LOUDON, N.H. – Christopher Bell staged a late rally to search out his manner into the NASCAR Cup Series playoffs.
Guiding the No. 20 Rheem/Watts Toyota, Bell handed Cup Series chief Chase Elliott on the 262nd lap and cruised to victory in Sunday’s operating of the Ambetter 301 at New Hampshire Motor Speedway.
Bell captured his second Cup Series win in 92 begins, his first on the Magic Mile and secured the 14th slot within the upcoming playoffs. A driver turns into eligible for one of many 16 playoff spots with a victory and there have been 14 totally different winners this season. Bell completed second to Aric Almirola in final 12 months’s race.
“The truth of it is I’ve just had good race cars here,” stated Bell. “It’s been a great race track for me and I don’t think there is anything I have that makes me good here. I think I just have great race cars that allow me to succeed.”
Elliott completed second, adopted by Bubba Wallace, who ran his finest race of the season for 23XI Racing. Bell’s Joe Gibbs Racing teammate Martin Truex Jr., who led for 172 laps, completed fourth. Denny Hamlin completed sixth to offer JGR three drivers within the prime 10.
“I felt like there was a poor run of execution on my end,” stated Elliott. “I just made a couple of mistakes and couldn’t get much breathing room. Christopher did a good job and congrats to those guys. But obviously for us, guys at this level should close out a race when you have the lead like that. Just a poor effort on my part.”
Truex is among the many factors leaders however wants victory to nail down one of many two out there playoff spots with six races remaining. Truex completed second to Kyle Larson within the Cup Series championship final 12 months and is the one Joe Gibbs’ Cup Series drivers with no win this season.
“I’m very nervous and I don’t think any of us would have dreamed that we would have (14) winners at this point and that’s why we were pulling so hard for him (Truex) to win it,” stated Gibbs. “But Christopher was in the same boat and thank goodness Christopher was able to get it done. We have to give Martin everything we have because we are going to need that car.”
Stage one
Truex wasn’t feeling very assured about his automobile although he secured the primary pole place of his profession on Saturday. When the inexperienced flag dropped, Truex opened sizable lead on Elliot.
Truex’s clear air run was interrupted on lap 4 when Alex Bowman (48) took out Ty Dillon (42) on the backstretch wall. Josh Bilicki (77) and BJ McLeod had been collateral injury within the wreck.
“This is the fourth time in five weeks we’ve been taken out by things out of our control,” stated Dillon.
Truex opened an enormous lead on the restart whereas Wallace within the No. 23 settled into second place. Truex caught up with the again of the sphere on lap 36. Truex effortlessly weaved by way of lap site visitors and picked up 10 useful driver factors on lap 70 when he captured his sixth stage victory of the season.
Stage two
Stage two started below warning and Truex and the remainder of the sphere went to pit highway on lap 73. Harvick’s cracker jack crew was on its recreation and he exited pit highway 4 spots higher and in second place.
Truex went to the pinnacle of the pack on the third restart, however the race went again below warning when Corey LaJoie (7), Harrison Burton (21) and Michael McDowell had been concerned in a three-car collision.
Truex and most if the sphere pitted in the course of the warning whereas Joey Logano within the No. 22 Shell Pennzoil Ford stayed out and took over first place. Truex handed Logano on lap 120 and went again into first place. Truex picked up 10 extra factors when he captured stage two on lap 185, his Cup Series finest seventh stage win of the season.
Source: www.bostonherald.com