Over 250 laps on the Bristol Motor Speedway, Joe Gibbs Racing’s Christopher Bell was able to slide his way to his first victory in the 2023 NASCAR Cup Series season.
Tyler Reddick and Austin Dillion joined #20 in victory lane.
The Toyota driver led 100 laps in a race that had fourteen cautions and numerous spins around the dirt track.
“Let me tell you, those were some of the longest laps of my entire life. This place is so much fun, no matter if it’s dirt or concrete,” said Bell.
“It was so much fun…three and four, that was the scary corner for me.”
“If you got into it too far, you lost all your momentum.
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“So, I could really attack one and two, but three and four was the end I gotta be careful.
“I can’t get over how long those laps feel, it’s a 20 second lap and you’re moving the wheel 18 times.”
Kyle Larson took out the first Stage win whilst Reddick won the second, a 75 lap stage dominated by caution laps.
Joey Logano was out of the race on Lap 104 after contact with Bubba Wallace and suspension damage took him to pit road and caused him to be the first retirement of the race.
Polesitter Larson spun on Lap 161 and brought out the 10th caution of the race.
The #5 Hendrick Motorsports Camaro driver was again involved in an incident in the final stage, coming together with Ryan Preece at Turn 1 on Lap 180 near the top wall.
The two drivers had earlier contact and Larson eventually retired from the race.
Bell ended up leading that restart and each restart Bell made, the Toyota driver created a gap to the pack behind him showing his well-versed experience in dirt racing.
With 30 laps to go, Chase Briscoe and Reddick started to mount an attack for the lead, but Briscoe fell down the order in the ending laps after contact with the top wall meaning the #14 driver finished in fifth.
Kyle Busch spun straight down into pit road with 13 laps to go, bringing out the thirteenth and final racing caution of the evening.
At the final lap of the race, Ross Chastain and Josh Berry made contact at the bottom of the back straight, bringing out a caution but the chequered flag had already fallen in Bristol to name Bell victorious with the win.
NASCAR will race next week at Martinsville Speedway on Sunday 16 April 15:00 local time/ Monday 17 05:00 AEDT.
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