After settling for second in this race last year, Joe Gibbs Racing’s Christopher Bell scored his first Loudon victory, his first Cup Series win of 2022 and the second of his career Sunday (July 17) in the Ambetter 301 at New Hampshire Motor Speedway. With the win, Bell has likely locked up a spot in the playoffs with six races remaining in the regular season.
It was a tale of two races at the Magic Mile. The opening two stages saw some chaos in the middle of the pack, but nobody could get close to Martin Truex Jr. for the race lead. But a caution for Todd Gilliland’s spin with just under 100 laps to go set up three disparate strategies among the race leaders, triggering a no-holds-barred battle over the final hundred laps.
Kurt Busch and Joey Logano gambled, staying out to take the front row. Truex and Kevin Harvick were the first on two tires, while Bell, Chase Elliott and Bubba Wallace took four.
You could fit these three in a hot dog roll (which is perfect for lobster).@chaseelliott passes Kurt Busch for the lead, and Christopher Bell follows! #NASCAR
📺 : @USA_Network pic.twitter.com/jjCIs7kYLz
— NASCAR on NBC (@NASCARonNBC) July 17, 2022
It soon became clear that the four-tire stop was the way to go, as Elliott and Bell clawed their way to the front. Elliott shoved his way past Joey Logano on lap 243, and by lap 247 put another aggressive on leader Kurt Busch, with Bell shadowing his every move.
Once clear into second, Bell waited for Elliott to burn off his rear tires. On lap 260, he made his move.
AND @CBELLRACING TAKES THE LEAD! https://t.co/63AJXLqOh4 pic.twitter.com/dhJHpyLWKV
— NASCAR (@NASCAR) July 17, 2022
Bell didn’t look back, leading the rest of the way to score his first win of 2022, becoming the 14th different winner in the Cup Series this season.
Points leader Elliott continued his hot streak with a second-place result, and Bubba Wallace ended up third, the 23XI Racing driver’s best result since February. Truex and Harvick recovered to fourth and fifth place, respectively, after ending up on the slower strategy in the last stage. Denny Hamlin was sixth at the checkered flag, and Brad Keselowski scored his best finish of the season with seventh. The Trackhouse Racing Team duo of Ross Chastain and Daniel Suarez ended their relatively quiet afternoons in eighth and ninth, and Kurt Busch was 10th despite an additional pit stop in the final stage.
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