October 30, 2022 | By Lee Spencer

Christopher Bell wins at Martinsville to advance to the Championship 4 Round

MARTINSVILLE, Va.—Christopher Bell came from sixth to win the Xfinity 500 at Martinsville Speedway on Sunday but all the buzz surrounded Ross Chastain's last lap move.

Bell entered Martinsville Speedway in a must-win situation for the second-straight round in the Playoffs.

And for the second time in the last four races, Bell hit the walk-off homer when it mattered.

“Mom and dad, we did it, wow,” said Bell, after scoring his third win of the season and the 200th for Joe Gibbs Racing. “I can't believe it, man. To come here to Martinsville, this place has always been so tough on me. Just pre-race looking up, seeing all the fans, this place is packed.

“I don't even know what to say. Just thank you so much to DeWalt, Rheem, Toyota, everyone on this Joe Gibbs Racing 20 team. They believed in me since day one. We went to Xfinity and did pretty well, struggled on the Cup side for the first little bit. They stayed with me. Very appreciative to be here. I don't even know what to say.”

Polesitter Kyle Larson finished second followed by Ryan Blaney, Brad Keselowski and Chastain.

But as valiant as Bell’s battle was through the five drivers ahead of him over the final 20 laps, Chastain went full throttle on the final circuit posting a lap of 18.845-seconds and coming from 10th to fifth after banging off of the Turn 3 wall and rode the rim around the wall, bouncing off the gate and Keselowski in the process.

While the crowd celebrated Bell’s victory, the fans roared at Chastain’s move and the ability to blow by Denny Hamlin at the finish by 0.073-seconds. Hamlin finished sixth. The four-point deficit knocked the No. 11 Joe Gibbs Racing team out of the Playoffs.

“Played a lot of NASCAR 2005 on the game cube with Chad (Chastain, brother) growing up,” Chastain said. “You can get away with it. I never knew if it would actually work.

“I did that when I was eight years old. I grabbed fifth gear, asked off of two on the last lap if we needed it, and we did. I couldn't tell who was leading. I made the choice, grabbed fifth gear down the back. Full committed. Basically let go of the wheel, hoping I didn't catch the Turn four access gate or something crazy. But I was willing to do it.”

The Hendrick cars of Larson and Chase Elliott were strong at the start of the race, but Hamlin took over on Lap 121 and held serve for the first and second stage win. Bell, who started 20th, worked his way up to seventh after the first stage and fifth by the second segment.

The race remained single-file for most of the race with the first competition yellow coming from Chastain sending Keselowski into the spin cycle on Lap 273 while battling for eighth. Joey Logano took the opportunity to pit during the yellow after the No. 22 Ford caught fire from rubber in the left-front frame rail. Chastain dropped to 10th for the Lap 280 restart, while Logano restarted 14th.

Hamlin lost the lead to Bell in the pits, during the fourth caution when Austin Dillon slammed into the wall between Turns 3 and 4 after his brakes failed. Bell led the next 72 laps until JJ Yeley drew the next caution after he spun in Turn 3 on Lap 393. After Bell pitted, he returned to the point on Lap 397 and remained in the lead until the sixth and final caution on Lap 468 for Landon Cassill hitting the Turn 3 wall.

Bell and most of the leaders pitted on Lap 471. Chase Briscoe, whose team was penalized during the first round of pit stops for removing equipment after their fuel can was lodged in the No. 14 Ford, stayed out for track position along with Cole Custer. Larson lined up third with a two-tire stop along with Keselowski and William Byron.

Briscoe was able to pull out to the lead with 25 laps remaining. Although Custer and Keselowski played defense for the No. 14 Ford, Bell, the first car on four tires was coming. Hamlin was made aware that he was four points behind Chastain in the standings and the two traded paint into the run battling for 11th. While Hamlin was able to move around Logano, he used his front fender to nudge Byron, who was having none of it with eight laps to decide the contest.

With five laps remaining, Bell passed Briscoe and set sail. Chastain was 12th, behind Chase Elliott. Over the final five circuits, Briscoe dropped to 10th on old tires. Larson moved to second on Lap 497 and Bell extended his lead to .869-second over the No. 5 Chevy.

But in a moment of desperation, Chastain pulled the ultimate bonsai move coming from 10th to fifth to advance to his first Championship 4 along with Bell and joining former champions Joey Logano and Chase Elliott.

“I thought why not,” Chastain said. “That's a motto that some buddies and I have back home. We live by 'why not?' To apply that to the Cup Series in this scenario, there are rules. There are a lot of rules out here.

“I didn't know how it would all work out. I didn't know if the physics would work to make it around the corner, but it did. I'm sure glad it did.”

Needless to say, Hamlin wasn’t. For the last three seasons, the No. 11 Joe Gibbs Racing team has qualified for the final four.

“We're trying to battle,” Hamlin said. “Obviously, I was trying to get in there. But it's racing. It's what racing is here at Martinsville. Actually pretty happy with somewhat how clean it was there towards the end, as crazy was it was with guys on different tires.

“Can't say enough for my team to give us a shot. We were in 20s for most of the season in our points because of our up-and-down execution. We're going to end up fifth in points. That is what it is.”

Still, Hamlin offered Chastain props and style points.

“Great move,” Hamlin said. “Brilliant. Certainly a great move. When you have no other choice, it certainly is easy to do that. But well executed.”

Team owner Justin Marks was stunned after coming off of the pit box. Chastain’s feat was a first for Trackhouse Racing after opening its doors just two years ago.

“Never in a million years did I think that's the way that was gonna end up,” Marks said. “I think that just goes to show—I’m shaking right now—I think it just goes to show you that Ross is special, he's different, and sometimes there are unwritten rules that he finds ways to write them.

“I've never seen anything like that in my life. It's unbelievable. I'm so proud of him. So proud of this Trackhouse team. The 1 car, the 99, I'm in shock and it's good shock. I'm gonna go talk to him.”