Bell Snags Third Place Finish in Daytona 500

(Photo: Cornnell Chu | The Podium Finish)

DAYTONA BEACH, Fla. — Christopher Bell had a quiet — yet strong — Daytona 500 run on Sunday, finishing third to complete every lap in the Great American Race for the first time.

“If you would have told me pre-race that I was going to run third, I would have jumped up and down and been smiling ear-to-ear,” Bell said after the race. “I’m very happy. I’m very, very thankful that I could get this Rheem and DeWalt Toyota Camry a good solid finish, but just so close to a crown jewel.”

Bell placed 21st in time trials but drove to the front of the first duel race to finish second. The result earned him a fifth-place starting position for the Daytona 500.

Bell ran a smart race, avoiding trouble and earning a point at the end of Stage 2. Coming to two laps to go, Bell ran ninth when Daniel Suarez spun, causing a caution.

After Austin Dillon and many others crashed during the first NASCAR Overtime attempt, Bell improved to fourth.

In the second overtime attempt, Bell found the bottom lane and pushed fellow dirt racer Kyle Larson. Race winner Ricky Stenhouse Jr. got a big push from Joey Logano on top and took the lead coming to the white flag.

Larson and Bell made a run on Stenhouse but Larson took the middle, hoping to pass Stenhouse with a big run. Instead, nobody went with him and he fell back, violently hitting the wall after contact with Travis Pastrana.

Bell provided Stenhouse the winning push as the caution came out.

(Photo: Cornnell Chu | The Podium Finish)

“I feel like if it would have stayed green, I would have been on offense – but who knows,” Bell said. “I hate superspeedway racing. It has been my Achilles heel for a number of years now, so just running third at the Daytona 500 is a really big deal, and I’m sure tomorrow I will be really happy – but right now, I’m just bummed because I feel like we were in position there.”

Bell continued his momentum from last season’s Playoff run when he won consecutive elimination races to make the Championship 4. He won three races overall and finished in the top 10 20 times.

Although Bell had a strong season, he struggled early, finishing 20th or worse in four of the first five races. His worst finish of the season came at Auto Club Speedway, where he finished 36th.

Bell will look to reverse that when he returns to Auto Club on Sunday. Meanwhile, he’s content with how he started 2023 and that his friend Stenhouse is in victory lane.

“I’m really happy for [Stenhouse],” Bell said. “He’s won multiple speedway races and been very close at others. Happy for him and can’t wait to go to Auto Club.”