Ryan Blaney’s climactic win at Martinsville was overshadowed by the drama surrounding Christopher Bell’s controversial ‘wall ride’ move in the final lap, his subsequent penalty, and William Byron’s progression to the Championship 4. While it was an unexpected blow for Joe Gibbs Racing and Bell; Byron, who clinched a spot in the finals, stood by NASCAR’s decision.
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In the post-race interview, Byron explained, that as per what he knows, Bell rode the wall and there’s a clear rule against it. So, in the #24’s eyes, that’s what counts. Further pressed to clarify, the interviewer asked, “Just to confirm, you consider that a wall ride? You think it should not be his [Christopher Bell’s] spot in the Championship based on the move he made?”
Byron replied: “Yeah, there’s a rule against it. We all sat in meetings and talked about whether there should be a rule against it. Front tires were off the ground coming off four there against the fence. It happened in the past and it was fair game, but now the rule is against it, so I don’t see how you can call it any different.”
William Byron does not believe Christopher Bell deserved to be in the NASCAR championship after riding the wall.
At the time of this post, the finish is under review. pic.twitter.com/IChRusiF6G
— NASCAR on NBC (@NASCARonNBC) November 3, 2024
Despite his disappointment with NASCAR’s decision, Bell displayed true sportsmanship towards Byron. He approached the #24, congratulated the HMS driver, and acknowledged the race hadn’t gone as he’d hoped, saying, “But Congratulations. Go get them next week.”
Joe Gibbs weighed in on NASCAR’s controversial judgment
None of the Joe Gibbs Racing drivers this season secured a spot in the final four. Reflecting on last year’s lineup, Kyle Larson had clinched his advancement with a victory in Las Vegas, Bell won at Homestead, Blaney repeated his Martinsville win from this year, and Byron had qualified based on points.
The 2024 season echoed some of last year’s outcomes, with Byron advancing on points and Blaney winning the final Round of 8 race again. However, Larson and Bell were absent from the final four lineup. Reacting to NASCAR’s decision to penalize Bell, giving him the P22 position, Joe Gibbs said,
“They said it’s over,” and acknowledged they are “still dealing with it.” When queried about the possibility of an appeal, Gibbs expressed a desire to challenge the decision, lamenting, “I’d love to. They said we can’t appeal.”
While fans decried the decision as “race manipulation,” the controversy will await a response from NASCAR officials regarding their stance.
