NASCAR: Bell outduels Reddick on Bristol dirt

–by Mark Cipolloni–

Christopher Bell showcased his origins of dirt track racing in Sunday night’s NASCAR Cup Series race on the dirt at Bristol Motor Speedway to claim his first win of the 2023 season. Bell, who has been on a streak coming into the race weekend with a series-leading four top-five finishes extends the streak to five and sets himself up for another shot at the Cup Series title with a slot in this year’s Playoffs.

Toyota teammate and COTA (Circuit of the Americas) race-winner, Tyler Reddick finished second in Sunday’s race and claimed the stage two victory after leading a total of 69 laps (of 250). Camry drivers Martin Truex Jr. (seventh) and Ty Gibbs (10th) also earned top-10 finishes in the 250-lap race.

If that race stayed green, do you think Tyler Reddick passes Christopher Bell? #NASCAR pic.twitter.com/3qmpgyNH0u

— NASCAR on NBC (@NASCARonNBC) April 10, 2023

Outside pole sitter Austin Dillon was 3rd in his RCR Chevy, 2.5 s back.

Ricky Stenhouse Jr. and Chase Briscoe rounded out the top-5.

Polesitter Kyle Larson led the first 75 laps but was wrecked out by Ryan Preece. Preece ran out of talent and wrecked Larson wreck in Turn 1 after battling for track position all night, ending Larson’s day at Lap 175.

Ryan Preece says he got loose when he got into Kyle Larson during the final stage at Bristol. pic.twitter.com/Bp14zFrPW6

— Bob Pockrass (@bobpockrass) April 10, 2023

The fans have spoken and thoroughly rejected paying to see a NASCAR Cup race on dirt.  The crowd was the smallest Cup race crowd at Bristol in 30 years. This was the third year of trying this silly experiment, and hopefully the last.

The few fans that were there will be blowing red clay out of their nostrils for days.

CHRISTOPHER BELL, No. 20 DeWalt Powerstack Toyota Camry TRD, Joe Gibbs Racing

Finishing Position: 1st

How does this win feel on the Bristol dirt on Easter Sunday?

“Man, those were some of the longest laps of my life. This place is so much fun whether it’s dirt or concrete and whenever the cushion got up there on the top, it was very, very tough because you couldn’t drive it super hard otherwise you would get sucked in. If you got your right-front into it, you would push a little and if you got your right-rear into it, you would slide. It was just a lot of fun, but just so grateful to be here driving this No. 20 DeWalt Camry for Joe Gibbs Racing. That was a lot of fun.”

Was there ever a moment where you were worried about getting the right-rear into the wall too hard?

“Three and four, that was the scary corner for me because if you got into it too hard you lost all your momentum. In one and two, I think I got into the wall a couple times, but there seemed to be a little more moisture up there and it would hold me better so I could really attack one and two, but three and four I had to be careful. I just can’t get over how long those laps feel. They’re 20-second laps, but when you’re moving the wheel 18 times a corner, it feels like it takes a long time to get around there.”

Was staying out on the last stage break the move that got you the win tonight?

“For me it was. We clearly were not the best car, but Adam (Stevens, crew chief) kept asking me what I needed and I was like, ‘Man, I don’t know if you’re going to be able to help me enough on a pit stop adjustment to get me where I need to be.’ I just said, let’s stay out and he believed in me and we were able to make it work.”

What was the entire last stage like and were you looking in the rearview mirror?

“No, I just try not looking in the rearview mirror and hit my marks and not make a mistake.”

TYLER REDDICK, No. 45 SiriusXM Radio Toyota Camry TRD, 23XI Racing

Finishing Position: 2nd

What was the battle like in the closing laps with Christopher Bell?

