Bell rings in win at Miami, moves to NASCAR Cup Championship 4 (full stats, VIDEOS, transcript)
HOMESTEAD, Fla. – In one of the most thrilling NASCAR Cup Series Playoff races of the season, Joe Gibbs Racing driver Christopher Bell rallied from a frustrating race start to lead the final 16 laps of Sunday’s 4EVER 400 presented by Mobil 1 at Homestead-Miami Speedway to earn a second straight appearance into the Championship 4.
Bell, who only made his first appearance inside the top five on track with less than 50 laps remaining, got around a pair of the day’s front runners in the final laps to blaze to the lead in the No. 20 JGR Toyota and claim that automatic championship admission ticket. It’s the 28-year-old Oklahoma native’s second win of the season – sixth of his career – and the first of the season’s eight Playoff races to date.
Last year Bell famously pulled off a “walk off” victory in the regular season finale at Martinsville (Va.) Speedway to claim his first NASCAR Cup Series championship bid, ultimately finishing third in the title run. His win Sunday had that same “rally” feel and he now joins last week’s winner, Kyle Larson as the only two Playoff drivers set for the title run with one race remaining to decide the other two.
Christopher Bell takes the checkered flag to win Sunday's 4EVER 400 Presented by Mobil 1 at Homestead-Miami Speedway. (Photo by Sean Gardner/Getty Images)
Bell led fellow Playoff driver, Team Penske’s Ryan Blaney to the Homestead checkered flag by a 1.651-seconds – just ahead of Playoff drivers, 23XI Racing’s Tyler Reddick and Hendrick Motorsports’ William Byron. Kaulig Racing’s A.J. Allmendinger rounded out the top five.
“I’ve got the best team behind me, honestly I don’t know [how we did it], that race was a whirlwind,’’ Bell said. “I was about ready to throw the towel in during that second stage, I got really frustrated. But [crew chief] Adam Stevens kept after it and gave me what I needed. Whenever we got some clean air this thing was really good.
“I cannot say how proud I am to be here with our partners, driving these Toyota Camrys. Thank you to everyone who supported me. This is better than a dream come true.’’
Although disappointed to not secure the win after leading 53 laps, Blaney said, “We were trying, we just needed laps.
“The long run car was really good. I just couldn’t fire off for 10 laps or so. I think the track cooling off [during the red flag] helped those guys. I think we were better in the hotter, sliker conditions when “fire off” speed didn’t matter as much and it fell off quicker. That played into our benefit.
“We ran out of laps a little bit,’’ he added. “I am proud of the effort. It was a really good day, we just got beat a little bit there at the end.’’
It was certainly the cap to a thrilling final 40 laps of competition to cap off the sunny South Florida afternoon.
In a matter of five minutes during those closing laps, Bell took the race lead and two of his Joe Gibbs Racing teammates also in the Playoffs – Denny Hamlin and regular season champion Martin Truex Jr. – fell out the race with major problems. Hamlin’s No. 11 JGR Toyota slammed into the Turn 1 wall. And as the field slowed for that caution period, Truex turned down pit road and told the team his car “might be blowing up.’’
As Hamlin sat on pit wall, disappointed and speaking with his crew, Truex turned the engine off and the crew pushed his No. 19 JGR Toyota it into the garage. Both Playoff drivers were done for the day and dropping below the crucial top-four threshold that will advance to the Nov. 5 Championship 4 race in Phoenix. Truex was scored 29th and Hamlin, 30th.
All of it making for an even more intense race at the half-mile Martinsville (Va.) Speedway next week that will formally set the four-driver NASCAR Cup Series championship field.
“We tried and it just didn’t work out,’’ an obviously disappointed Hamlin said.
“It shows you how hard our sport is, that’s two cars and we had been up front,’’ JGR team owner Joe Gibbs said. “It also shows you in sports - particularly in ours with that 20-car (Bell) - it shows never to stop fighting.’’
With only that Martinsville race remaining, Byron now sits 30 points ahead of the championship cut-off line with Blaney in fourth place - 10 points up on Reddick. Bell’s JGR teammates Truex and Hamlin are now both 17 points below the Cut-off line.
