37 points. That’s what stood in the way of Christopher Bell and the playoff cutline going into the Xfinity 500. The No. 20 driver was the highest-ranking non-winner of the round, just a single point ahead of Kyle Larson. Just a year prior, in the 2024 Martinsville cutoff, Bell was eliminated in a controversial finish after a last-lap, all-or-nothing dive for a key point position was ruled a safety violation similar to Ross Chastain’s famous 2022 Hail Melon move.

NASCAR’s penalty docked him four positions, which was just enough for William Byron to advance by four points instead. This year, Bell was the last Joe Gibbs Racing car with work to do, and mid-race engine failures from two of his manufacturer brethren only heightened the possibility of an unexpected winner from below the cutline.

See Full Page