In must-win situation, Christopher Bell came from the 38th starting position to win Saturday’s Whelen Trusted To Perform 200 at ISM Raceway to secure his spot in the Xfinity Series Championship 4.
Bell had to start at the rear of the field after his car failed inspection three times earlier in the day. But the Joe Gibbs Racing driver was able to make his way to the front and scored his seventh win of the season and secured a chance to run for the title next week at Homestead-Miami Speedway.
“Thankful for my team,” Bell said. “Without them, they brought probably our best car we’ve had all year here this weekend. Racecar drivers are only as good as their racecars, it’s a pleasure to drive them.
“I”ll be honest, after Kansas and Texas, I just accepted that we weren’t going to be able to get there…We’re going to Homestead, baby!”
Cole Custer, Daniel Hemric and Tyler Reddick will join Bell in next week’s championship race. However, regular-season champion Justin Allgaier will not.
Allgaier won the day’s first two stages but he suffered a brake failure late in the race after contact from John Hunter Nemechek. It took him out of contention and his 24th-place finish eliminated the JR Motorsports driver from the championship picture.
Elliott Sadler, Matt Tifft and Austin Cindric also failed to advance.
“I really wish my guys were going down there to run for a championship,” said Sadler, who will end his full-time NASCAR career after next week’s race.
Hemric, Tifft, Cindric and Ryan Preece rounded out the top five on Saturday.
“We did a good job as a team today doing what we’ve done all year and that’s get it better every stop,” Hemric said. “Honestly, I thought we held onto it better than I thought we would once we got up to second.”
Reddick, Brandon Jones, Custer, pole sitter John Hunter Nemechek and Spencer Gallagher completed the first 10 finishers.
The NASCAR Xfinity Series season finale takes place next Saturday afternoon with the Ford 300 at Homestead-Miami Speedway.
