Who… should you be talking about after the race?
Don’t put Christopher Bell’s back against the wall; he’ll come out fighting tooth and nail. Twice in 2022, Bell has faced NASCAR Cup Series playoff elimination when nothing short of a win would let him advance.
And twice, Bell has delivered.
Leading the Xfinity 500 at Martinsville Speedway when a late caution flew, Bell had the unenviable position of deciding whether to pit for fresh tires. Ultimately, that was the call, and it left Bell mired in traffic.
But not for long.
Bell charged through the field, passing Chase Briscoe, who was in the same must-win situation and stayed out on old tires for the lead, with five laps to go to take his third win of 2022 and earn a spot in the Championship 4 alongside Chase Elliott, Joey Logano and Ross Chastain.
Look at that emotion!
CHRISTOPHER BELL WILL RACE FOR THE TITLE! #NASCARPlayoffs pic.twitter.com/uazRRLT6CT
— NASCAR (@NASCAR) October 30, 2022
Bell has been absolutely clutch in the playoffs this year. Next weekend will be his first appearance in the Championship 4 and he enters the race in a virtual must-win situation for the title. Can he make it a trifecta?
Not that you could, but don’t forget Ross Chastain. He’s been hot in the last two races, with a pair of runner-up finishes but found himself outside the playoff picture in the late laps, racing Denny Hamlin for the last spot. Chastain had to finish within four spots of Hamlin to advance, and Hamlin was passing cars while Chastain was just hoping to hold them off.
Until the final lap. Playing video games with his brother Chad, Chastain had tried a move so crazy nobody had really tested its merit before. So, with his season on the line and the white flag in the air, Chastain simply sent it.
HAVE YOU EVER SEEN ANYTHING LIKE THAT IN YOUR LIFE?!?!
— Trackhouse Racing (@TeamTrackhouse) October 30, 2022
Instead of diving deep in turn 3 to try and bowl his way past a couple of cars, Chastain went to the outside and barely lifted off the throttle. He rode the wall through the corner and shot down the frontstretch, passing Hamlin on the outside to take a top five and a shot at a title. His final lap broke the Martinsville qualifying record with a lap speed of 100.483 mph. The fastest lap previously was Joey Logano’s 2014 qualifying speed of 100.201.
THE MOVE THAT SENDS ROSS CHASTAIN TO THE #CHAMPIONSHIP4! pic.twitter.com/67Ku712XZf
— NASCAR (@NASCAR) October 30, 2022