Bob Pockrass
FOX NASCAR Insider
AVONDALE, Ariz. — Christopher Bell produced extra pace along with his automotive over a protracted green-flag run than it appeared another driver might Sunday, capturing the NASCAR Cup Collection race at Phoenix Raceway.
Bell led the ultimate 41 laps on his approach to his seventh profession win and his first of the 2024 season.
“You do not get vehicles like that fairly often,” Bell mentioned. “[I’m] simply tremendous, tremendous proud. … I really feel like we’ve got (the) functionality of working races like this loads.
“Hopefully that is the primary of many this 12 months.”
The victory made 2024 the fourth consecutive 12 months that Bell has gained not less than one race. His seven profession wins have come on seven completely different tracks, and this one was a one-mile oval the place the championship can be determined in November.
“We centered on some very particular issues with our setup with this package deal, and he was capable of actually inform us how he wished to run this race, the road he wished to run,” Bell crew chief Adam Stevens mentioned. “We optimized to it.”
“I believe we simply hit it higher than everyone, and that made that hole to the sphere right this moment. However he is actually, actually good all over the place we go. He is an distinctive short-track racer. He confirmed that right this moment.”
Under are takeaways from a race the place Bell was adopted throughout the end line by Chris Buescher, Ty Gibbs, Brad Keselowski and Ryan Blaney.
NASCAR Cup Collection: Shriners Kids’s 500 Highlights
Breaks lastly go Bell’s means
In final November’s championship race, Bell had a brake rotor blow, ending his title hopes earlier than the race’s halfway level.
If that wasn’t sufficient of a foul reminiscence when he rolled into Phoenix this weekend, he additionally was coming off a Las Vegas race by which he sustained a flat tire early, which adopted an Atlanta race that ended early with an accident.
So Bell acquired to shake these frustrations.
“I was not offended [coming in here] — I used to be simply unhappy,” Bell mentioned. “I suck at attempting to remain upbeat after a run of dangerous races. Atlanta was furthest from my fault, however it’s nonetheless a 30-whatever-fourth place end. We had a Thirty third-place end final week.
“I used to be fairly unhappy. I attempt to not let that have an effect on my driving. We confirmed up on Friday and had a bunch of tempo, had a extremely good follow, so I used to be feeling loads higher.”
The Joe Gibbs Racing driver made it a enjoyable race to observe at occasions, as he needed to come again from tenth or worse due to a foul pit cease at one level after which getting shuffled again with a four-tire pit cease below inexperienced solely to rally once more.
“My automotive was not superb each time I used to be again in site visitors,” Bell mentioned. “On the restarts, I struggled to maneuver ahead. It took me a pair laps for the sphere to get strung out earlier than I might begin making passes. That was disheartening. … I wasn’t considering [I could] win in any respect till I acquired to 3rd.”
‘Simply tremendous, tremendous proud!’ – Christopher Bell displays on Shriners Kids’s 500 victory
Hamlin, Reddick disenchanted
Denny Hamlin and Tyler Reddick have been battling for the lead for a lot of the race and each led 68 laps. They completed with Reddick in tenth and Hamlin in eleventh.
Reddick, who appeared to have the second-best automotive behind Bell, mentioned he misplaced the stability of his automotive on the ultimate run.
“I simply could not get by individuals, simply could not get round individuals,” Reddick mentioned. “We have been simply type of caught. We weren’t that nice that final run. … No matter it was, we have been fortunate to run tenth [there].”
Hamlin needed to rally following a spin, the results of contact with Reddick after a restart.
“I acquired beat on a number of restarts by the 45 [of Tyler Reddick] on the excessive aspect,” Hamlin mentioned. “So I made a decision to only attempt to hold pushing the entry [before lifting] as a lot as I might and I simply could not maintain my line there.”
Denny Hamlin mentioned his spin was all on him and offers ideas after the race
Logano, LaJoie wrecked
The largest wreck of the day occurred when John Hunter Nemechek acquired into the again of Joey Logano. Corey LaJoie and Derek Kraus have been additionally knocked out of the race by the accident.
Nemechek advised his crew over his in-car radio that he did not imply to get into Logano however that Logano slowed greater than he anticipated.
Logano did not need to hear that.
“It’s important to carry to make the corners,” Logano mentioned. “You possibly can’t maintain it large open round Phoenix.
“Perhaps he ought to have a look and understand he cannot try this. He drove straight into the again of me. He must be man sufficient to come clean with that.”
LaJoie had a 44-race streak throughout which he was nonetheless working on the end.
“You by no means like them, however to have them few and much between is at all times good,” LaJoie mentioned. “You overlook all of the 44 whenever you’re standing right here speaking and there are nonetheless guys making circles.”
[Want great stories delivered right to your inbox? Create or log in to your FOX Sports account, follow leagues, teams and players to receive a personalized newsletter daily.]
Bob Pockrass covers NASCAR for FOX Sports activities. He has spent many years protecting motorsports, together with over 30 Daytona 500s, with stints at ESPN, Sporting Information, NASCAR Scene journal and The (Daytona Seashore) Information-Journal. Observe him on Twitter @bobpockrass.
Get extra from NASCAR Cup Collection Observe your favorites to get details about video games, information and extra