Christopher Bell Spins and Wins at Kentucky Speedway

Getty Images

SPARTA, KY – RIS – Christopher Bell didn’t start out well.  During his qualifying round, Bell spun out and was fortunate not to slam into a wall. His consequence was starting 12th.

Yet, during a seven-caution race, the rookie gradually passed car after car and claimed the lead and the win in the NASCAR XFinity Series ALSCO 300 on Friday night at Kentucky Speedway. Bell's win is the third of his career.

Before the race, he and his crew thought they had a car that could win, or at least finish in the top five. The qualifying round could've changed that, but the 23-year-old said the actual race was all about his mindset.

"You just have to tell yourself going into it and continue to tell yourself a half-lap in, a lap in, five laps in, 10 laps in that it’s a 200-lap race," he said afterward.

Still, back after stage one, he was 14th. After stage two, he was seventh.

"I was getting impatient," he said. "But the next thing I know, I look at the board and I think we’re only on lap 92 or 93 and we still have over half the race to go."

 Kyle Busch, who's won this race three times, led most of the race (111 laps). But toward the end of the race, he lost his spot and drifted back to his eventual third-place finish. Had he won, he'd own the track record for victories.

When Bell was asked about Busch's slowdown, which Bell's crew chief Jason Ratcliff said likely came from hitting the wall twice, Bell shrugged off Busch and said "I guess it shows he's human."

The rookie and his No. 20 Joe Gibbs Racing Rheem Toyota led the final 14 laps of the race.

In his post-race press conference, he remained humble. Rather than taking pride in a literal come-from-behind win, he said the crew consistently put him in good positions and it's up to him to execute in the same manner.

"I just gotta keep digging," he said. "Two wins is not a successful year for us. We go to the track every single week with a shot to win. For the most part, we start the race with a shot to win every week. It's just a matter of me capitalizing."

Before the ALSCO 300, Daniel Hemric sat on the cusp of a first career win. With a couple breaks from drivers, he thought it might happen.

It nearly did. Yet, it was Bell’s night, even if it looked bleak at the beginning.

Kentucky Speedway - Sparta, KY - 1.5 Mile Paved
Total Race Length - 200 Laps - 300 Miles