Among the eight Playoff drivers, Roush Fenway Keselowski’s Chris Buescher – a three-race winner this season – struggled the most, going two laps down midway through the second stage and never cracking the top 20. He’s now in eighth place, 43 points back with a 21st place finish Sunday and will need to win the Martinsville race to advance to his first Championship 4.
One of the more unusual incidents of the entire season – let alone the Playoffs - happened during a green flag pit stop and involved Blaney and Larson – who were running first and second at the time with 53 laps remaining.
As their two cars approached pit road, Blaney slowed significantly, and Larson was still going faster directly behind him. While trying to avoid ramming into the back of Blaney’s Ford, Larson turned his No. 5 Hendrick Motorsports Chevy to the right and went full-on into the sand-filled protective barriers at pit entrance causing them to explode with sand.
It caused enough damage on Larson’s car that he had to take it into the garage and the team retired it. Blaney was able to finish his pit stop and make his way back on track. He reassumed the lead when the rest of the cars pit following a nearly 13-minute red flag period.
“I need to look at data,’’ said an apologetic Larson, who finished 34th despite leading a race best 96 of the 267 laps. “I knew where the yellow line was but on the replay it looked like I missed it by a lot. So I need to look at data. I knew where the yellow line was and I was under control getting there and then he just slowed down, I locked the brakes, clipped him and hit the barrels.
“I’m upset with myself more than anything. Whether he got to pit road speed sooner than the yellow line or not, I could have just done a little better job.
“I hope they’re able to recover and he can get a good finish or the win and get the finish he (Blaney) deserves. Just a bummer. I thought we had a great car today and just made a mistake.’’
23XI Racing’s Bubba Wallace, Joe Gibbs Racing’s rookie Ty Gibbs, Team Penske’s Joey Logano, Stewart-Haas Racing’s Aric Almirola and Richard Childress Racing’s Austin Dillon rounded out the top 10.
The NASCAR Cup Series moves to the famed Martinsville (Va.) Speedway half-miler for next Sunday’s Xfinity 500 (2 p.m. ET, NBC, MRN, SiriusXM NASCAR Radio) to close out this round of competition and formalize the Championship 4 competitors for the Nov. 5 Phoenix season finale. Bell won last year’s Martinsville Playoff race. Larson won the Spring race this year.
--- By Holly Cain
*********************************
*********************************
NASCAR Media Conference with Adam Stevens and Joe Gibbs
THE MODERATOR: We are joined by our winning car owner Joe Gibbs and winning crew chief Adam Stevens.
We'll open it up to questions.
Q. Adam, you were 22nd after stage two. Frustrations are running high. What were you thinking at that point? Did you envision even a win was on the table?
ADAM STEVENS: No, I wasn't thinking win at that point. We were decent in the first stage. What did we finish, eighth or ninth? We had gone forward. Lost a little speed in our car, a little balance late on tires.
We tried to make a little bit bigger adjustment to help our balance. It was absolutely dead wrong. It hurt it. It doubly hurt it, both problems we were trying to fix. We really paid the price the entire second stage. Thankfully stayed on the lead lap somehow. It was bad.
The pressure was on to get that adjustment out of there at the end of stage two. Actually we did most of it on the green flag stop, got a little bit better. Kind of closed the gap at the stage three break.
He had a great restart at the start of stage three, passed 10 or 12 cars there pretty quick. You could see that we woke the car back up, so...
Still wasn't quite thinking a win yet. But, man, the more you pile on his shoulders, it seems like the better he does.
Q. You have experience dealing with drivers that can get animated on the radio. What is your reaction when you hear Christopher like that?
ADAM STEVENS: Felt like home (laughter). No.
Sometimes he lets a little bit of emotion come out. Sometimes you need it. I scream my full head off on the box sometimes, don't key the mic. You got to let it out.
He was in a bad spot. We put him in a bad spot. He was driving his pants off. I was just trying to give him information as to where the leader was so he doesn't lose sight of it. I didn't want him to be on our bumper and him be surprised by it.
Sometimes you got to tell them things they don't want to hear, and sometimes they're going to tell you things maybe you don't want to hear. Part of it.
