Joe Gibbs Racing driver Christopher Bell faced heartbreak on Sunday following the Xfinity 500 race in Martinsville. NASCAR decided to cut him out of the Championship 4 since he’d ridden the wall towards the end of the race, a move made illegal in 2022 courtesy of Ross Chastain. Despite having to deal with tough emotions, Bell remained a gentleman when the dust settled and earned admiration from fans.
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When defending champion Ryan Blaney was cruising ahead to take the win during the race, there was a lot of trouble unfolding behind him. Bell had been in an intense battle against Hendrick Motorsports driver William Byron for the fourth and final transfer spot. Byron had been shouldered by a couple of fellow Chevrolets at that point but, weirdly, neither drove past him.
Meanwhile, Bubba Wallace slowed his car down citing a failed tire. Bell came in too hot behind him and slid entering the final corner. He kept his foot on the throttle upon hitting the wall and rode it to the finish line. Bell had edged ahead of Byron but it was too early to celebrate. NASCAR was reviewing the move and when it finally gave its verdict, it wasn’t in favor of Bell.
The move by the Chevrolets has been criticized as race manipulation and NASCAR’s decision-making itself was gray at best. However, Bell spoke to Byron after the race and wished him well.
He said, “Well Willy, that’s not how I wanted it to go, but congratulations.” His mental stability under the heated and controversial after-race moments deserved huge praise and it got it from the fans.
️ “Well Willy, that’s not how I wanted it to go, but congratulations.”@CBellRacing to @WilliamByron after Martinsville. pic.twitter.com/cOT6B05fnW
— SiriusXM NASCAR Radio (Ch. 90) (@SiriusXMNASCAR) November 3, 2024
Fans shower praise on Bell for keeping his calm
Bell made the Championship 4 in both 2022 and 2023. Missing out on winning the title in those two years had given him a strong resolve to get the job done this season. This is why losing out on Sunday must have been pretty hard for him to digest. And yet he displayed a level of sportsmanship that few are capable of in NASCAR.
One fan wrote below a post of the gesture on X (formerly Twitter) by Dirty Mo Media’s Andrew Kurland, “I’ve never liked Bell til right just now. The other Toyota drivers could learn a thing or two from this.”
Another added, “That’s a way bigger person than I would’ve been able to be”. Both Bell and Byron are deemed to be two of the nicest men in the sport.
One other fan took note of this and believed, “Class act right there. I think Byron would have done the same.” A final comment came, “Bell is a class act!”
Although he took it well, the Joe Gibbs Racing driver could not comprehend the reasoning behind NASCAR’s decision. He told the press that his wall ride was nothing like the one Chastain did in 2022.
He said, “My move was completely different from what Ross’s was. I was getting right into the corner and slid right into the fence. So, yeah, I mean… I don’t know what else to say.”
Notably, NASCAR refused to let Bell’s team owner, Joe Gibbs, appeal the decision. There could be more to this story but, right now, Bell’s character is what deserves all the clout.
