Christopher Bell turns a corner in the Straight Talk Wireless 400 at Homestead Miami Speedway. (Photo: Ricky Martinez | The Podium Finish)
HOMESTEAD, Fla. – After a chaotic and dramatic finish in the Straight Talk Wireless 400, Christopher Bell was able to grab crucial stage points and put himself in a comfortable position heading into next week’s cutoff race at Martinsville Speedway.
Bell wanted to get to the front of the pack and win the race, but the speed was not in the car like his other competitors.
“I don’t know. A little bit. A couple cars just could get away. There were runs in the race today where I felt really good, but just after restarts, I couldn’t keep up with them.” said Bell.
Bell was a contender for the win throughout the entire race. Bell qualified third on Saturday and showed the speed his car had by staying in the top five for most of Sunday’s race.
Bell is considered to be one of the better drivers in the sport, and quite possibly, one of the best drivers in the playoffs. However, he still feels the immense pressure to go out and win races and outrace his very talented competition.
During his Homestead media availability, Bell reiterated the importance of winning in the playoffs before other playoff drivers do.
“This is so, so intense and we knew coming into the Round of 8 with these drivers, we were going to have winners, winners and winners,” he said.
Even though Bell knew he did not have the best car in the field, he was still able to maximize his points position in the playoff standings.
“I’m glad we’ve been able to maximize our points in order for us to transfer (to the Championship 4),” Bell remarked.
Bell was able to finish sixth in Stage 1, collecting five points, then third in Stage 2, collecting eight points. He then finished the race in fourth. Bell has been known for his consistency at Joe Gibbs Racing when it comes to the postseason. Bell, as of the conclusion of yesterday’s race, has collected the most points out of any driver in the playoff field during the Playoffs.
Before the race began, Bell was sitting 42 points above the cut line. Going into Martinsville, Bell is currently 29 points ahead of the cut line, in front of drivers like William Byron, Denny Hamlin, Kyle Larson, Chase Elliott, and the 2023 NASCAR Cup Series champion, Ryan Blaney.
Bell is heading to a track that he believes will end up being similar to what happened during Sunday’s race.
“Coming to Homestead, you look at the guys who run well here and you’re expecting a winner from the bottom-half of the grid, and I think the same thing will happen in Martinsville,” he said.
Bell also has the confidence to win the upcoming cutoff race at Martinsville.
“We’ll go to Martinsville, and yeah, I feel confident about where we’re at in Martinsville. (It) has been a good track for us in the past and I think we can build on that,” he quipped.
Bell has been successful in the past at Martinsville. He won the 2022 Xfinity 500 to make the Championship 4 during that season. He has also run well at tracks similar to Martinsville, such as Richmond Raceway and New Hampshire Motor Speedway, where Bell has two of his nine career Cup wins.
Bell wants more out of his race car when it comes to the end of these races, especially when he has the opportunity to punch his ticket into the Championship 4, but he is keeping his hopes high as there is a potential championship berth based on points in his team’s sight.
“Overall, I’m happy, just disappointed that we weren’t a little bit better contending for the win.” Bell stated.