Fin Str Car Driver Team Laps Stage 1 Pos Stage 2 Pos Pts Status Tms Laps Playoff Pts
1 12 20 Christopher Bell # Rheem Toyota 200 7 44 Running 1 17 5
2 5 21 Daniel Hemric South Point Hotel & Casino Chevrolet 200 9 10 38 Running 1 8
3 3 18 Kyle Busch(i) NOS Energy Drink Toyota 200 1 2 0 Running 3 111
4 2 7 Justin Allgaier Dale Jr's Whisky River Chevrolet 200 8 6 41 Running 1 32
5 1 00 Cole Custer Haas Automation Ford 200 2 3 49 Running 1 14
6 8 9 Tyler Reddick # BurgerFi Chevrolet 200 7 8 38 Running
7 6 42 John Hunter Nemechek Anderson Columbia Co. Inc. Chevrolet 200 3 1 48 Running 1 14 1
8 9 16 Ryan Reed Drive Down A1C Lilly Diabetes Ford 200 29 Running
9 14 22 Paul Menard(i) Discount Tire Ford 200 9 0 Running
10 4 12 Austin Cindric # Lasik Vision Institute Ford 200 5 4 40 Running
11 7 2 Matt Tifft Surface Sunscreen Chevrolet 200 4 33 Running
12 10 1 Elliott Sadler OneMain Financial Chevrolet 200 10 26 Running
13 13 11 Ryan Truex Phantom Fireworks Chevrolet 200 24 Running
14 16 3 Ty Dillon(i) Red Kap/Alsco Chevrolet 200 0 Running
15 17 5 Michael Annett Pilot Flying J Chevrolet 200 22 Running 1 4
16 19 39 Ryan Sieg RSS Racing Chevrolet 200 21 Running
17 21 4 Ross Chastain AE Door & Window Co. Chevrolet 200 20 Running
18 20 51 Jeremy Clements RepairableVehicles.com Chevrolet 200 19 Running
19 24 0 Garrett Smithley FAME/fame-usa.com Chevrolet 198 18 Running
20 15 23 Spencer Gallagher ISM Connect Chevrolet 198 17 Running
21 26 15 BJ McLeod Herb Kinman Chevrolet Chevrolet 196 16 Running
22 33 8 Ray Black II JW Transport LLC/CorvetteParts.net Chevrolet 196 15 Running
23 30 52 David Starr Tony?s Steaks and Seafood Chevrolet 195 14 Running
24 36 76 Spencer Boyd # Grunt Style Chevrolet 195 13 Running
25 37 78 Blake Jones Tennessee XXX Moonshine Chevrolet 194 12 Running
26 27 55 Brandon Hightower NAPA/S. Aaron Siebeneicher Attorney at Law Toyota 194 11 Running
27 18 60 Ty Majeski Ford Ford 193 10 Running
28 34 45 Josh Bilicki # Prevagen Toyota 193 9 Running
29 38 01 Vinnie Miller # Herb Kinman Chevrolet Chevrolet 192 8 Running
30 39 74 Mike Harmon Horizon Transport Chevrolet 190 7 Running
31 35 40 Chad Finchum # Smithbilt Homes Toyota 172 6 Transmission
32 25 36 Alex Labbe # Sticky Stuff Custom Signs & Graphics Chevrolet 168 5 Running
33 22 35 Joey Gase Donate Life/Pro Master Chevrolet 161 4 Accident
34 23 38 JJ Yeley RSS Racing Chevrolet 119 3 Suspension
35 31 90 Josh Williams Star Tron Star Brite/Sleep Well Chevrolet 107 2 Carburetor
36 11 19 Brandon Jones Menards/NRG Toyota 104 6 5 12 Accident
37 29 66 Timmy Hill CrashClaimsR.Us Dodge 55 1 Fuel Pump
38 32 89 Morgan Shepherd Visone RV Chevrolet 25 1 Vibration
39 40 79 Josh Reaume(i) Chevrolet 9 PE Overheating
40 28 93 Jeff Green RSS Racing Chevrolet 6 1 Electrical
Time of Race: 02 Hrs, 16 Mins, 29 Secs. Average Speed: 131.884 MPH Margin of Victory: 0.848 Seconds
18,00,42,2,12,19,9,7,21,1
42,18,00,12,19,7,20,9,22,21
Race Comments: Christopher Bell won the Alsco 300 at Kentucky Speedway, his third victory in the NASCAR Xfinity Series. Prior to the start of the race, the following cars dropped to the rear of the field under penalty for the reasons indicated: No. 20 (unapproved tire change), and No. 36 and 74 (unapproved adjustments).
Failed to Qualify: N/A
Caution Flags: 7 for 32 laps: Laps: 47-51 (Stage 1 Conclusion [35]); 92-97 (Stage 2 Conclusion [35]); 101-103 (#78 Spin in Turn 4 [39]); 105-108 (#19 Incident on the backstretch [38]); 133-138 (#60 Spin in Turn 4 [51]); 148-151 (#1 and 2 Incident in Turn 2 [51]); 163-166 (#35 Incident in Turn 3 [42]).
Lead Changes: 8 among 7 drivers: C. Custer 1-14; K. Busch(i) 15-79; J. Nemechek 80-93; K. Busch(i) 94-134; M. Annett 135-138; K. Busch(i) 139-143; D. Hemric 144-151; J. Allgaier 152-183; C. Bell # 184-200.
Mahle Clevite Engine Builder of the Race : Toyota Racing Development (TRD), #18 Mobil 1 Driver of the Race : Christopher Bell, #20
Sunoco Rookie of the Race : Christopher Bell, #20
(i) Ineligible for driver points in this series