Q. Joe, the frustration seems to be building from the outside for Martin. What do you say to the team?
JOE GIBBS: I think it shows you how hard our sport is. We had such a disappointment with the 11, Denny, cutting a tire down. I felt like he was fast. Martin qualified on the pole. I thought we had a chance with that car.
A series of circumstances, then lose the motor. Shows you how hard the sport is because those were the two cars for a while for us that were up front.
It also shows you that in sports, particularly in our sport, the 20 was an example of just never giving up, just keep fighting. I mean, it went all the way to the second stage where you don't really think that car is going to make much of a dent in things.
When we're going to Phoenix with the second year in a row with Christopher, it's exciting for us. He's a young guy. To see this promise and the way he and Adam work together. I think also going to Phoenix will be emotional for us. I think of Coy and everything last year. Also J.D. in there. Those two guys spent their entire lives building our race team.
Anyway, thrill for us to get a chance to do this. We just had real disappointments with two of our cars. The good news is they both are good at Martinsville.
Q. Adam, knowing what Bell did last year, then to win when he absolutely had to today, what does that say of the strength of the 20 team and the caliber of your driver?
ADAM STEVENS: Yeah, Bell is a generational talent in this sport. He is as good as they come. He's still learning. We're still learning each other as a team. If you get him close, he can get the job done. We've proven it time and time again.
We got to do a better job as a team and as a company keeping him in contention. When we do that, he's able to claw his way up there and make stuff happen like the great ones do.
Q. Coach, from the minute you got into NASCAR, you said the hardest thing for you to get used to, there's only one winner, 39 losers. When it's your own team and you see the highs of Bell, then Denny and Martin, being a coach, how do you pump those guys up going into the penultimate race of the season?
JOE GIBBS: Yeah, I think it's got a lot to do with character, the people you have in those positions. I think both Denny and Martin, that's why we're so fortunate. Those two guys are veteran guys. In our competition meetings, they're talking, and I think Ty and Christopher are listening to a lot of it. It's really helped us.
But I think it goes back to character and selecting people on your team. Today Adam and Christopher, they don't give up. I know Denny and Martin won't either. It's just amazing sometimes what can happen in this sport. To have the 19 do what it did in regular season, you don't luck out on that. That was 26 weeks, won it by a bunch. It shows you what can happen in sports. It's the greatest reality show in the world because we don't know.
I think as fans, that's why we all like it. We don't know. So just thrilled to be a part of it. God has blessed us with a lot of great people really.
Q. Coach, do you look at today as a good day because you won or do you look at it with mixed feelings because of the 11 and 17? If the 11 and 17 don't make it, how would you evaluate the season if the 20 is the 'only' car you have in the championship?
JOE GIBBS: I think it's hard to get in the Final 4. I'll tell you that. I don't think anything's a given. Certainly the 19, all they did in regular season, like I mentioned, as good as they are, but we've had real disappointments with everything that's happened.
I think the 11 has been pretty consistent up until the last couple of weeks. I think you're looking at it, and the great thing is we have three cars for our team that have a chance. We still got a chance. That's the way we look at it.
I think we're going to Martinsville, it's going to be a classic, I'm sure. But we do have a chance. We go there with both Denny and Martin...
Q. Coach, Bell has won three pressure-packed races in the Playoffs the last couple years. Two eliminations and one today with somebody chasing him down. What kind of mentality does it take for athletes to perform at a different level and not let the outside noise creep in?
JOE GIBBS: I think that's what we all look at and say how many guys want to drive cars, how many guys are racing late models, how many get a chance to come up here. Then it winds up being only a small number can really, really get it done when they have to get it done.
It's so hard sometimes. Like Christopher, it's only his fourth year. He got thrown in the first year, and we had no practice because of COVID. We were just throwing him into racetracks. He and Adam were able to work through all that. Then he comes back the second year, kind of gets his feet on the ground, takes off.
The great thing there is how young he is. I think Adam said it. I think Adam has done a great job of bringing him along. I think he's got great confidence in Adam. That certainly helps. I told him we'll put a saddle on Christopher and ride him for 20 years (smiling).
Q. What does it say about the resiliency of Christopher, of this 20 team as a whole, and what lessons have been learned along the way to get to this point?
