Christopher Bell Penalized At Martinsville, Removed From Championship Four
1 month agoAt the end of the Xfinity 500 at Martinsville Speedway, it looked as though Christopher Bell was going to advance to the Championship Four at Phoenix and compete for this year's title, but NASCAR had other plans. The series decided that Bell committed a safety violation and penalized him by moving his finishing position back, which allowed William Byron to advance in the playoffs while Bell was eliminated. After the race, a disappointed Bell stated, "I made a mistake and slid into the wall. They ruled that as a safety violation. I don't know what to say. I didn't advance my position into the wall. I lost time on the racetrack." He later added, "It's not meant to be." This was yet another controversial decision by NASCAR as the series heads into the final race of the season next week at Phoenix. Bell was considered one of the favorites to win the Championship if he advanced to the final race, as the No. 20 Toyota was the class of the field in the first Phoenix race this season.
Source: Fox Sports
Source: Fox Sports