Christopher Bell secured a significant win for his racing career, even though it ended in a somewhat underwhelming way.
Bell emerged victorious in the Coca-Cola 600 at Charlotte Motor Speedway on Sunday, but the race was cut short due to rainy weather with 151 laps still remaining. After enduring a prolonged downpour, efforts to dry the track were unsuccessful.
Behind the wheel of his Joe Gibbs Racing No. 20 Toyota, Bell led for the most laps in the race, marking his eighth win in the Cup Series and his first in a prestigious event like the Coca-Cola 600.
“It’s a great feeling to have a strong race, leading laps, and passing cars,” said Bell. “Hopefully, we can use this momentum to become more consistent.” Prior to this win, Bell had only managed one top-10 finish in his previous seven Cup races.
Because of the inclement weather and the unlikelihood of resuming the race after 1 a.m. local time due to track drying, NASCAR decided to call it official.
The announcement was met with loud boos from the fans, which Bell joked about, saying, “It seems all of my wins come with an asterisk.”
Bell’s crew chief, Adam Stevens, emphasized the importance of staying ahead, especially with the bad weather looming. In the final standings, Brad Keselowski finished second, followed by William Byron, Tyler Reddick, and Denny Hamlin.
The race was halted just as Kyle Larson arrived at Charlotte Motor Speedway to take over driving Hendrick Motorsports’ No. 5 Chevrolet.
Larson had hoped to join Tony Stewart as the only driver to complete all 1,100 laps of the Indianapolis 500-Coca-Cola 600 double, but bad weather in Indianapolis dashed those plans quickly.
After finishing 18th at the Indianapolis 500, Larson was swiftly transported out of the track and, after a plane and two helicopter rides, arrived at Charlotte’s 1.5-mile oval to cheers from the crowd.
He rushed to his pit stall in his fire suit and helmet, only for the race to be halted moments later by heavy rain. Larson didn’t even get a chance to take a lap at Charlotte.
According to NASCAR rules, Larson must start every race to be eligible for the playoffs. However, Hendrick Motorsports can request a waiver from NASCAR to make an exception.
Although there’s no guarantee that NASCAR will approve the waiver, it’s unlikely they would keep their top driver out of the postseason. Larson didn’t speak to the media after the race.
Keselowski, who started 30th, made his way up through the field to second place and believed he had the car to win if the rain had held off.
“We ran down the 20 car twice but didn’t get to see it through,” Keselowski said. “It slipped away from us. I think we could have won the Coke 600, but we ran the Coke 350. I’m disappointed for our team, but we can’t control the weather.”
