HAMPTON, Ga. — Christopher Bell prevailed in time beyond regulation to say the victory in Sunday’s Ambetter Well being 400 at Atlanta Motor Speedway – formally main solely the ultimate lap and getting the photograph nod in a three-wide run as a warning flag got here out on the final lap to finish the NASCAR Cup Sequence race.
It marks the second yr that this race featured a three-wide run to the checkered flag. This time Bell acquired the nod out entrance over second-year driver Carson Hocevar and 2021 collection champion Kyle Larson as the ultimate warning flag flew. It was the 30-year previous Oklahoma native Bell’s tenth profession collection victory and first on a drafting-type monitor like Atlanta, Daytona or Talladega, Ala. It additionally marked the primary victory for Joe Gibbs Racing since June of final yr.
READ: Profession-Greatest End Comes With Turmoil for Hocevar
“I’ll let you know what, that proper there’s what you dream of,” an elated Bell stated afterward. “To have the ability to re-start on the primary or second row on a re-start at a speedway you by no means understand how these issues are going to play out.
“However,” he added wanting straight into the FOX tv cameras with an enormous smile, “I’ll be the primary to let you know, ‘I really like superspeedways.’
“I don’t know,” he conceded, “however this model of racing has at all times been just a little little bit of a wrestle for me. All through the start of the day, clearly in the present day we have been simply caught method within the again. However [crew chief] Adam [Stevens] and these boys simply did an unimaginable job of getting this factor fastened up so I might simply maintain my foot down and also you’ve acquired to have the ability to simply keep within the throttle and that final half of the race we ran our greatest.”
Regardless of his near-miss third-place exhibiting, Larson was happy with the end. He’s 0-for-48 in speedway-type races, together with 16 earlier DNFs. So all stated, it was a profitable, if eventful, day. He had contact with one of many race’s strongest vehicles, Austin Cindric’s No. 2 Group Penske with three laps remaining to make the time beyond regulation end obligatory, however led 12 laps.
Hocevar’s runner-up end was a profession excessive mark for the 22-year previous driver of the No. 77 Spire Motorsports Chevrolet.
Nevertheless, shortly after the younger Californian climbed out of his automobile, he was confronted post-race by each Ross Chastain and former collection champ Ryan Blaney in separate discussions. Though Chastain refused to share what was stated, Blaney confirmed he recommended to Hocevar to work on his determination making.
“I simply stated, ‘Hey, you bought to relax. I informed him a pair strikes he made earlier within the race that have been actually, actually sketchy,” stated Blaney, who rallied to a fourth-place end after being spun out after contact with Hocevar with 27 laps remaining.
“Clearly, me getting spun. He ought to know higher than to hit me in that spot. He can’t simply run into my bumper as I’m turning right into a nook. I’m going to wreck. So, I simply informed him you bought to relax. You bought plenty of expertise, however you bought to be just a little bit simpler on this sure second. Be smarter.”
Hocevar, who additionally stated he most well-liked to maintain the 2 conversations along with his veteran rivals to himself, however instantly supplied an apology for any contact with Larson on the ultimate lap.
“I didn’t understand we weren’t racing again to the road,” he stated of the final lap fender-rub with Larson, including, “Some stuff I’ve acquired to study and clear up just a little bit, however I really feel like we put ourselves in an ideal alternative to win a race and I’ve by no means actually had that chance earlier than, particularly on tremendous speedways. So, due to all people at Spire Motorsports.”
Actually, the early portion of the race was dominated by the Ford contingent, which included 10 of the highest 11 qualifiers together with Blaney’s pole place within the No. 12 Group Penske Ford. Blaney’s teammate, reigning collection champion Joey Logano led a race finest 83 laps – the second time in as many races this season he out-paced the sector, however completed twelfth.
Fords led all however one of many first 140 laps. Finally, nonetheless, pit technique and producer alliances – at the very least early within the race – gave solution to late race push and higher deal with on the vehicles for the remainder of the competitors.
The ultimate yellow flag flew to finish the race when Josh Berry – who received Stage 1 – Justin Haley and Ryan Preece collided on the backstretch throughout time beyond regulation.
HYAK Motorsports’ Ricky Stenhouse Jr. completed fifth, adopted by Denny Hamlin, a robust exhibiting for the veteran who like his JGR teammates all began twenty fifth or worse on the grid.
Richard Childress Racing’s Kyle Busch was the one one in all three vehicles (additionally Blaney and defending race winner Daniel Suarez) in final yr’s three-wide photograph end to not be collected in an accident. The 2-time collection champion completed seventh, adopted by Trackhouse Racing’s Ross Chastain, 23XI Racing’s Bubba Wallace, and Legacy Motor Membership’s John Hunter Nemechek, who scored his second top-10 end in as many races this yr – already half of his single season excessive in two earlier fulltime seasons on the NASCAR Cup Sequence stage.
Along with his fourth place exhibiting Sunday, Blaney now leads the championship by 12 factors over Daytona 500 winner, Hendrick Motorsports’ William Byron. Kaulig Racing’s A.J. Allmendinger set the Quickest Lap of the race.
