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Tag: Christopher Bell

  • Bell Wins Truck Pole at Atlanta

    Bell Wins Truck Pole at Atlanta

    HAMPTON, Ga. — Christopher Bell will lead the field to the green flag after take pole position at Atlanta Motor Speedway.

    The driver of the No. 4 Kyle Busch Motorsports Toyota scored the pole for the Active Pest Control 200 after posting a time of 30.643 and a speed of 180.922 mph. Kyle Busch will start second in his No. 51 KBM Toyota after posting a time of 30.782 and a speed of 180.105 mph. Austin Cindric will start third in his No. 19 Brad Keselowski Racing Ford after posting a time of 30.817 and a speed of 179.901 mph. Chase Briscoe will start fourth in his No. 29 BKR Ford after posting a time of 30.851 and a speed of 179.702 mph. Alex Bowman rounded out the top-five in his No. 24 GMS Racing Chevrolet after posting a time of 30.876 and a speed of 179.557 mph.

    Johnny Sauter, Matt Crafton, Timothy Peters, Chase Elliott and Noah Gragson rounded out the top-10.

    John Hunter Nemechek and Kaz Grala rounded out the 12 drivers that made the final round of qualifying.

    JJ Yeley, Norm Benning and Jennifer Jo Cobb failed to make the race.

    [pdf-embedder url=”http://www.speedwaymedia.com/wp-content/uploads/2017/03/T1702_STARTROW.pdf”]

  • Bell fastest in first Truck practice

    Bell fastest in first Truck practice

    BRISTOL, Tenn. — Christopher Bell topped the chart in first Camping World Truck Series practice at Bristol Motor Speedway.

    The driver of the No. 4 Kyle Busch Motorsports Toyota was the fastest in the first practice session with a time of 15.535 and a speed of 123.515 mph. Timothy Peters was second in his No. 17 Red Horse Racing Toyota with a time of 15.600 and a speed of 123.000 mph. Rico Abreu was third in his No. 98 ThorSport Racing Toyota with a time of 15.600 and a speed of 123.000 mph. Daniel Suarez was fourth in his No. 51 KBM Toyota with a time of 15.601 and a speed of 122.992 mph. Cole Custer rounded out the top-five in his No. 00 JR Motorsports Chevrolet with a time of 15.621 and a speed of 122.835 mph.

    Tyler Reddick was sixth in his No. 29 Brad Keselowski Racing Ford. Ben Rhodes was seventh in his No. 41 TSR Toyota. Matt Crafton was eighth in his No. 88 TSR Toyota. John Hunter Nemechek was ninth in his No. 8 NEMCO Motorsports Chevrolet. Cameron Hayley rounded out the top-10 in his No. 13 TSR Toyota.

    Ben Kennedy, who was 20th in his No. 33 GMS Racing Chevrolet, posted the fastest 10 consecutive lap average at a speed of 119.103 mph.

    The trucks ran the middle groove for most of the session rather than use the recently “polished” bottom groove.

    The trucks are back on track at 11:30 for final practice.

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  • The View from my Recliner — Just before the Brickyard

    The View from my Recliner — Just before the Brickyard

    I am writing this in anticipation of missing the Brickyard 400 live because I will be returning home from a wedding. My DVR better not let me down.

    Some thoughts before the green is dropped tomorrow.

    The piece on NBCSN with Tony Stewart reading letters from Robin Miller, Greg Zippadelli, Eddie Jarvis and his dad should be a great piece to watch. If the preview of the story is just a touch of what you will see, it should be a great five minutes on the pre-race show.

    You would think by watching promos for the Brickyard that Jeff Gordon was the only person running at Indy. Smart move on NBCSN to use a Fox Sports commentator as your promo. It should be interesting to see how Gordon fares in the 88 car.

    Dale Earnhardt Jr.’s concussion-like symptoms kept him out of the car at New Hampshire and will keep him out at Indy and Pocono; the future is still to be determined. I think the decision on Earnhardt’s part to skip races to get healthy is the right move. He has a life to live and if he isn’t 100 percent physically in a race car, going 200 mph can cause further issues as he moves forward in life, possibly hurt another driver and cost him more than a chance at a championship. Smart move Jr.

