NASCAR: Bell wins in Homestead, advances to final 4

Christopher Bell drove his JGR Toyota to victory in Sunday’s NASCAR Cup Series race at Homestead-Miami Speedway, and advances to the final 4.

Bell notched his second win of the season and the sixth of his Cup Series career in Sunday’s 4EVER 400 presented by Mobil 1. He led 26 of the 267 laps in the No. 20 Joe Gibbs Racing Toyota and was 1.651 seconds ahead at the checkered flag.

Ryan Blaney, who won Stage 2 and led 53 laps, was the runner-up in the No. 12 Team Penske Ford. Tyler Reddick placed third, with William Byron fourth and AJ Allmendinger completing the top five.

Just one race remains in the Cup Series Playoffs’ Round of 8 — next Sunday’s Xfinity 500  at Martinsville Speedway. After next weekend’s 500-lapper at the Virginia short track, the four drivers who will race for the Cup Series crown Nov. 5 at Phoenix Raceway will be determined.

Kyle Larson had previously locked into the Championship 4 field with his victory in the Round of 8 opener last weekend at Las Vegas Motor Speedway, and he was among the contenders again Sunday before a crash with 55 laps remaining sidelined his No. 5 Hendrick Motorsports Chevrolet. Larson was in second place, following Ryan Blaney’s No. 12 Ford to pit entry for a green-flag stop, but he overshot the entrance and smashed into the sand barrels protecting the pit wall.

Larson — who led 96 laps and won Stage 1 — finished 34th in the 36-car field. The race was briefly red-flagged to repair the barrier.

Two other playoff contenders also found trouble, with Joe Gibbs Racing teammates Denny Hamlin and Martin Truex Jr. dropping out in the final stage. Hamlin’s No. 11 Toyota crashed into the Turn 1 retaining wall after a steering issue and the damage was too severe for him to continue. During the caution period for Hamlin’s wreck, the engine on Truex’s No. 19 Toyota expired and he also fell out of the running.

Truex finished 29th with Hamlin 30th.

Christopher Bell

Christopher Bell delivers today at Miami. How in the world did you and Adam Stevens take a car that was about to go a lap down and turn it into a winning race car?

CHRISTOPHER BELL: I’ve got the best team behind me. Honestly, I don’t know, man. That race was a whirlwind. I was ready to throw the towel in there in the second stage. I got frustrated on the radio.

Adam kept after it. Adam, Tyler, William, the guys back at the shop were working over the adjustments and gave me what I needed. Whenever we got some clean air, this thing was really good.

I cannot say how proud I am to be here with our partners, with Rheem and DeWalt, driving these Toyota Camrys. I’ve been with Toyota since day one.

Thank you, everyone, that’s supported me. This is better than a dream come true.

Race Results

POS	CAR	DRIVER	MANUF	DELTA	LAPS
1	20	Christopher Bell (P)		—	267
2	12	Ryan Blaney (P)		1.651	267
3	45	Tyler Reddick (P)		2.870	267
4	24	William Byron (P)		3.700	267
5	16	AJ Allmendinger		3.920	267
6	23	Bubba Wallace		5.357	267
7	54	Ty Gibbs #		5.687	267
8	22	Joey Logano		6.279	267
9	10	Aric Almirola		6.666	267
10	3	Austin Dillon		7.108	267
11	4	Kevin Harvick		7.194	267
12	2	Austin Cindric		8.883	267
13	41	Ryan Preece		9.935	267
14	43	Erik Jones		12.015	267
15	9	Chase Elliott (P)		12.661	267
16	99	Daniel Suarez		13.277	267
17	14	Chase Briscoe		13.445	267
18	8	Kyle Busch		13.783	267
19	48	Alex Bowman		14.232	267
20	7	Corey LaJoie		14.789	267
21	17	Chris Buescher (P)		14.949	267
22	34	Michael McDowell		16.399	267
23	31	Justin Haley		17.958	267
24	77	Ty Dillon		-1	266
25	38	Todd Gilliland		-1	266
26	51	Ryan Newman(i)		-2	265
27	47	Ricky Stenhouse Jr.		-4	263
28	6	Brad Keselowski		-5	262
29	19	Martin Truex Jr. (P)		-30	237
30	11	Denny Hamlin (P)		-31	236
31	1	Ross Chastain		-46	221
32	42	John Hunter Nemechek(i)		-49	218
33	15	JJ Yeley(i)		-49	218
34	5	Kyle Larson (P)		-53	214
35	78	Josh Bilicki(i)		-66	201
36	21	Harrison Burton		-102	165

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