HOMESTEAD, Fla. – Christopher Bell didn’t think he would win the race.
Balance problems with his Toyota dropped him to 22nd after the second stage on Sunday NASCAR Cup Series Playoffs race at Homestead-Miami Speedway. But Bell took advantage of a late caution on Stage 3 and stormed from behind to take his second victory of the season.
“I can’t even say I was thinking about a win at any point during the day, except maybe the last 10 laps,” Bell said.
Bell took the lead with 15 laps remaining and held off Ryan Blaney for a victory that locked him into next month’s NASCAR championship finale.
Bell, who entered the race below the playoff cutoff, will be competing in his second consecutive championship race. He beat Blaney by 1.651 seconds on Sunday and led only 26 of 267 laps in a chaotic race in which three playoff drivers failed to finish.
“Today was definitely a whirlwind,” said Bell, who drives the No. 20 for Joe Gibbs Racing. “Being able to overcome and be in such a bad situation… it was just amazing the difference a few pit stop adjustments would make to your car. »
There were 25 lead changes, one fewer than the record of 26 set in 2011.
Blaney, who led for 53 laps, crossed the cutoff line – dropping from seventh place. Tyler Reddick and William Byron finished third and fourth and are still fighting for a spot in the deciding final on November 5.
Six drivers will compete next week for the two remaining spots in the final race of the Round of 16 at Martinsville Speedway.
Kyle Larson, last year’s Homestead winner, was out of the race on lap 214 after crashing into pit road barriers while trying to pass Blaney for the lead. Larson was going too fast after heading to pit lane and said he didn’t expect Blaney to slow down as soon as he did.
“I was just maximizing everything I could,” a frustrated Larson said afterward. “I hate this for Ryan more than anything. He was doing a very good job up front. It was not my intention. I was just trying to get as close to his rear bumper as possible, hopefully get a good cycle and a better pit stop, then get in front of him and control the race from there .
Larson’s No. 5 Hendrick Motorsports Chevrolet clipped the rear of Blaney’s Ford, but Blaney was able to stop as the caution flag came out and continued.
Larson had dominated the race, in which he was favored to win. He led for 96 laps before Blaney pulled ahead of him at the end of Stage 2 to take the lead. This ending is largely inconsequential for Larson as far as the playoffs go. He is already locked in the final with his victory in the opening race of the round of 16 in Las Vegas.
The crash briefly resulted in a race between Blaney and Joe Gibbs Racing’s Denny Hamlin, who took the lead on the restart. But JJ Yeley, Brad Keselowski and Ross Chastain were all involved in a crash seconds later, causing the caution flag to come out for the fifth time in the race, ultimately giving Bell the opportunity to make a back.
After the restart, Hamlin hit the wall in Turn 1 and radioed that something had broken in the steering and sent him into the wall. He was out of the race with 32 laps remaining in an unfortunate turn of events for Joe Gibbs Racing – Hamlin’s teammate Martin Truex Jr., another playoff driver, left with an engine problem moments later.
Both playoff drivers will look for a better result next week.
“We still have a chance,” said owner Job Gibbs. “That’s how we see things. We’re going to Martinsville. It will be a classic, I’m sure, but we have a chance.
The race was named the 4EVER 400 presented by Mobil 1 in a nod to Stewart-Haas Racing’s Kevin Harvick, who will retire from NASCAR at the end of this season after 60 career victories and three NASCAR national series championships .
Sunday was Harvick’s final race at the track where he won the NASCAR Sprint Cup championship nine years ago. He finished 11th on Sunday.
UNLUCKY BUESCHER
RFK Racing’s Chris Buescher, who entered the race for eighth place in the playoffs, had issues with his No. 17 Ford from the start. Buescher was the only playoff driver Sunday without points in Stage 1, and his 21st-place finish puts him in a must-win situation next week at Martinsville.
Buescher fell from seventh to eighth place in the playoff standings before the race after Blaney’s disqualification from the Las Vegas race was overturned. Buescher said Saturday that the upset hasn’t changed much for him.
“We’re in a situation where we’re still within reach of really strong point days,” Buescher said after Saturday’s practice.
GUEST PIT
Pitbull, Grammy-winning artist and co-owner of Trackhouse Racing, was the honorary pace car official. Trackhouse racing is in its third season and welcomes Daniel Suarez in the No. 99 Chevrolet and Chastain behind the wheel of the No. 1 Chevrolet.
“My schedule (is nothing) compared to these NASCAR drivers and what you do,” Pitbull said. “Are we in relationship with each other? Absolutely. Are we both hard workers? Clearly.”
FOLLOWING
NASCAR heads to Martinsville Speedway next Sunday for the final race of the round of 16. Bell is the reigning winner of the race.