    Richard Childress said this week that he is getting closer to solidifying his driver line-up for next year. My prediction is that he brings the charter that belongs to Circle Sport-Levine Family racing back to RCR and puts Ty Dillon into a fourth RCR entry. I think Childress values what Ryan Newman brings to the team and will keep him in a car. The RCR ride for Paul Menard is the best ride that he and his family can buy and Austin Dillon is going nowhere.

    It is nice to see Roush Fenway Racing getting back to where they were during the days of when Mark Martin, Matt Kenseth, Greg Biffle and Carl Edwards ran for them. Jack Roush is a legend of the sport and you weren’t going to keep him and his team down forever. He went young with drivers and will continue to improve as his drivers grow with experience.

    The truck race at Eldora was the best race all season in all three NASCAR national touring series. Kyle Larson, Christopher Bell and Bobby Pierce put on a great show in the front of the field and throughout the race, you could see three and four wide at times trying to get a position. It was the most exciting race of the season and I am already looking forward to next year’s truck race.

    Five predictions going forward:

    1. Tony Stewart wins the Brickyard 400 to solidify his spot in the Chase and add to his final season.
    2. Dale Earnhardt Jr. will not make the Chase and because of that, he might not run for an extended period of time.
    3. Ryan Blaney will make the Chase.
    4. William Byron will be announced as a Joe Gibbs Racing XFINITY Driver in 2017.
    5. Kevin Harvick’s pit crew will be outstanding going forward. Last week’s public tongue lashing will solidify the over the wall guys because they know their jobs are on the line.

    Enjoy the Brickyard and we’ll talk next time with the View from My Recliner.

  • Christopher Bell Endures Carnage to Win at Gateway

    Christopher Bell Endures Carnage to Win at Gateway

    On a night of wrecks, angry drivers, more wrecks and a DDT, Christopher Bell endured it all to score the victory at Gateway.

    The driver of the No. 4 Kyle Busch Motorsports Toyota led 38 laps and took advantage of the misfortunes of other drivers in the closing stages to win the Drivin’ 4 Lineman 200. It’s his second career victory in 16 Camping World Truck Series starts, the first of 2016 and his first on asphalt. The win ties KBM with Roush Fenway Racing for most wins by any organization in the Truck Series.

    Ben Rhodes led four laps on his way to scoring a career-best finish of second in his No. 41 ThorSport Racing Toyota. It’s his fourth top-10 finish of 2016. Daniel Hemric rounded out the podium in his No. 29 Brad Keselowski Racing Ford. Johnny Sauter led 29 laps on his way to a fourth-place finish in his No. 21 GMS Racing Chevrolet. Reigning series champion Erik Jones rounded out the top-five in his No. 51 KBM Toyota.

    John Hunter Nemechek finished sixth in his No. 8 NEMCO Motorsports Chevrolet. Germán Quiroga finished seventh in his No. 11 Red Horse Racing Toyota. Kaz Grala finished eighth in his No. 24 GMSR Chevrolet. Ben Kennedy finished ninth in his No. 33 GMSR Chevrolet. Timothy Peters rounded out the top-10 in his No. 17 RHR Toyota.

    William Byron, who led a race-high of 47 laps, came home 17th.

    Twenty cars finished on the lead lap and 23 finished the race.

    The race lasted two hours, 14 minutes and 48 seconds at an average speed of 89.021 mph. There were eight lead changes among six different drivers, nine cautions for 44 laps and three red flag periods. The first red flag was for a three-car wreck in Turn 3 that resulted in Austin Wayne Self being t-boned by Jennifer Jo Cobb. The second was for a multi-car wreck in Turn 4. The last was for a two-car wreck in the closing laps in Turn 1 involving Spencer Gallagher and John Wes Townley that resulted in a fight. During this scuffle, Townley delivered a DDT to Gallagher onto the racing surface.

    Byron leaves with a one-point lead over Matt Crafton in the points standings.

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  • Despite Setbacks, Christopher Bell Continues to Shine

    Despite Setbacks, Christopher Bell Continues to Shine

    The 2016 season has been a roller-coaster year for Christopher Bell. A wild ride at Daytona turned into a cut tire while leading at Atlanta, which turned into a missed shift and a broken transmission on the first lap at Texas. Still, with two top-five and four top-10s in 2016, he’s not too far back in the points to turn things around. As a Kyle Busch Motorsports rookie, he and teammate William Byron were expected to lead the rookie charge in 2016.

