Exactly one year ago, a disaster unfolded for Joe Gibbs Racing. Christopher Bell was on a fiery mission to clinch a Championship 4 berth. And, mimicking Ross Chastain’s iconic ‘Hail Melon’ move, he undertook a ‘wall ride’ to finish ahead of his rivals. Bell would have officially made it – but NASCAR decided to penalize that move, and the JGR driver was left behind. Sadly, the No. 20 Toyota star could not redeem that loss this season.

The Xfinity 500 was flagged off at Martinsville recently, with many drivers biting their nails. The fates of 6 drivers were on the line – Ryan Blaney, Joey Logano, William Byron, Kyle Larson, and Christopher Bell. The Oklahoman wanted to join his JGR teammates who had already locked into Phoenix – but could not do so.

Christopher Bell shows respect for his rivals

Entering Martinsville, Kyle Larson and Christopher Bell were neck-and-neck in points. However, things looked grim in the starting grid itself – while Larson started 3rd, Bell was far back in 12th place. Moreover, the No. 20 slipped back and forth between being too loose and too tight at the tight turns of ‘The Paperclip’. He finished 8th in Stage 1 and 3rd in Stage 2, but eventually dropped off to a 7th-place finish by the end of the race. Meanwhile, Larson finished just two spots ahead in 5th, scoring the crucial 6 extra points to knock out Bell. Yet the latter is not too heartbroken.

In a post-race interview with Frontstretch, Christopher Bell was visibly crestfallen. However, he countered his expression and reminisced about his last Martinsville heartbreak, “I’d say it feels a lot better than last year.” What’s more, he saluted Kyle Larson and William Byron for making it to Phoenix in a 7-word statement. “The four going there are very deserving,” he said. The Hendrick Motorsports duo will compete with Bell’s teammates, Denny Hamlin and Chase Briscoe.

Christopher Bell narrowed down his Martinsville troubles to the new left side tire that Goodyear introduced. He said, “There wasn’t a big enough tire differential there, and I was stuck…I had track position at times, and I had tires at times. But I just wasn’t good enough tonight…They definitely wore by the end of the runs. It was slick out there. Seemed like mine wore more than the others. That was the difference maker.” 

Although crew chief Adam Stevens attempted to tighten the car up, it only helped Christopher Bell so much. Besides the loose car, there were swings in handling and other struggles. Bell recalled, “We’re going loose with laps. And then you try and tighten it up. And it hurts the beginning of the run. Whenever you loosen it up, I actually felt pretty good at the beginning. I could keep pace. Make a little bit of passes. Really struggled at the end.” 

While Christopher Bell nurses his wounds, we are sure of one thing. His rival was supremely confident heading into the Martinsville battle.

Sharpening his focus on Bell

Usually, we are used to watching Kyle Larson and Christopher Bell wrangle on dirt tracks. They have competed head-to-head multiple times in the Chili Bowl Nationals, USAC National Midget Series events, and more. This time, however, Lady Luck leaned more toward Larson. The 2021 Cup Series champion started the Xfinity 500 race in 3rd place, steadily holding his position throughout. Through both stages of the race and through all the chaotic wrecks, Larson never let go of his top-five advantage. By the end, Larson washed up in 5th place and punched his ticket to the Championship 4 along with teammate William Byron, who won the race.

What’s more, Kyle Larson eerily predicted outsmarting Christopher Bell in this race. Before the Martinsville festivities began, the HMS star had shared his sharpened focus. “I mean, you’re always going to go for a win if it’s in front of you. So, I don’t think that changes, but I think just you keeping an eye on what’s going on with Bell and throughout the night is equally as important. Because if I can score more points than him, I don’t have to rely on a win. So, we’ll see. It’ll be exciting.”

Clearly, Kyle Larson had the relaxed headspace necessary to win such a high-stress battle. Now, let’s wait and see if Christopher Bell storms back for an upset victory in Phoenix next weekend!