ADAM STEVENS: Yeah, I think it's important. Last week stung, but by the time the plane landed, we were over it and focused on the next thing. We still had a great day, had a great weekend there. We just couldn't keep the lead on that last stop and couldn't get out of the box, spinning our tires. You have to do all those things when it comes down to it.
We were miffed that the opportunity got away, but we weren't miffed in our part of it. That just happens in professional sports.
Then it was a matter of digging in, on to the next one. I tell the guys all the time you can't look backwards. You can't dwell on it. You have to really do your best to pull the good stuff out of the weekend and leave the bad stuff.
Even on your most dismal weekend, there's something that you learned or something that was good or done well that you can remind the guys of, remind yourself of, and build off of. That's something that we all need to remind ourselves and stay focused on.
But it's critically important because if your only goal is to win, if that's the only way you appease yourself, you're going to be miserable and it's going to pile up and you're going to make bad decisions.
You have to pull those good things out of those weekends. I think we did a good job of that. The pit stops, we didn't want to lose the lead, but it wasn't the cleanest stop, only lost two, had good short run speed. Bell manned up and got it done. You have to have days like that, and I'm proud we had one of those today.
Q. Adam, can you give me a sense of perspective of another time where you were seemingly so far off and able to come back and win. 2019 comes to mind. Going into the race, everybody kind of figured you were the fourth of the four. You came out the champion. How does today compare?
ADAM STEVENS: 2019, I didn't really feel that. Maybe in practice. When the race was going, I felt like we were close, and we were. We were up there all day.
The one that comes to mind for me is Chicago, I want to say it was 2018. It was the Dale Jr. slide job race with the 5 I think. We ran around mid pack, tail end of the lead lap, most of the day. We clawed our way up to 10th or 11th. I think there were only maybe 14 on the lead lap roughly at the time.
I told him, I got no interest in running 10th or 11th. We're going to call a timeout here and make some changes. We pulled packer and added packer, adjusted shocks, and double wedge, track bar, everything. He started passing cars and drove it up there to the front and won that race.
That was a little bit like today where middle of the race we were out of it, then clawed our way back forward.
Q. Joe, you have one car at Phoenix. Still could have two. Understanding what happens on the track can't compare with what you and your family went through last year, are you looking forward to Phoenix? How do you approach the idea that Phoenix is coming up on the calendar?
JOE GIBBS: Yeah, I think that's a good question.
I would say there's going to be part of that that will be remembering things that happened, and part of it was, hey, Heather said that's the happiest she's seen Coy that night, everything that happened on the racetrack.
Obviously a big part of it will be us focused if the 20 car is there, if we were fortunate enough to get somebody else. I always talk to our team and everything about the fact that we've been 31 years, and we only have five championships on the back wall. That's how hard it is. This sport is really, really hard because there's so much to it. If you have a weak part of your race team, the Playoffs will find it.
Yeah, I think there will be some memories there, for sure.
Q. Christopher Bell has come up in the past two seasons. You talk about his ability. What is it about this part of the year that he can get it done? We hear a lot about the first bye from the winner at Las Vegas. How are you approaching Martinsville with prepping the car for Phoenix? Are you more relaxed heading into Martinsville now?
ADAM STEVENS: Yeah, I mean, absolutely. We had some setup stuff that we wanted to try there, that we got pretty low confidence in. Now we have the ability to do that. So I think we'll probably do that. Maybe we'll find something that can really help us for next year.
If we have the ability to get up there and race for the win, we'll certainly not turn it away. But if it's not our day, it's not our day. We're not going to let that bother us.
We need to go have a good, safe race on pit road, build a little bit of momentum on that side of it for Phoenix.
As far as that makes Christopher great in these pressure situations, he just loves it. He loves trading paint and racing for the win. The closer you can get him to the front, the better he does. That's just the makeup of a real racer and somebody who was born to do this.
*********************************
NASCAR Media Conference with Christopher Bell
THE MODERATOR: We are now joined by our race winner, driver of the No. 20 Joe Gibbs Racing Toyota, Christopher Bell.
We'll go ahead and open it up to questions.