    But while Byron has elevated his status from championship contender to championship threat following his Iowa win Saturday night, Bell has struggled to find the right rhythm for his No. 4 Toyota team. His season stats tell the tale; 16th, 26th, 19th, fourth, third, eighth, 32nd, and ninth. But what they don’t tell is how he was running in the top-five before flipping at Daytona, or how he led 42 laps at Atlanta and was leading when he crashed. Or how he was running near the front at Martinsville before getting caught up in a backstretch tangle late in the race.

    Bell is a talented driver, just as talented as Byron. But Byron has championship experience in Crew Chief Rudy Fugle and the best Toyota team in the Camping World Truck Series. While Bell’s Crew Chief Jerry Baxter has 31 years of experience in the position and has won with former KBM driver Darrell Wallace Jr., it doesn’t help that Bell has had his share of bad luck.

    Already armed with one CWTS win (Eldora, 2015), Bell has been in contention for wins all season long. Sure, it’s easy to count him out considering the success his teammate is experiencing, but don’t let Byron’s wins set the standard for the way Bell’s successes are judged. Kyle Busch knew what he was going to get out of Bell when he first hired him and compared to his 2015 stats, Bell is where he should be performance wise.

    Not every winner is a Jones or a Byron. But that doesn’t make them a one-hit wonder, either. Bell needs more experience and thankfully, the CWTS season is only eight races in and luckily for Bell Eldora lies ahead. He’s shown strength at every track so far this season, so he could win at any of the tracks coming up before the Chase kicks in.

    It’s too early to doubt Bell or to count him out of contention. He’s a rookie, and he’s doing what rookies normally do; learn. He’s learning and posting strong results when possible. He’ll gain momentum, he’ll gain consistency, and he’ll gain confidence. Those top-10s will pile up, but he just needs time.

  • In Wild Finish, Sauter Wins Truck Series Opener at Daytona

    In Wild Finish, Sauter Wins Truck Series Opener at Daytona

    NCWTS Race Recap
    By Reid Spencer – NASCAR Wire Service 

    DAYTONA BEACH, Fla. – With the No. 4 Toyota of Christopher Bell barrel-rolling through Turn 1 behind him, Johnny Sauter nosed ahead in his No. 21 Chevrolet and had more than a car-length lead when NASCAR called the final caution of the NextEra Energy Resources 250 at Daytona International Speedway.

    With the victory, Sauter is all but guaranteed a spot in the first NASCAR Camping World Truck Series Chase, a seven-race playoff modeled after the Chase for the NASCAR Sprint Cup.

    But Sauter needed a push from Bell to take the lead, moments before contact with the No. 17 Toyota of Timothy Peters launched the No. 4 and sent it rolling in as part of a 10-truck accident. Ryan Truex ran second, followed by Parker Kligerman, Brandon Brown and Tyler Young, as attrition eliminated some of the strongest trucks in the field.

    The victory was the first for Chevrolet in 17 NASCAR Camping World Truck Series races at Daytona. It was Sauter’s 11th win in the series in his first start in the No. 21 GMS Racing Chevy and his first race with crew chief Marcus Richmond.

    “I just had this feeling that our truck was so good yesterday that, if I didn’t make any mistakes, we were going to have a shot at this,” Sauter said. “And Marcus did a phenomenal job calling the race… This is unbelievable.

    “I’m so pumped to be the first guy to get to Victory Lane here. GMS—I mean, what can I say? This is the opportunity of a lifetime.”

    A colossal wreck on Lap 93 involved more than half the 32-truck field and eliminated some of the strongest competitors from contention, including Austin Theriault (who had led a race-high 31 laps), polesitter Grant Enfinger, two-time series champion Matt Crafton, defending race winner Tyler Reddick, Canadian Cameron Hayley and Mexican star Daniel Suarez.

    NASCAR red-flagged the race for 27 minutes, 54 seconds for track cleanup. When the trucks began rolling again, Truex was in the lead, followed by Sauter and Peters, for a restart on Lap 98. Truex and Sauter battled side-by-side until Bell pushed Sauter to the lead after the trucks took the white flag.

    “The 4 truck, thanks for the push,” Sauter said. “He was pushing me. I was sideways. We lost momentum there, and I thought we were all going to crash. The next thing I knew he was pushing me again and bumping me, and it all worked out.”

