Christopher Bell comments on Martinsville finish, feels 'cheated out of a chance' for championship

11/09/2024 03:44 PM

Joe Gibbs Racing driver Christopher Bell was made available to the media on Saturday prior to practice for the NASCAR Cup Series race at Phoenix Raceway.

CHRISTOPHER BELL, No. 20 Interstate Batteries/DEWALT Toyota Camry XSE, Joe Gibbs Racing

Do you still feel the same way about your move on the last lap?

"Yeah, I think that. I hate calling the last lap a move, because it was not a move. My intentions were never to ride the wall. I didn‘t gain an advantage riding the wall, so it was not a move. I don‘t believe that I broke the rule."

How do you process the last week for yourself?

"I feel cheated. I feel cheated out of a chance to compete for a championship. It all stems from what happened earlier — 15, 20 to go, whenever the race got fixed, and manipulated by Chevrolet, that forced our hands to do what we did and ultimately, it forced me into a mistake on the last lap to get into the wall. I feel like I should have never been in that situation had the race been ran fairly, the 24 (William Bryon) would have lost enough spots to get me into the final race."

Do you feel like you should be in the Championship 4? Do you feel like Bryon should be penalized?

"I feel like I should be in the Championship 4 — yes. So, in the race, when the manipulation happened — it was clear that I needed a position. With the 23 (Bubba Wallace) falling back, we got that position and whenever we crossed the finish line, the 20 car was in. So, with the cards that were dealt, the 20 car was in position to make the championship event, and we are not in it."

At what point were you made of the points situation?

"I was not aware of the points situation until the closing laps. I was informed with probably 20-25 to go that the 24 (William Bryon) was bleeding positions and it appeared at that point that we were going to be fine and be good on points. As the run continued, I actually got visuals on the 24 car, and saw him backing the field up, and it was probably 10 to go when I realized what was going on, and that the 24 was indeed done bleeding positions, so I thought at that point that my race was over — I didn‘t know that the 23 (Bubba Wallace) car was a spot for me until the last lap. I knew that I had to pass him, and I got by him into turn three and unfortunately, I slid into wall."

Could you see the manipulation going on?

"I could very clearly see the race manipulation and the race fixing that was going on."

If there was extended penalties that could have come as part of race manipulation, would they not have also extend to you and your team?

"Yeah, absolutely, but we shouldn‘t have ever been in that spot in the first place, and that is what I go back to. If the race had been run fairly, there would not have been any manipulation on either side. Our hands were forced by hands of our other competitors, and yeah."

— Toyota Racing —