Bell Wins Race, Chastain Steals Show at Martinsville

Photo by Peter Stratta/TSJSports

NASCAR

Christopher Bell Wins Martinsville, Ross Chastain Rides Wall to Championship 4

RIDGEWAY, Va. – The race for the final Championship 4 spot literally came down to the last lap at Martinsville. Ross Chastain took the white flag needing two positions to leapfrog Denny Hamlin, and the 1 passed five cars between turn three and the checkers. Chastain used a videogame move to get an upper hand, eliminating Hamlin.

Lost in this madness was the fact that Christopher Bell also won his way to title contention. Bell pulled off another walk-off win, getting Joe Gibbs his 200th Cup Series win.

The first half of the race seemed to be well in hand of another Gibbs driver, Denny Hamlin. After starting 11th, the Fedex 11 rallied forward early, sweeping both Stages with relative ease. Hamlin appeared to be well on his way to a sixth Grandfather Clock trophy, needing every point possible to make Phoenix.

The closing laps saw a great back-and-forth battle between further back Hamlin and Ross Chastain. After losing ground on multiple trips down pit road, Hamlin restarted behind Chastain, and had to root and gouge his way by the 1. As Hamlin was moving forward, Chastain was mired back in the pack. As the last lap began, Hamlin was up by two points over Chastain for the final transfer position.

Entering turn three, Chastain refused to give up and went full-send into turn three. The No. 1 Trackhouse Racing Chevrolet made heavy wall contact and never came off the wall until the checkers. Chastain went from 10th to fifth and into the Championship 4. One of the cars Chastain passed was Denny Hamlin, who he eliminates from the Playoffs.

Regular season champion Chase Elliott is the fourth entrant in next week’s Championship 4. After a relatively quiet day, Elliott finished 11th to transfer in on points.

Overshadowed by the Chastain-Hamlin points battle was the dogfight up front for the win. Under the final caution, Chase Briscoe stayed out to gain the lead in a Hail Mary play for the win. However, Christopher Bell’s fresher tires paid off, as the 20 got by the 14 with just six laps left. After having to win at the Charlotte Roval to make this round, Bell pulled off another clutch must-win performance at Martinsville. The Oklahoma native is now in his first Championship 4.

“Mom and dad, we did it, wow,” Bell said. “I can’t believe it, man. To come here in Martinsville, this place has always been so tough on me. Just pre-race looking up, seeing all the fans, this place is packed.

“I don’t even know what to say. Just thank you so much to DeWalt, Rheem, Toyota, everyone on this Joe Gibbs Racing 20 team. They believed in me since day one.

“We went to Xfinity and did pretty well, struggled on the Cup side for the first little bit. They stayed with me. Very appreciative to be here. I don’t even know what to say.”

Bell’s Martinsville triumph is also the 200th Cup Series victory for Joe Gibbs Racing. In their 31st season, JGR is the third organization in NASCAR history to eclipse this record, joining Hendrick Motorsports and Petty Enterprises.

Behind Bell, top finishers were Kyle Larson, Ryan Blaney, Ross Chastain, Denny Hamlin, Joey Logano, William Byron, Bubba Wallace, Chase Briscoe, and Chase Elliott. Brad Keselowski initially finished fourth, but was DQ’d for failing post-race weight. Hear from some of these drivers below.

Eliminated from the 2022 Playoffs after Martinsville were Denny Hamlin, Ryan Blaney, William Byron, and Chase Briscoe. That leaves Joey Logano, Chase Elliott, Bell, and Chastain as the Championship 4 for next week’s title-deciding race.

Coverage of the 2022 NASCAR Cup Series Championship race will be Sunday at 3:00 p.m. ET on NBC, MRN, and SiriusXM NASCAR Radio Channel 90. Two past champions and two newcomers will go battle it out for the Bill France Cup, who can walk away with the ultimate prize in stock car racing?

Written by Peter Stratta

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Photo Credit to Peter Stratta/TSJSports