    Note: After the race, Bell was transported to a local medical facility for further examination and observation. No specifics about his condition were available, but Bell was able to climb from his car and walk to a waiting ambulance–standard protocol after any wreck. 

    NASCAR Camping World Truck Series Race – NextEra Energy Resources 250
    Daytona International Speedway
    Daytona Beach, Florida
    Friday, February 19, 2016

                   1. (2) Johnny Sauter, Chevrolet, 100

                   2. (20) Ryan Truex, Toyota, 100

                   3. (23) Parker Kligerman, Ford, 100

                   4. (22) Brandon Brown, Chevrolet, 100

                   5. (32) Travis Kvapil, Chevrolet, 100

                   6. (21) Tyler Young, Chevrolet, 100

                   7. (24) Ben Rhodes #, Toyota, 100

                   8. (18) Daniel Hemric, Ford, 100

                   9. (26) Scott Lagasse Jr(i), Chevrolet, 100

                   10. (6) Matt Crafton, Toyota, 100

                   11. (29) Michel Disdier, Chevrolet, 100

                   12. (25) Bobby Gerhart(i), Chevrolet, 100

                   13. (13) William Byron #, Toyota, 100

                   14. (30) Timmy Hill, Chevrolet, 100

                   15. (3) Timothy Peters, Toyota, 100

                   16. (8) Christopher Bell #, Toyota, 99

                   17. (15) John H Nemechek, Chevrolet, 99

                   18. (12) Tyler Reddick, Ford, 99

                   19. (19) Austin Wayne Self, Toyota, 99

                   20. (1) Grant Enfinger #, Chevrolet, 98

                   21. (11) Spencer Gallagher, Chevrolet, 96

                   22. (17) Chris Fontaine, Toyota, Accident, 95

                   23. (31) Ben Kennedy, Toyota, Accident, 93

                   24. (10) Cole Custer #, Chevrolet, Accident, 93

                   25. (14) Cameron Hayley, Toyota, Accident, 92

                   26. (7) John Wes Townley, Chevrolet, Accident, 92

                   27. (4) Austin Theriault, Ford, Accident, 92

                   28. (5) Daniel Suarez(i), Toyota, Accident, 92

                   29. (16) Rico Abreu #, Toyota, Accident, 92

                   30. (27) Jordan Anderson, Chevrolet, Rear Gear, 75

                   31. (9) Cody Coughlin #, Toyota, Accident, 41

                   32. (28) Tommy Joe Martins, Chevrolet, Accident, 11

     

    Average Speed of Race Winner:  129.032 mph.

    Time of Race:  01 Hrs, 56 Mins, 15 Secs. Margin of Victory:  Caution.

    Caution Flags:  7 for 29 laps.

    Lead Changes:  26 among 10 drivers.

    Lap Leaders:   G. Enfinger # 0; A. Theriault 1; G. Enfinger # 2-3; A. Theriault 4-9; G. Enfinger # 10; J. Sauter 11-13; T. Reddick 14-20; A. Theriault 21; J. Sauter 22-24; M. Crafton 25-29; A. Theriault 30-44; T. Kvapil 45-46; T. Peters 47-51; A. Theriault 52-59; J. Sauter 60-63; C. Hayley 64-66; T. Hill 67; T. Peters 68-70; T. Reddick 71-75; T. Peters 76-82; C. Hayley 83; R. Truex 84; G. Enfinger # 85; R. Truex 86-91; J. Sauter 92; R. Truex 93-99; J. Sauter 100;.

    Leaders Summary (Driver, Times Lead, Laps Led):  A. Theriault 5 times for 31 laps; T. Peters 3 times for 15 laps; R. Truex 3 times for 14 laps; J. Sauter 5 times for 12 laps; T. Reddick 2 times for 12 laps; M. Crafton 1 time for 5 laps; C. Hayley 2 times for 4 laps; G. Enfinger # 3 times for 4 laps; T. Kvapil 1 time for 2 laps; T. Hill 1 time for 1 lap.

    Top 10 in Points: J. Sauter – 36; R. Truex – 32; P. Kligerman – 30; B. Brown – 29; T. Kvapil – 29; T. Young – 27; B. Rhodes # – 26; D. Hemric – 25; M. Crafton – 24; M. Disdier – 22.