Christopher Bell gave his best effort during Sunday’s NASCAR Cup playoff race at Kansas Speedway but was unable to match Chase Elliott’s late-race maneuver to claim victory. The race, held at Kansas Speedway, saw Bell finish third, just behind Denny Hamlin, while Elliott capitalized on a battle between Hamlin and Bubba Wallace to take the win.
Final Lap Drama Shapes Race Outcome
As the race neared its conclusion, Hamlin and Wallace engaged in an intense duel off turn four on the last lap, which opened the door for Elliott to slip through on the inside and secure first place. Bell, despite his efforts, could not find a similar opportunity and settled for third place, helping secure a strong 2-3-4 finish for Joe Gibbs Racing.
The event highlighted Toyota and Joe Gibbs Racing’s dominance, with Hamlin finishing second, Bell in third, and Chase Briscoe capturing fourth. Other Toyota-powered contenders made their mark as well, including 23XI Racing’s Bubba Wallace in fifth and Tyler Reddick finishing seventh.
Bell Reflects on Race and Restart Challenges
Following the race, Bell expressed mixed feelings about the outcome.
“I honestly don’t know what I could have done,”
he said.
“I’m leaving here feeling pretty satisfied and that was a bummer whenever I lost the lead on the (final) restart (in overtime).”
He pointed out the difficulty of judging the restarts:
“We caught the wrong timing line, but even looking back at it, it was such a 50-50 call on those restarts of whether you want it to be the inside or the outside, I don’t know what I would do different.”
Despite the missed win, Bell emphasized his effort:
“I thought we left it all on the table and didn’t win today.”
Christopher Bell, NASCAR driver
Strong Playoff Performance Keeps Bell in Contention
Bell’s third-place finish reflects his overall solid performance throughout the playoffs. After a disappointing 32nd-place finish in the opening race at Darlington, he rebounded with a seventh-place at Gateway, a win at Bristol, and a sixth-place at Loudon last week, showing consistency and resilience ahead of the upcoming Charlotte Roval race.
Bell Positioned Well to Advance in Playoffs
Heading into the final race of the Round of 12 on the Charlotte Roval, Bell holds a comfortable 44-point lead above the playoff cutoff. This cushion nearly guarantees his advancement to the Round of Eight, barring extreme results where he finishes last and trailing drivers have outstanding performances.
Bell acknowledged the advantage gained from his Kansas finish:
“It certainly (gives him a bit of breathing room). It was rewarding to be restarting on that front row and knowing that if I win, I advance. And if I get out of here and don’t win, we’re in a really good spot.”
Christopher Bell, NASCAR driver
He also praised the team’s performance and their race strategy:
“So I’m proud of our team and we are doing a really good job of controlling what we can control, and getting pretty good finishes out of it.”
Christopher Bell, NASCAR driver
Alongside other frontrunners like Ryan Blaney, Hamlin, and Elliott, Bell’s positioning after Kansas reflects both his skill and his team’s ability to stay competitive in this critical stretch of the NASCAR Cup playoffs. How he performs on the Charlotte Roval will be crucial to his path forward in the championship chase.
