By David Morgan, Associate Editor
The final laps of Sunday’s Xfinity 500 at Martinsville Speedway were full of drama, centered on two drivers battling it out for the final transfer spot into the NASCAR Cup Series Championship 4.
William Byron was fading fast, trying to hold off the drivers behind him in order to maintain his place inside the top four of the standings, while Christopher Bell was mired back in the pack, just hoping to have a chance to steal that position away.
Byron would be followed by two fellow Chevrolet drivers in Austin Dillon and Ross Chastain over the course of those final laps, neither of which dared to pass Byron and instead elected to play defense for the betterment of their Bowtie brethren.
Meanwhile, Bell found himself a wingman in Bubba Wallace, another Toyota driver, who dropped a number of positions over the course of the final laps, which allowed Bell to catch up to him as they headed into Turn 3 for the final time.
Bell blasted past Wallace in Turn 3 to pull even with Byron in the points, but his momentum carried him into the outside wall and in a move reminiscent of Chastain’s Hail Melon at Martinsville two years ago, Bell kept his foot in the gas and powered his way to the finish line, seemingly having pulled off a miracle and claimed a spot in the title race.
Not so fast.
With both drivers tied in the points and the tie going to Bell, both drivers pulled down pit road as the decision went to NASCAR to decide whether Bell’s move would be allowed to stand or whether Byron would get the nod into the Championship 4.
The sanctioning body had many factors to weigh, including the apparent manipulation from both Chevrolet and Toyota to get their respective drivers to Phoenix, as well as the move by Bell himself.
Byron explained during the wait on NASCAR’s decision that he didn’t think Bell’s move should stand as there was a rule against it.
“I mean, he rode the wall and there’s a clear rule against riding the wall. In my eyes, that’s what counts,” Byron said. “The 23 stuff is what it is. There was a lot going on there.”
Bell likewise laid out his case as to why the move should stand and he should be the one moving on.
“I knew I had to get past the 23, and got really loose, got really loose getting into turn 3. Once I got in the marbles, I was in the wall,” Bell said.
“I had no intention of riding the wall. That’s unfortunately where I ended up trying…
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