From where he started the race, Christopher Bell was not very confident that he would finish in the top order at Darlington on Sunday. Sixteen competitors were lined up ahead of him in the starting order, and getting past them over 297 laps was a big ask. Yet, he managed to do it, almost.
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The No. 20 Joe Gibbs Racing driver finished third behind Denny Hamlin and William Byron. He had a good shot to win the race when the final caution came out with four laps remaining. Track position in the ensuing restart was all that mattered. But Bell could only manage to find a spot in the third row.
Had he started in the first or second row, he might have taken home the spoils from the race. But the result he secured was impressive enough. What he still can’t come to terms with, though, is how track position mattered throughout the entire race.
“I don’t know. It’s so confusing. My head’s just spinning because, literally, at the beginning of the race, I am getting passed for 25th, and then all of a sudden, I inherit track position, and I’m able to maintain my position. So, a very, very, very confusing day for us,” said Bell in the post-race interview.
Considering how the dynamics changed in the race, the No. 20 crew will be working their brains into overdrive trying to understand what transpired.
Byron wishes he had a better restart as well
The Hendrick Motorsports driver was easily the day’s most dominant driver. Byron led the first 243 laps before being overtaken by Hamlin.
The late-race caution, brought out when his teammate Kyle Larson spun, renewed hopes for Byron to retake the lead. However, he wasn’t able to get the best track position on the restart.
“You know, [it] took me a long time to get by him [Bell] and then had a great pit stop there at the very end and was able to line up on the second row. Just needed the front row to have a shot to win here,” said Byron.
“So, yeah. Just sucks. It’ll sting to be this close, but at the same time, it’s like, ‘Man, really proud of that effort by our whole team’,” he added.
The confidence and resolve in Byron’s words are evident in the Hendrick Motorsports team ranks as well. His crew chief, Rudy Fugle, expressed similar sentiments, regretting they couldn’t win.
The Lady in Black sure did cast some heavy spells this time. But the HMS crew is choosing to take the positives home from the weekend and focus on the next challenge.
