Joe Gibbs Racing driver Christopher Bell stated he was “simply attempting to get to the tip” of the NASCAR Cup Sequence race in Kansas after struggling on tyres.
As eventual winner Kyle Larson turned down his tempo on the entrance within the #5 Hendrick Motorsports Chevrolet, Bell started to shut in quickly on him within the #20 Toyota Camry.
This additionally introduced Ryan Blaney within the #12 Penske Ford into play, with the trio ultimately separated by lower than a second following 267 laps of racing at Kansas Speedway.
However regardless of coming so near victory, Bell doesn’t assume he had a shot at passing Larson for the lead within the AdventHealth 400, citing his personal late-race tempo struggles with the Camry.
The Oklahoma native stated he owed his sixth podium of the season to his spectacular efficiency in qualifying, which noticed him qualify third behind polesitter Larson and RFK Racing’s Chris Buescher.
“I used to be stunned that [Larson] sort of gave up on the highest these final couple laps and pulled down. However I used to be struggling simply as dangerous as he was, so I used to be simply attempting to get to the tip. I do know Ryan was approaching actually sturdy there.
“Total, to get dwelling second with a whole lot of stage factors was one thing that we would have liked after the final couple weeks, and this Reser’s Camry was simply not fairly what we would have liked.
“I really feel like our day was sort of a product of qualifying effectively, having good pit stops, having good restarts and nothing actually took us out of it. At any time when the lengthy inexperienced flag runs got here, it appeared like we had been going backwards and there have been a pair guys that might drive by us.
“To stroll out of right here second, I’m actually proud of, and hopefully we is usually a little bit stronger after we come again.”
Bell has scored 4 of his 12 pole positions in Kansas however is but to attain a register win on the 1.5-mile tri-oval.
Nonetheless, the rostrum end on Sunday has elevated him from sixth to 3rd within the championship standings, behind Hendrick Motorsports duo Larson and William Byron.
