NASCAR driver Christopher Bell made a controversial move in the final lap of the Xfinity 500 playoff race at Martinsville Speedway.
A NASCAR insider recently gave his verdict on Bell’s move in the penultimate race in the 2024 Cup Series campaign.
Driving Joe Gibbs Racing’s #20 Toyota, Christopher Bell started the Xfinity 500 in P16 and climbed into contention by Stage 2.
However, a pit road issue sent him to the back, jeopardizing his playoff hopes.
Bell’s attempt to use a last-lap wall ride maneuver, reminiscent of Ross Chastain’s famous 2022 move, led to a NASCAR penalty, ultimately ending his Championship 4 aspirations.
In a recent episode of Dirty Mo Media’s ‘The Teardown’ podcast, The Athletic’s journalists Jeff Gluck and Jordan Bianchi discussed Bell’s heavily disputed move at Martinsville Speedway.
However, NASCAR penalized Bell for his alleged wall ride, which got him into the championship 4.
His penalty removed him from the title chase and instead, HMS driver William Byron took his spot by default.
Christopher Bell was statistically the most consistent driver throughout the 2024 Cup Series campaign.
His not being in the playoffs and Joey Logano securing his third title have sparked much controversy on the current playoff format.
The Cup Series race was not shy of controversy.
Besides Bell being penalized for his wall ride maneuver, allegedly, Chevrolet drivers tried to manipulate the results of the race by doing everything they could to help get William Byron in the final four.