Q. To get this win here today, what does it say about the resiliency of you, this 20 team?
CHRISTOPHER BELL: It says a lot, that's for sure. Wow, I mean, today was just a whirlwind, for sure. To be able to overcome and to be in that bad of a spot... I mean, I was what, a quarter straightaway from going a lap down. It was just incredible the difference a couple pit stop adjustments will do to your car.
I've always been one that says that the car is everything. The driver's job is to maximize the car. If the car is fast, you do good. If the car is slow, you do bad. I think today was the epitome of that.
We were really struggling. I was the slowest car on the track at one point in the race. A couple good adjustments later, we became one of the fastest ones.
Q. 22nd after stage two. Frustrations are high. Are you thinking at that point... What are you thinking at that point? You're not thinking win?
CHRISTOPHER BELL: No. Heck, no. I mean, I can't even say I was thinking of a win at any point in the day except maybe the last 10 laps.
But it was just insane the difference that the car was. So even from stage one to stage two, it's no secret that this is not my favorite racetrack in the world. I've had my fair share of struggles here. But stage one, we took off, and I was able to advance and move forward. I started in the teens and I was able to drive into the top 10 to get stage points. There were a couple other guys coming back to me. Okay, I feel really good. I felt like we were a small adjustment away from being really competitive.
Then, geez, it just completely fell apart in the second stage. I took off and the balance was not good at all. The long run was terrible. I completely died on the long run, almost went a lap down. I'm sure everybody on the 20 team was extremely frustrated, were ready to throw the towel in.
A couple good adjustments and a big, big break with the yellow flag, for sure. If that yellow flag doesn't happen, I certainly don't win, and I probably don't even sniff the top 10. We did catch a huge break in the third stage.
Q. When your crew chief tries to elicit a response like that from you on the radio, what are you thinking internally?
CHRISTOPHER BELL: That was me boiling over with frustration. I try not to do that. I try to keep my temper as controlled as I could.
But in that moment, I did smart off to him. I apologized to Adam for that. His old drivers probably gave him a lot worse, so I shouldn't feel too bad (smiling).
Q. What is it about you in these situations where you're able to thrive?
CHRISTOPHER BELL: Well, I mean, I don't think that it means anything for me. I certainly thrive on pressure and I love it. I live for those type of moments. That's why last week hurt so bad because I live for those moments. Whenever you have an opportunity to be great...
It didn't work last week, and that really, really hurt me. I think it's more so a credit to the team. To come into the Charlotte road course, I've said this a million times, in a must-win situation, whenever we sucked on road courses all year, to have the car capability we had, same thing at Martinsville, now the Round of 8 basically every race is a must win with our points situation.
Vegas was amazing. Certainly had a car capable of winning. Then a huge, huge turn of events from stage two to stage three this week to get our car to where I could maintain my track position and win the race.
Q. Do you consider yourself this clutch guy? Do you look forward to having that opportunity to bring it on like that? Are you like that generally speaking in life? Have you been like that?
CHRISTOPHER BELL: Well, I don't want to be put in those positions. It's not like I sit here and try to be put in a pinch.
It was very nice in the Round of 12 this year to have a good Texas and just be able to survive, right? Once I got that good finish at Texas, Talladega was, Okay, collect our points. Charlotte, same thing: collect our points. Certainly is a lot easier, but they're not always like that.
We've been really blessed and fortunate to be able to execute in these positions. I'm just proud of the effort from everybody around me because I'm just a small piece of what the success is.
Q. Do you start to welcome it now that you've proven you can excel in those situations?
CHRISTOPHER BELL: No. I would rather be the regular-season champion and be able to cruise in on points. In Phoenix, I would rather have a five-second lead and just cruise. I don't want have to be put in those positions.
But I do live for those moments. I love being great or trying to be great, I should say. Yeah, I love it.
Q. We have a legend retiring this season in Kevin Harvick, nickname of The Closer. Do you feel like you're carrying on that legacy in your own way?
CHRISTOPHER BELL: I don't know. I mean, Harvick is obviously one of the greatest to ever do it. I'm a far stretch from that.
I am proud of what I've been able to accomplish I guess is the right way to say it. But I don't think that anybody will be The Closer. That's Kevin's motto, that's what he did. Hopefully I'm Christopher Bell.
Q. You're now returning to the round where you were last year where unfortunately you fell short. How do you change the approach to the second Championship 4 as opposed to this first one? What did you learn from that that could help you at Phoenix?
