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Christopher Bell addressed the heartbreaking moment from last year at Martinsville where he narrowly missed out on the Championship 4 qualification. The Joe Gibbs Racing driver was running in contention for the ultimate NASCAR Cup Series prize but was disqualified after an illegal wall maneuver at the Martinsville Speedway.
Bell was driving the #20 Toyota Camry XSE for JGR and was in pole position for the championship 4 berth. However, a little mistake cost him the place, and subsequently the chance to win the championship in 2024. His mistake? He could not control his car, hit the right wall, and rode it till the Checkered Flag.
Trackhouse Racing's Ross Chastain carried out a similar stunt earlier at the same track, and as a result, he was disqualified, and NASCAR banned such a move. The fate wasn't different in the case of Bell, as he couldn't avoid being disqualified, and lost his place.
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Speaking about how he still remembers the fateful day, and how it still hurts him to this day, Bell spoke to Fox Sports journalist Bob Pockrass ahead of Sunday's Cook Out 400 race at Martinsville Speedway. Here's what he said:
"I'll never forget that moment and never forget that race, but yeah, it is a super important racetrack so it's one that you need to be good at, and if you want a chance to compete for the championship. So, I'll certainly never forget that race." (till 0:26)
As a result of Bell's disqualification, William Byron of Hendrick Motorsports made it to the final four alongside Joey Logano, Ryan Blaney of Team Penske, and Tyler Reddick of 23XI Racing. In the end, Logano won the championship, ahead of Blaney, Byron, and Reddick.
Moving on from the fateful day from last year, Christopher Bell started off fresh in this year's Martinsville Speedway race, as he set pole position for the Cook Out 400. However, he could not get the better of his teammate, Denny Hamlin, at the short track, as the #11 driver fended him off and won the race.
How did Christopher Bell react to his Championship 4 loss last year?
After NASCAR disqualified Christopher Bell from advancing to the Championship 4, the JGR driver was left disgruntled and hopeless. Here's what he told Fox Sports about in the post-race interview:
"I made a mistake and slid into the wall," Bell said. "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. It's not meant to be."
Coming into 2025, Christopher Bell won three back-to-back races in Atlanta, Austin, and Phoenix to secure his position in the NASCAR playoffs. So far, he is the only driver with multiple wins in the Cup Series this season.
