing.

Honestly, its still like a pinch me moment and one of those things that like I find myself every single week being like, man I cant believe I won that race! Its a major, its a crown jewel, Briscoe said. I was telling somebody the other week, I look at the names on the trophies and like I just feel like Im very undeserving. Theres all these Hall of Famers and like icons and legends of the sport, and then it says 2024, Chase Briscoe. Like the heck? Its weird truthfully.

Yeah, its definitely crazy. I feel like when I came back, like anytime you go when you won somewhere, you just walk in, youre a little more confident, you feel that difference. But I definitely think this place, it changes your confidence level more than anywhere else just because the respect within the garage and within the NASCAR community whenever you want it at Darlington, theres just a different level of appreciation for your talent, he noted. And thats something that I didnt realize until after I won the Southern 500 truthfully.

I remember the next week being on pit road at Atlanta and Dale Jarrett and all these guys come over to me just tell me how incredible it was. You just dont have that at other race tracks after you win a race. It definitely is a place where, when I pull in, especially now being the first time back, its definitely brings back a lot memories.

Nikolay Gryazin will take his pursuit of a fifth FIA European Rally Championship career victory into Sundays deciding leg of the Rally Sierra Morena following a flying start to the 2025 season from the J2X Rally Team driver.

The Qualifying Stage pacesetter and Córdoba super special stage winner dropped time in the damp conditions on this mornings first two stages running first on the road. But he hit top form once again by winning the dry 27.19-kilometre Villaviciosa run to hold a lead of 10.9sec over home hero José Suárez at the midday service halt.

Driving a Michelin-equipped Škoda Fabia RS Rally2, Gryazin grew his advantage to 15.5sec by going quickest on SS6 before his electrifying charge through the repeat of Villaviciosa gave him an overnight lead of 28.8sec after he went fastest by 11.6sec.

It was quite good, we showed a good pace, Gryazin said. The problem was being first [on the road]. It gave a good advantage on the long stage [this morning] but it was a disadvantage on the first two stages because it was drying out, so we were not as fast as we wanted to be. The second pass was also not easy but for sure we can do better tomorrow.

Suárez holds second place overnight in another Michelin-shod Fabia with Frenchman Yoann Bonato third in a Citroën C3 Rally2, albeit just 4.9sec behind his Spanish rival.

Andrea Mabellini, who won SS3 to close to within 1.2sec of Gryazin, is fourth overnight with Mads Østberg demoting Efrén Llarena for fifth on SS7 after the 2022 ERC champion pulled up with steam rising from under the bonnet of his self-run C3 Rally2. It was a frustrating end to Llarenas challenge after he went fastest of all on SS5.

Østberg had problems of his own, however, the Norwegian reporting a pop-off valve issue after SS6 and a lack of engine power and a brake problem at the completion of SS7.

I have no power in the engine and I have a broken front caliper, Østberg said. I did the last seven kilometres without front brakes. We lost a lot of time. I dont know why it all happens at the same time, but thats how it is.

Miko Marczyk is sixth overnight with Robert Virves the leading Hankook runner in eighth place, one position behind Hyundai i20 N Rally2 driver Pepe López.

Stéphane Lefebvre is ninth for Team MRF Tyres with reigning Junior ERC champion Mille Johansson impressing on his step up to Rally2 level in 10th place.

Simone Tempestini and Jon Armstrong follow ahead of Simon Wagner, who completed the closing kilometres of SS7 unable to hear his co-driver Hanna Ostlenders pacenotes after his cars sump guard became detached and dragged on the road. Ex-Formula One driver Jos Verstappen is 14th followed by Dominik Stříteský, last seasons Barum Czech Rally Zlín winner.

As expected it was difficult, especially the long one, said Verstappen, who heads the Master ERC Championship order. I was struggling because of the length of the stage with the notes and they were cutting everywhere so there was some mud and water on the road. That was tough but I am more than happy with what we have done.

After winning SS2 in his Pirelli-equipped Ford Fiesta Rally2, Jon Armstrongs hopes of a strong result on the ERC season opener suffered a setback when he went off the road 19.6 kilometres from the start of SS4 after running wide on a tight right-hand turn. He was able to continue but lost more than one minute.

I just went too deep in the braking, missed the braking point, went slightly off and got stuck, the M-Sport Ford World Rally Team driver said. It was down a bank so we were lucky to get out.

DARLINGTON, S.C. Hendrick Motorsports William Byron drove Chevrolet to its now series-leading fourth NASCAR Cup Series pole of the season Saturday afternoon at Darlington Raceway.

The 27-year-old Charlotte, North Carolina, native clocked-in a best lap of 28.774 seconds, at 170.904 mph, in his No. 24 Axalta Chevrolet to earn the pole position for tomorrows Goodyear 400.

The pole Byrons second at Darlington Raceway and 15th all-time in NASCARs top division makes Byron the first repeat pole winner of the season.

I felt like we had a good plan going into practice, Byron explained. I feel like were always strong here. Its a really good track for our team and myself. We were just trying to find a decent balance there to start. We were a little bit tighter than we wanted to be, so we pitted and worked on it; got it a lot better and finished practice pretty strong, I felt like.

So I had some confidence going into qualifying that wed have a decent lap, at least. I was just was nervous about going early. I just felt like having a little bit of an earlier draw was not ideal, but it seemed like the track temp was starting to go up as well, so it probably wasnt the worst thing.

Ryan Preece will start his RFK Racing Ford outside the front row.

Last weeks winner, Denny Hamlin, will start his Joe Gibbs Racing Toyota third, sharing the second row with teammate Chase Briscoe.

Bubba Wallace will start his 23XI Racing Toyota in fifth.