CHRISTOPHER BELL: Yeah, I mean, you're always more prepared whenever you get into situations for the second time. I feel like we're going to be better than what we were last year. That was a bad race for us. We were in the Final 4 but we did not have the pace that we needed to compete for that event.
Then Phoenix one this year, we improved dramatically on it. I would say Phoenix one this year was our best race in the Next Gen era. I have way more confidence going into Phoenix this year than I did last year. Yeah, it's one race and we just have to go out there and execute.
Q. I'm curious about you being able to get these clutch wins. Last it wasn't magical because it was clearly talent, but what is it about you that you can step up when it's necessary?
CHRISTOPHER BELL: I mean, I don't think that it's anything. There is no magic in it. Fortunately or unfortunately I've been put in a lot of these positions growing up. I think it's just a credit to me driving professionally for as long as I have.
You improve on things every time you get into that position. My first walk-off win was Charlotte road course. That was certainly not the first high-pressure event that I'd been in in my career. You learn from it and you get better every time. I just credit it to my racing background and being a professional racer long before I entered into the NASCAR series.
Q. (No microphone.)
CHRISTOPHER BELL: I mean, he's proven that he has the same mentality, the same will, the same capability. I'm very fortunate to drive for him. He's a two-time champion for a reason. He's had plenty of his moments where he didn't fold under the pressure.
Q. You said you felt like Phoenix in the spring was the best race in the Next Gen era. Is that the...
CHRISTOPHER BELL: The best race for me, my group. The Phoenix one last year was terrible for me. I was really slow. Then Phoenix two wasn't much better. Frankly, we weren't competitive at Phoenix last year as the 20 car. Phoenix one, 2023, I felt really competitive. I don't even remember what happened in that race, but I remember it was a good showing for us.
I feel much more confident going into Phoenix two now than I did last year.
Q. You talked about the disappointment last week. Maybe it was the golden ticket at Vegas. How long did it take to turn the page from that? Were you able to turn it off by Monday?
CHRISTOPHER BELL: I mean, not really. I always am thinking of races in the past. I don't have a light switch, right? I'm not just going to light switch off and on to the next week.
But fortunately whenever I get in the moment, whenever I get in the car for practice or qualifying, I think that's whenever I'm, like, focusing on the task at hand. We had a couple simulator sessions this week.
It's not a light switch, but certainly by the time you get to the racetrack, it's focusing on the task that's in front of you.
Q. Joe talked about last year, basically said there are going to be memories. I'm not going to suggest that a championship replaces the loss of a family member. The idea that you'll be able to go back to Phoenix, potentially lift the spirits in some way, what does that mean?
CHRISTOPHER BELL: Yeah, last year was just a whirlwind of emotions. Going in there in my first Championship 4, it was very exciting and happy. It flipped very quickly on Sunday morning. It is a huge moment to be in the Final 4. I hope that I'm able to execute.
But I don't ever want to relive the shocking news that got I guess told upon us hours before you got to go perform at your highest at the most important race of your career. That was not ideal.
I look forward to having that moment again, and hopefully under different circumstances this time.
Q. (No microphone.)
CHRISTOPHER BELL: Yeah, yeah, it will be nice to have him around. Last year was just insane, like unheard of. It will definitely be a lot better this year.
Q. You understand what the six guys who are still in the running for the two spots, what their minds are going to be like this coming week. How does the mindset change going into this last race knowing you need a result to have a chance? What will change in their minds?
CHRISTOPHER BELL: I may just stay home next week (laughter). No, I'm kidding.
Your outlook for the race is completely different. So if the strategy presents itself, an opportunity to flip the stages and get track position, you take it because you're not worried about points.
Yeah, I mean, those guys have a lot more to race for than what I do now going into Martinsville. The mentality's completely different for them than it is for me. You just have to be aware of that.
Being able to focus on just winning the race and not having to score points definitely has its benefits. That's where we're at. I think we should be really competitive next week. Martinsville is obviously a good track for me. I look forward to going there and having a week with no pressure.
THE MODERATOR: Christopher, thanks for coming in.
CHRISTOPHER BELL: Thank you.