By Jerry Jordan, Editor
LAS VEGAS – It’s possible that no one is more upset with the outcome of Sunday’s NASCAR race at Las Vegas Motor Speedway than Christopher Bell, who was chasing Joey Logano down at an incredible clip going into the final two laps … but he simply ran out of laps.
Bell led 155 laps after starting from the pole position – his dominance undeniable throughout the entirety of the South Point 400 Cup Series playoff race. But even if he could have challenged for the lead, Bell would have had a hard time passing Ryan Blaney, Logano’s Team Penske teammate, who was acting as a de facto rolling chicane.
“Ummm, disappointment,” Bell told media members gathered around him following the race. “I don’t know. I’ve lost, I lost an Xfinity Race here, I think in 2019, in literally the exact same way where the yellow flag comes out on the outside of the window, leading the race, have to make a pitstop and someone in the back stretched it. So, I’ve seen it before and I couldn’t believe it.
“You know, whenever we went green, Adam (Stevens, crew chief) told me, you know, we were four or five short and nobody topped off. So, I didn’t think there was a chance that anyone could make it at that point whenever no one topped off. And then, he keyed up and said a couple of them are trying to stretch it and I am like, ‘surely they are going to run out, right?’ And they did not run out.”
Bell pitted with 38 laps to go but Logano stretched his fuel mileage 72 laps and still had enough in the tank to do a victory burnout. Bell’s fresher tires were paying off but with no late-race caution and Blaney as a blocker, Bell couldn’t get there.
“I think everyone here can answer that, Regardless of how much time we had, the 12 car was with Joey trying to play defense for him. So, it was going to take the right move to get by him but we had 30, almost 40 lap newer tires than him and clearly a lot more pace than he had at that time. I didn’t get there in 267 laps, though.”
Bell said Blaney’s role was fair but he questioned whether it was a good strategy because Blaney is also running for the championship. Blaney already had a bad day and was four laps down when he was running behind Logano in the closing laps.
“I think it’s fair game,” Bell said. “And props to him, I think the 22 winning was probably bad for the 12 because they are racing each other for points to get it. So, Penske, they won the race and they got one car in (the Championship 4 at Phoenix Raceway) so they did it right.”