Christopher Bell passes Kevin Harvick at Charlotte Roval to advance in NASCAR Cup playoffs
Christopher Bell was in a situation where he had to win before Sunday. And thanks to Roval's mayhem, he did exactly that.
Chase Elliott was on cruise control for much of Stage 3, holding a four-second lead as the race stayed in
the green for the longest amount of time in Roval history at Charlotte Motor Speedway.
But a sponsorship sign on the inside wall of Turn 7 that flew over the track prompted a warning and a restart with six laps to go, throwing the race into chaos.
Elliott, who was vying for the lead, was elbowed by Tyler Reddick and spun out, paving the way for Kevin Harvick to move into the lead and Christopher Bell to move into P2.
Then came a six-minute red flag (racetrack repairs needed) and a final restart.
Bell then moved forward on that final restart and pulled away from the rest of the field and then set up for a trip to Victory Lane.
“Man, you have to be there at the end of these things,” Bell said, moments after celebrating at the start-finish line,
something not many expected him to do on Sunday.
“I keep seeing all these races where the fastest car doesn't always win.
It's no secret that road courses have not been our strong year. We were just there at the right time.
Obviously we weren't in a position to win, we rolled the dice, we bet, it paid off.
Kevin Harvick held on to second place on Sunday and Kyle Busch was third.
Chase Briscoe, battling Austin Cindric for playoff points down the stretch, said those last five laps were "a rollercoaster ride."
He was solidly in the playoffs before the first caution late in the race, then crashed after a spin.
But a late Cindric accident kept him in the hunt.
“What a wild day,” Briscoe said, adding, “he took it all in the end. To be easily inside, then that debris precaution comes out.
Still, I thought we had a very good chance of making it. Ruin us in the final stretch.
Crazy at the end of these races, especially the road course race, how much can change so quickly.
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