“It was a lot of fun honestly and really intense. Towards the end there, definitely felt like I had a little bit more on the edge and there in the closing laps I thought I found it. Just hate it for everybody on this SiriusXM Toyota Camry TRD. Just needed to be a little bit closer than I was. Maybe with two to go I could have made that move work. Obviously, coming into three and four on the white flag lap we were going to see, but we’ll never know if it would have worked. Still a good rebound for us. We thought the track was going to take a different direction than it did as the race unfolded. As it worked out, our strategy wasn’t the best, but that was on me.”

What could you have done differently to have had a chance at Christopher Bell in the closing laps?

“We definitely had a really strong SiriusXM Toyota Camry TRD and Billy Scott (crew chief) and the guys really left it in my hands from my background to make the decision on what to do there strategy-wise. I kind of missed it honestly. I really thought the track was going to go away a lot faster than that so we made the decision to stay out and pit later on. It almost worked out and we restarted eighth or ninth, but I didn’t do a good job on the restart at the beginning of stage three and got behind Kyle (Busch) and Austin (Dillon) and those guys. I think it was the difference of being able to get the Christopher (Bell) and be able to do something. Just wish I would have had that last 20 laps back, but this is the second year in a row I’ve said that.”

Austin Dillon, No. 3 BREZTRI Camaro ZL1

Finished: 3rd

A third place finish after starting on the outside pole. Austin, you had one heck of a racecar tonight, even after having to come through mid-pack and back up to the front. It seemed like your car was one of the few that was driving right at certain points of the night. Tell us about your race.

“I just have to thank SMI for all of the hard work they’ve done with this dirt racing. I don’t care what anybody says, that was an amazing show throughout the field. I felt like it was some great racing.

Have to thank the good Lord above. It’s Easter and that’s what we’re really here to celebrate. But man, that was a fun time. I really wish we could have brought home the No. 3 BREZTRI Chevy into victory lane. We were second in both stages and getting a third-place finish was big for us. Getting the momentum rolling. I had a lot of fun out there. Just wasn’t good enough against the fence when it mattered. We needed the track to kind of go back to our run. Right there at the end, we were kind of circling the middle and the car was really good. The No. 3 BREZTRI Chevy was fast, just not enough at the end.”

Race Results

POS	CAR	DRIVER	MANUF	BEHIND	LAPS
1	20	Christopher Bell		0.000	250
2	45	Tyler Reddick		0.469	250
3	3	Austin Dillon		2.503	250
4	47	Ricky Stenhouse Jr.		3.277	250
5	14	Chase Briscoe		4.711	250
6	31	Justin Haley		5.728	250
7	19	Martin Truex Jr.		5.760	250
8	38	Todd Gilliland		7.283	250
9	4	Kevin Harvick		7.601	250
10	54	Ty Gibbs #		7.650	250
11	34	Michael McDowell		7.651	250
12	23	Bubba Wallace		8.841	250
13	24	William Byron		9.329	250
14	43	Erik Jones		10.082	250
15	21	Harrison Burton		10.530	250
16	16	AJ Allmendinger		10.745	250
17	6	Brad Keselowski		11.462	250
18	17	Chris Buescher		14.197	250
19	2	Austin Cindric		16.362	250
20	15	JJ Yeley(i)		17.025	250
21	77	Ty Dillon		18.551	250
22	11	Denny Hamlin		19.670	250
23	12	Ryan Blaney		21.111	250
24	41	Ryan Preece		22.567	250
25	99	Daniel Suarez		22.582	250
26	78	BJ McLeod		24.196	250
27	9	Josh Berry(i)		28.895	250
28	1	Ross Chastain		-1	249
29	48	Alex Bowman		-2	248
30	7	Corey LaJoie		-3	247
31	10	Aric Almirola		-10	240
32	8	Kyle Busch		-14	236
33	42	Noah Gragson #		-45	205
34	51	Matt Crafton(i)		-65	185
35	5	Kyle Larson		-73	177
36	13	* Jonathan Davenport		-74	176
37	22	Joey Logano		-154	96

# DENOTES ROOKIE
(i) NOT ELIGIBLE FOR POINTS
(*) REQUIRED TO QUALIFY ON TIME