NASCAR Safety Penalty Forces Christopher Bell Out of Championship Contention
Christopher Bell's NASCAR Cup Series title hopes took a major hit on Sunday afternoon when he was penalized for a safety violation and sent to the back of the field at the Charlotte Roval.
Technical Violation Costs Bell a Shot at the Title
The penalty stemmed from a technical violation discovered during pre-race inspection. Bell's No. 20 Joe Gibbs Racing Toyota failed the rear window test, resulting in an L1 penalty. This penalty requires the offending vehicle to start at the rear of the field, regardless of qualifying position.
Bell qualified 11th for the Roval race, but the penalty dropped him to the back of the 36-car field. Despite a valiant effort to fight his way through the pack, Bell could only manage a 19th-place finish.
Title Hopes Dwindling
The Charlotte Roval race was the second-to-last race of the Round of 8 in the NASCAR Cup Series playoffs. Bell entered the race tied for second in the points standings, but the penalty dropped him to ninth, 39 points below the cutoff line for the Championship 4.
With only one race remaining in the Round of 8, Bell's title hopes are hanging by a thread. He would need to win at Martinsville next week and hope for a combination of other results to go his way in order to advance to the Championship 4.
Disappointment for Bell and JGR
The penalty was a major disappointment for Bell and Joe Gibbs Racing. Bell had been one of the most consistent drivers in the playoffs, posting top-10 finishes in his last four races. The team had been confident that he could challenge for the championship, but the safety violation has put those hopes in jeopardy.
Bell expressed his frustration after the race, saying, "It's hard to swallow. We came here with a shot to win the championship and we didn't get it done. A lot of it was out of our control, but we'll have to learn from it and move on."
The NASCAR Cup Series playoffs will conclude next week with the race at Martinsville Speedway. Bell will need a win and some luck if he wants to keep his championship hopes alive.